Peep The Horror

[apocalypseyuri]

Yu-Mi slipped silently into the empty classroom. The moment she had the chance to absorb the quiet, her hunger and exhaustion hit her all at once. With the ghost of a sigh, she sat down, rummaging through her daypack. She took out a lunchbox–for a moment she considered trying to ration them, before deciding dying of hunger was unlikely compared to the alternatives–and opened it up. Standard lunch faire. She could almost pretend it was normal if everything was so obviously not. Yu-Mi unwrapped the milk carton, poked the straw in, and took a sip.

I could die here. Someone could just come in and just blow my brains out. Her gun remained within arms’ reach.

As calm as it was, the classroom still gave her the chills. It was as silent as a graveyard, each solitary chair a tombstone, and as sterile as a morgue, each somber desk a gurney. Even the crimson Omega Squad symbol felt less like a rallying card and more like graffiti tagged on a gravestone.

There she was, sipping strawberry milk in a tomb. A padded room.

“...God.”

No response.

[NoLife42069]

(Ángel Alcántara continued from Refreshing as lemon squash!)

Ángel...Was lost. He had chased after Yu-Mi, but by virtue of taking too long to see where she went all it did was lead him to semi-aimless wandering. 24 hours had passed and he was no closer to his original plan, it incensed him to no end. But just like when he first found Bailey, all of his plans for life came crashing down, so why not add his plans for survival as well?

His boots clacked on the tile at his feet as he became intimately aware of his body and surroundings. The cut on his arm had become dull. He barely felt it anymore, only alerting him of its presence with a dull throb. His shoulders hurt from the weight of both bags, the cling and chime of the glasses tapping against each other as he moved deftly down the hall. The Desert Eagle in his hand was oddly comforting... Both as a reminder of safety, but also of familiarity. Part of the reason (He assumed.) for their captors using Sycamore High as a battleground was for the unnerving effect of a familiar place being distorted just enough that it's no longer familiar. Another reason could also be because frankly, it was infinitely easier to just port an existing map than to create one from scratch. Days of his life and thousands of paragraphs of code stood a testament to that.

Ángel's determined race walk came to an abrupt end when he heard one word.

“...God.”

Yu-Mi.

Just like before, Ángel reached for the door and then hesitated. Yu-Mi wasn't having the best of times... She was unstable, and while it pained him to talk about a friend like this, dangerous. Instead, Ángel rested his back against the wall next to the door, then gave it a few knocks.

"Yu-Mi? I...You know I'm not good at this under the best conditions. So... So I'm just going to talk okay?" Ángel sighed as he looked around the hallway quickly. "First... I'm sorry, my attempts at mediation went... Well, they went about as well as they usually do. We know I'm not the best at interpersonal relationships and when... When I found out that Sunny was gone... I don't know I felt powerless, and angry, and scared."

Ángel looked down at his gun. "When I woke up, someone almost died in front of me... So I went to help them and..." Ángel let out a noise of frustration. He was blowing this, making it about himself because he understood himself. "Fuck. Yu-Mi I almost died in the first handful of hours, I almost shot two people out of instinct. Then two announcements later I find out it would have been better if I did kill one of them... Because he shot a girl, and... I don't know how to comfort you. I don't know the right words to make you feel better, the words that would make you less afraid, make you feel like everything isn't collapsing down on you."

"All I got is a listening ear, and a desire to help... Sol would have been better at this but... Yu-Mi, please, let me try to help." Ángel's voice went on a roller-coaster, from the depths of despair to something of hope.

[Yonagoda]

Someone stupid is rambling about something.

Cee didn't mind. Whoever was filming this probably wanted to see more relationship drama.

...come to think of it, how were his parents holding up?

[apocalypseyuri]

The sound of Ángel’s voice startled her, and she quickly pounded on her chest to stop from choking. The movement made her think of her oscillation vest. Weird. She might never have to use it again.

Thinking about death so much wasn’t like Yu-Mi at all, and she hated it. Still, when it was staring her right in the face, it wasn’t like she could just look away. Well, she could, but that would just be babyish.

“Hey. Um…okay.” She wasn’t sure what to expect from Ángel. “Is anyone else with you?” She kept silent as Ángel spoke. “It’s…fine. It’s a lot. I’m not, like, blaming you for anything, that’s dumb. And don’t worry about comforting me. I wouldn’t know how to comfort you.” Yu-Mi bit the inside of her cheek. “There’s something I kinda wanted to ask you, though.”

