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Rubble rained down on the academy, lighting up in explosions of red and orange and brown. It was almost beautiful.
K1-B0 could feel the wind in his hair as he hovered high above the academy he had lived in for the last few weeks, though now he remembered none of it. He was only an empty vessel for the audience now, and he had to do what must be done.
And yet, he noticed one of the large rocks moving down below, the proof that there were survivors. He knew it wasn’t Tsumugi, which meant his job was finally almost complete. He smiled, closing his eyes, feeling the emotion he could only describe as “peace.”
Shuichi, Himiko, and Maki…thank you, for everything.
He could no longer tell if that was the audience’s voice or if it was his own. Either way, he had to carry out his mission to the end, so he looked down, gently pressing the button that would seal his fate. He didn’t look back as he rushed toward the glass shell, feeling artificial warmth spread throughout his body. He closed his eyes just before impact, wondering what would come after death for a robot.
Everything went white. He still couldn’t feel any pain.
<EXECUTION…FAILED>
***
“Are you sure, young man?”
“...”
“You have to be sure. Everyone else wants to be here, so what about you?”
“I…I don’t know. I always love seeing hope win in the end, but I’m not sure I have what it takes, you know?”
“I see. Well, if you don’t want to be here, there are plenty of other suitable candidates -”
“Wait! Wait, I-I’ll do it. If you see something in me, then I’ll regret turning you down for the rest of my life.”
“Excellent. We already have a great idea in mind for your character. Now let’s get you settled in.”
***
A loud, high pitched ring filled his ears as he drifted toward consciousness. Prying his eyes open took some effort, and he found himself staring up at a bright blue sky, the sun beating down relentlessly and making him squint. He lay in a pile of rubble, one of his arms pinned down by rocks. It…hurt.
“Where am I?” he mumbled. Even his throat was sore. He racked his brain for a moment, trying to recall something, when he realized…there was nothing there at all. “Who…am I?” Panic bubbled up in his chest and he tried to free his arm from the rubble, but it was no use. “H-Help! Someone, help me!”
While he struggled, he glanced down at himself. He knew there probably wouldn’t be any defining features on his body, but for some reason, he was surprised to find himself wearing a regular old nondescript t-shirt and pants. Around him were little bits and pieces of metal, and he felt something warm trickle down his forehead. With his free hand shaking slightly, he reached up to touch it, and his fingers came back red.
“I’m bleeding…” he marveled softly. Why did that surprise him?
Suddenly, loud footsteps filled the air as three people rounded the corner, the same shocked expressions on all of their faces. “Keebo!”
“W-What?” He faltered, his mind itching. Was that really his name? It seemed like it.
“We’re so glad you’re okay,” said the girl with the hat, her shoulders sagging in relief. He felt like he should know her. He felt like he should know all of them.
Wordlessly, though her chest heaved, the girl with longer hair moved forward, bending at the knees to grab the large rock that pinned his arm down. “Shuichi, a little help.”
“R-Right!” The boy rushed forward, and together, the two of them overturned the rock. They all stared, dumbfounded, at the outstretched arm; it was black and blue, and most certainly broken. “Wait, what…?”
Keebo - if that was truly his name - tried moving his arm, only to hiss in pain. The other boy - Shuichi - let out a strangled noise of surprise.
“How is this possible?” The girl asked, looking at Keebo confusedly. Keebo stared back.
“Um…sorry, but what do you mean?”
The three exchanged a look, and Shuichi frowned. “You’re not - wait a minute. Do you…know who we are?” he asked, somewhat tentatively. The two girls seemed to hold their breath in anticipation. He almost hated to let them down.
Swallowing, he shook his head a little. “S-Sorry. I don’t even remember my own name.”
“Nyeh, you don’t?!”
They were quiet for a moment. The girl with the two ponytails looked pensive. The girl with the hat looked disappointed. The boy was frowning, his eyes closed, but when he opened them, he managed a small smile. “That’s okay. We’re just glad you’re alright.” He gestured to the girls. “This is Himiko Yumeno, Maki Harukawa, and I’m Shuichi Saihara. You’re Keebo, and we’re your friends.”
“...Friends…” he repeated, feeling his brain itch again, like he wanted to remember something, but couldn’t. Shuichi offered his hand to him.
