Danganronpa F4: One-Way Ticket to Ride (Epilogue)

[Franzise Deauxnim]

"Yeah, yeah, I get what you're saying, and you can do whatever," Urumi sighed. "I just think you're wasting your time when the other person doesn't actually feel like listening to you. Maybe he'll be less cranky after breakfast."

[SiRReN]

"Bzzt, perhaps it would be a good idea for Ultimate James to 'chill out' and 'toke up', as it were, bzzt," V.A.L. suggested.

[JesusMonroe]

"Bzzt, perhaps it would be a good idea for Ultimate James to 'chill out' and 'toke up', as it were, bzzt," V.A.L. suggested.

"Ayyy, see this guy gets it."

[Doctor Nanjo]

Soon, the day slips through everyone’s minds as the light dims, and everyone heads off to bed. It’s like barely anything happened at all.

Spoiler: Chapter 3: Don’t Fear The Reaper

The hallway was filled with an inky blackness. Pieces of rubble, broken power lines, and discarded paraphernalia was scattered across the floor.

Eventually, a bright light drove away the darkness as it moved slowly across the passageway. The light was mounted on the head of a robot whose wheeled treads squeaked on the linoleum floor. Though its light allowed it to see clearly in the dark hallway, it never turned its head. It had a directive, and nothing would stop the robot from filling it out.

That robot’s name was V.A.L.

Time passed quickly. V.A.L. could count every individual second as it passed by. And indeed it did. It took about 736 seconds for V.A.L. to reach the room it was looking for.

V.A.L. continued inside and saw more of the same mess, but it quickly saw something suspicious in the center of the room. It was a figure dressed in a bulky-looking brown suit, who lay motionless on the floor just a few feet away.

V.A.L. wasted no time in rolling over to the figure and removing its helmet with its clawed arm. The face of the man inside was revealed. His neatly-combed hair was a stark contrast to the deathly pallor of his face.

V.A.L. had accomplished its directive. It turned around and rolled away.

The ship drifts quietly about in the dark pool of the night sky. Stars and the full moon peak out from behind the hulking grey clouds. Everyone on the ship is unaware of the horrors lurking far below them.

But soon, they will come to understand it.

Click

“Hey everyone, this is a bit of an announcement! …Err, I don’t know why I said that! This is a full announcement!”

“Me and Otto have to make a supply run. You see, Otto has run pretty low on his signature Pringles, and plus we gotta fill up the blimp. Problem is that we can’t bring you guys to the gas station, so looks like we’re gonna have to drop you guys off somewhere safe for a couple of days.”

“Don’t think that means that y’all are off the hook! To the contrary, all activities will continue as planned at Sky Vista Cruises!”

The ship descends, before it hangs feet off the ground in a tiny clearing in a rather large forest. A couple of gritty, dilapidated, wooden buildings can be seen nestled in the arms of the trees. The black waters of a deathly still lake sit like a pit below. Not a single light can be seenin the eerie woods.

“Yeah, dawgs! Welcome to Summer Camp! Lacuna Cove! You guys will love it here! I used to go here! Of course, back then it had like activities going on, but I digress.”

“But yeah, just stick here for a little bit, okay? Rules are still enforced! We might even give out the motive! Call me if you need me! There’s a couple of phones here that I should be able to hear! Toodles!”

Click

Slowly but surely, Otto escorts everyone off the blimp with a bag or two. Some nearly fall as they step onto the rickety dock going out into the lake. Otto also takes out a single propane lamp and turns it on.

“Ahh one more thing! Consider this point the center of the radius, but I’ll be sure to let you all know if you go too far! Also I’ll be sure to get you guys some delicious chicken fried steak from a local place and bring it back hot! Until then I think there’s some cold cans in the mess hall!” With that, Kyle signs off and leaves them there.

And so, with only the light of the single gas lamp and the noises of hissing and humming insects, the passengers fumble about their temporary home.