“In this situation, do you think it’s, like…okay to kill someone?” She blinked. “Okay, that’s stupid. That’s not what I mean–not really. It’s, like…” She gritted her teeth. This was the worst time for her words to be failing her. Typical Yu-Mi moment. “Killing someone for no reason is bad. Obviously. Duh. But if I were to kill, like, Daniel or Ilya, would that be not as morally awful? At least a little? You seemed willing.” Is it bad to say I want that kind of courage?

“Don’t think I'm scheming how to kill someone in here or anything. What I’m trying to say here is, I don’t wanna just lay down and die. I was gonna do that anyways sometime in the future, but, like…I don’t want it to be now. Or here. I can’t just hide out like this the whole time–I’ll either get killed or die when the time limit runs out. I don’t want someone like Daniel to ‘win,’ for lack of a better word. The more fuckass announcements they give us just makes it worse and worse. I can’t just…sit here.” Not anymore. “So, like, yeah. That’s my freaky manifesto. Let me know what you think. That’s how you can help.”

[NoLife42069]

Ángel shook his head as he spoke. "No, at least not from what I can tell. I told them that following me was optional and that we would meet up on either the roof or at the lab. I just... I couldn't leave you alone when..." Ángel left the rest of his statement unsaid.

Then Yu-Mi asked him a question. An essential question. Ángel was silent as he let Yu-Mi talk. When she was done he looked down at the gun in his hands.

"... You are assuming the rules of society apply here." Ángel sighed as he began to unload his gun, the click of the magazine. "Yu-Mi the rules have changed, not just because we are in Cyberspace... Even if we were in the real world not much would change." The sound of the magazine sliding out. "."

"Yu-Mi, murder will never be okay. But not only is that a rule enforced by society but it's also an idea counterproductive to our ordeal." It clunked against the floor. "As I said, the rules have changed. Just a while ago, you didn't like someone? You fight, you argue, then it gets broken up. Now? You kill them. Daniel hurt me, not physically but emotionally. He started the violence, he killed my friend, and for that, if I find him I will kill him." Ángel pulled back the rack on his pistol the chamber opening as a bullet fell into his lap. "I'm not the best person to ask about this, maybe I'm just good at compartmentalizing. But morality has no place here. As it stands all we have is adapt or die-No, Adapt or Suffer." Ángel pointed the gun in front of him and pulled the trigger. The CLICK was almost more deafening than if there was a bang. "I don't think killing the killers makes you bad, or an evil person as much as I don't think Self-Defense makes you one."

Ángel was rambling, how could he explain his thought process? Especially for one as complex as this? "...Look, I'm rambling. No, wanting to kill those who have killed others doesn't make you as bad as them. Is it wrong? Yes, but right and wrong are decided by the person, and when we are in a situation where the most violent among us. When those who kill and kill and hurt and maim, are actually increasing their chances of leaving this alive? Who could fault you-Any of us for wanting to make sure they don't leave this unpunished." Ángel brought the gun closer to himself and looked down at it.

"I know, you're conflicted. You don't want to kill anyone but you also want revenge, the choice is yours. I'm working on a way to get us out of here, but it's a long shot, and even then I don't think I want some of us to leave. Daniel, Ray, Ilya... I want them to pay for what they have done. My point is that these next 72 or so hours? It's highly likely that these are the last hours of most of our lives, it's up to you to decide how you spend it." Ángel smiled a bit as he placed the barrel of the gun to his head. "That and... Even if you don't get revenge if you determine that maintaining your morals is more important than revenge? I'm still going after it, that bastard isn't leaving this school if it's the last thing I do."

Ángel pulled the trigger. Once more the click was deafening. But more than that, Ángel was killing a part of himself, the part that wanted as many survivors as he could. No, Ángel still wanted that, still wanted more than anything. To spite those who had ruined everything, not just for him but for everyone. But, Daniel couldn't leave. Not only did he start the killing, but he killed Sunny, he killed Ángel's and Sol's friend. Daniel killed Yu-Mi's girlfriend. Ángel refused to let that go unpunished, and in this place where the rules had changed? Punishment was Death.

"That's... That's just me though." Ángel removed the gun from his head and slid the sole bullet back into the chamber. "I'm sorry if it's not helpful. I... I tried my best, for whatever that's worth..." The Magazine was slid back into the gun with a satisfying click. "Is it okay if I come in? Being out here makes me feel... Exposed." The safety back on, his bags over his shoulders, the gun returned to its holster. Ángel stood up and turned to the door.

[apocalypseyuri]

“Okay. Good to know.” Yu-Mi rubbed the sole of her foot against the ground. “I guess not.” They were in a snowglobe–everyone outside could see inside, and nobody inside could get out. Not without shattering some things, that is. The click of the magazine didn’t make her wince.

