Ask to Join All-Star Mayhem

[Captain Cardboard]

Seeing Susie suddenly grab Ryoma and pick him up by his ankle, Bernadetta let out a surprised yelp.
"Aaah! Fighting! Not again!" The purple haired girl exclaimed. She didn't really hear what Ralsei was saying, instead jumping right back to panic mode. Bernadetta jumped back over the table, hiding behind it once again. She cautiously peeked her head over the edge of the overturned table.
"D-don't hurt him!" Bernadetta called over to Susie and Ryoma.

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

Susie kept glaring at Ryoma, who was dizzily staring up at her, holding his hat so it wouldn’t fall from his head. “Fine. But he’s gonna have to tell us EVERYTHING, or else I won’t hesitate to bite his face off.” She growled lowly, dropping Ryoma. The boy landed on his head with a harsh thud, but he managed to wobbly stagger to his feet. “Unngh…you’re real p-pushy…I’ll excuse it as bein worried t-this time…” He groaned, hazily glancing back at Bernadetta. Susie spin him around to face her again. “Get talking. Now.” She warned, Ryoma nodding nervously. Ralsei sighed, gently pulling Bernadetta out to stand by him with his scarf.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Bernadetta was taken by surprise as she felt something soft wrap around her. Looking down, she saw it to be... Ralsei's scarf? The furry monster boy had said that it was something he used to defend himself. She hadn't really seen an article of clothing that seemed like it was moving on its own. Wringing her hands nervously, Bernadetta allowed herself to be pulled out from behind the overturned table by Ralsei's scarf. She looked nervously from Susie to Ryoma, not sure what she should do if Susie attempted to attack Ryoma again.

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

Ryoma sighed nervously. “…Well…I’m Ryoma Hoshi. And I used to be known as the Ultimate Tennis Pro.” He started. “Ultimate? Like, you were good at it?” Ralsei questioned. “Mhm. Since middle school, I was recognized as one of the best players in the world. Life was good back then. My family, and my girlfriend were so proud…” He chuckled sadly. “Huh? Used to be? Were proud? What’s up with it now?” Susie questioned further, Ryoma freezing. “…That’s an old story.” He eventually sighed. “I…made mistakes. That cost me a lot in the end.”

Susie growled softly. That was too vague! “Cmon, give us more then that!” She urged, Ryoma shifting uncomfortably under her glare.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Susie continued to pressure Ryoma about what had happened to him, and it was obvious he was looking uncomfortable. Bernadetta had to do something... but what could she do? Susie was being so big and scary... What could she do? Wait! Maybe she could do something... hopefully this works... Perhaps if she found a way to get them off topic from Ryoma's backstory...?
"U-uhm...." Bernadetta said, wringing her hands nervously. "S-sorry... but what's Tennis?"
It was a fair question for Bernadetta. She had never heard of whatever it was back in Fodlan...

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

Ryoma perked up a bit. “Tennis? It’s a sport. Not as popular as baseball or football or whatever, but it’s well known most places. You go in this court, and use rackets to hit a ball over a net, earning points when your opponent can’t hit the ball back. I was really into it. Before prison at least…”

Susie grinned. Bernie ended up getting him to say just what she needed. “Prison?! You went to prison!” She exclaimed, Ryoma flinching. “U-Um…yeah.” He stuttered. “What for, huh?! HUH?!” Susie kept pushing, Ryoma shrinking back. Susie chuckled. “I knew it! You ARE hiding stuff from us! Bernadetta didn’t even ask, but you STILL blabbed it out!” She stated, Ryoma looking down as he trembled slightly. “C-Crap…”

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Bernadetta listened as Ryoma explained what Tennis was. It still sounded... strange. Baseball and Football were unfamiliar names as well, but she got a good understanding of the game. Then he said he went to prison...! Susie was quick to react, pushing and pressuring Ryoma even harder.
"S... Susie..." Bernadetta tried to speak up, but it was like the words were getting caught up in her throat. Bernadetta wanted to just curl up in a ball and hide back in her room, and honestly so did Ryoma. She wanted to tell Susie to back off, to calm down, that maybe it wasn't wrong for people to want to hide things about themselves. She found she just couldn't. So Bernadetta stayed frozen, paralyzed.

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

Ryoma glanced to Bernadetta. Making a split second choice. He broke away from Susie, taking Bernies hand in his and booking it out of the church, pulling her alongside him.

