The five stood in shocked silence. Of course they had been expecting bodies but they weren't expecting there to be two of them! Someone really took their time to kill both Clip and Aqua? In such a manner as well? Someone was defiantly off about this...
"Ahhhhh!" Monokuma laughed, appearing by the doorway behind them. "Looks like you all showed up! Everyone's started their investigations already, you should all be doing the same!"
"You can't expect us to just jump right into it like these two are just random strangers!" Toxic yelled.
"True...but you still have your lives on the line. Plus I thought you all would have been used to seeing this by now."
"Nobody would ever get used to seeing this. Besides, we weren't expecting two bodies!" Bud choked on her words. "C-Clip and Aqua died this time..."
"It explains why you played the Corpse Discovery Announcement twice whilst Techno was still unconscious...come to think of it. That means Techno has no idea about what's been going on for the last few days." Bright frowned. "Maybe you won't be the shining star of the class trial this time around..."
"He'll have to rely on testimony a lot more this time around. Not that it'll matter, I think it's pretty obvious who the culprit is this time...though, save accusations for the class trial." Toxic shrugged, walking off.
"Well! I'm gonna hand these out again!" Monokuma started passing out the tablets with the newest Monokuma File on. "So I guess I'll see you all at the class trial soon! See ya later!" He bowed before waddling off with the rest of the Monokuma Files placed under his arm.
"Alright then. Bud, Rip, Techno..." Bright nodded to all three. "Let's find our killer. Bud and Rip will watch over the crime scene this time. Techno, try to catch up on what you've missed, alright?"
"Got it..." Techno mumbled. Just perfect...not only do I need to find a killer...I have two different bodies to investigate. Clip...the last thing I said to him was so negative, I never believed what he said...and Aqua...why did someone kill her? She was a bit mean but she was starting to open up to us...
Investigation Start!
Monokuma File...let's see... Techno opened up the file and scrolled downward to find Aqua's full body portrait displayed first with a cross and DEAD! stamped across her. Her basic info was at the side as per usual with the Files. The blood-coloured splotches were on the right side of her neck, up and down her legs and arms, on her forehead and finally in the middle of her stomach. S-she really took a beating before she died...what about Clip then? He hesitantly moved down to Clip's portrait which had the same cross and word on it. The blood had covered mostly his chest area, a small spot on his throat, his wrists and on his head. Techno scrolled once again to find the information on the bodies. Time of death was ten minutes apart and both victims have wounds and bruises covering their entire body...that doesn't really help much though.
New Ammo: Monokuma File 3 was loaded into Techno's ElectroID
Finding out what happened these past few days should be near-top priority but I need to check out these bodies first... Techno walked over to Aqua's body, her dress was tore and there was still small amounts of blood coming from her arm wounds. So that would suggest that the wounds on her arms are the freshest...so did she die from blood loss? Why did the killer take it this far though?
New Ammo: Aqua's Wounds were loaded into Techno's ElectroID
Techno lifted her head slightly. She had been battered as well, she has a black eye and bruises across her face...why did someone do this to her? Huh...are those rope burns on her neck? Was she being strangled as well? There's nothing here that could be used for that though...
New Ammo: Aqua's Neck Markings was loaded into Techno's ElectroID
As Techno peered around the chair she was sitting in, he noticed tiny fragments of glass sitting behind her on the floor. What the hell...? What is this? It's so tiny. Did something break on the shelf...? Techno looked at the organ display and took one of the jars containing a heart of before Bud cried out.
"A-Ah! T-Techno, why are you holding that...? That's so creepy! I hate brains!" Bud shuddered.
Brains...? This is a heart though... Techno raised an eyebrow
New Ammo: Organ Display was loaded into Techno's ElectroID
New Ammo: Tiny Glass Fragments was loaded into Techno's ElectroID
"Hey, do any of you know where this chair might have come from?" Techno asked.
"I think it was in basement when we came here on the first day Third Island was opened up to us." Bright answered. "Though it's a rather heavy chair, the culprit must have had a great deal of physical strength to get it up here."
