A/N: It's been months since I've been able to update this story due to a mix of laziness and work (being a mail clerk + holidays = sadness), I've finally gotten around to releasing the next chapter. Enjoy!

A Hopeful Encounter

"Ah..nice to meet you. My name's Makoto Naegi," Naegi said with a smile, glad to see a friendly face. He had expected to find dead bodies of their families or something. "And this here is-"

"I am Kyouko Kirigiri," Kirigiri said, cutting him off. Naegi frowned as he looked at her since she cut him off so quickly. Sometimes she can be really cold. "More importantly, may I ask what you are doing here? Where you abducted and put into this place as well?"

"Ah, you must mean Monokuma," he said, giving a concerned look. "It's strange; he told us we could live in peace, but I can tell from the way he spoke that he has alternative means for our presence here. I suppose you two are students here as well, right?"

"That's correct," Kirigiri answered, deep in thought. "Unfortunately, I cannot remember exactly what my talent is at present; up until our captivity here, I can't seem to remember much. Perhaps exploring this place will give me the answers I seek," she said, her eyes boring into his.

"Oh my, that stare of yours is quite intimidating. You look like a very strong, capable woman," he said, smiling nervously. "Oh, that's right; I didn't ask your talent, haven't I, Naegi?"

"Oh yea, I guess I didn't," he said, smiling. "I'm the Super High School Level Luckster, although my luck here's been more bad than good," he said, frowning a bit.

"Eh, you too?" he asked in confusion.

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"I mean, that's my title too. I'm the Super High School Level Good Luck! How interesting, someone else here with the same title as me!" he said, smiling brightly.

"Well, it's not exactly the same; my title is Luckster, so maybe it's different?" Naegi said, confused.

"Hmm...perhaps. Oh well, I guess we'll find out soon enough!" he said, smiling. "It's almost meeting time with the others. Are there more people with you two?" he asked. Just as Kirigiri was about to answer, Byakuya exited one of the nearby rooms and had a look of surprise on his face.

"What? There are more people up here?" he asked in confusion. He then turned to Komaeda and gave him a pointed look. "Who are you? Are you with the mastermind?"

"Me? Of course not, such trash like me isn't capable of setting something like this up…," Komaeda said, staring sadly at the ground. "I'll explain everything in the cafeteria over there. If there's anyone else with you three, bring them along with you; I'll make sure to introduce you to everyone!" he said, smiling.

As Komaeda walked towards the cafeteria, Naegi couldn't help but get a bad feeling about him; as much as he wants everyone to get along, something feels seriously out of place with his calm and happy demeanor, despite being kidnapped.

"You don't trust him either, do you?" Kirigiri said, snapping Naegi out of his thoughts. He looked and saw her closely observing his face and couldn't help but feel a little intimidated and embarrassed being watched so closely by her. "I don't blame you; judging by his mannerisms in this dark situation, something isn't right. However, as long as everyone is with us going to the cafeteria, I don't think any trap that might be set could be triggered. It would be more dangerous to leave people isolated," she said, thinking very carefully.

"I guess you're right…but whatever happens, I don't want to distrust him so quickly. I want all of us to survive this; I want to trust everyone here, all of my friends, and that includes him," he said, and Kirigiri turned her head and sighed.

"There you go with that blind optimism again. But I suppose you just wouldn't be you otherwise…," she said, with a small smile growing on her lips. "Ok, let's go get the others," she said.

As Naegi approached the cafeteria with the group, he noticed some people were feeling very restless about this.

"Hey Naegs, are you sure this is a good idea? I said I didn't even want to come up here today, can I go back to my room please?" Hagakure asked, shifting around nervously.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Naegi?" Byakuya said with a pointed look. "This could very well be a trap…"

"Well, we aren't getting anything done by avoiding this floor, either," he said. "I don't want to distrust him; he's in the same boat as us. I'm pretty sure the mastermind wouldn't just up and reveal himself to us like that."

"Tch, I suppose you got a point," Byakuya said, looking away. "Besides, this does make things interesting. Having more people around would definitely make the game more fun…"

"Jeez, will you shut up about that game stuff, already!?" Asahina said, glaring at him.

"Okay, okay," Naegi said, trying to break up the argument. "We're already late, so let's just go in and see what happens. I'm sure the people in there are just like us."

"I'm already getting a headache…," Byakuya said with a bitter tone.

Naegi moved forward and opened up the cafeteria doors. As he looked around, he saw a crowd of people standing around the tables with Komaeda sitting at the front. He looked up and smiled as he saw everyone coming through the front doors.