This set Susie off. “GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE-!” She began to roar, but Ralsei stepped infront of her. “Susie. Let them go.” He said softly. “B-But!- He’s a c-criminal, he could!-“ Susie tried to say, but Ralsei shushed her. “They’ll be fine. Let’s give them a moment. If push comes to shove, Bernie and handle herself in a fight.” He informed, Susie crossing her arms and nodding slightly.

Meanwhile, Ryoma was still running with Bernie in tow, his much tinier hand clasped on hers. He batted a few tennis balls with a racket at some minor enemies in their way as they went towards the houses, Ryoma pushing Bernie into one and blocking the door behind them, panting slightly in exhaustion. “P-Phew…sorry…about that…”

 

[Captain Cardboard]

"W-waaagh!" Bernadetta exclaimed when Ryoma suddenly grabbed her hand. She wasn't able to do anything as the boy pulled her through the ruined village. He pulled her into one of the abandoned houses, blocking the door behind them. Welp. This was it. She was about to die. Trapped in a room with a criminal of crimes unknown. Petrified with fear, Bernadetta fainted... while still standing straight up!

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

Ryoma looked over, worried. “Ah jeez.” He glanced around, seeing a nearby couch. It looked old and torn up, but it’d work. He gently pushed Bernie a bit, catching her again before she actually could hit the floor. He was pretty strong for a little guy, easily carrying her over and lifting her into the couch. “That’s probably more comfortable.” He told himself, sighing. He had scared her. Just like everyone else. He pulled his hat off, running a hand through his hair. He really didn’t have anyone on his side here either.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

After a few moments, Bernadetta came back to her senses. Blinking, the girl slowly sat up and looked around the room confused. Weren't they... just in the ruined church?
"Ryoma?" Bernadetta said, noticing the small teen in the room with her. "Where... are we? Did something happen? Where's Susie and Ralsei?"
It appeared that the stress of the last few minutes had been too much for Bernadetta, and she had blanked it from her memory. At the moment, she was more confused then scared.

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

Ryoma jolted in surprise, quickly pulling his hat back on as he spun around. “Oh…hey. They’re fine. I…just brought you here. It was better then staying there, trust me. Social anxiety was starting to wash over us, hehe…” He chuckled nervously. “And…I figured of all people, I can trust you most. You didn’t react too badly when you found out that bit of my past, after all…” He added, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Bernadetta looked at Ryoma, still a little confused. The social anxiety thing wasn't too out of the ordinary, but his past? Bernadetta was still having trouble processing what had just happened moments ago. And he thought she was... trustworthy? Bernie wasn't too sure how she felt about that. Professor had told her that she was more reliable then she thought, but Bernadetta still had a difficult time seeing what he meant by that.
"Um... Thank you, for thinking I'm trustworthy..." Bernadetta said to Ryoma. The girl nervously rubbed her neck. "... What happened, in your past?"

 

[D34N.U5R]

Goku stared at Byleth in shock of the question, then laughed. "You know what a Saiyan is?" he asked. Shulk laughed. "No he doesn't..." he said sheepishly. Goku sighed.

EPISODE FIVE: The More Enemies, the More Insane

Sora noticed a shadow that looked like a humanoid-looking Heartless from his world. Goku noticed it too. "Why do they look so much like Vegeta...?" he questioned. The shadow disappeared. "You know how Saiyans are stronger than most other species?" he said as he turned to Sora, "That's... probably because we're a warring race..." He laughed. "Goku! You do know that your friends are still looking for you! I told them that you're in a different multiverse with new people that came from other multiverses! Make sure you survive!" King Kai's voice bursted in Goku's head. Shulk and Sora heard it too. "That was King Kai, by the way," he noted.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Byleth watched Goku intently, trying to understand what he was saying.
"Saiyans...?" Byleth echoed. Noticing the shadowy figure, Byleth readied his weapon... but the figure simply disappeared. Byleth turned his attention back to Goku.
"You're saying that you're not human?" Byleth said to the fighter. Shulk and Sora seemed to flinch suddenly, looking around. Goku said something about a king? The way they were moving, it reminded Byleth of when Sothis had first spoke to him outside his dreams...
"... King Kai? What was King Kai, the shadowy figure that was just here?" Byleth asked Goku.