"So our killer had a bunch of strength then? I suppose they did hang Clip from chains on the wall...but even so." Rip folded her arms unsure. "Or they might be a unicorn. There are still Pure, Laser and Memory."
"You think one of them is the culprit?" Bud asked.
"It's possible...let's bring it up later though..." Bright put her book on the floor. "We have to give this place a thorough search before anything else..."
"Right..." Techno glanced at the chair once again.
New Ammo: Chair was loaded into Techno's ElectroID
Techno moved across the room to Clip's body which was still hung up by the chains. "...hey, Rip? Can you help me get Clip's body down?"
"Oh, sure..." Rip smiled helping Techno undo the shackles and releasing Clip's body. Releasing him revealed a small crest that had been scratched into the wall behind him. "What is that...? Some sort of star?"
"Hm?" Bright fixed her glasses taking a close examination of the symbol. "Ah!" She jumped back. "It's a satanic symbol! Why on earth is in here...? Did the Devil in the group make his move?" She began to mumble.
What...? A satanic symbol...? What exactly happened?
New Ammo: Satanic Star Symbol was loaded into Techno's ElectroID
Hmm... Techno crouched down, propping Clip's body upright against the wall. Aside from the wounds and bruises the Monokuma File mentions, Clip doesn't seem to have any other external injuries. It's as if the killer focused more on Aqua than him, but why? His cause of death had to have been from blood loss, there's nothing else here. Not to mention that half of Clip's pants have been ripped off along with his socks and boots...
New Ammo: Clip's Wounds were loaded into Techno's ElectroID
New Ammo: Clip's Outfit was loaded into Techno's ElectroID
"Clip's body doesn't have many things notable about it unlike Aqua's body." Techno commented aloud.
"Yes that's true, though isn't Clip missing his scissors?" Bright pointed to his shirt pocket. "He has his comb and his thinning scissors...but not his actual scissors..."
"Oh yeah, you're right. I wonder if he dropped them or something? He was looking around to find the secret of the torture house after all..."
"Which reminds me, Techno. Once you're done on this floor, we're going to figure out the secrets on this place..." Bright commanded. "I will not take 'no' for an answer. Do I make myself clear?"
"Understood..." Techno nodded.
New Ammo: Clip's Scissors were loaded into Techno's ElectroID
"Hmm...this still makes no sense...though I need to find out what's been happening the past few days. Rip? Is there anything you think was important that I missed whilst I was unconscious?"
"Uh..." Rip blew out her cheeks in thought. "Well...I guess the only thing I can think of is that Toxic, Bright, Bud and I were instructed by Monokuma to look after you whilst you were unconscious. We all had different jobs. Bright was to report your medical status to the rest of the group, Toxic was in charge of creating the medicine that may have been needed, Bud had to gather supplies every so often so we wouldn't starve or dehydrate while we were there and I was to monitor you in case something went wrong." She giggled. "You were so cute when you slept..."
"W-well...t-thanks for the information anyway!" Techno nodded.
"Oh! Also, because of out jobs. The only ones that left the hospital were Bud and Bright." She quickly added.
New Ammo: Rip's Account was loaded into Techno's ElectroID
"Alright. Bright, I think I have all the evidence I'm gonna get from here..." Techno called her over.
"Excellent." Bright pushed her glasses up. "Now. I believe our first destination in the house is obvious. Monokuma has told us where it is after all..."
"He did...? Do you mean that hint he gave us?"
"Yes. He was talking about discovering secrets after someone has already passed away, therefore, the first place we should check is the cryogenic freezer with the bodies inside. The secrets being revealed after death refers to Swift, naturally."
"That makes sense. So shall we begin our investigation?" Techno gestured to the stairs.
"But of course..." Bright grinned as she began to descend into the basement. The basement was just as dank as the top of the building though the large difference was the steel door leading to the body storage unit. "Now a problem with this is...we're both Pegasi, we can't stay in cryogenic conditions as long as unicorns and earth ponies can."
"Then why pick me to help you out?"
