Danganronpa F6: Beneath the Surface- End

SaizotheSixth · Post by **SaizotheSixth** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 1:18 am

"I dunno. Old Fuckface McMagor over there never even answered whether I could." Haley crossed her arms behind her head. "I've made it a point to not vote in any trial, and I'm not about to start now. Personal promise and all that jazz."

CaptainPancakes · Post by **CaptainPancakes** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 1:26 am

JesusMonroe wrote:"I've had the odds stacked even more against me and succeeded." Benjamin smirked despite the situation. "But yes, I will concede that I can't promise a guarantee of stopping the attack. I will be able to get where I need to, but gathering the information is another ordeal entirely. All I can promise is that if I'm not released, the attack will happen."

Then he added, "You said before that you'd be giving your vote to Ivan. Do you still intend to do so, or have you changed your mind?"

"...I-I have no need for her vote."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 1:29 am

Brandy had been thinking during the back-and-forth between Haley and Benjamin, genuinely pondering the things Benjamin was saying.

"I'm sorry, Benjamin. I jus' can't change my vote. Even if there's some kind o' attack planned, nothin' is stoppin' anyone here from makin' you into the next victim anyway. In the event we choose to spare you n' lose 75% of our lifespans, we're still runnin' the risk o' you gettin' killed anyway. I'd say this whole debacle put a target on your back if anythin'. N' if you die, then we're all screwed anyway.

"I've been doin' a real bad job o' keepin' everyone in this expedition safe n' sound, which is a goal I had in mind since the very beginnin'. I can't run the risk o' all o' this bein' a waste. What's the point in the greater good when we might not even live to make it happen?"

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 1:34 am

"I'll stop them, if I'm understanding you right Brandy."

"SHOULD THE TAINTED GET AWAY WITH MURDER, THEY SHALL BE SAFELY RETURNED TO THE SURFACE."

"Sounds like you're simply afraid to lose your natural lifespan..."

"Oh, but I guess I shouldn't say anything more."

CaptainPancakes · Post by **CaptainPancakes** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 1:42 am

"...Indeed. 75% of one's life is a tall task. You're asking us to die for you, Benjamin. Maybe not immediately, but...I wonder if we're willing to be your sacrifices."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 1:50 am

"I already lost so much... please don't make me give away another piece o' me..." Brandy said to herself quietly.

She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "I guess that is the rule, though. He would get to be returned safely, yeah..."

She looked at Benjamin with a cold, hard stare. "I'm still on the fence. It's jus' that, well, you pretty much tried to escape n' sacrifice us in the process. We don't want to die. Nobody does. What makes our lives less valuable than any o' the potential attack victims other than the number o' us? We're people, too. N' I ain't afraid to admit that I don't want to die or lose most o' my lifespan..."

JesusMonroe · Post by **JesusMonroe** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 1:54 am

"'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing'." Benjamin simply recited that softly as Brandy and Ivan spoke at him. "Those are words worth living by. Even if I haven't been a good person for a long time..."

He looked earnestly at them. "I realize there's a risk. And I realize I'm asking a lot. But like it or not, doing nothing is a choice--you're responsible for those lives, and they will die if we do nothing."

CaptainPancakes · Post by **CaptainPancakes** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 2:04 am

"..."

Ivan smiled weakly at Benjamin.

"...If it were up to me, I would let you go free in a second. You know that...but I can't ask everyone else here to do the same. It's up to them. It's out of my hands."

After a few brief moments of silence, Ivan bowed towards Benjamin.

"My card was to beat up three people without apologizing or showing remorse. I chose you due to your willingness to be a sacrifice, but...I could not bring myself to proceed without regret. How strange...I don't think that's like me at all."

"...but anyways, regardless of what happens, I need to extend a formal apology to you."

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 3:53 am

"Hmm, it seems there is a lot for you all to consider. I think you should take a look at this. I think it shows that Benjamin was on the side of justice in this case:"

Belphegor holds out the crumpled, piece of yellow paper between his fingertips. Bits of writing are erased and written again, as if the paper was revised countless times. As if the words struggled to stay put and say what they need to:

Spoiler: To Pat

Written on the letter is a note in smaller, quicker handwriting.

Spoiler: Note

SaizotheSixth · Post by **SaizotheSixth** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 4:01 am

Haley bit her lip, considering it. Her hand hovered over her podium, shaking, twitching. Would she... would she break her own rule for this???