 

[D34N.U5R]

Goku sighed. "It's gonna be very long to explain everything," he said, "But... oh well!" Goku started to explain. "Us Saiyans are supposed to be a warring race," he said, "Maybe that's why I'm so strong. King Kai wasn't that wierd shadowy thing, he was talking to me in my head. That shadowy guy looked a lot more like Vegeta, another Saiyan. He may have higher attack power, but he seems to overthink everything." Shulk and Sora barely kept track of what Goku was saying. "What the...?!" Shulk said quietly to degree no one heard him. "So... you mean..." Sora said in shock, then excitement, "You're supposed to be crazy strong?!" Goku turned his attention to Sora. "Of course!" he laughed, "Do you happen to know this blue-haired guy? I can't tell If he's human or not." Sora sighed. "That's Byleth," he said, "I... think he used to be... I don't know..." Goku stared in shock. "Goku! Just concentrate on getting back to your universe!" King Kai's voice ringed in Goku's head. Goku sighed. "I'm trying...!" Goku said back to King Kai.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Byleth listened as the strange man tried to explain the situation. So there were more of people like Goku, possibly here? Or possibly not, Goku had said the shadow only looked like this Vegeta person, not actually was him. But they were... stronger than Goku? That wasn't a sight that Byleth wanted to see. This Goku was already unnerving enough. And then there was the explanation of King Kai. Something that spoke in Goku's mind? If Byleth didn't currently have Sothis speaking in his mind all the time, he would have written it off as a red flag. But perhaps...
...Are there more people like me? Sothis spoke in Byleth's mind. Hmmm... Most curious...

Goku's explanations still left Byleth with quite a few questions... And when Sora spoke Byleth's name, the Professor couldn't help but to look at the boy with surprise.
"Have we met before? I don't think I ever said my name. And I'm sure I would have remembered you." Byleth said to Sora. He looked over the three people before finally putting away his sword. It was clear that these three weren't a threat... at least, not yet.
"We should head back. The others could be getting worried, and we should probably find a new place to stay. That strange figure that struck you out of the sky now knows where we're camping, and I'd prefer if he didn't." Byleth said, and began to make his way back to the ruined village.

As he walked, Byleth turned his attention back to the three.
"I am human." Byleth clarified. "This King Kai, who speaks in your mind... Is it just a voice in your head? Is it a person? What exactly are they?"

 

[D34N.U5R]

Goku stared at Byleth. "King Kai's actually a Kai," Goku sighed, "At least that's what most beings call them in the Multiverse I'm from." Shulk stared at Goku in shock. "Multiverse?!" Shulk yelled in shock. Sora sighed. "I just guessed...!" he laughed. Goku stared at Sora in shock, then sensing a somewhat powerful energy again, this time friendly. "I feel a strange but friendly energy produced by a group of people," he said, "But one of them seem to be aggressive." Shulk knew where they were. So did Sora. "Here goes nothin'!" Goku yelled, hoping to not be shocked. When he arrived, he wasn't shocked, but confused. "What's going on...?" he yelled, hoping to get an answer.

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

“…” Ryoma sighed. “…Where I’m from. Some people are unique. They excel in something over all others. They are called “Ultimates.” And…around middle school, my skill in a sport called tennis was recognized. And I was titled, the Ultimate Tennis Pro. And life was good. My partner, my family, and my cat all seemed proud. And I was…happy.” He hesitated, but continued. “Until…when I was starting high school, I got a letter. Inviting me to some underground tennis tournament. I ignored it, but the letters kept coming, and I eventually accepted out of curiosity.”

He had to stop himself to take a deep breath, readying himself. “I went to this thing. Found out it was all rigged matches. I felt like that was dirty, and wouldn’t go along. Won the match rigged against me. Won the tournament. And the mafia running it didn’t like that. And only days later…my family was attacked. Killed. I tried to get my partner to safety, but…they caught her too. She also was…you know. And I broke.” He crossed his arms, slight tears in his eyes.

“I went to their headquarters, with nothing but a tennis racket, and a steel tennis ball. And using my talent…I took their lives. All of their lives. Got arrested for it, and put in death row. I had to give my cat off to a friend cause of it. That was all 3 years ago.” He finished, rubbing his eyes with a sigh. “Ever since then, I’ve given up on my talent. What’s left for a killer like me anyway?…Sorry you had to listen to my old story.” He looked down, pulling his hat over his face.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Bernadetta sat, quietly listening to Ryoma as the teen explained his situation. It was heartbreaking. Their entire family, killed? Bernadetta couldn't even imagine something like that. And then, giving into rage and killing an entire crime organization.
"... No, no. You don't... you don't have to apologize." Bernadetta said. The girl wasn't quite sure how to go about with this. Usually it was her getting consoled, not the other way around. The purple haired girl stood up, making her way over to Ryoma before sitting next to the teen.
"I'm sorry..." Bernadetta said.