Spoiler: Cabin 1

A room with three sets of bunk beds and windows on three sides. Large beetles and roaches skitter about the walls. The mattresses are strangely crunchy, and one of the boards below seems to bend a couple of inches down when stepped on, letting out a hideous screeching noise.

Spoiler: Cabin 2

Similar to cabin 1, but for some reason one of the beds has long since been torn out, springs still hanging from the frame.

Spoiler: Well

A tiny winding path leads out to a small wooden structure, housing a well. The bucket sits crushed beside it, the wood rotted. The well itself is unfathomably dark, and seems to reach deep into the earth. A black oily smear seems to creep out of the depths up to the top.

Spoiler: Lake

The full moon reflects perfectly off of the opaque, sickly black surface of the water. All along the seashore, tall small-leaved plants sway gently, even though there is no breeze, creating the illusion that something’s lurking behind them. Next to the lake is a small cobweb-covered boathouse. Here, several pieces of old boating supplies can be found. Strangely enough, one of the boats here is stained with weird dripping patterns and seems to have been partially dismantled by the previous user, leaving behind some splintered planks.

Spoiler: Showers

Off the beaten path in the woods are the showers, which are slimy, terrifying, and covered in bugs. None of the walls reach all the way to the vaulted ceiling, so no matter where somebody is in it, he, she, or it can sense the presence of an unseen second person.

Spoiler: Mess Hall

The mess hall is overgrown with weeds. As the group opens the front door, they swear they hear a door slam from somewhere. Looking across the mess hall though, where many grimey tables sit shrouded in shadows, some with rotted husks on them, there’s only two doors out of the room, one out the back, which is shut, and one to the kitchen. Eventually, Urumi and Raul bravely search the back and find a typical camp kitchen featuring ovens and the like, which looks to be in dire need of cleaning. At the front of the mess hall is a familiar, wall-mounted phone.

Spoiler: Campfire

At one place down at the lakeshore is a set of bonfire pits surrounded by an amphitheater.

Spoiler: Shed

A rusted chain sits on the front of a shed. Breaking it open doesn’t take too long once V.A.L. gets ahold of a large rock. Inside is old rusted tools, a hatchet, an axe, some rope, a rather large wood chipper, a chainsaw, and other large pieces of equipment, which can only be for mowing down some of the tall grasses, given the large bladed spikes. A sickle seems to be wet with some sort of dark, reddish liquid, which seems to drip off it menacingly.

Spoiler: Outhouses

The single worst feeling, as everyone soon comes to understand, is entering one of the outhouses, where there’s nowhere to run, no lights, and no toilet paper.

An owl hoots in the distance.

[JesusMonroe]

"Is it just me or do you guys feel...weird?" Jack looked severely uncomfortable. "I don't feel myself here."

[SiRReN]

"Bzzt, is there any way for my charging station to be moved to one of the cabins, bzzt?" V.A.L. asked. "Otherwise, I will have to enter power saving mode to slow the use of my battery."

[Doctor Nanjo]

[You got the charger off the ship, so looks like you just need someone to carry it to somewhere with electricity... The cabins each have a weird electrical outlet thing a few feet away from them, which hopefully should be enough]

[Southern Corn]

James seemed pleased with their new location. "Well, this is certainly an ominous location. I'm quite intrigued by all this. The perfect time for some self reflection…" He took a seat by the campfire, appearing quite satisfied.

[KamiPanda]

"While the ambience leaves much to be desired, this is a nice place," Keri commented, the light flickering eerily against her pallid skin. "We are so close to nature here! Though it is a shame all of the facilities are in such a state of disrepair."

[TheLetterF]

"Is it just me or do you guys feel...weird?" Jack looked severely uncomfortable. "I don't feel myself here."

"What do you mean? This place may be rough around the edges, but at least we get to enjoy some authentic camping experience, right...?" Florian says, attempting to lighten the mood.

[Southern Corn]

"Is it just me or do you guys feel...weird?" Jack looked severely uncomfortable. "I don't feel myself here."