"What do we do, Nail? We can't... just not vote... can we?"

Nail sighed, the sound echoing through her mind. "I don't know. It's our personal rule to not vote so long as it kills someone, but... there's a loophole. Nobody dies in this round if we don't vote for the tainted. Our lifespans are simply decreased. In that sense, then, we aren't killing anyone because nobody will die from solely having their life expectancy shortened. So... I think... I think we should fail this one on purpose. Besides, this fulfills another goal as well."

Haley nodded, and picked someone at random, who ended up being Ivan. Not that it mattered. She looked at Benjamin, then looked away.

"Look, I'm not going to say I wanted to vote. Because I really didn't. I despise this entire set-up, and the only reason why I even voted is because nobody would die as a direct consequence of my vote. Sure, we'll all suffer shortened lifespans, but... for a little girl who's waiting, I can accept that." She looked back to Benjamin. "Give them hell."

JesusMonroe · Post by **JesusMonroe** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 10:12 am

Benjamin didn’t say anything upon reading Matt’s letter, but he didn’t feel like a man who belonged on the side of the justice. Anybody with sight could tell that the revelation had made him feel infinitely worse—he had looked bad before but now he looked like a man who had bend stabbed in the gut.

JesusMonroe · Post by **JesusMonroe** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 1:20 pm

Benjamin stood in silence for a few minutes as he comprehended Ivan's words. Haley's words. Matt's letter. For some reason, he was feeling something. Was it guilt? Why now?

Ivan's words in particular struck him. That he would be willing to do it, yet couldn't even hurt three people. What did that say about himself?

"There's one other thing--something I've been keeping from all of you. I didn't want to tell you all because I thought you wouldn't be able to understand, or that it would compromise the expedition. But that was a lie. I understood why I said nothing--it's because the truth is horrible. And ugly."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 2:26 pm

"The truth is rarely a pretty mistress," Brandy said. "What else could you be hidin' from us that's so vile? Givin' everythin' else that's happened to us, it must be somethin' truly awful. Out with it."

JesusMonroe · Post by **JesusMonroe** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 2:31 pm

Spoiler: Part 1

Spoiler: Part 2

Benjamin paused for a long time as he finished recounting his story. He closed his eyes, perhaps not wanting to see how the others were reacting.

“And that was that. We were successful in stopping the attack, but I was court-martialed when the report came out. In exchange for pleading guilty and keeping the trial under wraps, I made sure Burke and Butler avoided a prison sentence. But they lost their badges. As for me, I was given a life sentence. No parole."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 2:43 pm

Brandy seemed to be uncomfortable by the end of Benjamin's story. The idea that a virus could've been let loose in their town without them being capable of stopping it alone made her antsy.

"While I have to thank you for stoppin' that attack... I can't approve of your methods, not that you were expectin' any o' us to. You view people as a means to an end -- that much was made clear by this trial alone. You're capable. Nobody's denyin' that...

"...but, his wife..." Brandy trailed off. It was a lot to take in.

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 2:54 pm

Seb was wearing a very unusual expression. It was like the time they first found Mr Gardner's body, nearly blank, but his eyes looked dead and whatever respect he'd held for Benjamin seemed to have vanished. Despite that, he said, "I can see why you made that decision. Very... logical. All for the greater good. But you crossed a line that even still I'm not sure I can agree with. How annoyingly... complicated.

"Putting that aside for a moment, the fact that the target was Rattlewater of all places... Things just get stranger and stranger the longer we're down here. After all our previous theories, it sounds like the mayor isn't part of the cult at all, quite the opposite. Just what are we even meant to do with all this information? Even if we make a choice now I couldn't possibly tell if it was right or wrong."

JesusMonroe · Post by **JesusMonroe** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 3:07 pm

“I believe Rattlewater was a 'test' of sorts. Dispersing the virus on a smaller population before the main event--the attack that's incoming. But that's just my guess." Benjamin shrugged, face weary from telling the story.

"I didn’t tell you all that story because I think you owe me--I told you so you could understand. I sacrificed 100% of my lifespan, my freedom, for strangers. What happened to that woman was tragic, but I knew it had to be done. I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew there was something I could've done. In the end, I knew my actions saved lives and I was able to live with myself." He paused for a moment. "My main regret is that we live in a world so terrible that it needs monsters like me.”