"Ah, I'm so glad!" he said with relief. "I thought I might've scared you off."

"Well, it was unusual seeing only you on this floor…," Naegi said. "Well, I suppose I might as well introduce you to everyone first…"

Naegi stepped back and let everyone move forward and introduce themselves, one at a time. He watched as he saw different people react to their introductions. While some didn't get much of a reaction at all, others got more of a spark than they expected.

"I'm Byakuya Togami, Heir to the Togami Conglomerate. Be grateful to even be receiving an introduction from someone like myself, you poverty-ridden insects.

"What did you call me, you bastard!?" the kid in the suit said. "You think you can say something like that to ME and get away with it!? I'll break your legs off and beat you to death with them, you punk!"

"You're welcome to try, you trash!" Byakuya spat out, and the short kid stood up.

"A piece of trash like you isn't worth two minutes! You'll do nothing but soil the Kuzuryuu name!"

"Kuzuryuu…," he said, his glare intensifying even more. "I know about you punks…a bunch of gangsters who think they can overthrow the Togami corporation through crime. Don't make me laugh," he said, and as the kid moved towards Byakuya, Sakura stepped in between them without missing a beat.

"ENOUGH!" she said, and both students immediately stopped in their tracks. Even though Naegi wasn't involved in this, he still felt the hairs stand up on his neck. She has this power aura about her that strikes fear into people's hearts.

"Both of you are acting like children. Keep your opinions to yourself and let the others finish their introductions," she said in a rather commanding tone, then stepped back to where she previously was. Byakuya and the kid both had a look of disgust as they both stepped back.

"Such authority from such a powerful person…," the rough-looking girl with large breasts said from the other group, a wide but menacing-looking grin appearing on her face. "You look like you would be a fun fight, Ogre!"

"Oi, cut it out," the large man said, shooting her an annoyed look. "Take a look at her; she's obviously a professional fighter of some sort. Pick a fight with her and she'll tear you apart. Even someone like me wouldn't last long against someone like her," he said, picking his nose.

"Do not worry, I am disciplined enough to know when to stop," Sakura said in a calm tone. "Besides, seeing someone with such a passion to fight strong opponents reminds me of myself, in a way. It is a bit invigorating, I must admit. I look forward to sparring with you," she said with a grin.

"We're getting sidetracked again," Byakuya said, irritated. "Let's get our introductions over with so we can hear theirs. I'm getting bored hearing things I already know."

Naegi stood by as he watched the rest of the introductions being finished. Komaeda then stepped forward and introduced himself.

"Well, now that you guys are finished, we can start. My name is Nagito Komaeda. My talent is Super High School Level Good Luck, even though it-

"Hold it, your talent is Good Luck as well?" Byakuya said, eyes narrowing.

"Perhaps Naegi-kun's luck is different from Komaeda-kun's," Celes said, thinking. "After all, Naegi's luck has been rather poor in our experiences with him."

"Maybe Naegs's luck is taboo?" Hagakure said.

"It is plausible, it would seem," Kirigiri said, thinking.

"Well, either way, my luck is usually good rather than bad. Although even my luck is kind of taboo too, in it's own way…ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sidetrack you all. Let's continue with the introductions, shall we?" he said with a bright smile, and the unusually composed girl next to him stood up, her bright red eyes staring intensely at everyone.

"I am Peko Pekoyama, Super High School Level Swordsman. Nice you meet you all," she said, her eyes not wavering.

"As you can see, Peko is very direct, but please don't take it personal. She's like this with everyone," Komaeda said, and the kid with the suit stood up.

"The name's Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, Super High School Level Gangster," he said with an annoyed look on his face. "You guys stay clear of me and we won't have any problems, we clear?"

"Wait, isn't it dangerous to be locked up with this guy? He makes his living carving people up and doing crimes…," Hagakure said, starting to panic.

"Oi, don't give me that shit, you hippie! What I do is my business and it would be in YOUR best interest to stay out. I can have you sliced up and ship you to different countries around the world," he said, glaring at the now-cowering Hagakure.

"Ok, ok, Kuzuryuu, I think you made your point," Komaeda said, trying to get Kuzuryuu to calm down, and, after a moment, took his seat again. "Kuzuryuu has a short temper, so please watch what you say around him, ok?"

The rough girl now stood up and shot a fierce-looking stare at Naegi and his friends, especially Sakura. "Yo, the name's Akane Owari. I guess you could say I'm the Super High School Level Gymnast, but I'd much rather be fighting. Especially people like old man Nidai and the Ogre over there," she said, salivating a bit looking at Sakura.