Well, yeah, duh. Yu-Mi finished the last of the strawberry milk. She was probably getting fed through a tube or something in Meatspace. Such is reality, and the reality was, Yu-Mi didn’t want to die, nor did she want to suffer. Nobody could blame her for just wanting to live, right? Even if she did kill, it wasn’t like she would kill wantonly. Killing killers–that was a Batman kind of thing, right? And everyone liked Batman. At least, Yu-Mi thought so. Comics weren’t her zone of nerdness.

She felt like a puddle of primordial ooze, sloshing about purposely. Organs desiccating into mushy slop in an open grave on a hot summer day. Was Sunny decaying? Had they embalmed her yet? One by one, Yu-Mi’s classroom became a morgue. She didn’t want to be a part of that. Everything came from that primordial ooze, right? It could evolve. It could adapt. It could survive. She didn’t want to die–could it be any more obvious? It was the simplest thing she could ask for, to just…live a little longer. Even if it was without–

“I… If you’re gonna hunt down Daniel, or Ilya, or whoever, I’ll come with you.” It was the kind of sentence she wouldn’t even have considered saying a few hours ago, but looking down at yourself from afar was different from looking at your own corpse in the grave. (A tomb. A padded room.) “I’ll…help. Whether it’s with hunting them down or making an escape plan, whatever it is, I’ll help.” It was oddly freeing to say, like a rose unfurling after the frost encasing it finally melted on a hot summer day. The overpowering scent masked even that of a corpse.

“Yeah, come in. There’s something–” Yu-Mi moved slightly, blinked, and found herself sitting in an altogether different place. She was outside of the door, next to Ángel. Her head turned upwards to look at him, and then, with a sheepish scowl, she stood. “That’s the other thing. This place has fucking Yandev code. It could crash before the time limit even runs out, and if this thing bluescreens, we’re more likely than not all dead. We need to act fast.” She opened the door back up and went back inside the empty classroom, sitting on the edge of a seat, her eyes still on Ángel. “Here, there’s something I want to show you.” Yu-Mi rummaged around in her pack before taking out the watchlike device. “This is a tracker, I’m pretty sure. It shows numbers and not names, but it might be at least some help.” Her compass had a purpose once more.

[NoLife42069]

"Then I say welcome to the team. The remainder of our time here will be spent trying to screw over the ones who placed us here... And to get revenge on the ones who hurt us and the others." Hearing himself Ángel felt his words portrayed him in too virtuous a light. "...By killing them..." Ángel cleared his throat. "Sorry, just felt like I was portraying us heroes..."

Ángel was permitted to come in(What was he a vampire? Always asking permission...) His hand touched the door handle when suddenly Yu-Mi was sitting next to him. His eyebrow raised before a slight smirk touched his face. "Fuckin Bethesda..." He muttered. As she stood up Ángel snorted at his little joke, following after Yu-Mi. "This was a buggy mess since minute one. I wouldn't be surprised if the time limit is just how long they got before the whole thing crashes..." Before he could continue the train of thought his eyes ran over the mark on the room. A red omega symbol. His team...

Yu-Mi grabbed his attention again and he turned to her. She had a tracker of some kind. "That's... Not fair..." Ángel looked down and brought a hand to his chin. "Well, first all of our equipment is randomized. I guessed as such, but... Well, they gave you a rifle and a tracker... Some of us only got a bat." Ángel turned to the mark. "Second, the issue is we don't know other's numbers. Yu-Mi, could you turn it on and tell me mine? It can also tell us how many of us there are."

While he waited for her Ángel dug into his backpack, and after a little digging pulled out the scissors from his first aid kit. "Also... Thanks, for telling me about this..." He brought it to the base of his ponytail, while it would hurt to do this in the real world in Cyberspace? SNIP SNIP SNIP. It took a couple of cuts but soon the hair fell to the ground along with the hair clip.

Yet, despite that, his model didn't change. The ponytail remained, including the clip. Ángel pulled his hand through it making sure the hair was gone, it looked like his hand nocliped through his hair. He gave himself a nod and placed the scissors back, and pulled back a lunchbox. "Haven't eaten anything since we woke up here... Should probably sleep as well..." Ángel capped it off with a yawn as he turned back to Yu-Mi.

[Yonagoda]

Really, these hallways shouldn't be easy to get lost in, but they did, anyways. Everything was just the slightest bit of wrong- like when you go to a resturant you haven't been to in years and the food tastes different, or if your mom cleans your room for you or something and you know the layout like the back of your hand but you don't know where she put your favorite stress balls, and...

