//------------------------------// // Class Trial Former // Story: Dangan Ronpa- Hopes Peak Equestrian Division // by DeviousNights //------------------------------// "Let's start with a brief explanation of how the class trial works! You all debate against each other to decide "whodunnit"! And at the end, you cast a vote! But beware if you choose the wrong person...I'll execute you all! Otherwise, I'll just execute the blackened!" Monokuma said from his position in the courtroom like infrastructure. It was a dimly lit room with marble walls and a total of 15 defendant podiums in a complete circle. "Do we...seriously have to...?" Fluttershy asks cowering before her stand, holding her arms tightly to her chest and trembling. "I'm sure if this was a joke we would've been told by now." Victor proclaimed, eyes closed, hiding the true fear he felt for the situation. His hands were clutched onto his arms in a defensive stance. "Interesting." Nightmare proclaimed, whipping his index finger across his stand and flicking off the dust that then attached itself to his gray digit. "How can you say this is interesting? Lives are at stake..." Fluttershy meekly said, her gaze meeting Nightmare's accidentally. "A high ante is exactly what makes this interesting." Nightmare argued back, taking his gaze to Zaccarius, who stood directly across from him. "First however, an overlook of this Monokuma File." Orige states, having a snake bring up her handbook. "The victim died between 5AM-9AM." "That's an awfully large time gap Monokuma." Chlorate stated, glancing at Monokuma from the corner of her eye. Monokuma stared absentmindedly at Orige as if waiting for her to finish her overview. "The victim's body was discovered in classroom A-3. She was found with two medicine bottles in her hand. No readily visible bodily injuries have been noted. Very faint traces of 'Asynophil', a drug found in the Chem lab, have been found in here body." "No injuries huh. This may be a tad more difficult than I originally anticipated." Victor said hand to his chin in deep thought. "I already know who did it anyways! Zaccarius. I indict you!" "Wha...WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Zaccarius screeched, clinching backwards heavily as he attempted to catch himself by latching onto the stand in front of him and looking back upwards in a panic. "I don't see why your surprised. I even have vital proof." Nightmare proudly proclaimed, shaking his head. "Instead of wasting everyone's...time boasting about it...why don't you just show it......?" Cinder sleepily questioned. She whiped her eyes, awaiting response from Nightmare. "Here I present to you, a list. 'Monokuma's Timer Gas Wake Up List'." "Heyyyyy! Come on now! Where do you get off stealing something of that importance?" Monokuma asked, interrupting him before he began to pass the sheet around. "I don't think it counts as stealing if you leave this lying out in the open." Nightmare then unfolded a brown sheet of paper in his pocket and began to read off what was typed onto the sheet. "What is important is that a select few of us were awake during the time that Cinder was murdered, so I would say from about 5 AM to 8 AM. Zaccarius, the victim, Dr. Pressure Point, myself, and Cinder." "That doesn't mean any..." "Oh so you are admitting to having awoken then correct? I'll openly admit that I was awoken at my designated time. Nightmare asked, swishing his hair From the front of his face. He tossed his lighter in his hand haphazardly as he awaited a response. Zaccarius could be seen squirming and struggling to find a way to answer the question without incriminating himself. "We shall take that as a yes." Orige said, arms crossed in a somewhat menacing stance. "However Nightmare, that also means the other two people are just as likely to have committed the crime." "That is in part true. But I have a theory." "Well let us hear this assumption of yours!!!" Zaccarius yelled. Twilight shook her head at the display that was unfolding before her. She began to mentally prepare herself for whatever Nightmare was about to say, because most likely it wasn't going to be good. ---Nonstop Debate---- Truth Bullets- Dried Blood in Front of Suit's Headpeice Zaccarius's Account ~ Nightmare: Ihereby assert that Zaccarius is the killer. Clay: Ya know no matter how many times you say it, until we have proof... None of us are obligated to believe you. Orige- Now, Clay. Let him speak. Nightmare- As you can see he was the only other one who was awake that could have done it. Plus, the blood inside the suit's 'headpiece proves it was him!' He did get 'Knocked out after all'. ~ "So his proof lies in the blood that was found in the suit...but there's something wrong about that." "Don't forget Twilight, concentrate on the weak points in statements, then present your evidence." Victor said, looking over his shoulder at Twilight. 