#aa plot

When you heard the voice emitting from the PA system, you could think it as a rather normal message. Just the metro expressing its appreciation.

That was until you notice the absolute lack of passengers.

You glanced around at the empty car... It felt... Eerie. Like you had entered into a dark dimension. You were just on the car earlier...

Did you fall asleep? Wait, no, this is the Japanese subway system, there’s always someone on.

Well, you would be right in that assumption as you seemingly hadn’t noticed the other fifteen people slowly wake up from their positions. Some were scattered about the seats, some on the floors, and some of them were somehow still standing.

There was very little time to survey your surrounding once you all passed the two stoic figures. You were around a… Museum? There was a large parking lot with cars, and people were coming and going from the door. There was a large black van in front of you all, and it was in that moment everything started to fade.

What was… Going on…? Where.. Did that… Engine.. Come… From…?

When you woke back up, you had a black sack over our head, tied around your neck. You couldn’t see anything as the material was too thick. Were people talking about anything? You didn’t really have the capacity to tell. All you could tell was the vehicle you were in was moving.

When you finally came to a stop, you hear the doors open. Of course, where the door was, was a mystery, but that's besides the point. You feel someone grab your shoulder and escort you out. Soon after, you hear the doors close, and the voice of an unknown individual tells you “Take off your own bags”. Then, the vehicles drove off.

After a few minutes of untying the knots, and removing the bags, it seemed that you all had been moved below some bridge. The strange individuals presumably from the company Akira mentioned were no longer here.

“I-It’s really you...” All that stood before you was the image of Oliver Matthews. He seemed just as confused as you were. The fact was he was still here.

No one is holding you back now.

You can do whatever you want.

What will you do with this second chance of life?

The rest of your story…

The train ride went at the same speed as it usually did. There was no real difference in anything, minus of course the fact that you all are one short. That, and the fact that you all are supposedly about to exit this living hell.

It was strange. While you all had seemingly won, there was no fanfare. No moments of happiness, or congratulations. Simply silence hung in the air as the benefactors to your captor dragged you along wherever.

When the train stopped for what was said to be the final time, the doors slid open with their normal creak. Peering out revealed a place you had been only one time before, back when Alastair, or rather Oliver, had been granted a chance to leave. The barren space hadn’t changed in the slightest. All that mattered though was that you could see the same staircase as before. The key difference this time compared to the last was that the steel chain link gate Jenova had summoned was no longer there.

Peering up you saw the light of day shimmer down towards you. The ray of hope you had all been waiting for was now visible. Two figures decked in black suits and sunglasses stood at the top of the stairs. They beckoned you to come along.

Not even a moment was spared for you to take in what all just happened to Akira Saitou before the intercoms sprang to life once more. “You all have passed. Our plan ended prematurely due to him killing your host, but we will still abide by the rules. There may be four of you instead of the one who was supposed to be Saitou, but it will do.”

A million questions were probably flying through your head. So much information had been dropped in such a short time that you needed to process it all. Your time was cut short, however, once you could hear the engine of the subway train roar from the platform. “Your time has come. Enter the subway car as per usual so you may be transported to the exit.”

Should you follow what the voice said? What about your things? What are you gonna do with these pagers?

“I see your hesitation. Let me make this clear: You must board now. There will be no returning to your lodgings, and there will be no waiting for you. You have one minute to board the train before you will be trapped down here for the rest of your lives.”

With the you all having ended in the crew quarters, the intercom system kicked on again. A new voice you’ve never heard before played out. “Go to the train car.” Well that’s... Ominous. Jenova did say in the video that the trial would be judged over the intercoms. Guess they’re taking the initiative.

Everyone has been shooting suspicious glances this entire time at one another ever since the late Jenova revealed there to be a traitor among them. It was a baffling thought, really. There was someone in here with them that worked alongside him?

Why did they agree to stay in this place?

Why would they drag all of you into this horrible, sickening game?

But right now the the important question you all were being forced to solve...

Who killed him and why?

The subway train doors were open when you all got there already. You had no idea who was piloting this thing, though that didn’t really matter. Would it be as good as a former Super High School Level Train Conductor? Who the hell knows? In reality, who cares?

It’s funny, every time you all stepped aboard this ride, you knew the suffering and chaos that was soon to come. What would happen this time? If this was going to reveal a person who was behind the curtain, then what were they going to do when they were found out?

Airi, the aggressive girl who has been set on vengenance?

Akira, the one who tends to stick to himself?

Billy, the reckless pinnacle of justice for all?

Setsuko, the drained critic who has attempted to stand tall?

Talia, the philosopher who has progressed further with her pessimistic outlook?

It’s a classic case of whodunnit...

But the stakes this time where much higher than ever before.

For all of those who have lost their lives in this game, you all must solve this mystery.