“C’mon, we need to get somewhere safe, okay? We’ll explain everything.”
Keebo was apprehensive for a moment, but reached up with his good arm to take Shuichi’s hand, anyway. It wasn’t like he had many other options at the moment. Maybe being with them would jog his memory.
As Shuichi pulled him up, searing pain surged from his fingertips to his shoulder, spreading to his head, and he gasped, swaying on his feet. He held onto Shuichi’s hand tighter. “K-Keebo! Are you okay?!” Himiko cried.
“Y-Yeah,” he managed, but his vision was white. What happened to him? What was going on? His knees buckled, and darkness enveloped him just as he felt three pairs of strong hands catch him before he could hit the ground.
***
The next time Keebo woke, everything still hurt, but he lay on something soft. A blanket was thrown over him and his broken arm lay across his chest snugly, but he couldn’t pry his eyes open. Soft voices spoke in the next room over.
“We have to keep it a secret.”
“A-Are you sure?”
“Yes. If the world that loved Danganronpa so much finds out Keebo survived, I don’t know what they’d do. That wasn’t what they voted for.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right…”
“But he’s not really ‘Keebo’ anymore, is he? He’s human again. His character’s gone.”
“He was always human. Being the Ultimate Robot was just his character, and now…”
“...”
Before Keebo could even begin to wonder what they meant, he was unconscious yet again.
***
Memories swirled in and out, truth and lie mixed into one. When he tried to grasp onto one, it would dissipate like smoke. A name kept pushing its way through. Professor Idabashi…the man who was like his father, of course. But there was something off about it all. If he was created, if he was a robot, then why…
Keebo gasped, his whole body jerking as his eyes shot open. His heart raced, feeling as though he couldn’t really breathe. What the hell was going on? When did breathing become so difficult? And where was he?
“Hey. Take it easy.” That voice. He knew that voice. Turning his gaze, he found Maki standing beside him, holding a cool washcloth that had, presumably, been on his forehead moments earlier. “Do you remember who you are?”
His head hurt. There were so many memories he could barely grasp onto one. “M-My name is…” his voice came out strained, his head still throbbing, and he squeezed his eyes shut. “K1-B0, or Keebo. I-I am the Ultimate Robot.”
“That’s right. And do you know who I am?”
Slowly, he opened his eyes again, meeting her calm ones, though he could notice a twinge of concern in them, too. “Maki,” he whispered. “What…is happening to me?”
Her eyes darkened and she looked away for a moment. “Your body is getting used to being human again. You’ve been asleep for three days.”
“What?!”
“What do you remember, Keebo?”
“Um…” That was a loaded question that he wished was easier to answer. He breathed in deeply, held it for a moment, then breathed it out. “The…The trials. We survived the killing game, somehow. It’s all a big blur. I have so many memories that I can’t keep them straight anymore.”
Maki sighed, placing the washcloth down beside the couch. “We survived because of you,” she said, surprisingly gentle. “Tsumugi and Monokuma tampered with all of our memories. They made us into new people. Into…fictional characters.”
Opening his mouth to reply, he was surprised that no sound came out, and even more surprised that it…sounded right. It made it fit into place. After all, he clearly wasn’t a robot. Not with this broken arm, not with the way his lungs filled with air, not with how queasy he felt. Emotions all at once. Professor Idabashi’s face was blurry in his memory. Was he just made up, too?
His brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of it all. “…I wasn’t supposed to live.”
Her frown deepened, but she nodded. “No, you weren’t.”
His self-destruct sequence should have taken over. Why hadn’t it worked? It had left him as a shell, no longer robotic, but human. And it was what he’d wanted for a long time, but a sense of unease had settled deep into his stomach. It was that thought again, that everything they had known was a lie.
Slowly, he sat up, wincing a little as he moved. Maki cried out. “Careful! W-We don’t have a doctor so I did the best I could with your arm -”
He cut her off with a shake of his head, smiling as he reached out with his free hand to place on her shoulder. “Thank you, Maki.”
She seemed surprised for a moment, before a small smile of her own curled at her lips and she reached up to place her hand over his. “No, thank you.”