'Headpiece proves it was him!' "No, that's wrong!" Twilight shouted, pointing at Nightmare. "Oh really now?" Nightmare asked, flicking on his lighter, it now being a light shade of green. "The headpiece doesn't prove that Mr. Night did it at all. He testified that he suffered a blow to the back of the head before being completely knocked out. However, the gold painting was found rubbed off and replaced by blood on the front of the headpiece." "What's wrong with that?" Vagrant Blossom shakily asked. "How did the wound suddenly appear on the front of his head then?" Twilight asked, directing the question to anyone who would dare to answer. "Wait a second. What stops it from being Cinder or Pressure Point? Or even you Nightmare?" Orige asked, petting the King Snake that had begun to slink itself out of her robe. "It's highly unlikely any of them knew how to remove he head of the knight suit. The only person here that we know of with the expertise to do something of that sort is Zaccarius." "Wait a second! Just how are you so sure about that?" Zaccarius panickedly asked. "Well then allow me to present my second argument." Nightmare said aloud, covering his mouth from a yawn. ---Nonstop Debate--- Truth Bullets: Bloodstain in Front of Suit of Armor (A large pool of blood found in front of the suit of armor) Monokuma File #1 (Body suffered no noticeable external injuries) ~ Nightmare: Along with what I have stated, here comes in the 'murder itself'. Zaccarius must've faked his injury. Victor: How do you fake a gash? Nightmare: I propose that 'McChloe herself suffered the blow'. Fluttershy: I don't know how? Nightmare: It's obvious she didn't kill herself, and the only blood was in the Chem lab. Pressure Point: The question still remains, how do you figure it wasn't 'I or Cinder'? Nightmare: ...'To be continued.' ~ (Well there's one fact, if any that's obviously wrong here) 'McChloe herself suffered a blow' "You've got that wrong!" "Oh really?" Nightmare asked, eyes closed and arms folded. "Try to recall the Monokuma file. It stated 'no visible external injuries could be noted'." "...mhm." Cinder responded, whipping her eye and pulling her rainbow colored blanket up to her eyes. "How could you have made such an obvious oversight?" Twilight questioned. "Oh I don't know, maybe because there's no reason to suspect anyone else? At least I'm putting up an effort." Nightmare said, offering a rather pathetic explanation. "I do still however think Zaccarius is guilty." "Of course you do." Victor Excellence commented smartly. "We aren't going to get anywhere thinking how we are now. How did she actually die is the question now." Orige brought up in an attempt to steer the conversation towards something useful. "The Monokuma file says nothing about her cause of death, just that she allegedly bled from her mouth, and that no other readily visible wounds could be noted, and no blood came from any part of her body but the mouth." Pressure Point read from his E-Handbook. "Pressure Point. Speaking of you, since you were scheduled to awaken around when she awoke, did you happen to see her?" "I awoke, yes, walked around the school even, but in my groggy state I couldn't really see anyone. I do specifically remember a suit of armor outside the Chem lab." "....suit of armor?" Fluttershy asked meekly, as if something important was just said. "Well Twilight, I'm sure I'm not the only one that finds something strange about 'the suit of armor being outside the Chem lab'." Nightmare said, arms folded in his 'thinking stance'. (He can only be thinking of....that.) "Nightmare...your referring to the placement of the suit of armor right?" "Right on target. When we saw it it was inside the Chem lab. The question now, is whether that was its original position or it was changed." "Monokuma?" Chlorate asked, glancing at the monochromed bear. "Well if you must know! The original position of the Suit is *inside* the Chem lab!" "Pressure Point...why was the suit on the outside?" Victor asked, obvious accusation present in his voice. "You ask that question as if I know the answer." Pressure Point smartly shot back, using both hands to straighten out his hair. ---Nonstop Debate--- Truth Bullets: Suit of Armor (Had a bloodstain on both the hilt and the top of the spear) Monokuma Timer Gas Sheet (Pressure Point awoke at 5AM, Cinder awoke at 5:30 AM, Zaccarius at 6AM, Nightmare shortly afterwards and McChloe at 6:30) ~ Pinkie: So.... What're we talking about again? Chlorate: ... Pressure Point, why was the 'position different?' Pressure Point: You ask me that question as if I 'know the answer.' Why don't you ask one of the other two that same question? Cinder: ... Zaccarius: I definitely remember seeing the suit of armor 'Outside the room'! ~ 'Outside the Room' "I agree with that! Zaccarius. Monokuma's statement just now was that it was originally inside the Chem lab. Your saying it was outside the Chem lab when you saw it as well?" "Correct!" Zaccarius responded. "Then we can reasonably infer that it was outside of the Chem lab during the time that Zaccarius and Pressure Point saw it, but it was inside when we saw it." "Oh this is Ridiculous!" Pressure Point cried out, pointing his index finger at Twilight, with mix of anger and disappointment on his face. "How does the placement relate to her death?" (...he has a point. Or...maybe...) "It...doesn't." Twilight said, eyes closed. "You mean to tell me you've been leading us down a path that has no bearing to the victim!?" Zaccarius said irately, taking off his helmet as he did and placing it on his stand. He was dripping with sweat. "But that's only because it relates to something else, right Twilight?" Victor asked, backing up Twilight, taking her by surprise. "I think the placement has something to do with the culprit." YOUR REASONING IS FAULTY! Zaccarius screamed practically jumping over his stand as he did. He slammed his fist violently into the stand, looking up at Twilight with an irate expression plastered on his face. His face had turned completely red and his normally nicely styled hair began to droop over his eyes. "You better be ready to back up this farce!" ---Arguement!