"What do you mean? This place may be rough around the edges, but at least we get to enjoy some authentic camping experience, right...?" Florian says, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Watch out for the bears", James called out. "Your disgusting flesh and bones could very well give them a tummy ache."

[Collin1002]

"A summer camp... Well, I have always loved the great outdoors," Bryan said to no one in particular, crossing his arms as he looks around the camp. "Definitely not goin' anywhere near those showers or outhouses, though..."

[Franzise Deauxnim]

"Oh, HELL no," Urumi shuddered as she took in the dilapidated camp. "Hell. No. God, just when I thought things couldn't possibly have gotten any worse. Why couldn't we have just stayed on the stupid blimp while they got gas?"

[lcarus]

"Odd one could find any positives to such a place. It's not simply run-down, it's desolate." Oscar sighs wearily, taking a moment to marvel at just how miserable the setting is. "Everyone still full of pep? The perfect place to unwind after the last several days?"

[JesusMonroe]

Jack had stepped into the woods for some time and came back a while after, looking baked as ever. Well, not quite true. It actually seemed like he had overdone it and was kind of dazing about, as well as visibly shaking. He also smelled much louder than usual.

He sat right next to James by the fire, not really noticing he was there. He stared at the flames, looking frightened and thinking deeply.

[Datamatt]

"An odd location to be sure..." Irene says. Her usual smile has... returned. "I withhold my opinion about it for now."

[Southern Corn]

Jack had stepped into the woods for some time and came back a while after, looking baked as ever. Well, not quite true. It actually seemed like he had overdone it and was kind of dazing about, as well as visibly shaking. He also smelled much louder than usual.

He sat right next to James by the fire, not really noticing he was there. He stared at the flames, looking frightened and thinking deeply.

James raised his eyebrow seeing Marlowe next to him. "Oh? You wish to chat with me, Mister Mediocre?"

[JesusMonroe]

"Huh?" Jack didn't even notice James until he spoke up.

"Oh. Uh...nice weather we're having?"

[Southern Corn]

"Huh?" Jack didn't even notice James until he spoke up.

"Oh. Uh...nice weather we're having?"

"Of course. The gloomy atmosphere is perfect for one of my films", James said. "I wasn't sure if you were even aware of such things, being the bland unambitious trash you are."

[JesusMonroe]

"Yeah." Jack sighed. "Maybe...at least at the moment."

[KamiPanda]

"We cannot simply lie about and despair at our surroundings," Keri said loudly, trying to address everyone. "We must beat this camp into shape if we are to comfortably reside here! First we should decide on the cabins: I think the boys should take the cabin with the extra bed, as there are more of them."

[Southern Corn]

"Yeah." Jack sighed. "Maybe...at least at the moment."

James ignored Marlowe and proceeded to go on a side tangent. "You know, recently I've realised a certain truth. All of you remaining are complete trash. The only people I felt I had a kinship with- Boetius, Mitzi, Alex- are all gone. And now, with rubbish excuses of human beings like you…I need to take on a large responsibility. I need to make sure you all never escape." He looked quite serious while talking, and the flames reflecting off his face made his words sound even more ominous. "The rest of you are worthless, not worthy of leaving this cursed game. So now I shall be your gatekeeper- I shall make sure none of you ever escape."

He suddenly stood up, a strange look in his eyes. "It shall be an arduous, even Herculean task, but only I am capable of accomplishing it. And believe you me, I shall accomplish it, Mister Mediocre. Even if it means putting my life on the line. And this location…it's the perfect place." Not paying attention to Keri's outburst, James looked around at the other players, the calm look still on his face.

[SiRReN]

"Bzzt, would someone mind helping move my charger to an outlet, bzzt?" V.A.L. asked the group. "Bzzt, I saw outlets outside the cabins, bzzt."

[KamiPanda]

Ignoring James, Keri nodded to VAL. "I can assist with that. Though I imagine we will need a little more help."