"Because, not only are you the most competent of everyone, aside from myself. You are also the only one with a definite alibi due to the state you were in at the time of the murder."
"Oh...that makes more sense." Techno said flatly. "Anyway, let's just see what's in store for us here!" He turned his back to Bright, now faced with the door. He grabbed the doorknob and thrust forward into the freezer. The bodies were hung on the walls in the same manor that Clip had been.
"Now...we should give each of the bodies an thorough examination. The next clue must be somewhere..."
"Next clue? You mean there are steps in this?" Techno asked seemingly bewildered by the thought.
"Monokuma would never give us something so straightforward, you should know that by now. If you don't want to touch the bodies, that's fine. Just try to find out if there's something suspicious inside the room."
"What like a secret passage or something? Or another door?"
"Either will do..." Bright nodded as she started to examine Smile's body. "Hmm..." She began muttering to herself as Techno walked around the edge of the freezer.
No way, there's no chance there's something here. Bright probably just wants me out of the way...let's see...nope. Nothing...I knew it, there's nothing weird about this place.
"Ah, found it!" Bright exclaimed as she unfolded a note, walking away from Boom's body. "Let's see...'The place you think of the most is the place you will find the answers to your conditions'. What?"
"Hmm...conditions...like medical conditions? So the hospital would be the answer. The question is, what does the hospital have to do with all of this?" Techno folded his arms.
"I'm not sure...Techno, you continue the investigation and I'll head to the hospital. I'll tell you my findings later...good luck, Techno..." Bright took her leave.
I guess now I should go around to find out what's been going on a little bit more... Techno headed back up to the crime scene to find that Paint and Quick had turned up.
"Ah! Techno!" Quick smiled. "So you're finally awake! That's good...everyone was really worried about you when you passed out..."
"And you missed two glorious days of Quick with a functioning hearing aid." Paint added. "It truly is more tolerable when you have it working."
"Yeah, yeah. Shut up about that, will ya?" Quick grumbled.
"Hey, Quick. Can I ask you what exactly I've missed for the past few days?"
"Sure...hmm. Well the most important thing was probably the day after you passed out and Clip returned from the torture house...everyone started acting really weird."
"What do you mean by 'weird'?"
"Well some started acting paranoid. Aqua and Pure both shut themselves in their rooms, Paint and Memory seemed to be hallucinating and kept talking about seeing the 'ghosts of everyone that died'. It's like everyone had been infected so we split up further into groups of those that were acting up and those that were unaffected. Aqua, Pure, Paint and Memory were in team one and Laser, Clip and I were team two...I think that's it though."
Wow, I really did miss a lot.
New Ammo: Quick's Account was loaded into Techno's ElectroID
"Hmm..." Paint hummed. "Techno, I've found something..."
"What is it?" Techno walked over to her.
"A book...but it won't open but it has nothing keeping it closed..." Paint held up the red book with the black dragon head crest on the cover. "It seems to be some sort of book on mythology..."
"Maybe it came from the library on Second Island? The inventory is rather wide-spread, don't you think?" Paint nodded. "It probably came from there. What does it say on the back?"
"There is nothing on the back...the back is blank as if it's some sort of file..." Paint examined the side of the book. "I have no idea what this is but I think it may be important."
"Alright, thanks Paint."
New Ammo: Sealed Book was loaded into Techno's ElectroID
"Alright...Bud, did you fin anything else out?" Techno turned to the Pegasus.
"Well...not much evidence but I noticed something about the bodies...I was friends with this nurse so I know a few things about autopsy reports. I figured out that both Aqua and Clip died from the stab wounds and they were made with the same weapon..."
"Wow, you were able to figure that out?"
"Yep! I'm really sure that it's right as well!" Bud beamed.
New Ammo: Bud's Account was loaded into Techno's ElectroID
Updated: Monokuma File 3 was updated
"Hmm...hey do you guys know where everyone else went?" Techno asked.
"I think most went to the music venue..." Paint answered. "Apparently Laser wanted to talk to Memory there and Rip had tagged along. As for Pure, I have no idea of where she is...Toxic as well."
