Fanfic / Game Reset

Game Reset is a fanfic by tendertomb from Danganronpa following the events of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Instead taking a rather different approach with the events of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Makoto Naegi of the Future Foundation Branch Number 14 and Ultimate Hope decides that rather than stand by and watch as the killings occur decides to directly intervene in the Killing School Trip and enters the simulation despite knowing of the dangers ahead and a trap beset to try and force the shutdown internally. Things go awry quite quickly with Junko AI deadset on trying to crush him and refusing to make it easy for him. Will he succeed or fall to the Ultimate Despair?

It can be read here on ao3

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Tropes for this series include:

• Accidental Murder:
  • The First Culprit wasn’t trying to kill the First Victim, they were trying to stop them from trying to murder someone else.
  • Teruteru murder was the result of a setup by Mikan (who was instructed by Nagito) that involved Imposter and Mahiru flicking on a switch and accidentally getting Teruteru involved in the explosion.
• A Friend in Need: Makoto is pushed into this position after being revealed as the Ultimate Hope after the first trial. Already Makoto is a kind soul who wishes to rehabilitate the Remnants but considering the amount of people desperate for recognition in a difficult situation is rough.
• Alone with the Psycho: Downplayed. But Fuyuhiko discovers that Makoto got his blackmail and confronts him directly about it with a switchblade.
• All Love Is Unrequited: The worst love triangle in existence comes in the form of Mikan Tsumiki, Nagito Komaeda and Makoto Naegi. Mikan is desperate for any form of affection and who uses nursing as a means of garnering some power and has her eyes set on Nagito (recently stabbed). Nagito Komaeda is obsessed with hope and its concept is steadily obsessed with Makoto Naegi after he was revealed as the Ultimate Hope and before Nagito was suspecting there was more to him. And Makoto Naegi is stuck in all that knowing of the Dramatic Irony this dynamic has.
• Amnesiac Dissonance:
  • Despite the Blackmail Video being incredibly convoluted and having Fuyuhiko in his time as Ultimate Despair and with Junko’s eye and ordering the death of his uncle. Fuyuhiko while he doesn’t remember has no doubt it’s real and its implied he is horrified by what he has done and has no intention of surviving his trial after forcing himself to kill Makoto.
  • He's not the only one who feels a similar emotion after watching their respective video. Sonia after consulting Gundham who got hers, feels similar and despite not wanting to believe it. She knows it's true.
• Anyone Can Die: Canon survivors are not safe. Kazuchi one of the original survivors turns out to be the first culprit.
• Arch-Enemy: Junko Enoshima and Makoto Naegi certainly are. Junko’s AI even notes their parallels and their roles as Ultimate Despair and Hope respectively.
• Bad Liar: Makoto and he knows it. Which is not a good mix when you are trying to fake amnesia. Makoto is using his own experiences to cover this fact that he already been in a killing game and had his memories erased himself at Hope's Peak.
• Big Damn Heroes: Nagito of all people gets to be one saving Makoto from Fuyuhiko who was attempting to kill him after discovering Makoto got his blackmail letter and video.
• Big Good: Makoto Naegi, The Ultimate Hope is this against the Big Bad Junko Enoshima The Ultimate Despair. In fact Makoto joins the story by attempting to save The Ultimate Despairs from their own Killing Game with various results.
• Black Comedy: Tons. Most of it comes from Junko and Monokuma of course and is often laced with dramatic irony over the Ultimate Despairs not remembering various details.
  • Junko recalls a time when Nekomaru during his time as Ultimate Despair destroyed a building and had the survivors, tearfully sing Happy Birthday for her. Junko's main complaint was their poor harmonisation skills.
  • Kazuichi’s execution is laced with it being dragged by his neck at the back of a car, with cans and a sign that says “Just Buried” with Monokuma congratulating the “newly-dead” just after the execution as if it was a mock wedding instead of a horrific execution. Considering Kazuchi also has motion sickness it's just another level of twistedness and yet hilarity only Junko could come up with.
