History Fanfic / TheLionsDen

* StockholmSyndrome: Naegi clearly develops this over the course of the story although unlike other instances, he still recognizes he needs to escape.

* AbhorrentAdmirer: The psychological version is a discussed trope. Naegi doesn't notice Komaeda's affection for him, but the rest of Ultimate Despair do and they disapprove. [[spoiler: Surprisingly, Naegi himself becomes one to ''Komaeda'' after the latter's {{heel realization}}.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Naegi is saved, Ultimate Despair as a organization is completely destroyed with most of their soldiers surrendering. The 77th class is captured and taken to Jabberwock Island by Class 78 and Kamukura to cure them of despair and Komaeda also taken the first step to redepmtion. But Naegi is still broken by what he went through, and Yukizome and Monoka are still at large]].

** Both Alter Ego's ability to mimic his classmates' voices and Naegi's Kuzuryuu mask [[spoiler: are absolutely essential to his successful escape.]]

** HopeBringer and LivingMacGuffin: Naegi's status as the Ultimate Hope means that aside from his classmates, his sister and Iwata, no one truly sees him as a person: the Future Foundation and common people see him as symbol of hope, the Remnants see him as Junko's son and heir, [[spoiler:Kamukura sees him as the way to cure despair, and Komaeda sees as a metaphorical punching bag. Even Naegi himself falls into this trap, as he slowly loses his individuality to the point where he believe he is Hope itself.]]

** [[spoiler:Naegi pulls off his third escape attempt successfully by disguising himself as Kuzuryuu.]]
* EtTuBrute: Naegi has this reaction when [[spoiler: Kamukura sabotage his near-escape.]]

* NothingIsTheSameAnymore: [[spoiler:As the effects captivity has had on Naegi become more prominent, it becomes clearer that he's not going to leave without a few scars.]]

** [[spoiler:When Naegi finally falls into despair.]]

* StopOrIShootMyself: Naegi.

** [[spoiler:Naegi's first escape attempt fails when Ultimate Despair finds him and rescues him again.]]

!! ''From The Ashes'' contains examples of:

* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: [[spoiler:Kamukura's final conversation with Naegi is along these lines.]]

Arcawolf's ''The Lion's Den'' can be read [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/7685368/chapters/17506612 here.]] or [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12210356/1/The-Lion-s-Den here]]. The ongoing sequel, ''From the Ashes'', can be found [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/15370506/chapters/35667681 here]]

%%* {{Gaslighting}}
%%* GildedCage

* WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou: Ultimate Despair, especially Komaeda and Kuzuryu, sometimes blame Naegi for the awful things they do to him.

%%* AloneWithThePsycho

%%* BreakTheCutie

%%* SanitySlippage

%%* StockholmSyndrome

* {{Abhorrent Admirer}}: The psychological version is a discussed trope. Naegi doesn't notice Komaeda's affection for him, but the rest of Ultimate Despair do and they disapprove. [[spoiler: Surprisingly, Naegi himself becomes one to ''Komaeda'' after the latter's {{heel realization}}.]]
* {{Affably Evil}}: Komaeda. Ultimate Despair as a whole could count, but only toward Naegi.
* [[spoiler: {{All For Nothing}}: Naegi's escape arc seems to be this as he ends up back in Ultimate Despair's custody, only this time his allies are dead. [[SubvertedTrope However, it turns out that Naegi's escape allowed Kirigiri to obtain the information she needed to rescue him.]]]]
* {{After The End}}: The story takes place after the Tragedy when Ultimate Despair is ruling the world.
* {{Alone With The Psycho}}
* [[spoiler:{{And Now for Someone Completely Different}}]]: [[spoiler:Chapters 100 through 104 cover Kamukura's perspective, starting with his birth.]]
* {{Berserk Button}}: Naegi triggers Komaeda's rather early on, although how and why it's a Berserk Button isn't revealed until much later.
** Kamukura's backstory revealed that a well-intentioned Komaeda burned his mementos of Nanami. He's still bitter about it by the time ''The Lion's Den'' starts.
* {{Body Horror}}: As in canon, several characters cut themselves up and sew Enoshima's body parts to themselves.
* {{Bittersweet Ending}}:[[spoiler: Naegi is saved, Ultimate Despair as a organization is completely destroyed with most of their soldiers surrendering. The 77th class is captured and taken to Jabberwock Island by Class 78 and Kamukura to cure them of despair and Komaeda also taken the first step to redepmtion. But Naegi is still broken by what he went through, and Yukizome and Monoka are still at large]].
* {{Break the Cutie}}
* {{Break Them By Talking}}: [[spoiler: Kamukura eviscerates Komaeda so badly that Komaeda leaves the story for a bit.]]
* {{Brick Joke}}: Komaeda's snare trap.
* {{Chekhovs Boomerang}}: Kamukura shows Naegi an anti-brainwashing video that a few chapters later, protects him from the brainwashing Despair Video. [[spoiler: Much later in the story, it also protects him from Mitarai's Hope Video.]]
* {{Chekhovs Gun}}: Several.

* {{Darkest Hour}}: [[spoiler:Occurs when Naegi fall into despair.]]