He looked at everyone else with an earnest expression. “Even a short life is precious. But I believe joy can be born through suffering. And a long life of regret is the worst scenario. You don't have to kill an innocent woman, your choice will only hurt yourself. I know it's difficult to imagine when you grow up in a small town, but the people in danger are akin to hundreds--thousands of Rattlewaters. They have their own hopes, dreams, mistakes...”

Just as quickly, he turned stone-serious again. “I believe you're all strong enough to do this, but in the end it's your life--make your own choice. Make the choice you won't regret, the one you'll be able to live with. The decision is yours."

CaptainPancakes · Post by **CaptainPancakes** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 3:18 pm

"...I...I think you all should let Benjamin free," Ivan said to the others. "Vote for me like the witch, if you'd like, but...I think that's the right thing to do."

Collin1002 · Post by **Collin1002** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 4:05 pm

Oliver winced as Benjamin recounted the story, looking very unsettled, to say the least. He huffed in thought. "What you did to that woman and those children was inexcusable. There's no doubt about that, even if you did have the best intentions in mind. You tortured and killed an innocent woman, and traumatized two perfectly innocent children likely for life. But even then..."

He rubbed his eyes, looking noticably weary. "... If millions of lives are truly at risk, then I will vote for someone else so Benjamin can share this information as soon as he can. As much as I want to live my life to its fullest... If I must sacrifice most of my remaining lifespan to save them, so be it. That is my stance on the situation."

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 7:23 pm

"I've... already come to accept that I might not live through this. Why should cutting my lifespan be any different? It's not a decision to be made likely, and it's still possible I'll come to regret it, but I've made my choice."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 7:41 pm

Brandy sighed. “I’m such a coward... all y’all ready to lay down your lives n’ I’m bein’ fussy ‘bout it. You win, Benjamin. I’ll change my vote. Please do the right thing with your freedom.”

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:36 pm

"A MAJORITY HAS BEEN REACHED."

Belphegor stands there, as if staring through them with his non-existent eyes.

Spoiler: Result

Star Detective: Sebastian

JesusMonroe · Post by **JesusMonroe** » Wed Sep 04, 2019 8:45 pm

Benjamin stood still as Belphegor read the results. He looked oddly shaken up, but still managed to present himself to the class. "I have no reason to lie to you anymore. So whatever consolation it is, I was telling the truth. ... I'll do my best."

He looked away from the rest of them. "I don't know what else to say. An apology seems almost insulting so all I'll say is... thank you."

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:03 am

"Thank you for your service, Benjamin. I can only hope this goes well," Seb said quietly. He'd become more animated again, but looked rather out of it, knowing that it was now guaranteed he'd die before reaching 35. He was unsure how to deal with the issues they'd encountered at the best of times; this one was especially taxing.

"Will you be passing through Rattlewater? Do you think you'd be able to deliver messages for us?" he then asked. "At this point I doubt something as naïve as 'fetch help' will do any good, but at the very least people need to know what happened here, and who's still okay for the time being. Not to mention there's Matt's message to Pat, and Claudia... Time is of the essence though, of course."

Datamatt · Post by **Datamatt** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:16 am

"What?!" Daniel suddenly stands up from the sofa and slams his hand on the podium, evidently fuming and gritting his teeth. "You agreed with him? Have you maggots even listened to anything he said?! He's a sick fuck and he's probably bullshitting to boot! You got this far only to get played like this?!"

JesusMonroe · Post by **JesusMonroe** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:21 am

Benjamin simply stood there as Daniel berated him, not knowing what to say. He knew no words could possibly appease the man, so he stayed silent.

KamiPanda wrote:"Thank you for your service, Benjamin. I can only hope this goes well," Seb said quietly. He'd become more animated again, but looked rather out of it, knowing that it was now guaranteed he'd die before reaching 35. He was unsure how to deal with the issues they'd encountered at the best of times; this one was especially taxing.

"Will you be passing through Rattlewater? Do you think you'd be able to deliver messages for us?" he then asked. "At this point I doubt something as naïve as 'fetch help' will do any good, but at the very least people need to know what happened here, and who's still okay for the time being. Not to mention there's Matt's message to Pat, and Claudia... Time is of the essence though, of course."