Through the door, Bernadetta could hear a distant yell of, "What's going on...?" causing the girl to perk up. Bernadetta turned her attention back to Ryoma.
"I... I don't think you're a bad person, Ryoma..." Bernadetta said to the smaller teen.

~~~~~~~~~~

Byleth walked with the group, but had to stop when Goku said "King Kai is actually a Kai". The Professor sighed, rubbing his eyes with a hand. He had no idea what that was supposed to mean. During the fight, and the talk with Goku, Sora, and Shulk, Byleth had been expressionless. But now, he grimaced with annoyance.
For someone so fast, he seems quite slow... Byleth heard Sothis quip in his head. This talk of multiverse didn't make much sense to him either. What was that supposed to be?!

As they approached the village, Goku commented on sensing an aggressive presence. Ignoring the fact that on top of everything else, this man could some how... "sense" people, If Byleth was to guess, the aggressive presence would likely be Susie. The rest of the village appeared abandoned once again.
"You said King Kai is a Kai. I do not know what that is." Byleth said to Goku. "And what is a 'multiverse'? I'm guessing you're not talking about music here..."

Byleth lead the group over to the ruined church, where he had left the other four teens. The Professor opened the door, to find... Susie and Ralsei. But Bernadetta and Ryoma were absent. Not entirely surprising. Bernadetta was likely back in her room, and Ryoma had been a loner before.
"Is everything okay here?' Byleth asked Susie and Ralsei.

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

Ryoma looked up at Bernadetta as she approached, unsure what to say now. But…she wasn’t scared…? He tilted his head slightly, confused. She didn’t think he was a bad person. Those words echoed in his mind for a moment. “…I…T-Thank….” He started to choke out, but was cut off by a sob.

The Tennis Killer. A promising rising star, who threw his future away. The serial killer who showed no emotion after his crimes. Now curled up and sobbing in some wrecked house who knows where. Ryoma knew he hardly ever cried. And yet here he was, sobbing and shaking after telling the same story he’s lived through so many times to a stranger.

———

Susie turned to Byleth, relieved. She maybe would have to exaggerate a bit, but she knew she could get him to side with her. “Byleth! It’s Bernadetta! That Ryoma guy revealed that he wasn’t a good guy, he’s gone to prison, and now he took her and ran off who knows where!” She exclaimed. Ralsei piped up, “Susie, aren’t you-“ He started, but was cut off. “Ralsei, I’m not overreacting! Ryoma doesn’t have good intentions here! Think about it! What has he done to help us?! And now he’s pulling this crap!”

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Ryoma began to break down into tears, and there was nothing much Bernadetta could do. Nothing, except try to comfort him. Bernadetta slowly attempted to comfort the teen, hugging him and holding him as he cried.

~~~~~~~~~~

Byleth blinked, not anticipating Susie's sudden panic. The Professor looked back towards the rest of the ruined village, before back to Ralsei and Susie. He held up a hand, trying to understand what was happening.
"Slow down a moment. You said Ryoma took Bernadetta?" Byleth said to Susie. He looked to Susie and Ralsei. "Take a breath, and explain what happened. You said Ryoma was a... 'bad guy'? What happened?"

 

[D34N.U5R]

Goku cringed at Byleth's comment on what a Kai was. "That's the problem," he said, "He's basically a god, but also not a god at the same time." When Byleth asked abut a multiverse, Goku laughed. "A multiverse isn't music!" he said, "It's a cluster of universes!" Shulk stared. "You're serious...?" he noted. Suddenly, one of the shadowy figures tried and failed to punch Goku in the face. "That was close...!" he said. "SHUT THE HELL UP AND FIGHT THIS THING OFF!!!" King Kai's voice boomed in Goku's head. Goku threw the shadow in the air and punched it in the face 999,999,999,999,999 times a second. "Shulk, do you see this?!" Sora yelped in shock. Shulk stared in disbelief. "I'm lost," he sighed. The shadowy figure eventually disappeared, breaking into pieces. Goku sighed. "Almost got punched in the face," he said, "And punched that thing in the face 4,999,999,999,999,995 times!" Shulk stared. "That lasted 5 seconds!!" he and Sora shouted.