"If she bothers you, feel free to beat some sense into her. She's the type of person that only learns things the hard way, after all," the large man said, standing up to introduce himself. "I am Nekomaru Nidai, Super High School Level Coach. No matter your talent, I can inspire and drive you to limits you never thought possible."

"Weeeeeeeee, guess I'm up!" the punk rock girl practically jumped out of her chair in a surprisingly cheerful tone. "I, Ibuki, I, I, Ibuki! IBUKIIIIIIII!" she cheered, catching everyone off guard with her blindly bright cheerfulness.

"Heh, you definitely seem like a very energetic girl…," Naegi said, smiling a bit and scratching his head nervously.

"You bet, Ibuki puts the act in activity! Ibuki Mioda's the name, and light music is my talent! I'm in the middle of changing my music to a different genre, so you can bet Ibuki will be even better once her new album comes out!" she said, winking at him.

"Maybe sometime she can play a song for us when she gets the chance," Komaeda said, smiling. "Okay, who's next..."

"I suppose it would be ungraceful if I waited too long," the short man said, hopping off his seat and stepping forward. "My name is Hanamura Teruteru; you can call me the Super High School Level Cook, although I prefer the term Chef. It is more suitable to a person of my…elegance," he said with a confident grin. "I assure you, anything you've eaten up until this point will taste like garbage compared to what I can make."

"Um…did you make this food here too?" Asahina asked, looking at the table.

"Of course not! Do you think such ordinary food would befit someone of my talent? Trust me, once you've tasted my food, you won't be able to go back…you'll come crawling back, begging me for more. But don't worry, I'm sure we can come to an arrangement, especially when we're talking about a girl so…blessed," he said, nose bleeding, staring at her chest.

"Eh?" she said, confused, and Naegi could've sworn he felt a lightning bolt strike the room as he saw the fury in Sakura's eyes as she was literally carving fear into Hanamura's heart.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! PLEASE DON'T, I HAVE TOO MUCH TO LIVE FOR! SOMEONE, ANYONE, ARTHUR, SLAY THE DRAGON!" he cried, cowering under the table.

"King Arthur never killed any dragons, you sweaty pig," Fukawa corrected, staring at him, annoyed. "You're thinking of Beowulf."

"I believe Beowulf never dealt the fatal blow of the dragon, if I recall. The dragon died at the hands of his companion," Celes chimed in, getting a surprised yet somewhat heated look from Fukawa.

"I'm surprised someone like you even knows the story Beowulf. A-although translations differ, I choose the one in which Beowulf dealt the final blow," she said, and Naegi gives Celes an impressed look.

"Sometimes your wit impresses me as much as it scares me, Celes-chan," he said with a nervous grin.

"I know things; I simply choose not to tell people unless I feel the desire to," she said with her trademark smile.

"Gyahahahahaha! T'would seem one's third eye sees farther than anticipated," the cryptic-looking man said with a wide grin, standing.

"Oh? And who might you be?" she said, staring curiously at him.

"You possess such power and yet lack knowledge of my existence? Thine must be either fortunate or foolish for your ears to fall silent upon the words of your inevitable doom," he said, stepping forward. "Very well, if you are indeed telling the truth…YOU HAVE MISTAKENLY SEALED YOUR FATE! LISTEN NOW AND HEAR THE WORDS WHICH SHALL BE YOUR UNDOING! I AM THE UNDOING OF ALL THINGS INCAPABLE AND UNWORTHY, NOMAD OF THE FIERY PITS OF THE FORSAKEN, TANAKA GUNDAM!" He screamed out, and the entire room was left silent at his loud and bolstering introduction.

"Um…nice to meet you too," Naegi said, sweating nervously. This guy sure has a way of talking to people.

"Um, I'm not sure, but…that IS Japanese he's speaking, right?" Asahina asked hesitantly.

"Don't worry, we don't understand what he's saying half the time, either," Komaeda said with a nervous chuckle. "But I don't think he means harm. After all, I don't think I would call any of us normal."

"I think it's kinda cute!" the properly-dressed girl said, as she stepped forward with grace and posture.

"Hello, nice to meet you all! My name is Sonia Nevermind, and I am the Super High School Level Princess. I apologize beforehand if my accent is a bit difficult to understand, but I am glad to have met your acquaintance!"

"Ah, um, no apology is necessary, miss Sonia…," Naegi said, smiling. For a princess, she was surprisingly graceful towards regular people.

"She's very well-mannered; it seems the Novoselic family raised her well," Komaeda said, smiling brightly.

