When one is accepted to Hope's Peak Academy, they're usually overfilled with joy and shock. It's not easy, a lot of work goes into getting your very own Ultimate title. People may try all their lives and it doesn't happen. For some, it just happens—status and wealth can be a big thing. It's a rare occurrence to be chosen to attend the school, so you need to appreciate such things.
Nicholas White didn't feel excited. He was a bit scared, actually.
He had been trying. Of course, every Japanese teenager did. Nearly everyone picked a talent and practiced, practiced, practiced. Nicholas wasn't an exception. But yet, the envelope sits in his hands, and he's scared. Nervous. It's not as if he was a timid, shy kid, no, he was a prodigy, of sorts. Only seventeen years of age, and he was the leader of a highly confidential counter-terrorism unit in Tokyo, Japan.
"Logan."
Nicholas sits on the sofa in his spacious, expensive apartment. Across from him, is another sofa, and there sits his brother—Logan.
"You think it was a good idea?" he asks, quietly.
"You know no one's gonna listen to us." Logan mutters, scratching his chin, where a scruffy, dark brown beard had grown. "We're children to them. We had to."
"Yeah… but… the timing is so convenient, I…" Nicholas mutters, before shaking his head. "It's a little shifty."
"Agreed." Logan nods. "Maybe it's proof. Proof something really is up."
"Maybe they didn't just randomly choose us, huh…" Nicholas murmurs, going silent after.
Thunder suddenly roars and lightning flashes from outside, illuminating the late night. Most lights across the city were out, as the clock neared midnight. The apartment was dead quiet, aside from the sounds of the Spring storms went on outside. A chilly draft entered the living room, sending shivers through the two. Logan mentally thanked himself for bringing his suit jacket, whilst Nicholas had already put his away, sitting in only an untucked dress shirt and pants. He mentally cursed himself for not having it.
"It's getting late. I'm gonna get home now—watch yourself for the next few days, okay?" Logan says, sternly, as he gets to his feet. A finger is wagged in Nicholas' direction.
"Yeah, you too. Something's up here, I don't like this." Nicholas says in response.
Nicholas gets up too, walking up to Logan and giving his brother a protective hug, as the two pat one another on the back. "See you at work, yeah?"
"Yeah," Logan nods. "Am I on the ground tomorrow?"
"Mhm. You're gonna sneak in, okay? Don't show up to the station, no one can know you're doing this." Nicholas says, voice quieting down to almost a whisper. "You know what to do."
"Got it." Logan whispers back. "And you do, too? I have an extraction plan, yeah?"
"Of course. You're gonna make it look like you're another hostage," Nicholas says, "You do what you do, try to send me some sort of signal, and I'll have riot teams knockin' on the front door. Snipers'll be set up on the roofs, you'll be out in no time."
"Undercover work, eh…" Logan chuckles, "Nothin' new, but, ain't never hid nothing from us."
"You said it yourself, we're just children to them. If this, Ultimate Despair is a real thing, this is our chance to find out. No one's gonna listen. We do this, or it doesn't happen." Nicholas says, staring Logan in the eye.
After a pause, Logan nods, again. "Yeah, you're right, little brother. I'm off now, good night."
"Night."
ONE MONTH LATER
Nicholas figured he might stand out, wearing a full suit and tie for the first day of school, but he was actually pleasantly surprised. He walked up the steps to Hope's Peak Academy, and you could already tell just how high-class the place was, without even being inside. Others wearing suits, ties, sport jackets, jewelry, and more expensive clothing were everywhere. Despite this, you could still see the casual jeans and hoodies, skirts and t-shirts, and such. It was interesting to see all the other people his age around Nicholas, but, he wasn't looking at them to see how nice their clothes were.
He felt there wasn't anything wrong with getting a proper education here, and yes, he would enjoy his few years. But it's not for this reason Nicholas and Logan tried so hard to get in.
The school was corrupt.
Something was going on behind the scenes.
Nicholas didn't know much. The anonymous tip was vague, but a few words stuck in his mind. Hope. Despair. Tragedy. Hope Cultivation Project. It didn't make any sense. With a few friends in the school, Nicholas was to expose the secrets of Hope's Peak Academy.
"Well, if it ain't Mr. Ultimate Commander."
A familiar voice suddenly calls out from behind. Nicholas turns, at the sound of his Ultimate title, and sees a young man wearing a dark brown leather jacket, over a grey button-up and red tie, with a pair of dark jeans.
"Kagome." Nicholas offers a hand. The teenager shakes it, coming up to his side.
"Hope's Peak Academy…" he mutters, taking a drag of the cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. His hazel eyes gaze upon the intimidatingly large school. "It ain't gonna be easy what we're gettin' ourselves into here. We find out something's really goin' on here, we're in danger. You know that, right?"