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

Ryoma wasn’t a fan of physical contact. But right now, it’s just what he needed. He hugged back, whimpering quietly as he continued to sob and shake. He had never let this out in prison. That would be a death wish. But Bernadetta being here was so, so much more comforting…he slowly began to relax, not wanting to let go.

Susie nodded frantically. “So, yknow how Ryoma attacked us when we all first met. And how he’s been distant and cold to us. We were tryna get him to tell us about his story, and he lets it slip that he went to prison! Which is for bad people! I confront him, and he grabs Bernie and takes off!” She explained, Ralsei staying quiet. It was pretty much how it happened…he sighed.

“I…must admit. To bring threatened by Ryoma himself a few times. Maybe…Susie is right.” He said slowly, Susie nodding. “See?! Along with the fact he seems to be able to defend himself, which would mean he could fight someone, our friend is in danger! HE IS dangerous!” She argued.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Byleth listened to Susie's explanation. Ryoma had been to prison...Byleth couldn't say he was totally surprised. He had seen people wear chains for style, but not usually one around their ankle. Still, something felt off about this. Ryoma hadn't seen too violent of a person.
"Okay. I'll go check it out." Byleth said. "Goku-"
The Professor turned to see the Saiyan was embroiled in yet another fight, this time with a shadowy figure. Byleth couldn't say he was surprised at this point. He turned back to Susie and Ralsei.
"In the meantime, you two should pack your things. I don't believe this place is safe to stay in anymore. We should try to find a new place to make camp." Byleth said to Susie and Ralsei.

The Professor exited the ruined church, scanning the rest of the abandoned village. He knelt down, getting a better look at the various footprints that littered the ground from the previous battles. But if he could recall what Petra had been teaching him about hunting and tracking... this pair of footprints seemed to best match that of Ryoma and Bernadetta. Small enough, running together. Byleth followed the footprints, and just when he throught he had lost them, he noticed another clue. A yellow ball, one that he had seen Ryoma have. He was on the right trail. Byleth pocketed the few tennis balls he found, following the trail. Then he could hear... crying? It wasn't Bernadetta's crying, that much he knew.

Byleth approached the ruined building he could hear the quiet crying from, and knocked on the door.
"Bernadetta? Ryoma?" Byleth asked.

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

Ralsei nodded. “Let’s get ready Su-“ He started, but Susie bolted past him, her axe at the ready. She wouldn’t let go of her awful feeling. Ralsei sighed in frustration, quickly chasing after her. “Wait for me!” As the two ran, they didn’t notice another presence, watching from the shadows. “Hmm…they don’t trust the Ryoma kid, eh? This could work…”

Ryoma flinched, looking towards the door. “…B-Byleth?” He asked, breaking away from the hug to approach the door. He rubbed his tears away, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He was still shaking though, his eyes red from his previous cries. He pulled the door open, taking a couple steps back as he tried putting his calm persona back on. “B-Byleth. Surprised to see you here. I suppose I should take my leave, your probably here for Berni- Bernadetta.” He stated, catching himself before using the nickname. That nickname was for her friends. And he had no friends.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

The door opened, and Byleth was able to look inside the room. It appeared to just be a random room. Bernadetta stood up, and Byleth didn't see any signs of injury on her. In fact, she didn't even look all that panicked. Which was... unusual.
"Actually, I'm here for the both of you. Susie and Ralsei told me the two of you had ran off." Byleth said, looking over Ryoma. As hard as Ryoma had tried to calm back down, Byleth could tell something was wrong with the teen. "Is everything okay? May I come in?"

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

Ryoma hesitatingly nodded, stepping away to let him enter. He kept his distance from the two once more, paranoid. What if they turned on him? Or he scared them? But the other reason…Ryoma was secretly very shy.
You couldn’t tell just by looking at him. You’d assume he was distant and just didn’t wish to talk. But really, years of torture in prison had broken Ryoma down into a social anxious mess. He pulled another candy cigarette out, biting down on it to try and distract himself. What if Byleth attacked? Did he know?! Did Susie tell him?!-

 

[Captain Cardboard]

"Thank you." Byleth said, entering into the room. The Professor surveyed the room for a moment.
"Bernadetta, is it alright if I talk to Ryoma? I believe that Susie and Ralsei were looking for you." Byleth said. Bernadetta perked up, surprised, before standing up.
"Um, okay." Bernadetta said. The purple hair student walked out of the room, pausing at the doorway to look back to Ryoma. "Um... See you around, Ryoma."