[JesusMonroe]

James ignored Marlowe and proceeded to go on a side tangent. "You know, recently I've realised a certain truth. All of you remaining are complete trash. The only people I felt I had a kinship with- Boetius, Mitzi, Alex- are all gone. And now, with rubbish excuses of human beings like you…I need to take on a large responsibility. I need to make sure you all never escape." He looked quite serious while talking, and the flames reflecting off his face made his words sound even more ominous. "The rest of you are worthless, not worthy of leaving this cursed game. So now I shall be your gatekeeper- I shall make sure none of you ever escape."

He suddenly stood up, a strange look in his eyes. "It shall be an arduous, even Herculean task, but only I am capable of accomplishing it. And believe you me, I shall accomplish it, Mister Mediocre. Even if it means putting my life on the line. And this location…it's the perfect place." Not paying attention to Keri's outburst, James looked around at the other players, the calm look still on his face.

Jack looked up at James and just smiled to himself. It seemed like he was in a trance of his own.

"Have you ever taken a life, James? From what I've heard it's a heavy toll on the heart. Even someone like you...I imagine there'd be nights where you wake up in a cold sweat, crying over what you did. The magnitude of someone dying isn't easy to let go."

He shook his head. He was clearly pissed about something and wasn't in the mood for James' spiel. "I like you. I think you're a funny guy, and entertaining too. But you're in over your head. You have no idea how easy it'd be for me to kill you. It'd be just like finishing a book and burning it afterwards. It might be a bit upsetting, but nothing I'd carry with me. I'd probably forget about it after a night of sleep."

[Collin1002]

Also ignoring James (although he did subtly make a gesture with his middle finger, disguising it as him scratching an itch on the side of his head), Bryan stepped up to Keri, looking much more awake than he did in the cafeteria. "Welp, I'll happily help you out! And yeah, the boys going in that cabin seems to be a good idea."

[Southern Corn]

"I helped kill Abby, and that hasn't affected me particularly", James drily replied, missing Bryan's flipping the bird. "It isn't as though killing will be the only way to entrap you lot here. I have something you lack, imagination. Though…" He leered unpleasantly at Marlowe, the lighting making him look villainous. "If you say you're capable of such a feat as killing me, I would like to see you try. It would be quite the accomplishment for you, to kill me and potentially yourself and never regret it. I would even be impressed behind death that you would have such guts. So if you are truly prepared, then I dare you", he finished bluntly.

[SiRReN]

"Bzzt, thank you both," V.A.L. beeped happily to Keri and Bryan. The robot reached down and firmly grasped one corner of the charging station with it's claw hands. "Allow me to lead the way, bzzt."

[JesusMonroe]

"I helped kill Abby, and that hasn't affected me particularly", James drily replied, missing Bryan's flipping the bird. "It isn't as though killing will be the only way to entrap you lot here. I have something you lack, imagination. Though…" He leered unpleasantly at Marlowe, the lighting making him look villainous. "If you say you're capable of such a feat as killing me, I would like to see you try. It would be quite the accomplishment for you, to kill me and potentially yourself and never regret it. I would even be impressed behind death that you would have such guts. So if you are truly prepared, then I dare you", he finished bluntly.

"Believe it or not, I'm quite content here. It's just like home, but less lonely." He looked back at the fire, away from James. "I'm not gonna kill you. I think you keep things interesting. I'm just warning you--toe the line or you might get hurt."

[KamiPanda]

"Bzzt, thank you both," V.A.L. beeped happily to Keri and Bryan. The robot reached down and firmly grasped one corner of the charging station with it's claw hands. "Allow me to lead the way, bzzt."

"I am surprised the electricity still works," Keri commented as she helped carry the station. "Hopefully the same goes for water... though we may need to boil it first. Still, it seems we will be able to make do here."

She glanced back uneasily at James and Jack, but didn't feel there was anything she could say to get them to stop.

[Southern Corn]

"I helped kill Abby, and that hasn't affected me particularly", James drily replied, missing Bryan's flipping the bird. "It isn't as though killing will be the only way to entrap you lot here. I have something you lack, imagination. Though…" He leered unpleasantly at Marlowe, the lighting making him look villainous. "If you say you're capable of such a feat as killing me, I would like to see you try. It would be quite the accomplishment for you, to kill me and potentially yourself and never regret it. I would even be impressed behind death that you would have such guts. So if you are truly prepared, then I dare you", he finished bluntly.