* {{Despair Event Horizon}}: Members of Ultimate Despair have passed this, and Naegi's come close.
** [[spoiler:As of chapter 98, Naegi has crossed this.]]
* {{Despair Speech}}: [[spoiler: Naegi has an internal one before he falls into despair.]]
* {{Dressing as the Enemy}}: Alter Ego appears after hijacking a Monokuma robot.

* {{Deconstructed Character Archetype}}:
** {{The Chessmaster}} and {{I Work Alone}}. Kamukura's insistence on working alone and manipulating events from the shadows means that [[spoiler:Naegi misinterprets his goal and grows to distrust him, something that help pushes him into despair. It also means he tends to be blindsided when people act on "illogical" hope or despair, as seen in the events leading up to Nanami's death]].
** {{Hope Bringer}} and {{Living Macguffin}}: Naegi's status as the Ultimate Hope means that aside from his classmates, his sister and Iwata, no one truly see him as a person: the Future Foundation and common people see him as symbol of hope, the Remnants see him as Junko's son and heir,[[spoiler: Kamukura sees him as the way to cure despair, and Komaeda sees as a metaphorical punching bag. Even Naegi himself falls into this trap, as he slowly loses his individuality to the point where he believe he is Hope itself.]]
* {{Et Tu Brute}}: Naegi has this reaction when [[spoiler: Kamukura sabotage his near-escape.]]
* {{Foregone Conclusion}}: Nanami doesn't survive Kamukura's backstory. Neither does Kamukura and Komaeda's friendship.
* {{Gaslighting}}
* {{Gilded Cage}}
* {{Heart is an Awesome Power}}: Naegi in a nutshell.
* {{Heroic BSOD}}: Happens to Naegi a few times.
* {{Hidden In Plain Sight}}: Alter Ego, after infiltrating Ultimate Despair's base, manages to avoid detection by... doing nothing. He's taken over the body of a Monokuma, so nobody looks twice at him.
* [[spoiler:{{I Choose To Stay}}]]: [[spoiler:A negative version of this; eventually, after several escape attempts, Naegi decides to stay with Ultimate Despair not because he wants to help stop them, but because he himself has fallen into despair.]]
* {{If I Cant Have You}}: A variation of this happens in chapter 23.
* {{Interface Spoiler}}: Newer readers will likely guess that [[spoiler: Naegi's story doesn't stop at Chapter 99 due to the amount of chapters left.]]
* {{The Kindnapper}}: Komaeda. [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope Or so it seems.]]]]
* {{Lima Syndrome}}: Ultimate Despair grow to genuinely adore Naegi and they do their best to pamper him... But they have no intention to let him escape their clutches.
* {{Not Me This Time}}: Ultimate Despair has a tendency to blame Komaeda when things go wrong, leading to confusion when Komaeda isn't behind it.
* {{Nothing is the Same Anymore}}: [[spoiler:As the effects captivity has had on Naegi become more prominent, it becomes clearer that he's not going to leave without a few scars.]]

* {{Only Sane Man}}: Naegi and to an extent, Kamukura appear to be this at the beginning. [[spoiler: Naegi is definitely ''not'' this by the end.]]
* {{The Reveal}}: [[spoiler:Chapter 80. Komaeda didn't kidnap Naegi because he wants to help Naegi be a better Hope. He did it because, after a lifetime of losing everyone he cares about and after seeing how easily Naegi forgave in the killing game, he believed that Naegi would be the one person able to love him [[Main/BornLucky without being hurt by the cycle of good and bad luck that's defined his life.]] Furthermore, because he spent years seeing Naegi [[Main/TheResenter relatively unharmed by his luck while he struggled]] and believes that [[Main/SoleSurvivor all]] [[Main/CosmicPlaything his]] [[Main/TraumaCongaLine suffering]] has lead to [[Main/WasItReallyWorthIt this one person that will stay with him,]] he feels justified in [[Main/DisproportionateRetribution taking out all of his pain]] [[Main/RevengeByProxy on Naegi]] and [[Main/ASharedSuffering making Naegi as dependent on him as he is on Naegi.]] What makes this so surprising is that it ''actually works,'' not because Naegi's good luck protects him, but because his [[Main/BornUnlucky bad luck is so terrible that it cancels out Komaeda's luck just so that he'll believe it worked and continue torturing Naegi.]] Nobody saw it coming.]]
** [[spoiler: Kamukura is actually the {{Big Good}} and has been secretly helping Naegi the entire time.]]
* {{Prisoner Exchange}}: Komaru attempts to force Ultimate Despair to return her brother by holding Enoshima's AI hostage. [[spoiler: Ultimate Despair chooses to sacrifice Enoshima for Naegi.]]
* {{The Rival}}: Kuzuryuu begins to see Naegi as this as Naegi's hope and optimism starts to impact Ultimate Despair.
* {{Sanity Slippage}}
* {{Sacrificial Lion}}: [[spoiler: Kuma and Iwata.]]
* {{Stockholm Syndrome}}
* {{Stop or I Shoot Myself}}: Naegi.
* {{Tragic Dream}}: [[spoiler:Naegi's hope of escape gradually become this.]]
* {{Two Plus Torture Makes Five}}: [[spoiler:Komaeda slowly accomplishes this as Naegi starts to accept his world view.]]
* {{Unwanted Rescue}}: The start of the story, when Komaeda "saves" Naegi from the outside world.