  • After Teruteru's death. Monokuma prepares the countdown to the next trial by roasting himself in the oven.
• Blackmail: The Second Motive. Except much like V3 instead of Class 77 getting their own blackmail they get someone else’s.
• Break Them by Talking: It’s Junko Enoshima’s speciality. AI Junko makes it her life’s mission to make things as difficult to Makoto as possible. He is the only one who can properly see her and she singles him out and taunts him for any possible failures and deaths.
• Call-Back: Makoto notes the knives in the kitchen in the second and remembering what Sayaka did, he takes them with him to prevent a murder with Blackmail on the line.
• Cannot Spit It Out: Deliberately enforced to isolate and demotivate Makoto. After he arrives on the island he is given specific rules banning him from mentions the nature of the world, the mastermind or even the process of getting out.
• Career-Ending Injury: Akane suffers from a potential one early on after she is disabled by Monokuma’s assassins confining her to a wheelchair.
• Cardboard Prison: The only thing keeping Nagito in the bathroom is a chair leg. While he is quite co-operative with his imprisonment due to his admiration of Makoto, it becomes clear quite dramatically due to his luck. There is very little actually keeping him in there.
• Chekhov's Gun:
  • Kazuichi wrench as noted in both the game and this fic as something Kazuichi usually carries on him and in Game Reset he takes it out when he’s nervous as a habit. Even some of the original game’s dialogue mentions Kazuichi possibly using it as a weapon to hit someone on the head. It turns out it’s the murder weapon in the first case.
  • Fuyuhiko's switchblade makes a reappearance when he tries to kill Makoto after being shown in a prior chapter and after Makoto stole all the kitchen knives.
• Closest Thing We Got: Makoto is not a therapist. But after the untimely death of Nekomaru and the reveal that he is Ultimate Hope he is essentially placed in a position that is basically unpaid therapist to a bunch of emotionally unstable teens a year older than him.
• Commonality Connection: An unfortunate example which was what allowed Nagito to try and convince Nekomaru to attempt to kill him. Both of them have terminal illnesses which will probably kill them in the next few years. Nagito doesn’t expect to live more than a year or so, while Nekomaru is in a similar situation.
• Conditioned to Accept Horror: The Survivors of Class 78 thanks to the Killing School Life due to all the executions and murders. This attribute is actually noticed by Nagito who points out that Makoto is unusually used to examining and processing death and pursuing truths during the first case.
• Cutting the Knot: Attempted but Averted. Upon arriving on the Second Island Makoto realises he can now access the Ruins and since he knows the code to the island, he can use to enter and get the surviving Class 77 out of there. Unfortunately, there is now a Lioness Monobeast blocking the path.
• Death by Adaptation:
  • Nekomaru dies after getting whacked on the head.
  • Kazuichi is the first culprit and is dragged away by his neck by a speeding car to his death.
  • Teruteru dies in an explosion and is then stuffed into a freezer.
  • Mahiru dies in a horroresque execution, gradually having her wrists cut with each photo showing her fate, until she sees one with her neck snapped and suffers from this fate.
• Demoted to Extra: Hajime Hinata. The protagonist of the Second Game is Out of Focus considering the story follows Makoto Naegi but he still makes incredibly useful observations and contributions in the Class Trials, even synergising with Makoto at points. A funny example of this demotion is during one of Hajime Free Time Events with Chikai he enjoys playing games with her. Meanwhile Makoto, Fuyuhiko, Nagito and Peko are having a dramatic life-and-death confrontation in Makoto's cabin.
• Desperately Craves Affection: Mikan’s trauma bond with Nagito is comprised entirely of this. Despite Nagito at this point being well known for his instability, his apparent kindness and vulnerable status after his stabbing has her desperate for any semblance of affection. It’s no wonder why she was manipulated by Junko. It gets to the point she is manipulated into setting up the restaurant diner explosion that caused the second murder.
