Another round of perfect attendance… Splendid!
Now if you keep this up maybe one day you’ll get to leave.
See you at the bell.
Everyone seems so restless, I wonder what they’re planning to do today?
Five bucks says “embarrassing poetry”.
Hey Anti-Bravo. Want to head over to Poetry Club?
S-sure… It’s not like I have… dark deeds… to do.
(He’s very theatrical…)
And you appear to be into that.
Cool… So let’s go!
Now?! Together?!
Yes…?
Um… how about… we race!
Yes, let’s race!
This boy just has no idea what to do with himself.
Sure!
Er… Great! GO!
Anti-Bravo disappears.
(Ah!! He took off! After him!)
__________________________________________________________________
Hey! Wait up!
Wow! He’s quick!
Made it! Wait… That’s weird. I don’t see him at all. Maybe he’s up in the rafters?
Anyone seen Anti-Bravoman?
(Everyone just shrugged and went back to whatever they were doing…)
(Maybe he didn’t see me and went back to detention?)
Anti-Bravoman?
Hey! Has anyone seen Anti-Bravoman around?
Why’re you looking for THAT weirdo? He’s not cool at ALL.
Aw… he’s not so bad. I think he’s just used to being alone, so he doesn’t know how to act around people…
Well, I don’t trust him one bit!
I’m sure you’ve heard the RUMORS, right?
(Rumors?)
Rumors?
Yeah! I heard that guy is SUPER evil!
I HAVE EVIL!
I’m totally gonna get revenge on evil.
Calm down Taira. You can’t just hate him because he’s from our Wrestleball rival, Evil Namco High.
(Anti-Bravoman’s from… Evil Namco High?!
It sounds like Valkyrie’s gossiping, though…
But if it’s true… why is Anti-Bravoman at Namco High?)
He IS pretty cute… For an evil guy.
EVIL CAN’T BE CUTE!
You’re pretty cute… for an idiot, Taira.
TOO MUCH CUTENESS! RED CARD!
And besides, we all know I’M the cutest.
But Valkyrie’s right… I heard he’s from Evil Namco High, too.
I heard he was really bad. You’d have to be to get kicked out of an Evil High School… RIGHT?
SUPER evil.
He DOES fulfill a satisfactory number of points on my bad guy determinance matrix.
Wow you guys are all getting in on this.
Maybe he’s here as a spy!
A spy?! Who would spy on innocent STUDENTS!
How terrible…
Wait… What if he’s spyin’ on us to steal all of our super secret Wrestleball strategies!!
Taira… Don’t you just make it up as you go along?
THAT’S WHAT MAKES THEM SO SUPER SECRET
Anyway… why are you looking for a super evil guy, Cousin?
Did he do something… SUSPICIOUS?
N-no…
Uh-oh… Does he have some dirt on you? Is he blackmailing you?! You can tell us!
You can definitely tell us!
Guys… it’s fine… I have to go.
(That was… Really weird. They all thing Anti-Bravoman is a bad guy…)
(I don’t know him very well, but calling him a bad guy… Isn’t that taking it a little far?)
(…Did he really come from Evil Namco High?)
……….
I hope no one witnessed… My deep dark secret…
The secret I’ve been running from… Like a gazelle of darkness…
Anti-Bravoman?
Ah! Cousin! I didn’t see you there!
I was right here. You might need glasses. ANYWAY!
I was just wondering… We were supposed to go to Poetry Club together… But then you disappeared.
Sorry… I… I got lost!
I went back to the Detention room because I thought you might be back there, but you weren’t…
And then I got to talking to the other students about you. And they were saying all kinds of crazy stuff…
Like that you’re from Evil Namco High. Is that true?
…………
Anti-Bravoman’s little ear thingies get all droopy.
………………….
………It’s true.
Cousin… I can’t tell you what to do. Or who to believe.
It’s something… You have to decide on your own.
(Well… That didn’t answer anything.)
(But… I think that’s the coolest I’ve ever seen him. I kinda got goosebumps. But only a little bit.)
AHEM!
Cousin you should really stop fucking off during detention. But I suspect that this is going to happen at least another 16 times.
!!!
!!!!!!!!!
Well well well… I shouldn’t be so surprised to see two of our star delinquents skipping together.
PRINCIPAL DIG DUG!
Cousin, I expect more from you…
And Anti-Bravoman… Is this what you’re making of the chance you’ve been given?
Sorry…
(Even the staff treat him differently…)
(Like he’s a charity case. He’s just doing his best!)
Based on the level of your infraction, I’m giving you DETENTION LEVEL 217: FLOATING ISLAND PRISON DETENTION!!!
If you think you’re alone now… just wait!
Principal Dig Dug!!! He already feels lonely… That’s uncalled for!
It’s okay, Cousin.
See! Accept your fate, lest I call King!
I’ll tell King you were threatening a student!
(Uh-oh… maybe I’m getting carried away…)
EEP! Let’s not be hasty…
The background fades out and Cousin shifts to the center of the screen.
(After that we walked back to the detention room. I didn’t realize it at first, but any other student would have said something… ANYTHING.)
(But Anti-Bravoman just listened and accepted it. I think he’s trying really hard to make his time at Namco High work.)
__________________________________________________________________
Seems like all you riff-raff decided to show…
King roars.
Admirable…
But King insists it doesn’t excuse any of your miscreant behavior yesterday.
We’re giving you another chance accept your punishment.
See you at the bell.
(I wonder if anyone else got in trouble yesterday?)
Anti-Bravoman… I can’t stop thinking about our conversation the other day.
…
I don’t understand what’s going on… But I want to believe in you. I want to believe in the real you.
The… Real me?
Cousin… it’s best that you DON’T believe in me.