--- Your attempting to assert something that doesn't even matter! So what if the suit was outside of the Chem lab? That doesn't change anything! Nor does it bring us any closer to who the killer is! ---Advance!--- I have to argue otherwise. Your irritation implies that you know something about this placement don't you? ---Rebuttal--- What? It's not like I got a 'note with instructions 'or anything! Don't act as though you know what actually happened! There's nothing pointing to me 'knowing anything!' "I'll cut through your words!" Twilight shouted, her voice echoing throughout the courtroom like structure. "You know Zaccarius...you seem very irritated right now." "What do you expect me to be?! Our lives are on the line and your focusing on something as trivial as the placement of a goddamn Suit of armor! Your making my very soul writhe listening to you!" "All terrible insults aside, Zaccarius himself suggested that he may have gotten a note. This could mean multiple things. Most notably that Zaccarius was there in the first place. Why would he wake up and go to the Chem lab?" "The only reason I can think of is if somebody gave him a party invitation to the Chem lab!" Pinkie said ecstatically. "Nightmare. I believe you have a piece of evidence supporting this." "Well, I can't say I'm prepared to unveil it just yet, but..." Nightmare muttered under his breath as he reached in his back pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. He unfolded it, and began to read it aloud. "I have discovered an exit. However I need someone who is of a sound mental state to help. You were the first to come to mind. Please meet me in the Chem Lab as soon as you awaken." Zaccarius stood looking towards the ground, shaken, an obvious shade of guilt plastered over his face. Both of his hands were strongly clasped against the stand in front of him. "Nightmare why do you have all of this evidence and you wait until the last minute to let anyone know? Are you TRYING to get us all killed?" Pressure Point accused angrily. Nightmare shook his head, arms folded. He spoke in a low, irrational voice. "A lawyer never unveils his trump cards until the last moment, so that one does not run out of trump cards." "This isn't poker!" Colgate said, her hands rustling through her cool colored hair. "All of you stop this!" Zaccarius cried, his head tucked beneath his two arms. "All of this is trivial! Twilight please! Just go on. Try to remember. I wasn't the only one awake." "Nightmare, You're constantly using evidence against other people. How about you explain your whereabouts during the frame of time where the victim was murdered?" Twilight asked. "Someone hit me in the head when I went to the Chem lab! And yes I'm admitting it! I went to the Chem lab! When your in a dark tunnel and a light shines from the heavens upon an exit, you run towards it with all the strength you can muster!" "So then Zaccarius you'll tell us what actually happened when you awoke?" Fluttershy asked, twisting a lock of hair in her finger. "Of course." ---Nonstop Debate!--- Truth Bullets: Zaccarius' Note (Has terrible handwriting, instructed Zaccarius to go to the Chem lab following waking up.) ~ Zaccarius: I awoke at 6AM exactly to find a poorly written note under my stomach. The 'Handwriting was terrible', I could barely make it out. It instructed me to go to the Chem lab immediately. Following instructions... I arrived for all of thirty seconds before I was 'knocked out cold!' Nightmare: And what 'relevance does this have'? 'None. Absolutely none.' ~ (Absolutely none? Are you sure about that Nightmare?) 'Handwriting was terrible.' "I agree with that! Nightmare I have a question." "Whether or not I answer depends on what question it is." "We can all agree that this Handwriting is very illegible. However... Nightmare why were you able to read it without difficulty?" "..." Nightmare folded his head downward, hiding a half smile as he did. "Are you implying I wrote that note?" "The proper question would be, did you write that note?" Victor asked, adjusting his tie. "You can think whatever you like." Nightmare said, breaking the seemingly normal responses he had been providing up until then. "And so what if I did write the note?" "That would implicate you of course!" Victor replied in a condescending manner. "...interesting. So, according to you, I wrote the note, attracted Zaccarius to the Chem lab...and then what?" "You knocked me out and then killed her!" Zaccarius accused. "....there might be...some truth to that."