• Didn't See That Coming: No one at that point could’ve predicted Nagito stabbing himself with a knife to cover up the time of death of the first victim. Makoto even initially used the stabbing as a point of reference for when Nekomaru died with the omission of time in the Monokuma File and only pointed out that possibility when they exhausted all possible avenues and noted Nagito’s unusual serenity during the proceedings.
• Dies Differently in Adaptation: A few people die slightly differently.
  • Nekomaru the fourth victim originally dies as the first victim after being hit on the head with a wrench.
  • Teruteru still dies by burning related, this time dying in an explosion but being discovered in a freezer.
  • Mahiru dies after her limbs are broken with a final neck snap during her creepy execution.
• Dissonant Serenity: Nagito has an eerie one in the middle of the first class trial while the rest of the class are screaming over the time and alibis where people were accounted for the murders and over the prospects of their execution should they fail. Nagito on the other hand is calm and had been stabbed recently. This attitude helps Makoto deduct that something is very wrong and that he fell for a lie.
• Dramatic Irony: Monokuma deliberately invokes it after he mentions Makoto is the Ultimate Hope prods at fact Hajime can’t remember his own talent and for Makoto to save some talent for him. Hajime also being Izuru Kamakura, also the Ultimate Hope comprised of nothing but talent.
  Monokuma: “It’s a real title, I assure you. An extra talent stacked on top of his original talent! Geez, Makoto, save some talent for poor Hajime!”
• Exact Words: Monokuma mentions right away Makoto is from the Future. For Class 77 this means he is from Class 78 and is a year younger than them but for Monokuma and Makoto they both know he is really referring to the fact Makoto is from the Future Foundation.
• Experienced Protagonist: This is not Makoto's first rodeo in a Killing Game. He knows what to expect in a game of betrayal and death and knows more than the rest of the cast about Junko’s goals and Class 77 missing memories since he was directly responsible for their removal. Of course Junko has placed certain restrictions on him to stop him from outright shutting down the game. But where Makoto really shines is the Class Trials where compared to others flailing about unsure and hesitant to cast blame, Makoto who knows what’s at stake and how to handle himself is able to ascertain truths easier than others, allowing him to solve a case that otherwise would’ve ended in all of Class 77 deaths to just the Killer. Arguably Makoto ironically fits the role of Kyoko during the first game as a mysterious, experienced sleuth who is hiding something.
• Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: When Makoto is realising how Nekomaru ended up in the plane and corroborates when he got there at 5:30 to get a first aid kit he didn’t see him but then he realises the luggage compartment was open during the investigation and recently used. Makoto then realises by the time he got on the plane Nekomaru was long dead hidden in a compartment.
• Failed Attempt at Scaring: A more serious instance from Junko to Makoto. Already Junko is a master at Break Them by Talking and a Hope Crusher invoking Makoto’s worst failures to dissuade and break him. Then again as her foil, Makoto is a little a harder to break than most.
• Forced to Watch: Class 78. It is inferred at the very least, Aoi, Byakuya, Yasuhiro and Kyoko (Toko is possibly still in Towa City) are forced to watch Makoto their fellow survivor, go through yet another killing game. Additionally, since Makoto is unconscious, they can’t just leave him be but they are also helpless against the virus infecting the system.
• Faking Amnesia: Makoto does this to attempt to alleviate suspicion from him, for good reason too, joining the moment the Killing Game began and is immediately suspicious from the group. Makoto additionally apart from Chiaki is the only one who knows the Awful Truth about Class 77 and the extent of Junko’s powers in this world but can’t communicate to the certain rules imposed on him.
• Guilt Complex: It is what motivates Makoto to enter the Neo World Programme. Seeing another Killing Game that he could help prevent some of the killings and shut down the programme internally was a risk Makoto couldn’t help but take.
