The Ultimate Hunt {DRV3 AU}

Nearly There

"Tell us something only the real Shuichi would know." As soon as Rantaro let go of Shuichi, Maki made her statement, holding the bat from before. Her eyes echoed the question that the rest of the room held. 'Was this the real Shuichi? Were they being lied to, tricked again?'

"And not something Tsumugi could have told you." Because of course, that's how they were filled last time. Kiibo brought the unconscious Tsumugi downstairs, chucking her near Maki and Kai to in case anything happened. Kaito had his astronaut training to help him, and Maki, of course, was a weapon expert. Nobody questioned where she got her abilities.

"...I know what Tsumugi is really like..." Shuichi stated, his tears drying. Rantaro moved away as Maki chucked her bat to him, pulling her signature weapon, a knife, out of her pocket. How she fit that in there was beyond any of them. Rantaro stood, shivering with the bat in her palms. It felt weird to have Maki, such a closed off person trust him. Maki also seemed to have formed trust with Kaito, as she commanded him to keep a steady eye on Tsumugi while she interrogated. Kiibo seemed to be the only person who didn't have a close level of trust with her, however his trust was with Kaito and Rantaro. It was a complicated group.

"What do you mean." Maki knew she would get let down - that everyone would fall into despair if he wasn't back to normal. He had to be, this was their chance to right wrongs. However the more he spoke, the less Maki trusted him.

"I remember most things. My time with my uncle is fuzzy and the first few days at Hope Peak is. I remember... I remember making a promise with Rantaro. That we'd at least try to escape going to space as long as we could?" Shuichi looked up, uncertain of his words. The looks of untrust and doubt his former friends (and people he barely knew) was killing him slowly. He didn't know how to prove his trust.

And he still had important information to share. So important, they might actually find it in their hearts to forgive him. "Tsumugi, that Tsumugi you have over there, is infected."

Kiibo, of all people, scoffed. Maki joined in, Rantaro was still clinging on to the hope this was actually Shuichi, but it just seemed like it was Infected Shuichi trying to throw them through another loop.

"Why should we believe you?" He didn't have an answer to Makis question. He didn't know what he could say to prove his point, that it was really him. Infected him could know all the things he knew, it was the worst feeling, to know you're friends may never trust you. However he might have the solution to this whole thing.

He might be important for once.

Important enough to not get forgetten at the edge of town, important enough to not be shoot down because one girl wanted others to feel what she was going through, important enough to not get shot again by the same girl, important enough to not succumb to despair.

He was getting shot down alot these past weeks.

Important enough to make a difference.

"While I was with Tsumugi, before this whole thing, she had acted normal, if not a bit shy. While I was with her again, she broke out of her despair facade, telling me she could actually control herself and that she was just a back passenger to her 'Pregame self.' "

"That wouldnt of made sense to tell me when I had already fell to despair. There's no reason to lie, and, even if there was, she acted genuine, like... a scared little girl. I feel like her despair may have been different from ours, perhaps one more intense. Kaedes only been robbing stores, Tsumugi wants the whole world to die. "

"And that would make sense, if her despair was different than ours, it would explain the off things she does when under despair." Shuichi lifted his head up, looking Maki in the eyes. She could see no sign of lying, but this was simply impossible. The girl who she's been fighting, who took Kaede and degraded Maki had been under the same influence as Shuichi, perhaps even more so.