He heard voices.

Maybe its because of his own inability to fathom sadism. Maybe it's the sheer incompotence of people who *should* be terrorists. Either way, they he was rather sure that the whole thing was just some kind of social experiment, or a prank, or something like that. Maybe, because it happens in a dilated time bubble/system that could only occur on certain CR methods...

Hm. He hoped people won't be so hysterical.

"So, erm." awkwardly positioning himself at the doorframe, he waved to the two. "Hi."

[apocalypseyuri]

“Yippie.” Yu-Mi shrugged. “Whatever we are, we’re better than the ones who put us in here.” She’d cling to that.

Yu-Mi glanced at the Omega Squad symbol, then back to Ángel. “Have…you seen anyone from Omega Squad? They haven’t been in any announcements, so they’re probably fine…”

“None of this is fair. They probably threw some bad items in there just to get a sick laugh out of it. It’s like if you fuck up enough levels in Metal Gear Solid V and they give you the chicken hat.” No it isn’t, what????? “Sure. Looks like you’reeeee…A17.” She tapped a finger on the display.

“No problem. If we’re a team now, I oughta let you know. I oughta…do something.” As Ángel cut his hair, she furrowed her brow. “What are you doing? Oh, there’s food in the bags. It’s school lunch quality, but it’s serviceable. If you want, we could take shifts sleeping. Then in the morning we could meet up with the others?”

The new voice from the doorway made Yu-Mi whirl around. She walked up to the door and poked her head out of it. “Hellooo. You aaaaareeee….” She squinted. No dice. “....not a murderer?”

[NoLife42069]

"That goes without saying. We wouldn't even be doing this if we weren't put here." Ángel replied to her comment.

"My team? No, unfortunately, this-" Ángel pointed to the board. "- is the only sign I've seen of them. But, I trust my team. Maybe a bit worried about Amy but the rest? I'm certain they won't be taken down that easy. If any of them would show up on the announcements it would be for a kill." Ángel was clinging to that.

"Knowing the sadists that put us here I wouldn't be surprised if they gave us something like a lighter and butane or a box of condoms. They also like references, so expect a red foam sports hand cannon, a keyblade, a super shotgun, or a Leviathan axe. I mean they already gave someone the holy Vampire Killer." Funny enough Ángel didn't get her reference having not played Metal Gear V, so he just nodded. "A17, huh? Well, we know there are at least 17 of us. I wonder what the A means though... Avatar? Oh, want me to check yours? Maybe you are a higher number than me."

Ángel nodded at being a team. "I'm cutting my hair, have you seen all the movies where someone with long hair gets grabbed by it? Besides, this is only my avatar I can easily just code it back. And that's a good plan I'm used to pulling all-nighters but even for me 4 days straight is a bit much. I'll take the first shift okay?"

Then a new face made themselves known, with as much confidence as he had when someone was upset. Instincts kicked in full force but he managed to hold himself, only putting his hand on his gun without withdrawing it.

Yu-Mi started them off. "What she means is we don't know who you are and you clearly haven't shown up on the announcements. And since anyone on the announcements are either victims or killers..." Ángel cleared his throat and removed his hand from his gun and put it to his side. "Let's just start with introductions. Hello classmate, unfortunately, I don't remember your name and as such don't expect you to remember mine. I'm Ángel, call me Angel if you like. This is-..." Ángel outstretched an arm to Yu-Mi. "Anyway we are our own little team unless you have blood on your hands you have nothing to fear from the both of us. Oh, and have you seen any members of the Omega Squad? I've been looking for my team." Ángel set his lunchbox on the ground and stood up. "Also what's their number?"

[Yonagoda]

"The... Omega Squad..." For the sake of making them feel better, Cee actually tried to look like he was thinking about it. "I'm not sure, yeah, sorry... I don't know your club that well... Yeah."

He took a step closer. "I'm not a murderer," he shrugged. "And, like, this is all a big stupid game show whatever anyways, soooo..."

"Yeah. Don't remember a number either."

The muscles of his simulated face pulled down into an awkward, smiley grimace. He hasn't seen himself closely in a mirror yet, but he was sure that he didn't smile this way, with the canines out and everything. He never liked to smile with too much teeth. But his avatar did, here.

[ciphermitarai]

Hey, where are we? Who are we, and where are we going? Where do we come from?

Nate had spent a good, good long while wandering about on his own. It was as though the gun wasn’t detachable from his hand. It sure didn’t seem like he could dispute that.