• He Knows Too Much: Fuyuhiko attempts this against Makoto in Chapter 2 after discovering he found out about his blackmail and knows its truth. In fact this blackmail is probably the least incriminating thing Makoto knows about him or anyone else on the island for that matter. Fortunately for Makoto, this trope is subverted since Nagito came to his aid and stopped it.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: Makoto does not arrive on the island at the best time. The killing game has already begun putting his arrival under understandable suspicions and he is naturally an outsider. It gradually improves around the Class Trial but this distrust still persists around him.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Downplayed. In the second trial, the first piece of evidence proving that Mahiru alone is the culprit is Hiyoko's blackmail in the freezer. Hiyoko tries to argue that she received her own blackmail, however earlier in the trial she revealed she had Peko's when she passed it around for everyone else to read.
• Hope Bringer: Makoto's main characteristic is and has been revealed to be the Ultimate Hope by Monokuma after the first trial. His subsequent role in the chapters has him attempt to help and manage other people’s problems and emotions. This is also deconstructed and examined with the effects on Makoto in this.
• I Did What I Had to Do: Imposter reveals after he flicked the switch that caused the explosion he manipulated Mahiru into becoming the true murderer by taking Teruteru to the freezer. Tragically all Mahiru can cry and remark that she would've done the same
• In Spite of a Nail: A few things.
  • Nagito still instigates the first murder but not as the killer but attempted victim by Nekomaru. Similarly to Teruteru attempting to target him in canon it does not end well for either attempted killer of his and they end up dead. Additionally, Nagito's insanity is revealed at the first class trial.
  • Despite the two individuals who locked him originally ending up dead. Nagito still ends up some time imprisoned. This time he is locked in Makoto's bathroom.
  • The second motive is still something blackmail related.
  • Teruteru still dies by something explosion related and doesn't make it past Chapter 2.
• Locked in the Bathroom: With both Kazuichi and Nekomaru dead, the two people who originally knocked and tied Nagito out in the original. It should appear Nagito is free range to do as he pleases so to speak. That is until Makoto lures him into his bathroom and locks him from the outside. Something Nagito didn’t expect from.
• Locked Out of the Loop: Inverted. No one but Makoto and AI Junko and to an extent Chiaki knows the extent of Junko’s power in the Neo World Programme or the truth about why they are there. For good reason too considering Class 77 past as Ultimate Despair.
• Mad Love: Nagito was already on the brink of this during the First Trial investigation noting Makoto's strange familiarity with death and investigation and it gets even worse when learns Makoto is the Ultimate Hope.
• Morton's Fork: Monokuma’s first motive with the Class President. The participants have to vote which one to be Class President and whoever is voted has to deal with Monokuma assassins who will actively hunt and hurt the President unless a murder is committed. Makoto is the first one and has his arm slashed but that is nothing compared to Akane who lost some of her toes and needs a wheelchair to manoeuvre and Nagito who gets stabbed. Though that’s a ploy by Nagito to cover for the first Blackened.
• Mugging the Monster: Fuyuhiko tries to kill Makoto in front of the worst possible person he could. Nagito Komaeda.
• Nerves of Steel: Downplayed. But Makoto has developed some since the events of the first game and dealing with Despair. Nagito points out Makoto is unusually used to dead bodies and driven instead to find the truth during the first case.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Kazuichi Soda, The First Killer saw the First Victim Nekomaru attempting to strangle someone he initially thought to be Sonia Nevermind (really Nagito Komaeda) and attempted to knock out Nekomaru by hitting him with his wrench. He ends up accidentally killing him.
• Odd Friendship: Mikan and Nagito start forging a weird trauma bond after the first Trial after he got stabbed and she started treating him. It’s odd considering it's dripping in Dramatic Irony with their past as Ultimate Despair and Nagito's attitude to Mikan in canon as incredibly vitriolic as she is the most receptive of the Ultimate Despair to Junko and adores her completely while Nagito in contrast hates Junko even as an Ultimate Despair.