I don’t want to let you down.
(Now he’s lost in thought… I’d better leave him alone…)
(I don’t think any of us are EVER getting out of here.)
__________________________________________________________________
I am pleasantly surprised you are all still here…
…but King wants me to remind you we are not surprised you are still delinquents.
See you at the bell.
(Another day in the weirdest school and the weirdest detention ever.)
(I wonder how the others are doing?)
Hey Anti-Bravoman! Let’s go to poetry club together.
DURING DETENTION. I HAD SO MUCH FUN LAST TIME WE DID THAT.
I can’t lie to you, Cousin. I’m not going to Poetry Club.
Oh… Where ARE you going?
Listen Cousin… I really like you… You’re like… So good… And I’m a void of terrible dark soul energy. You have to stay away. It’s just better this way.
I see…
DAMN WHAT DO I DO. I CAN’T SAVE BEFOREHAND BECAUSE DATE NIGHTO LEAVES SO MUCH TO BE DESIRED AS A PROGRAM.
So far in this game the top choice has been the right choice and is usually the one that encourages the plot to endure. But that’s not the choice here. Well odds are if I choose the top one and it’s wrong I’ll just see the character select screen again.
I guess I’ll give you some space…
Thanks… Later.
I guess I’ll just… go for a walk…
__________________________________________________________________
(I’m supposed to be in detention, but… I dunno. My heart’s just not in it.
All I can think about is Anti-Bravoman.)
Me too I’m sold he is a super cutie. But I don’t think detention gives a shit if your heart is in it.
(He’s not really a bad guy… Is he?)
Sigh.
(Wait… What’s that over there? I see some dark figures on the field… Looks suspicious.
I better find a good hiding spot.)
Cousin’s sprite slides off to the left, and from the right appear…
(They look… Pretty unsavory…)
(Wait… Who’s that with them?)
WHO’S THAT POKEMON
(No! It can’t be…)
(Anti-Bravoman!)
Guys… you can’t be here. I shouldn’t even be talking to you.
SHADOW 1
HAHA… YOU HEAR THAT? ANTI-BRAVOMAN SAID HE DOESN’T EVEN WANT TO TALK TO US.
SHADOW 2
MORE LIKE ANTI-BRAVEMAN.
BECAUSE HE’S LIKE… NOT BRAVE AT ALL.
SHADOW 3
NICE ONE BRO.
(Is this what Anti-Bravo meant when he said he was… followed by darkness?!)
(Did he mean it LITERALLY?!)
SHADOW 3
LISTEN UP ANTI-BRAVOMAN… YOU’RE GONNA SHUT UP.
SHADOW 1
AND YOU’RE GONNA DO WHAT WE SAY.
But… I don’t want to! It’s wrong!
And besides, I like it here!
SHADOW 2
YOU LIKE IT? NO ONE LIKES YOU.
SHADOW 1
EVERYONE THINKS YOU SUCK.
(Yeah… how COULD he be okay with that? I’d be so mad…)
I don’t have to be that other person! I can be good. It doesn’t matter if people don’t like me here…
At least I don’t have to be a bad person!
SHADOW 3
HEH… LISTEN TO THIS GUY.
SHADOW 2
HE THINKS HE’S SOOOO MUCH BETTER THAN US.
SHADOW 1
LISTEN, ANTI-BRAVOMAN, YOU’RE GOING TO SHUT UP AND DO WHAT WE TELL YOU. YOU THINK YOU’RE SO MUCH BETTER NOW BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT OUR CLASSMATE… I HATE IT!
But… I don’t…
SHADOW 3
WHO CARES WHAT YOU WANT.
SHADOW 2
YOU’RE GOING TO HELP US KIDNAP PAC-MAN.
SHADOW 1
OR WE’RE GOING TO TELL ALL YOUR NEW ‘FRIENDS’ THE HORRIBLE THINGS YOU DID AT EVIL NAMCO HIGH.
(!!! THEY’RE FROM EVIL NAMCO HIGH!)
I… I won’t help you guys. It’s wrong!
SHADOW 3
FINE… THEN STAY OUTTA OUR WAY!!!
(They want to kidnap Pac-Man… This is terrible…)
SHADOW 1
REMEMBER, IF YOU DON’T KEEP YOUR TRAP SHUT… WE’LL BE BACK… FOR YOU…
The shadows fade out.
This is terrible… I have to do something…
But no one will ever believe me…
Cousin zips in.
I believe you!!
Cousin! Oh no… Did you see it all?!
I’m so sorry… I told you to stay away…
No one will ever believe me…
I’ll back you up!
They’ll just think I brainwashed you or something.
(He’s despondent… )
Wakka wakka wakka
BE TRUE TO YOURSELF…
Excuse you! You’re butting in on a private conversation!
Pac-Man returns from whence he came, stage right.
…be true to yourself…
RUDE! The nerve of this guy…
Cousin…
Yeah?
That was Pac-Man.
Ah!
…
AHHHHH!
Are you… Are you sure?!
He was big and yellow. I think it’s a safe bet.
Oh dear…
Cousin… When I say I want to be a good guy… You believe me, right?
I do. I believe you…
And I believe IN you.
Then I’ll try to warn everyone. For Pac-Man, and for you.
ARRGHHH THIS IS PRECIOUS.
Anti-Bravoman…
?
I kind of think that the real you… Is a sincere, thoughtful, kind of vulnerable guy. But there IS another you.
And it’s not the sad, dark you.
It’s a shining, brave, strong you.
That’s what I think.
…
Thanks.
…
(I can’t believe I mouthed off at Pac-Man.)
(If King were here he’d give me some kind of LEVEL 87: ETERNAL MAZE DETENTION. Or something.
__________________________________________________________________