"Novoselic, too?" Byakuya asked. "I only recognize the name, but to find multiple other organizations being involved in this mess…," Byakuya said, thinking intensely. "The mastermind must truly be powerful to arrange this with the players he has on hand. He must have his hands in the local police force to keep this hidden for this long…"

"Not a fucking chance," Kuzuryuu added, and Byakuya gave him a pointed look. "I have contacts in the police force all around Japan. If I go off the grid for even an hour, my family sends out a mass search. I couldn't hide from those assholes even if your family helped," he said, annoyed.

"If there's a tracking device planted on you, I could shut it off, you know," the grizzly man in the jumpsuit said, excited, standing up to introduce himself. "Yo, the name's Souda Kazuichi, nice to meet ya. I'm the Super High School Level Mechanic. If you got stuff that needs fixing, let me know. Even just fixing trivial things is enough to pass time around here," he said with a tired sigh. "Anyway, about that tracking chip, can I take a look at it?" he said with a real excited look

"It's under my skin, you bastard, and there's no way I'm letting any of you cut me open!" he screamed, and Souda jumped back into his chair.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHH, HE'S GONNA CUT ME!" he screamed in terror, jumping back and hiding behind Nidai.

"U-um… if it's just a simple incision, I could perform it myself, if you wouldn't mind," the timid girl in the white apron said, hesitantly raising her hand.

"Like I said, I don't trust any of you bastards! You point a blade at me and I'll throw that shit back at you in spades!" he screamed, vein bulging from his head.

"AHHHH! I'm sorry, please forgive me!" she screamed, starting to sob.

"Um…who might you be, some sort of doctor?" Naegi asked, concerned for her. She broke down crying pretty easily.

"Ah, I'm sorry!" she said, bowing her head again. "My name is Mikan Tsumiki…I'm the Super High School Level Nurse," she said nervously, her eyes not meeting theirs. "If you aren't feeling well or get hurt, please see me. I'll do whatever I can to help you," she said with a nervous smile.

"Ah, I see…I kinda wish you were around yesterday…," Naegi said, remembering the ballshot Monokuma took at him. It still hurt, actually.

"Huh? Did something happen?" she asked, concerned.

"Uh, well…," he started off, not willing to ask a female nurse to examine his genitals.

"Monokuma punched Naegi-kun in his testicles last night so hard he had trouble walking," Kirigiri said, expressionless. Naegi gave her a mortified look.

"Kirigiri-san!"

"Oh dear, if it was that hard, we should check to make sure no bruising or discoloring has occurred!" she said in a worried voice.

"Oi, you bastards are just kids, you aren't pulling some porn-rated shit like that when I'm around!" Kuzuryuu screamed.

"I-it's not like that…," Naegi said, waving his hands. "But I am glad someone like her is around. I hope no one else has to get hurt."

"What do you mean?" Kuzuryuu asked.

"We'll inform you later, after your group finishes introductions," Byakuya said, and turned to the red-haired girl.

"Hello, nice to meet you! My name is Mahiru Koizumi, I'm the Super High School Level Photographer! I don't know how much my talent will be of use around here, but I'll make sure to take some nice photos of us while we are!" she said with a smile, then promptly taking her seat.

"Okaaaaay, let's get this over with!" the little blonde girl said, standing up. She appeared to be wearing a rather elegant kimono. "My name is Hiyoko Saionji and I'm the Super High School Level Dancer. Happy? Good," she said, and promptly and quickly returning to her seat.

"Saionji-san doesn't like to associate herself with other people that much; everyone else to her is more or less a tool, it would seem," Komaeda said with a sigh. Komaeda then turned to face a brown-haired student who didn't seem to want to stand up. "Ah, would you mind introducing yourself?" After a pause, the student finally stood up.

"My name is Hajime Hinata. I'd like to tell you my talent, but…," he trailed off, averting his eyes.

"Unfortunately, it seems that he can't remember his talent. We're not sure, but we think he might just be in a bit of shock. "

"I see…," Kirigiri said, lost in thought. Naegi looked at her and could tell something was bothering her, but he decided it might be best to ask her in private.

"Ah, that just leaves the last person here," Komaeda said, looking at the person way at the end of the table. The 15th person was preoccupied with what looked like a handheld gaming device, and after a moment, she stood up and turned to face everyone.

"Hello, nice to meet you all! My name is Chiaki Nanami, Super High School Level Gamer. I hope we can all become great friends," she said with a gentle smile that put a sudden calm in Naegi, who suddenly found himself smiling.

"I would like that too," he said, smiling brightly, a bit embarrassed at her comforting expression.