Before they could say anything else, the nearby door flew open, blowing in warm wind along with their other two companions, who held a couple of bags each. Himiko gasped and dropped the bags she was holding, rushing over to the couch. “Keebo! You’re awake!” Before he could even process it all, her arms were around his neck, her head close to his chest and her hat in his face.
“Oof!” He wasn’t expecting the pain that came from it, and though Shuichi looked just as relieved as Himiko, he spoke up.
“Himiko, be careful, he’s still recovering…”
“N-No, it’s fine, I’m fine,” Keebo assured him, returning the hug with his free hand. “I’m glad to see you too, Himiko.” She stepped back after a moment, looking up at him with a relieved smile.
“For a guy who used to be a robot, you sure can sleep.”
If things were different, Keebo might have gotten defensive, but he supposed he should just be glad he was alive at all. He smiled a little. “Yes, I suppose so.” His gaze flicked to Maki, then to Shuichi. “Um, where are we?”
“Maki found this old abandoned safehouse,” Shuichi explained. “We, ah, we’re sort of staying on the down-low for right now. We’re not sure what the world will think of us.” Even with Keebo’s hazy memories, he could agree that was probably the best course of action. Shuichi smiled and continued, placing a hand on Keebo’s shoulder. “None of that matters now. We’re just so glad that you’re okay.”
Keebo looked between the three of them - his friends - and he felt a sense of warmth. This time it was real emotion. He supposed he would have to get used to that. He smiled back and opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a sudden loud growling. Somewhat panicked, he looked down at his stomach, placing his good hand over it. “W-What was that?”
“It means you’re hungry,” Himiko explained, grinning ear to ear. “I’d use my magic to make you something, but you probably want to taste Shuichi’s cooking. It’s so much better, I’m surprised he doesn't use magic himself!”
“Hungry…” he repeated in awe, still staring down at his stomach. So he really was human, after all. He always had been, but he didn’t remember anything other than being a robot. Looking up in surprise, he glanced toward Shuichi, who was chuckling.
“I’ll make some lunch. You finally get to eat, Keebo.”
As Shuichi left, Maki smiled. Himiko beamed brightly. Keebo glanced down at his hand, no longer covered in metal, and smiled, too.
Human, huh…
Before he knew it, he found himself sitting at a small table in the cramped kitchen, staring down at a plate of onigiri, an amazing scent wafting up from them. “How…do I eat this?” he asked uncertainly, glancing up in time to watch Himiko stuff the whole rice ball into her mouth. “O-Oh!”
He picked one up, but Maki grabbed his wrist. “Eat slow. You don’t want to get sick.” Once he nodded, she let go, and he decided on taking a small bite. The texture of the rice was warm, and suddenly he tensed up, sitting straight as a board. He knew food always smelled good, but he hadn’t expected such flavor.
“Keebo? You okay?” Shuichi asked concernedly, grabbing a plate for himself.
He chewed thoroughly, making sure he wouldn’t choke, and swallowed, looking up at the other three. His eyes shone as he tried to put together a coherent thought. He settled on something basic for now. “This is amazing…!”
Needless to say, the rest of the meal was full of smiles.
***
The next day, Keebo was pulled off the couch by an overexcited Himiko. “W-What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, but…!” She beamed, taking his hand in her own small one. It was surprisingly warm. “You know how every day at the academy, it was sunny, and that was it? It’s raining today, and there are puddles everywhere!”
“Rain…?” he repeated, confused. “Why are you so excited about rain?”
Himiko pouted, tugging him toward the door. “I cast the spell for it, so we have to go outside and play!”
Keebo blinked, squinting a little. “Ah, I see. So you asked for rain?”
“Yes, so you could feel it! It’s so much fun.”
His heart skipped a beat as the door of the safehouse was pushed open. “You…did it for me?”
“Uh huh. Angie always said that rain was just Atua’s way of giving blessings, and Tenko said she used to train in the rain sometimes.” She deflated a little. “I always waited for rain while we were stuck at the academy, but it couldn’t come because of the shell.” Huffing, she pulled Keebo outside, the moment of sadness passed. “So that’s why I cast the weather spell! It’s time to have some fun, Keebo!”
They stood in a grassy yard, gray clouds swirling above them. Rain plopped down on his head, almost startling him, and he held his hand out, palm up, watching the droplets roll down easily. The rain was warm, and instinctively he turned his face to the sky. He could feel it on his face, rolling down his cheeks, a sensation he couldn’t really describe. Was this what crying was like? Almost, but not quite.