"Those two are probably off bickering somewhere..." Quick frowned. "They're always at each others throats and it's became unbearable..."
"Why do you think they're like that? They've made it clear they know each other from something in the past..." Bud pondered. "I wish they would just tell us..."
"Well we can't expect that to happen any time soon, Bud." Paint sighed deeply. "Maybe it's best left alone..."
"I'm gonna head off now though to talk to Laser and Memory." Memory mostly...he's got some things to answer to He glanced at Clip's body.
The noise that was coming from the inside of the venue seemed to be so loud that Techno could hear it from a few feet away from the door. The voice sounded like Laser with Rip squeaking something out. He hesitantly opened the door and ventured inside to find Laser being held back by Rip with a confused Memory standing a few feet in front of them.
"Um...what's going on here?" Techno sweat-dropped as the attention shifted to him.
"Oh, Laser was just accusing me for the murder of Clip and Aqua..." Memory shrugged. "I'm guessing it's because of Clip's speeches of me being evil."
"It's so suspicious!" Laser yelled furiously. "Right after Clip starts accusing Memory of being a traitor he dies! That has to be seen as noteworthy!"
"Well, I suppose you aren't wrong. I am suspicious, aren't I? Though the problem is I had an alibi for the time of the murder..." Memory smiled. "I was with the group of infected. The others will vouch for me, none of us separated...so y'know. I have to disappoint you."
"Grr..." Laser growled, forcing Rip to release her. "I'll find Clip and Aqua's killer! I have to..."
"Have to?" Rip worried. "Why do you have to?"
"Because I was pretty close to both of them...I won't let their killer get away from me!" Laser's fists clenched as she sprinted off leaving the three in the confusion of her attitude.
"I...I've never seen Laser so riled up like that. Have any of you?" Rip looked at the boys who replied with small shakes of their heads. "Oh, Laser...she's right though. The choice of victim was horrifying to say the least. Nobody was expecting them to die..."
"Must mean someone found out the secret to the torture house then..." Memory folded his arms. "That's the only explanation. Despite Clip's efforts to solve the puzzles of the house he died in vain..."
"M-Memory...?" Techno stuttered. He's never said something like that before...it was so...morbid of him.
"Hey, Memory...if Clip really did make those things up about you...do you really think it was because he wanted to take Techno away from the rest of the group?" Rip rubbed her forearm. "Is that something he'd do?"
"He made his feelings clear on day one." Memory stated firmly. "There's no doubt he would do something like this if he thought I was a threat..."
A threat...I still wonder who was telling the truth but... images of the scene flashed. Does it really matter now...?
"Hey, Memory. Can I ask you about the group of people that had become infected whilst I was unconscious?" Techno walked to the unicorn.
"Oh. Sure, no problem...well, let's see. I'm guessing by now you already know that Aqua was among our group?" Techno nodded. "Alright. When she first disappeared, we had no idea because she had locked herself in her room. When Clip went missing, from what I heard...they didn't think anything had happened because he was always up at the break of dawn to investigate the torture house. So in short...we had no idea when someone went missing."
"Alright, thanks anyway..."
New Ammo: Memory's Account was loaded into Techno's ElectroID
"Ah! Techno!" Bright burst through the doors, panting and disoriented. "I've been wondering where you went!"
"Bright...did you...?"
"Yes, come with me." She extended her arm, the fire in her eyes showed she had indeed discovered the secret of the torture house.
"A-alright..." Techno shakily nodded, following Bright to behind the music venue. Clearly this was something she didn't want the other students to see. "So what did you find...?"
"Under the floorboards in the torture house...there was a safe. All the pieces of paper that had the clues written on it, also had a number written in blood. I was able to uncover them when Toxic accidentally got luminol on them. When I input the code...I found this." She gave Techno a folder. A thin one at that.
"What is this...?" Bright didn't respond but instead gestured to the folder. Techno opened it up and slid the document inside out, dropping the folder cover instantly. It was a profile...a student profile...for Techno. "W-why was this...?" He scanned, his eye being drawn to oddly familiar dragon head crest on it.