"Believe it or not, I'm quite content here. It's just like home, but less lonely." He looked back at the fire, away from James. "I'm not gonna kill you. I think you keep things interesting. I'm just warning you--toe the line or you might get hurt."

"Hm…" James scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, we'll see about that soon enough, Mr. Marlowe. Then you'll learn not to underestimate me." He sat down again and stared profoundly at the fire. "Perhaps we should get some marshmallows for this", he suggested. "They would be quite tasty."

[Collin1002]

"Bzzt, thank you both," V.A.L. beeped happily to Keri and Bryan. The robot reached down and firmly grasped one corner of the charging station with it's claw hands. "Allow me to lead the way, bzzt."

"I am surprised the electricity still works," Keri commented as she helped carry the station. "Hopefully the same goes for water... though we may need to boil it first. Still, it seems we will be able to make do here."

She glanced back uneasily at James and Jack, but didn't feel there was anything she could say to get them to stop.

"You and me both," Bryan remarked, likewise glancing over his shoulder at Jack and James. "Given how this place looks, boiling the water would prooobably be for the best. And Kyle did promise chicken fried steak, so... hooray for that, I guess?" He shrugs, continuing to carry the station to the designated location.

[JesusMonroe]

"Hm…" James scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, we'll see about that soon enough, Mr. Marlowe. Then you'll learn not to underestimate me." He sat down again and stared profoundly at the fire. "Perhaps we should get some marshmallows for this", he suggested. "They would be quite tasty."

"I brought snacks with me actually." Jack said, putting his backpack between him and James. It seemed like he had already moved past the earlier conversation. "I got graham crackers too."

Jack put a marshmallow on a stick from the ground and stuck it in the fire. He left it in for far, far too long and it completely set on fire, then burnt and melted off. His face got depressed again. "Ah shit."

[SiRReN]

V.A.L. directed Bryan and Keri to set down the station once they arrived at the outlet. The robot triumphantly plugged it in and the machine obliged by coming to life, lights turning on and the machine itself making a happy boot up noise.

"Bzzt, thank you again," it beeped, "and if I can be of any assistance, do not hesitate to ask bzzt," it offered, head turning towards the two seated at the fire. "With anything, bzzt."

[JesusMonroe]

"Oh hey, VAL." Jack said, failing to cook another marshmallow. "Do you think you can make me a s'more? I...I don't know how to do anything anymore."

[SiRReN]

"Bzzt, I can, Jack Jack," V.A.L. answered, rolling back to the campfire. It delicately picked up one of the skewers by the fire and held it in it's claw, placing the marshmallow on the tip. Holding the tasty treat over the fire, it monitored the marshmallow carefully, continually rotating it's wrist to create an even, golden hue.

"Bzzt, marshmallow interior has reached optimal temperatures," it announced, and pulled it's arm back. It carefully placed a piece of chocolate and a graham cracker on the marshmallow, and then, with another graham cracker balanced in it's other claw, closed the claw around it's creation and squeezed together gently, pulling back to remove the marshmallow from the skewer.

Now in it's claw rested the perfect s'more.

"Bzzt, here you are, Jack Jack," it beeped, handing over the treat.

[JesusMonroe]

"Thanks, buddy." Jack grabbed the s'more but before he could eat it he gripped too hard and it shattered in his fingers, some of it falling into the sand. He sighed with exhaustion and cupped his other hand to grab the other falling pieces, before messily shoving it down his mouth.

"It tasted good at least."

[CaptainPancakes]

"Are you alright, Jack? You are having great trouble in eating that campfire snack."

[JesusMonroe]

"Nah. I...feel like I don't have my talent anymore."

[SiRReN]

"Bzzt, that is odd," V.A.L said. "Ultimate James said the same thing at our last destination. Could this be related, bzzt?"