"I'll be sure to let people know what's going on." Benjamin promised. "I'll tell the police, the media. I can do that much, but I won't be able to stick around long enough to see how they act. But whether or not I'm successful in my mission, I'll return if I'm alive. For you guys, and to deliver Matt's letter and Claudia."

He then smirked a little, despite the grim situation. "I could leave Claudia at your house too, for when you come back. I'll take her if you insist but honestly, I think you should hold onto her. Somehow I feel that you'll make it out of this alive--maybe that hunk of junk will give you the extra push you need."

CaptainPancakes · Post by **CaptainPancakes** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:25 am

"...What choice do we have?!" Ivan snapped at Daniel. "This expedition...it has changed us! It has changed me! And so I will lay my life on the line for someone else..! Protecting Rattlewater...that's something that Benjamin will have to do!"

Cracking his baton against the wall, he glared at Daniel.

"Throughout this trip...tribunal after tribunal...it is evident that you have lost the fire that I have seen in you. What a shame."

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:29 am

“Benjamin,” Brandy began. “I ain’t gonna lie, I borderline dislike you for reasons that don’t make sense to anyone but me. That said, I did jus’ trade away three-quarters o’ my life for you so... don’t screw it up. I ain’t got a choice but to believe in you now. Go get ‘em tiger.”

Brandy sighed with a weary smile. “Charlie’s gonna kill me when I get up there...”

Collin1002 · Post by **Collin1002** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:38 am

"I dearly hope that you're successful in your mission, Benjamin. I... I don't want to die young. Same with everyone else here, I'm sure. But to save millions of lives?" Oliver smirked a bit, despite his racing mind. "That's heroic, in my eyes. Besides, we'll still be able to live our lives. Just, ah, not as long, unfortunately. But a short life is better than no life, or letting millions die. That's how I see it."

He sighed and stretched out his back a bit. "While I cannot agree with all of your methods, Benjamin, it's up to you now. Whatever you do, I hope you give those cultist dastards hell and stop them once and for all."

Datamatt · Post by **Datamatt** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:38 am

CaptainPancakes wrote:"...What choice do we have?!" Ivan snapped at Daniel. "This expedition...it has changed us! It has changed me! And so I will lay my life on the line for someone else..! Protecting Rattlewater...that's something that Benjamin will have to do!"

Cracking his baton against the wall, he glared at Daniel.

"Throughout this trip...tribunal after tribunal...it is evident that you have lost the fire that I have seen in you. What a shame."

Daniel seems pretty shaken by the accusation. He stays motionless at his podium, looking like he wanted to say something but couldn't, then glances to the ground.

"Good luck." Doesn't appear like he has anything else to say.

SaizotheSixth · Post by **SaizotheSixth** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:40 am

"I can't say I really knew you, Ben, but..." Haley shook her head. "No. You have your own enemies to fight, and the fact that you're willing to face them head-on, even at the risks, is commendable. So may you find victory in your fight."

She paused, and shook her head, chuckling. "I don't know what else to say. I just willingly sacrificed a large portion of what could have been on the off chance that this works. So... I guess good luck? Just do what you can; I know you'll do that much, at least."

JesusMonroe · Post by **JesusMonroe** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 1:02 am

Benjamin seemed oddly introspective as he heard everyone's words of encouragement. Once again, he didn't know what to say. Instead, he got lost in his own thoughts.

"It's funny. I've always known I wasn't normal. A normal person wouldn't be able to do to that woman what I did. I thought it would be so easy to do it again."

Spoiler: ...

"There was no reason for me to say that. I didn't get why I did at the time, but I do now." He trailed off strangely. Almost like he knew it was pointless to keep speaking. What could he say? 'I feel bad'? Would that even matter?

"I'll tell the surface about all of you." He repeated. "But like I said, I can't stay long. If any of you want to write a letter, or have me deliver a message, I can drop off a note at the post office. I won't read them." He added pointlessly. "But that's about the extent of what I can do. At least until I finish my mission."

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 4:38 am

Belphegor runs his hand along the wall, suddenly a shining brilliant pathway yawns from the rocky wall. The light is so beautiful and white, but it hurts their eyes after so long.

If before was a glimpse of hell, this is a glimpse of heaven.

Spoiler: Ascension

"Well, that's it then," Belphegor says. "Although the challenges were failed, I have decided to open the way forward regardless."

"This marks the end of the fourth tribunal. My condolences on your loss."