Nicholas nods. He opens his navy blue suit jacket, and reaches into the inside breast pocket, pulling out the item inside discreetly. In his hand was now a Beretta Pico self defense handgun—loaded with six .380 ACP cartridges. He quickly showed the boy in front of him, before putting it back, ensuring no one saw.
"Me too." the teenager says, quietly, patting his right pocket. The bulge of a blade could be seen, if one paid close attention. "If anyone catches ya, just remember: self defense. S'all."
"Of course." Nicholas nods. "Should probably get going soon, though. Let's go."
The other nodded. The teenager was named Kagome Kazuki, Ultimate Private Eye. The two are working together on the case, as well as a few other connections within the school. The operation was about to begin…
Things had been going fine. First class was math, one of Nicholas' strong points. It wasn't too much, as it was the first day, and it was rather more introductory than anything. The classroom seemed fine, nobody seemed too shady or anything, but Nicholas still kept an eye out.
But, it didn't take too long for all of this to fall apart.
A quiet hissing noise is suddenly heard. Nicholas' ears pick it up, as his eyes immediately dart around for the source. A few whispers and murmuring follow, making Nicholas not the only one to have heard it. And out of the corner of his eye, Nicholas sees it.
Gas.
Dark green gas.
"Oh, shit—" Nicholas says, shooting out of his seat. "Hey! Everyone cover their nose and mouths!"
And it was already too late for Nicholas. He follows his own orders, as the rest of the students erupt into chaos, beginning to scream, and shout. He runs to the door, trying to get it open, but he knows. He knows. He already breathed the gas in. Dammit, he mentally curses, I knew it. I fucking knew it! It happened! It happened! Someone is attacking!
To Nicholas' horror, the door is locked tight. He pounds on it, as the rest of the students crowd around him, pushing and shoving. Nicholas was about to try kicking it, but not only was he lacking room, but… fatigue began to overtake him.
Knowing it was too late, Nicholas opens his mouth. "Sleeping gas, huh…" he mutters. His arms are tired as they pound on the door, as they eventually fall limp to his side. Loud thuds can be heard from behind, and he knows what's happening. People are already passing out. And he's about to.
As his eyelids finally shut, he hears one last thing, over the intercom.
"Upupupu…"
END PROLOGUE
[The SYOC has ended! Thank you for the great characters! The first chapter will hopefully go up soon, but I may be busy over the next few days as I get ready for vacation. Don't worry, I'm bringing my computer, so if I get time I'll write.]
/ROSTER:
1. NICHOLAS WHITE | ULTIMATE COMMANDER | A DINGUS WITH SWEET SHADES
2. ANNIE MERITUA | ULTIMATE PACIFIST | JOKERSMAZE
3. GABRIEL STEIN | ULTIMATE ENGINEER | LONELY YELLOW ROSE
4. DAIKI TACHIBANA | ULTIMATE BOUNTY HUNTER | LOSTINTHEBEATS
5. RYOKO TSUKATANI | ULTIMATE POETESS | APEXUTOPIA
6. HOSHIKO HANAZAWA | ULTIMATE VIOLINIST | SAKURAMORICHAN
7. SEYMOUR WEST | ULTIMATE JOURNALIST | PSISOMETHING
8. BERT WASHINGTON | ULTIMATE MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER | INTEGRAS
9. SHIORI YOSHIDA | ULTIMATE COMPOSER | BLUEMOONBUTTERFLY
10. KINZOKU MITSUKO | ULTIMATE ROBOTICIST | THE UTTER HAPPENSTANCE
11. ZÉPHYRINE GIROUX | ULTIMATE CARD GAMER | IFTIMEWASSTILL
12. HIBIKI YUKATA | ULTIMATE HAIRDRESSER | SHADEDLYHT
13. HIKARU MOMOKO | ULTIMATE VOLLEYBALL PLAYER | CAPTAINQUACKIN
14. HIKARI TENNOYAMA | ULTIMATE MOUNTAIN CLIMBER | DASHUNTERMAN
15. DURION PAZURU | ULTIMATE ? | BILLYBIOBOB
16. WILLIAM TRICHER | ULTIMATE CHEATER | NELLISTABLE
17. RINA TAKAHASHI | ULTIMATE ALPINE SKIER | HAKUNA HINATA
[A/N: Is it weird to hit 1,749 words in your SYOC prologue before even getting to the author's note part? Oh well who cares not me ha. I've tried doing an SYOC a good few times now on another account, failed miserably, and now I am deciding to do it again because WHY NOT. Maybe this one'll actually finish. Maybe. Who knows. But, uh, I guess that's it. Give me your OCs. Go. Goooo. SYOC ends when I feel like it so you probably have a lot of time.]