“Nyeh, Keebo!” He blinked, opening his eyes, and looked toward the voice, finding Himiko a few feet away, grinning ear to ear. “Look!” Curiously, he walked toward her, finding her standing over a huge puddle, though it seemed to be shallow.
“What do you intend to do with that?” he asked, glancing up at her. She smirked, looking mischievous, and jumped, landing in the middle of it, splashing some rainwater up onto Keebo. “H-Hey!”
Grasping his wrist, she giggled, pulling him into the puddle too. It didn’t even reach his ankles. “C’mon, it’s fun!” She jumped around, laughing, and he couldn’t help but stand there for a moment. Was the only purpose of this…to have fun? He didn’t think he knew what that was like, but seeing the happiness on Himiko’s face, he knew he had to at least indulge her. Plus, she was still holding onto his wrist, surprisingly tight.
Lifting one leg, he stomped a foot down, watching the water splash to the side. Then, he did the same with the other, getting part of Himiko’s skirt wet. “A-Ah! Sorry, sorry!”
“No, no, no! You have to be more aggressive,” she ordered, shaking her head. Still holding onto his wrist with both of her hands, she began jumping up and down, trying to get Keebo to do the same. Eventually, he did. Water splashed everywhere, but something about it was…satisfying. Before he knew it, a sound he’d never heard before had escaped his mouth. Himiko stopped, looking up with a smile.
“What…?”
“You laughed, Keebo,” she said softly, squeezing his hand gently. “It’s a good sound, you know.”
“Laughed?” he repeated, blinking, before a smile pulled at his lips again. Now he really did feel like a human. He jerked his arm back, pulling Himiko closer, and gave her a proper hug. “Thanks for the rain.”
She felt tense against his chest, but soon relaxed and returned the hug. “Nyeh…you’re welcome.”
The door to the safe house blew open again, and Shuichi stood on the porch, panicked for a moment before his gaze found them, clearly relieved. “Himiko, Keebo, you have to tell us when you leave…” He sighed, thinking better of it. “Okay, you better come in and dry off or you’ll get sick.”
“What? Rain can get you sick?!” Keebo gasped in horror, and Himiko shook her head, letting go of him to lead the way back inside.
“Nyeh heh heh! Don’t worry, I’ll cast the spell of healing on both of us! You have nothing to worry about!”
He hoped a towel would be enough for now.
***
“O-Ow! Ow! Maki -!”
“If you stayed still, it wouldn’t hurt as much.”
Keebo squeezed his eyes shut, taking in a shaky breath, and tried to stay still while Maki fixed up his bandages. His arm still hadn’t completely healed, and she had been taking care of him since the explosion. After a moment, he opened his eyes slowly to look back at her while she worked, biting his bottom lip.
“…You know a lot about first aid, don’t you?”
Ripping off some bandage with her teeth, she nodded, not even looking up. “I taught myself.”
He blinked. “Really? Why?”
She pressed her lips together, pausing for a moment to look at his black and blue arm, then up at his face. “For a long time, all I ever knew how to do was hurt and kill. But I realized that if I couldn’t protect those closest to me, the hurting and killing would be for nothing.” She got back to work, though her pace was a little slower. “Kids got hurt every day where I grew up. The older ones always had to take care of the younger ones. So I learned how to help them. I wrapped their injuries and helped them heal until I left the orphanage.”
Listening quietly, Keebo watched her work, her movements purposeful and still gentle, as if she’d done it a hundred times before. He knew, technically, he should have a cast, but they didn’t have the luxury of going to a hospital now, not when Keebo wasn’t even supposed to be alive. But Maki was putting everything she had into making sure he would heal, making sure that he would be okay, even though he barely knew who he was anymore.
“You’re amazing, you know?” he asked quietly, catching her off guard.
“W-What?”
“I mean it. You’re the Ultimate Assassin, but you’ve been taking care of me. You’re strong and powerful, but you really care about us. I’ve been nothing but confused since I woke up, but you have been so patient with me. I still don’t even know the extent of my injuries.” He paused for a moment, worrying at his lip. “I honestly think we would fall apart if it weren’t for you.”