Bernadetta left, leaving just Byleth and Ryoma. Byleth walked over and picked up an overturned chair, setting it back up next to a ruined table.
"... I've been a little concerned about you lately, Ryoma. We've all been here for a while, but you haven't really been... connecting with the others. It's not surprising, after all we've been thrown into a strange new world with strange new people. But it's been three weeks, and it sounds like you've barely said ten words to anyone." Byleth said. The Professor began to search through some of the cabinets in the room, and paused upon finding a still-intact (but rather dirty) teapot. Setting it on the table, he turned back to face Ryoma. Byleth paused, glancing down at the chain around Ryoma's ankle before turning his attention back to the teen. "I understand something happened earlier, between you and Susie, and Ralsei? I would like to hear it from your point of view, if you please."

Bernadetta stepped outside the house, letting out a breath. That was... heavy. She felt bad for Ryoma. But if anyone could help him, it was likely that the Professor could...

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

Ryoma watched Bernadetta leave, waving slightly to her as she did. He turned to Byleth again, nervous. This…could go badly.

He leaned back against a wall, sighing. He may as well hear the guy out, right? Nothing left to lose…

He heard him out, staying quiet as Byleth expressed his concerns. He caught Byleths glance down at the chain around his ankle, finding it odd. And when he pieced it with Byleths statement of Susie and his interaction…Ryoma knew she told him. He took hold of his candy cig, rolling it between his fingers as he stared at the taller.

“Wow. Didn’t expect you to be the more nosy type Professor Byleth. I guess your used to getting info outta high school students. I mean, Bernie- BERNADETTA- seems to trust ya a lot.” He caught the nickname again, internally cursing himself. “Well, I’m sorry, but Susie probably said it as it is. Revealed a piece of information, and fled the scene. I just took Bernadetta along.” He chuckled lowly. “And sorry, but unlike I’m sure your students do, I’m not just gonna vent my problems out to a stranger. Well, another stranger. Already put her through that.” He gestures towards the door.

Bernadetta…she seemed okay. Byleth did too, but…trusting another person isn’t easy. His guard was definitely up here, the boy watching the professors every move sharply. It seemed a bit to focused and calculated to be a casual thing. Ryoma was definitely studying Byleth here, his true intent hidden behind his usual poker face.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Byleth blinked, then offered Ryoma a small smile. The teen was right, he had came on a little too strong.
"My apologies, perhaps I was too nosy." Byleth said. The Professor looked over to the door Bernadetta had exited. "It is impressive, though. Bernadetta didn't look panicked in the slightest when I came in here. Every time someone new tried to talk to Bernedatta back at Garreg Mach, she tended to panic and hide, or run away. In fact, I've only seen two people where that hasn't happened, and they weren't even students."

Byleth let out a breath, thinking back to the Officer's Academy. His other students... Three weeks they've been here, and no hide nor hair of the others. No students, facility, or Knights of Serios. Byleth would even take seeing members of the Western Church, at least they would be something familiar in this strange world...

The Professor turned his attention back to Ryoma.
"I'm going to try to get everyone to head out soon, to find a new place to make camp. I don't think this place is safe anymore." Byleth said to Ryoma. "You should come with us. I'll talk Susie down, and we could have tea some time."
Taking the teapot, Byleth made his way to leave the room. Remembering something, he paused at the door and reached into his cape's pocket.
"This is yours, I think. Here." Byleth said, tossing Ryoma one of the tennis balls he found. He glanced down at the chain around Ryoma's ankle before pointing to it. "And if you want that removed, feel free to let me know."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bernadetta began to walk back to the ruined church. She wanted to just go back to her room... but Professor had said that Susie and Ralsei were looking for her. She should probably try to find them.
"Uh... Susie...? Ralsei...?" Bernadetta called out as she walked down the street.

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

Ryoma seemed to react in an instant, whipping his tennis racket out and catching the ball with it, starting to bounce it a bit. The way Byleth worded it, it sounded like he was implying…Bernadetta trusted him? Nah, couldn’t be right. Ryoma sighed again. “I appreciate the invitation. I guess if we’re moving out I’ll come along. But if you think this means I’m gonna be all buddy-buddy with you…you’re mistaken.” He walked to the doorway, stopping a moment to turn and looked at Byleth, his expression so serious it was like the boy was staring into the professors very soul. “I mean, Susie right y’know? What’s a murderer like me got to do with you guys in a place like this.” He turned again, walking off ahead.