"I don't know...but my theory is that the torture house's secret was that the place Monokuma had hidden the student profiles was under the house. The killer must have found them and didn't grab this last one. It has all the data on it, your birthday, age, blood type, height, weight, everything."
"W-why would Monokuma allow us the chance to find these?" Techno examined it closely.
"My guess is that there was something on these profiles that was worth killing over..." Bright regained her breath standing upright. "Monokuma will make the announcement for the class trial any second so I hope this evidence will prove to be useful.
New Ammo: Student Profile was loaded into Techno's ElectroID
*Ding dong, bing bong!* It was just as Bright had predicted.
"Alright you bastards! I think you've all had enough time to investigate, meet up at Monokuma Rock for your third class trial! Wow...are we already at the third one? You guys work fast!"
"Ugh..." Bright massaged her temples. "Techno...we need to find this killer as fast as possible. For Aqua and Clip's sake...agreed?"
"Of course!" Techno nodded with determination. "I haven't let anyone get away it yet and I'm not gonna start now!"
"That's good to hear...let's get to Monokuma Rock quickly then..."
Techno looked around as the students waited for Monokuma's arrival. Ten. Ten of them were alive now...and not long after this point either one of them will be standing or nine will survive. This one island had cut down so many lives...but what was it all for? Why was this important to Monokuma? Despair was what he said was his goal but that had been achieved a long time ago so why continue...?
"Alright kiddies!" Monokuma yelled. "I bet you've all been anxious about this one, haven't you? Third time is the charm so maybe this'll be the one where the killer comes out on top!"
"Shut up you piece of trash!" Bud yelled shakily, clearly showing she wasn't good at insults. "W-we'll never lose to someone like you! We're united as a team!"
"Your 'team' had already lost a lot of players...you could still be a basketball team though, I guess..." Monokuma shrugged. "Anyway...I know you all don't like to wait so let's get this over with fast! Monokuma escalator activate!" He threw his arms in the air as the Monokuma Rock's mouth opened up, letting the escalator fall in front of the class. "See you all in there!" He waved goodbye.
"Great..." Quick pulled at his hair. "Just great! What the hell do we do now?! He's right...we've lost so many and..."
"Don't focus on that..." Bright stopped him. "Focus on the trial in front of us right now...we can talk about those lost later. Alright?" Quick's gaze fell empty as he nodded slowly. "Good...now let's go..." Bright stepped on first, followed by Memory, Rip, Quick, Bud and Toxic.
"I'll find Clip and Aqua's killer...I promise you that..." Laser's fist clenched as she stepped on after Pure, leaving Paint and Techno at the bottom.
"Well...ladies first I guess...?" Techno gestured sheepishly.
"Techno." Paint's face seemed to show one emotion for once. Seriousness...not the fake poker-face kind of seriousness. Real seriousness. "I want you to remember something...how you were acting before you passed out..."
"Huh...?" Techno tilted his head. there was no response as Paint stepped onto the escalator. What...what was that all about...? Techno paused before stepping onto the escalator, keeping his record of being the last to enter the elevator in the mouth of the rocky outcrop. There was a shudder as the lift moved underground. Techno looked at the remaining students once again.
How can they do it...? How can they stand among us when they killed two students? Clip Brunette...the Super Middle School Level Hairdresser. He was a major flirt at times and could get annoying...but I know he didn't mean to bring on harm to anyone...and Aqua Black, the Super Middle School Level Fashion Designer...she was mean and rude at times but when she finally starts to open up to the rest of us...this happens to her? Is this supposed to be some sort of punishment for her? No...that shouldn't matter what she did in the past!
Clover
Swift
Laser
Bright
Memory
Pure
What really mattered was what she was doing now!
Rip
Bud
Smile
Quick
Paint
Aqua
And they killed two people! What the fuck were they hoping to achieve?!
Toxic
Boom
Clip
Techno
I'm happy that the curtain's rising for the third class trial! Let the killer burn for all I care! So let's see it again...the clash of those two words; Hope and Despair...let the third round begin!