Hope for The End (Book 3)

14. Remember The Despair?

Beeeeeeeooooeeeep ding ding

The chime echoed throughout the walls. Makoto felt himself collapse onto the ground in dread. His consciousness slipping away as the bracelet injected him with sleeping drugs.

Then suddenly he was awake again. He couldn't move his arms and legs, it was as if he had been paralyzed. Looking around, his brain slowly tried reeling in the thoughts in his head.

Did the attacker tie me up? Where am I?

Is everyone safe?

It struck him that he wasn't in the future foundation headquarters anymore. He looked around and discovered he did know where he was. He felt sick as he noticed he was back at Hope's Peak. He'd never wanted to see this place again.

He was in the data lab. All the cameras were online. As he looked at each screen memories of his short life here flashed in his mind.

Sayaka... Leon... Chihiro... Mondo... Taka... Hifumi... Celeste... Sakura....

He remembered each of them vividly. It was painful, and his eyes teared up at the thought.

"Puhuhuhu... Look at all them memories we made!" A cheery voice called from behind him, "Those were the times, weren't they eh, Naegi?"

Makoto tried to look at the monster behind it all, but he realized his head was being held in place by what felt like some kind of helmet.

"Are you the attacker?" He asked with an annoyed voice, "Is it you, monokuma?"

"Now, Now, don't go accusing me!" Monokuma pleaded in fake defense, "Tengan did that all on his own!"

"Tengan did this?" Makoto asked, forgetting to be annoyed, "Why would he have..."

"It's nothin' to worry on about!" Monokuma laughed, "You won't be going back there for a while!"

"What?"

"You're just gonna help me out for my next phase of the plan!" Monokuma bounced up and down, "This is gonna be sooo exciting!"

"I'm not helping you!" Makoto yelled, "Didn't you hear me every time you've tried! Hope always wins!"

"Oh but you have helped me, Naegi!" Monokuma murmured, "Just those little thoughts of your dead friends have helped plenty! Though I'm sure I can push you further!"

Don't think.

"Gee you sure miss them I'm sure!" Monokuma continued chatting away, "Sayaka was a friend of yours right? You promised to protect her, riiight?"

Don't think

"But you betrayed that little promise and now where is she?"

Don't. Think.

"Dead because you decided to switch rooms for a single day!"

I failed.

"Puhuhu it's working!" Monokuma purred, "Come on Naegi! Let's geeet thinking!"

One by one Monokuma sent waves of nostalgia through his mind. Makoto wanted to just shut off his brain and go to sleep, but every time he tried Monokumas voice seemed to ring loud and annoying through his head. His face would burn with pain time after time. His brain was fried.

Monokuma finally seemed satisfied only three weeks later.

Makoto was exhausted. He wasn't sure his face would heal, and his body never seemed to stop shaking. Monokuma decided to leave him with one last thing before dragging him up to the old headmaster's room.