Susie appeared at that moment, skidding to a stop in front of Bernie. “Bernie! Are you okay?! What did that criminal do, I swear I’m gonna kill him-“ She started, Ralsei catching up. “Hah…hah…phew…you’re…really fast Susie…” He caught his breath, looking up to Bernadetta again. “You are okay, right? I can heal you if he did pull anything-“

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Byleth looked after Ryoma as the teen walked away. He couldn't help but to feel bad for the student. Murder? Clearly, the teen had been through a lot. It sounded troubling... but strange as it was, Byleth didn't have a bad feeling coming from Ryoma. Then again, he hadn't had a bad feeling coming from Tomas or Professor Jeritza. And both of them had turned out to be not what they seemed. Still, Ryoma... was just a teen. Until he had definite proof that he would try something, Byleth couldn't just leave the teen here in this strange world, alone. Sighing, Byleth made his way back to the room he had been staying in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Eep!" Bernadette exclaimed as Susie suddenly appeared from around a corner. The purple haired girl stared at the monster for a moment, a little overwelmed by the amount of concern coming from Susie. Ralsei was quick to join as well, and the appearnce of the other monster helped Bernadetta come back to her senses.
"W-what? I'm fine." Bernadetta said. "Ryoma didn't do anything. S-so, uh, please don't kill him!"

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

Ryoma walked in silence, bouncing his tennis ball on the racket as he did. He was a bit annoyed. He had been fine alone. He always was fine alone. It felt like someone was still hanging over him, close like a shadow. And he felt sudden…discomfort. He spun around, looking up to see a shadow like figure staring back. He opened his mouth to scream, but he was silenced. And suddenly, he wasn’t even there, just his racket and ball left discarded behind. He could only see a sea of blackness, trying to fight and scream. What was going on?!-
—————
“He better not of! If he ever does, I’ll snap him in half!” Susie growled. “Now Susie, that’s overboard.” Ralsei commented. “If he hurts us it’s not.” Susie insisted, crossing her arms. “…Okay Susie.” Ralsei gave in, looking up as he heard a distant scream…? Susie glanced around a moment, but ultimately ignored it.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Byleth was about to enter back into the place he had set up in. It was an old schoolhouse, ironically enough. It reminded him of the Black Eagles classroom back in Garreg Mach, the time he had spent teaching. He had been working on cleaning it up, hoping to use it to teach Bernadetta and perhaps the others if they had been interested. But it seemed like that time was going to pass. Traveling once again. Perhaps it would be for the best. Being on the move would make it more likely to find any of the other students from Garreg Mach.

The sound of distress instantly snapped Byleth out of his thoughts. It came from the direction Ryoma had gone in! Drawing his weapon, the Sword of the Creator, Byleth charged in the direction he had heard the scream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bernadetta didn't seem to hear the cry, too distracted by Susie and Ralsei.
"U-um... Thanks for being concerned about me..." Bernadetta said to Susie and Ralsei. "B-but I really don't think that Ryoma's a bad guy... Sorry for making you concerned...."

 

[GhostlyCubone11]

Ryoma finally regained his consciousness, groaning softly as he cracked his eyes open. …He couldnt see well. But he definitely wasn’t up on the surface. He tried to move, realizing he couldn’t after a few weak attempts. He glanced himself over, noting the chains that seemed to be wrapped and locked around his body. He noted his mouth was taped close too. The second thing he noted was he seemed to be in some sort of open chest. The third thing he noted, were the bruises and scrapes across his body, along with a still bleeding gash on his head. He tried to ignore the pain. He heard a shifting above him, looking up to try and spot the source. He could see the ceiling of where he was, guessing he was in a basement of sorts. He saw a shadowy like figure looking into the chest. Before he could react much, the lid to the chest was slammed down. He tried to yell through the tape, barely able to move to struggle against his restraints. He could hear metal clicking outside the box as well. It was being chained shut. He stopped yelling, focusing on conserving the little oxygen he would have. He heard footsteps walking away, and a sound like a door clicking and locking shut. And just like that, he was trapped in a pretty much makeshift coffin. He really was unlucky.