Belphegor flops over onto the ground, his mask skittering away from him, his body turning to black sand.

After he falls, he doesn't move again.

It's as if the spell has ended. Everyone feels their memories of the surface and all it holds for them flood their minds.

It's so close and yet...

The Crooked Waltz: End
6 Souls Remain

SaizotheSixth · Post by **SaizotheSixth** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 5:04 am

"... Is he dead, or did he just do a disappearing act?" Haley shuddered. "I don't think I really wanna know the answer to that? I just... kinda do and don't want to know. A-Anyway, let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps now..."

KamiPanda · Post by **KamiPanda** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 11:17 am

Seb had, ultimately, decided to keep Claudia with him after all. He hadn't really expected such words of encouragement from Benjamin, and they seemed to have given him newfound strength. Admittedly he didn't fully understand Benjamin's last words before he'd left, but he assumed they were just an extension of what he'd been saying before.

"No choice now. We've just got to keep going. I already promised Shizune I would, regardless of what happened." Despite everything he wore a slight smile as he said this. "Losing so much of our lives is terrible, but... this feels like the first time in this entire game we've really been able to make a choice for ourselves instead of being led around, pieces on a board of Belphegor's design. I find it to be a very liberating feeling.

"To be honest, this is the first time I've felt like I could really make a choice for myself in over a year. I've always felt like things were entirely out of my control, that I had no choice but to help Bennett, which alleviated me of all responsibility. But maybe there's more power in individual choices than I'd realised. Even if Benjamin ends up failing, I think this may still have been the right choice for me."

Datamatt · Post by **Datamatt** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 11:25 am

Daniel immediately leaves the tribunal. He doesn't seem too happy, and neither does he bring the sofa and chair back.

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 2:09 pm

"We ain't got no choice but to push on forward now," Brandy said wistfully. "As hard of a choice as that was, it was the right thing to do in the end. We jus' lost a huge fraction of our lives, so let's make sure we don't spend the remainder full o' regret. We came here to do a job, so we best see it through to the end..."

She held the revolver in front of her, staring at it longingly. That day felt like eons ago. It hurt her to face how easy it was to lose things. For a treasure hunter, the fact that she could not keep the things she treasured the most in her life wounded her, like a lion attacking a gazelle. Bloody, violent, and hard to watch. Still, she wore a smile. A pained one, yes, but a smile nonetheless.

"I'll be there soon, Charlie. It's almost over."

Brandy turned from the others and left the tribunal area. It was possible to catch a glimpse of the tears rolling down her face as she hurried out of there.

Collin1002 · Post by **Collin1002** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 4:49 pm

"I concur. We have no choice to keep going," Oliver remarked with a nod. His eyes looked just as firey as the color of his crimson red hair as he spoke -- he appeared truly determined. "If we give up at any point in time, everyone who unfairly died... they would have died for nothing."

"Even if we sacrificed most of our remaining lifespan, we still cannot give up on living. We just have to rely on Benjamin to pull through. And even if he fails... well, at least we still tried. I know that we made the right decision -- the decision to attempt to save millions by making a sacrifice of our own. I don't think many others can say the same of themselves." Oliver held a hand to his chest, letting out a small breath. "We'll be free of this torment eventually. Of that, I have little doubt."

After his little spiel, Oliver performed a small curtsy, turned around, and then left the tribunal room as well, wandering off elsewhere to try and relax.

Doctor Nanjo · Post by **Doctor Nanjo** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 5:47 pm

Spoiler: ???

Everyone decides to take some time catching sleep since it was very late when the challenge happened. They wake the next day and make their way to the castle.

When they enter, they notice that the large throne in the front of the castle has moved, and below it, a staircase heads down to a secret tunnel lined with black stones and lit with old-style torches. They make it to the end and there's a single wooden door there with the words "Play Room" sprawled on it in black paint.

Spoiler: Play Room

Spoiler: Wooden Boxes

Spoiler: Toy Box

Chapter 5: Not Alone
Beginning

WinterCoat · Post by **WinterCoat** » Thu Sep 05, 2019 6:37 pm

"Sort..." Brandy muttered. Evidently, she had given herself a bit of a makeover, but that's not important right now. She gravitated toward the toy box and became especially fixated on the items inside. She looked around again before coming to a realization.

"Ten items, ten boxes... n' ten people outta the game," she said.