After having now stepped off the train and had gone to your stands, you see just how many people were absent. There nineteen known occupants when this all started. Now there was only five.

The question on all of your minds as you looked at one another...

Just who was it?

The voice rang out once more:

Here is the final message Jenova left the remaining students, in video format. It was found on the laptop in his room.

Here are the main points conveyed in the video if you are not able to watch it:

- Jenova Daniel Hickory was the former SHSL Train Conductor before HPA promptly kicked him out following an incident.

- Said incident was during one of his overtime shifts, Jenova had passed out from sleep deprivation while pulling into one of the stops for the subway. With the conductor conked out, the train tilted and crashed into the loading platform, causing many injuries to occur, some even fatal.

- Jenova originally was to be arrested, but HPA had pulled strings to only have his removal from the school happen. Despite the leniency he received, he was still infuriated with the situation.

- Reason for being infuriated was not only was he going through survivor’s guilt, but his name had been tarnished. This made it near impossible to work anywhere besides odd jobs. The main reason he worked so much and so many overtime shifts was to provide money for his family, as they lived with a poor financial situation.

- Seeing as Jenova also lived in the school’s dorms at the time, he became homeless, as he didn’t return to his family. He didn’t want to be a strain on them, but still sent as much money as he could to them.

- One day, a company had approached him who learned about the incident in the subway, his removal from HPA, and his family’s economical status. They offered him a job opportunity that would net his family riches to where they would never have to work again and be set for life, as long as he agreed to help them. With his bundled emotions, he made the rash decision of agreeing without even truly questioning what it was.

- The company apparently wanted to use this killing game as a means to try and dismantle Hope’s Peak Academy somehow.

- Jenova was sickened over time as the deaths kept occurring, but for the sake of his family he kept up his job.

- He revealed there was an accomplice in the scheme that was in the group of students. He made this video in suspicion that they would kill him soon for his behavior, and they said they wanted to talk with him. He has a large resentment to this person it seems, and is sorry for what this game has done to the students.

With that, Takumi Amai was gone.

There was nothing to say really.

No relief that the case was over.

No joy in bringing them down.

No hopeful outlooks to the world thinking that this will end.

Nothing.

It was devoid of anything really.

All you did was witness three people trying to do the right thing be wrongfully killed.

It’s at this moment that if you peer over at Jenova, you see him sitting in his office chair. He was hunched over, his elbows on his knees, and his hands covering his face. “What am I even doing anymore...?” He mutters to himself. Staring at him wasn’t going to do anything.

You already know you will have to go back to the train car. So you just go. Jenova will catch up eventually.

With all of you heading back towards the train, looking back still hold that image. Jenova now in the empty trial room. Though it’s harder to see, his head was raised now and his eyes were deep and heavy. He was just as bad a shape as all of you.

Now you have walked into the interior of the train.

No one has said a word.

In all likelihood, no one will.

No one wants to usually.

The doors close after a few more minutes, as you feel the subway train begin it’s travel back from whence you came. In a minute or two, you find yourself back in the first area, and the doors open once more.

Your pavers all ring at this time. If you bothered to check them, you would realize what was sent.

“There won’t be anything new. Not now. I haven’t prepared anything, anyways. Just go sleep.”

Maybe sleep won’t even provide any emotional calming. Maybe it will. No one knows.

All you know is that you are few in numbers.

Even with all this carnage, you still don’t know why you’re here.

Jenova really doesn’t know what to even call this trial. It wasn’t as much of a shitshow in actual logistical arguments such as last time, but it was also... Even more of a mess in its actual proceedings.

Oh well, that doesn’t matter now. He taps away at his controller to lock in the final vote that hasn’t been cast yet, not that it matters because it is going to the same person everyone else voted for.

Final results: Takumi Amai has been voted to be the killer of both Rei Akiyoshi and Quinn Yap by everyone.

“Alright... It’s done.” Jenova just looks drained and tired. Then again, who can blame him? He just kind of had a minor hostage situation on his hands. Hm... A hostage situation in a hostage situation.... That’s ironic. “Well, it really shouldn’t be a surprise. You all were right.” His time was somber as he tilted his hat at the sugar sculptor.

“You I feel have been dealt the worst hand out of everyone here. First you get attacked and are having to be executed over true self defense and then now you are technically counted as the guilty party by accidentally tripping a trap you didn’t even set up...” It should be clear that Jenova’s grip is tightening as he peers in a certain direction, but you can’t make out what he’s looking at.

“Bunch of bullshit...” He mumbled under his breath as he stood from his chair. A sigh of disappoint escapes from him. “Okay, you know the drill. I’m sorry Amai, but... Use your last ten minutes as you will.” With that, Jenova actually began walking back towards the entrance to the trial room, hanging around there.