The shadowy figure finished the climb up the stairs out of the basement, smiling to themselves. They shut the second door, pushing a desk in front of it for extra measure. They then shifted appearance, taking on a near identical look to Ryoma himself. “Now…if they won’t fight like we wish…guess I’ll start the deaths myself.” It sat down on a chair to wait. It would let the others freak out at Ryomas disappearance a little longer.
——————

“Sorry? I wouldn’t be! And I wont accept that! Your my new best friend, remember? It’s my job to keep us safe!” Susie grinned. Ralsei gently elbowed her with a soft “ahem”, and she rolled her eyes. “And, I um…I’m sorry for…being overboard with it sometimes.” She muttered, Ralsei smiling and whispering some praise to her, Susie shoved him away playfully.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Byleth ran in the direction he had heard the noise. But there was nothing, no sign of Ryoma or any struggle. The village was silent once again. The Professor scanned the area, trying to find anything.
"Ryoma!" Byleth called out. But once again, only silence. Byleth knelt down, trying to see if there were any tracks or clues of anything that might have happened. Before he had been a professor, Byleth had been a mercenary. A fighter. And while that required him to hunt every once in a while, to collect food... he was no expert tracker like some of his students were. If there were clues, Byleth couldn't find any.

Perhaps he was overthinking this. Was it even Ryoma that had cried out? It might have been one of the others, like Shulk or the two newcomers. The conversation with Ryoma, it might have put him more on edge then he wanted to admit. Or this strange place keeping him alert nearly 24/7. Letting out a breath, Byleth stood up and sheathed his sword before making his way back to the ruined schoolhouse.

~~~~~~~~~~

Bernadetta looked to Susie and Ralsei. Friends? Bernadetta could feel herself wanting to run away. No, no! They couldn't be friends! For a moment, it looked like Bernadetta was about to go panic mode once again.

But...

Here, in this strange world... There was no way her father could be here, right? And even if he was, surely everyone who followed him couldn't be either? In fact, maybe this could be the perfect dream. A place she could hide away, all on her own far away from everything else back in Fodlan... Watching Susie and Ralsei interact with each other, it made Bernie feel... Good.
"It's... it's okay." Bernadetta said. The purple hair girl looked around the ruined village again, shivering slightly. "Um... Can we head back to my room, or something? I don't like standing out in the open..."

 

[D34N.U5R]

(OOC: Yo @Moxxie the ultimate imp you gonna keep posting? If feels like it's just me, @Captain Cardboard and @GhostlyCubone11 posting!)

(BIC)

Goku flew over to Bernadetta, Susie and Ralsei, narrowly followed by Shulk and Sora. "Is it just me or is everyone here not normal at all?" he asked, looking around, "I don't feel too good about this...!" Goku suddenly heard a scream. It was so loud it hurt his ears a bit. "W-What was that...?!" he yelped. He sensed a passive energy trying to escape a chest. "Huh?" he said as he sensed Ryoma's energy, "Someone trapped in a chest...?" King Kai's voice echoed in Goku's head so loud everyone in the area could hear it. "That's... Ryoma Hoshi. What the hell is this guy doing TRAPPED in a CHEST?!" Shulk gasped. "Ryoma?!" he yelped. Goku stared at Shulk in disbelief. "You know that guy...?" he said. Shulk ran into the area where he thought Ryoma was. Goku and Sora caught up with him in a few seconds. "How'd you know?!" they yelped in shock. Shulk sighed. "I've been exploring this place for 3 weeks and a few hours," he said, "Don't know if you've been here that long." Goku sighed. "Yep," he said with another sigh. "Yeah," Sora noted, "But we gotta find Ryoma!"

A minute later...

"Yep," Shulk sighed, "This is the place!" Goku started walking into the area, being greeted by a pebble under his foot. He started to roll towards the door (and broke it), the desk (and broke it), then the chest. Another Ryoma suddenly appeared to Goku. "THAT'S NOT THE REAL RYOMA!!!!" he noted as he crashed into the chest, "The real one's here!" He crashed into the chest so hard he destroyed it, the chains surrounding Ryoma and the tape on Ryoma's mouth. Shulk attacked the fake Ryoma and slammed it into a wall. Goku, Shulk and Sora all felt a sudden surge of power. Goku transformed into his Super Saiyan form and attacked the fake Ryoma. Suddenly, the three felt an even bigger surge of power. Goku surpassed his Super Saiyan form and became a Super Saiyan God, slamming the fake Ryoma afterwards. Shulk used his Monado Eater ability, making the fake Ryoma bleed darkness. Sora summoned a thundercloud above the fake Ryoma and called out "Thunder!" Immediately afterwards, thunder struck the fake Ryoma, disintegrating it into ashes. Goku reverted back to base form once more. "That was heck!" he laughed, "At least it wasn't the real one!"

[ALL THIRD ABILITIES UNLOCKED, ALL FIRST ABILITIES UNSTRAINED]