"That's wonderful to hear, I was afraid things would be more hostile," Komaeda said, smiling brightly. "It's good that we can become friends here, even under such circumstances! Let's work together and overcome this despair that has surrounded us!"

"It is a bit reassuring finding people who have such optimism in their hearts," Sakura said, a grin appearing on her face. "I was starting to think only Naegi was capable of such reassuring words."

"You give me too much credit..," Naegi said, pulling at the neck of his hoodie nervously. "I'm not really anything special. After all, the only thing good about me IS my optimism…"

"God, you guys are making me sick!"

Naegi turned around to see what he hoped he wouldn't have to find in here: a fat bear literally twirling into the room and immediately start twirking in front of everyone.

"All this crap about hope and becoming friends is nauseating! It's time I informed the new group about how things are done around here!" he said, pointing to everyone else. "All you pieces of trash were thrown in here as a part of my game, to be implemented whenever I got bored with group A over there!"

"What do you mean, game?" Hinata asked sternly.

"Exactly what it sounds like, you useless gob! The only way to get out of this mess and graduate is to kill somebody!"

Silence filled the room; Naegi and his friends closed their eyes knowing full well the emotions they first experienced when they were told these words.

"…Huh?" Hinata whispered, mixed with emotions of confusion, fear, and anxiety.

"You heard me, you either kill somebody and get away with it, or you spend your entire lives in this school! This isn't a democracy, it's an ultimatum!" he screamed, and the other group looked around each other nervously and in shock.

"You think we're just gonna listen to you?" Saionji said with a disgusted look. "Sic em, meat cans!" she pointed at Monokuma, and immediately Owari went flying at Monokuma and delivering a spinning kick, sending him flying to the wall.

"Hmph! You are in no position to threaten us! I'll beat you to a pulp and rip your stuffing out!" she said with a ferocious look in her eye.

"My, my, aren't we in a playful mood today…," Monokuma said, getting up from the wall. "Well, since it's your group's first offense, I'll let you off with a light punishment…," he said, and suddenly vanished from sight.

"Huh!? Where did-" she never had a chance to finish her statement, as a small panel opened up from the side of the cafeteria, unleashing a short volley of rubber bullets directly at Owari's sternum.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen, miss big boobs-san!" he said, walking up to her and standing on her chest. Everyone immediately ran forward to check on her, but stayed back in case Monokuma wasn't finished.

"I'll leave you to clean this trash up. I'll be even more grateful if one of you does her in. It'd be a pity if she broke the rules again. She won't get off so easy next time. If you're curious about the rules, read your electronic ID's! They contain all the info you'll need, and make sure you don't lose'em! They are vital in your experience here in your new school life! I've got some fun stuff planned for you all…upupupu! UPUPUPUPUPUUUUUUUUU!" he sang out, and vanished.

"EYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Tsumiki ran forward to check on Owari, who seemed to have trouble breathing.

"It's…ok…," she grunted out, trying not to move much. "I just got…the wind…knocked outta me…"

"Hmph, don't say such careless things," Nidai said, picking his nose. "Those were rubber bullets. Your injuries aren't too bad, but ignoring them is foolish. They're gonna leave some nasty bruises if you don't let her treat them.

"Help me get her to the infirmary, we'll get those injuries treated," Tsumiki said, and Nidai helped carry her off to the infirmary with Tsumiki running around panicing towards the infirmary. Once they left, everyone stood around and looked at each other, still taking in the information Monokuma just told them.

"Does he…does he really expect us to kill each other?" Souda said, terrified.

"Yes…and he won't stop with just one…he'll keep going until the game ends," Naegi said, and Souda sat down in shock.

"Shit…I just wanna go home," he said, hands over his head.

"Well…this is a scary situation, isn't it?" Komaeda said. "I suspected he wanted something, but murder? I won't be driven to despair so easily. We'll all get past this and find a hope shining bright enough to cut through this despair!" he said confidently.

"Yea, we will," Naegi said. He was glad to have someone else have the confidence to push forward. It was pressuring having to keep being the positive one. Naegi turned to look back at everyone left in the room. The day had only just started and so much has already happened.

What should I do now?

A/N: FINALLY, AT LONG LAST, I FINISHED THE CHAPTER! I know it was just an introduction chapter, but that felt long as hell finishing it! It would've been very out of character to not have other characters nitpick like that, so I knew it was gonna take a while. Now I can finally get on to developing the story! I know a lot of you are wondering why fatgami didn't appear and why Chiaki did. Guess you'll just have to figure it out for yourself! =)