• Perspective Flip: Done very effectively with Makoto’s blackmail video which Sonia got. Filmed by Mahiru who at the time was an Ultimate Despair. She showed Class 77 time in cages as they were taken to Jabberwock Island with Makoto on the other side, in a suit reassuring them that it would be okay and they would enjoy themselves there. What is missing is the fact that the Remnants themselves were dangerous individuals attacking Makoto and the others and needed to be restrained for their own safety and others and the fact there was no intention for a Killing Game to start at all. Sonia is understandably confused and conflicted about this along with Gundham who also saw it.
• Psycho Supporter: A good way to put Nagito Komaeda and his dynamic with Makoto Naegi. Nagito is already deeply unstable and has his own viewpoints about Hope, but him next to probably the living embodiment of Hope and you get some problems.
• Reality Warper: Justified considering they are in a computer simulation and the Warper in question is a malicious AI in the form of Junko Enoshima. They have insane control over the system and are able to manifest whatever at their own will.
  Junko pointed to a nearby palm tree. It grew pineapples, which ripened then rotted, falling off. Then the tree grew bowling balls, which fell on the rotten pineapples and squished them into pulp. It grew bicycle helmets, human ears, and baby kittens. Then it grew a bomb, which fell at the base of the tree and blew it clean out of the ground.
• Right Makes Might: Naigto of course had got it in his head that the only way to improve Makoto Hope is to put him through immense trauma.
• Talking the Monster to Death: After Fuyuhiko discovers Makoto got his blackmail. Makoto tries not to reach for the knives under his bed but to talk through the Fuyuhiko and get him to stop. He doesn’t but his hesitation over Peko possibly dying, is affirmed he has no intention of surviving his trial. Fortunately Nagito intervenes and the situation is resolved with no casualties.
• Tap on the Head: Attempted but Averted. It’s how Nekomaru died but the Killer had no intention of actually killing him.
• The Chains of Commanding: Makoto feels it quite a bit as the Ultimate Hope and the fic explores Makoto the effects of this on Makoto. It was invoked by Monokuma after the first trial to have him try and support Class 77 but also wear him down. Already this is starting to take a drain on Makoto. He isn’t the only one to feel this trope as Makoto recognises that Sonia Nevermind Princess of Novoselic also bares a similar responsibility and burden to remain positive and a leader in trying times.
• The Chessmaster: It's revealed in the second trial. Nagito attempting to avoid directly making any traps or murder attempts as not to ostracise himself from Makoto manipulated Mikan into doing the setup for him which led to Teruteru's death. He was also to one to drop Hajime's blackmail and threatened him to do the setup leading to Hajime being completely out of it during the trial.
• The Corrupter: Junko. Unlike canon, she took a more direct approach here with the Remnants and their downfall to Despair with a more individual touch.
• The Redeemer: Makoto. Here the Remnants of Despair were more directly manipulated by Junko but that still doesn’t stop him from trying to redeem and to save them.
• Wham Line:
  • Just after the first trial Monokuma mentions that without Makoto they would all be smeared on the pavement and mentions something very interesting and something that would make it very hard for Makoto to explain himself. It’s one of the first times we see the extent of how far Monokuma or well Junko is willing to go to reveal parts about Makoto. Especially considering someone like Nagito is in the room.
  Monokuma: As expected of the Ultimate Hope.
  • During the second trial after we learn of the Imposter's involvement he reveals that while did cause the explosion. He wasn't the one to drag Teruteru to the freezer, rather he manipulated someone else into committing the crime to save himself. Putting a previous suspect back to the centre.
  “I made her into the blackened,” Nanashi said, grimly.
• When She Smiles: Makoto notes one with Peko of all people after seeing her pet one of Gundham’s hamsters.
  It was like seeing the sun rise from behind the hills.
• You Can't Thwart Stage One: After the First Trial, Makoto tries to go the ruins on the second island, the Ruins contain a secret exit for the participants and knows the code to escape since he made it. Unfortunately for Makoto and the others, Junko planned for that and put a Lioness Monobeast there to guard it, preventing him from shutting down the system outright making the Ruins a previously accessible area in the original game blocked off.