Maki stared at him, seemingly shocked to hear any of that, despite the fact that it was true. She looked away, finishing up the bandage on his arm, and let go of his wrist. She sighed. “You should give yourself more credit, Keebo. You’re not used to being human. It must be really strange.”
He glanced down at his arm, nodding a little. “Yes, it is, but…you’ve been doing your best to help me make it make sense. So thank you, Maki.” Her eyes darkened and she turned her back to him. He frowned. “M-Maki? Are you okay…?”
“Do you want to die?” she whispered, but all the bite had left her voice. He gulped, but she didn’t move. Gently, hesitantly, he reached out to touch her shoulder. To his surprise, she turned at his touch, and he found her eyes shining.
Had he said something wrong? Panic exploded in his chest as he tried to make sense of why she might be upset, fumbling over his words and trying to apologize, but she just embraced him, burying her face in his shoulder. His face grew warm - was that normal for humans? - as he slowly returned it. “A-Are you okay?”
“I’m just glad you’re alive,” she whispered back. He let himself relax a little, closing his eyes for a moment.
“…Me too.”
***
Images swirled in flashes, surrounded by different hues of red, accompanied by screams that wouldn’t stop. Who would be next? Maki, Himiko, Shuichi?
Dark and bright, laughter and emptiness. No personality left. Just a robot. Just a robot. Just a robot. Just a fictional character, nothing more.
“Ah!” With a gasp, Keebo sat up straight, gripping onto the blanket so tightly that his hands hurt. It was hard to breathe again. Why? He certainly missed not having to worry about that.
“K-Keebo! Are you alright?” Before he knew it, Shuichi was standing in front of him, looking incredibly concerned. Keebo shook his head.
“I just…” How could he even explain all this? He felt ridiculous. “All these memories came out of nowhere,” he admitted, taking a few shaky breaths, feeling his eyes begin to burn. “W-What’s happening to me, Shuichi?”
Shuichi sat on the edge of the couch beside him, gently touching Keebo’s arm so that he could pull away if he wanted to. “I think…you had a nightmare,” he said softly, pity in his voice as if he knew exactly what it felt like.
Before he could say anything else, Keebo’s vision blurred, and he could barely see Shuichi. He had to bite his tongue to keep from crying out in surprise, but as he blinked feverishly, his vision cleared…and tears rolled down his cheeks. For a moment, he forgot about the dream. For a moment, he was more fascinated than upset.
“I’m…crying,” he whispered, the warmth rolling down his cheeks distracting him from what he’d seen. He was reminded of the rain on his face, but this was a lot different. He reached up with a finger, catching a tear as it fell, and looked down at it, noticing Shuichi also watching out of the corner of his eye. There were so many times he’d wished he could cry, and now…
The burning got worse, and more tears gathered upon his lashes. He let out a loud noise he could only assume was a sob. Shuichi frowned. “Oh, Keebo,” he whispered, leaning forward to wipe some of his tears. “It’s alright. Just let it all out now.”
Keebo did. He cried until he had nothing left, until his lap was just a puddle of tears, until he could barely breathe. He cried over all of the classmates they had lost, over everything that had been sacrificed, over the terrible things he’d seen. He cried because he was human. Shuichi stayed by his side the whole time, whispering encouraging things to him, keeping him going.
After it stopped, Keebo glanced up, meeting Shuichi’s eyes. “I feel…better.”
“Good,” he breathed, squeezing his shoulder gently. “I’m happy to hear that.”
“Shuichi…”
“Yes?”
He felt his face heat up again, though this time it was a little less pleasant. At least it wasn’t in the eyes this time. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt this urge, but he knew he would regret it if it was not voiced. “May I…take your hand?”
Shuichi paused, seemingly surprised by the request, but smiled, gentler than he’d ever seen anyone else smile. “If you think that will make you feel better.” He offered his hand, and Keebo took it - it was warm, and it made him feel warm, too. Shuichi squeezed his hand. Keebo squeezed it back.
This was what it felt like to be human. Happily splashing in the rain, hugging a friend, or crying in the middle of the night. It was all so strange and new, but Keebo liked it. With the help of his friends, he’d learn exactly what being a human was all about.
“Thank you…Shuichi.”
“Of course.”