* {{Villainous Breakdown}}: Komaeda has a massive one after [[spoiler: Kamukura]] gives him a verbal beatdown.
* {{Why Did You Make Me Hit You}}: Ultimate Despair, especially Komaeda and Kuzuryu, sometimes blame Naegi for the awful things they do to him.

* {{Not So Different}}: [[spoiler: It turns out The Future Foundation are not the people Naegi thought they would be.]]

* {{I Have Your Wife}}: Komaru attempts to force Ultimate Despair to return her brother by holding Enoshima's AI hostage. [[spoiler: Ultimate Despair chooses to sacrifice Enoshima for Naegi.]]

* {{Interface Spoiler}}: Newer readers will likely guess that [[spoiler: Naegi's story doesn't stop at Chapter 99 due to the amount of chapters yet.]]

Turns out that the broadcast was watched ''very'' closely by [[VisualNovel/SuperDanganRonpa2 Nagito Komaeda,]] who, upon realizing just how dangerous the world is to the new Hope, decided to take Naegi in, keep him safe, and help him become the very best Hope he can be! What follows is very painful psychological horror as Naegi tries to stay sane and escape the grip of [[BigBad Ultimate Despair]].

'''Warning: ''The Lion's Den'' draws material from ''[[VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc Dangan Ronpa]]'', ''VisualNovel/SuperDanganRonpa2'', ''VideoGame/AbsoluteDespairGirls'', and ''Anime/DanganRonpa3'', and all spoilers for those will be unmarked.'''

After surviving the [[VisualNovel/DanganRonpa killing school life,]] Makoto Naegi and the other survivors venture into the despair-filled world and do their best to survive. It's a struggle, but it works until a complete stranger shows up and kidnaps Naegi.

'''Warning: ''The Lion's Den'' draws material from [[VisualNovel/DanganRonpa Dangan Ronpa,]] [[VisualNovel/SuperDanganRonpa2 Super Dangan Ronpa 2,]] [[VideoGame/AbsoluteDespairGirls Absolute Despair Girls,]] and [[Anime/DanganRonpa3 Dangan Ronpa 3,]] and all spoilers for those will be unmarked.'''

Turns out that the broadcast was watched ''very'' closely by [[VisualNovel/SuperDanganRonpa2 Nagito Komaeda,]] who, upon realizing just how dangerous the world is to the new Hope, decided to take Naegi in, keep him safe, and help him become the very best Hope he can be! What follows is very painful psychological horror as Naegi tries to stay sane and escape the grip of Ultimate Despair.

** {{The Chessmaster}} and {{I Work Alone}}. Kamukura's insistence on working alone and manipulating events from the shadows is one of the cause [[spoiler:For Naegi to turns to despair one he realize Kamukura has no intention of letting him escape cause Naegi to distrust him. not to mention he tend to be blindside by when thing not going with what he consider logical, which is one of the reason let to Chiaki dead]].
** {{Hope Bringer}} and {{Living Macguffin}}: Naegi staues as the Ultimate Hope. Is emphise that aside form other class 78 survivor, his sister and Iwata no one truly see him as human: the Future Foundation and common people see him as symbol of hope, the Remant see him as Junko son and heir,[[spoiler: Kamkura see him as the way to cure despair, and Komaeda see as a metaphor punching bag. and as he stay with the remant he slowly lose his maturity and indivilual to the point he believe he Hope iself.]]

** {{Hope Bringer}} and {{Living Macguffin}}: Naegi staues as the Ultimate Hope, why somewhat useful in helping people. Is emphise that aside form other class 78 survivor, his sister and Iwata no one truly see him as human: the Future Foundation and common people see him as symbol of hope, the Remant see him as Junko son and heir,[[spoiler Kamkura see him as the way to cure despair, and Komaeda see as a metaphor punching bag. and as he stay with the remant he slowly lose his maturity and indivilual to the point he believe he Hope iself.]]

* {{DeconstructionCharacterArchytype}}: Of the {{Chessmaster}}. Kamukura's insistence on working alone and manipulating events from the shadows causes several problems.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Of the {{Chessmaster}}. Kamukura's insistence on working alone and manipulating events from the shadows causes several problems.

Arcawolf's ''The Lion's Den'' can be read [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/7685368/chapters/17506612 here.]] or [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12210356/1/The-Lion-s-Den here]]

* {{Forgone Conclusion}}: Nanami doesn't survive Kamukura's backstory. Neither does Kamukura and Komaeda's friendship.

* {{Bittersweet Ending}}:[[spoiler: Naegi is saved, Ultimate Despair as a organization is completely destroyed with most of their soldiers surrendering. The 77th class is captured and taken to Jabberwock Island by Class 78 and Kamukura to cure them of despair. But Naegi is still broken by what he went through, and Yukizome and Monoka are still at large]].