… People, of course. He would’ve feared as much without the glasses, but that confirmed it. Talking. Getting along… which was something he couldn’t have, but worse it posed a threat to him. Could he rely on anyone?

What kind of stupid question was that?

He crouched and pressed an ear to the door, taking care so that his shoes couldn’t be seen in the crack of space.

[apocalypseyuri]

“Yu-Mi.” She waved, somewhat awkwardly. “Can’t remember your name either. Sorry, I’m, like, stupid.” Ángel’s delivery caused her to wince. “No, but seriously, we aren’t gonna kill ya. For real.” Was she making it worse? She was probably just making it worse.

Yu-Mi decided not to debate Cee’s claim. Whatever helped him sleep at night. “Yeah, like…” Come on come on media-poisoned reference brain don’t fail me now come on come on “Danganronpa. V3. Killing. Harmony.” FUCK

“Here, let me check.” She looked down at the radar. “A16, apparently. Huh. You’re number buddies.”

“Um, if you want, you could, liiiike…” For a moment, Yu-Mi hoped for Sunny’s sake that there wasn’t an afterlife, so she wouldn’t have to see Yu-Mi stumble through basic conversation. “Hang with us for a while. Even if it’s not serious it’s better to be safe than sorry. Ángel and I were going to take shifts sleeping, and then look for the rest of our group in the morning.”

[Salic]

Bailey really regretted not just following Ángel as soon as he took off from the laboratory. He was already well out of her field of vision when she left, and she had to take a gamble on which direction he went. Unfortunately for her, she did not win big. She sprinted west, looking and listening in all the rooms before she figured out that Ángel wasn't there. Thus, she turned around, sprinting over to the eastern wing instead.

By the time Bailey reached the eastern wing, she was exhausted. She felt like she had been running for hours, when in reality, it had been no more than a few minutes. Still though, for someone with effectively zero athletic prowess or conditioning, it was hellish. Sweat poured rivers down her face; her back was sticky and wet, and the hoodie she wore wasn't helping matters in any way. Her head pounded from a lack of oxygen, her feet ached and her legs wobbled from overexertion. If one looked closely enough, they could see a faint hint of green underneath her beet red face.

Out of energy, she shuffled around the next corner, doing her best to raise her boots a little each step so they didn't squeak on the floor too much. It wasn't like it mattered, though. Bailey was gulping down simulated oxygen like her life depended on it, the loud heaving surely alerting anyone nearby of her presence.

When she did finally get around that corner, she saw someone. Not someone she recognized or knew, although the gray hair was certainly a standout sight. That did spark something in her brain. N... Na... Nate? Was it Nate? She wasn't sure. Not really knowing what else to do, she called out to him.

"Hey," she called, whatever she was going to say afterwards being cut off by a large inhale. "Have you," heave, "seen," heave, "Ángel anywhere? Ángel," heave, "Alcántara?"

[NoLife42069]

"Less of a club more of an E-sport team..." Ángel corrected, he wasn't quite sure why he felt the need to correct but he did it regardless. "And you aren't stupid Yu-Mi, I can't identify about half our class, even without the threat of death." Ángel returned his attention to his "meal" opening it and seeing what he was eating for the day. How ironic was it that the first lunchbox he pulled out featured taco salad and other Mexican foods, he would have called it a taste of home if he wasn't born and raised in San Jose.

A churro was pulled out and a bite of it was taken out. Was it good? No, it was passable at best and extremely bland at worst. What was it that one species in Star Trek called it?... Right, nutrients.

The newcomer who still hadn't given their name then said something that gave Ángel pause. "That's a dangerous game you're playing. The last person who didn't treat this as real shot someone." As if to punctuate his warning another bite was taken out of the churro.

"The ending was polarizing but I quite liked it..." New kid chipped in. "That's cause we weren't told, I figure that assigned us numbers to better... Organize us and why use our names when they can dehumanize us by referring to us as numbers? Not Ángel, but A17, Not... You still haven't given a name... But you, and instead A16."

He had apparently his peak anger because despite pointing out how he and those he cared about were being used as a statistic, he remained calm. Another bite, he had roughly 2 more till it was gone.

Yu-Mi offered their classmate a chance to join them, but Ángel was indifferent. Having more people was a double-edged sword, on one hand, it meant strength in numbers, but it also meant more potential threats. Well, he was looking for his team so what could he say?

And then there was another voice, two people. Bailey and... Someone else. Unless Bailey was asking their... "Audience" of his location. "Bailey! In here!" Ángel turned to Yu-Mi "We should get their numbers as well." Another bite was taken,