One week. That was all it took for Mary Saotome's life to go horribly wrong.
Okay, sure. She had felt the exact same a couple weeks ago, when a certain raven-haired gambling addict had showed up in Hyakkou Private Academy. Becoming a housepet because of Yumeko (and maybe Mary's own hubris), losing her game against student council member Nishinotouin...only to deceive a governer's perverted son to clear her debt up in a big game, all thanks to aforementioned gambling addict. But that was normal! ...normal for her, at least. Hyakkou was a school for Japan's elite, that was just the way things were!
But then...everything just got weird.
She never really remembered it happening, but at some point some strange woman named I-No approached her, offering Mary a chance for revenge. Revenge against who, you may ask? There was only one person Mary had in mind to destroy completely: Kirari Momobami. The sudent council president, Kirari was the one in charge of the housepet system. When Mary had gone into debt, Kirari had arranged for Mary to become the wife of some politician, as well as every other detail of her life. Even after freeing herself of debt, Mary wanted nothing more than to take Kirari down. And...she had, in some weird island called Isle Delfino. Sure, she had to die in order for it to happen, then spend some time disguised as the vice president during what had to be the most elaborate and bizarre sting operation Mary had ever heard of...but she had done it! Man, taking Kirari down on that stage...it had been wonderful! Kirari had folded so easily (in hindsight, maybe a little TOO easily), and the news that every member of that damned council had been arrested was cathartic, to say the very least. Skipping out on the two week free vacation (stupid, stupid, stupid, Mary), she had opted to go right back to school, to take over as student council president, changing Hyakkou Peivate Academy for the better. She held her head high, a confident smile on her face as she entered the student council room.
And that was the exact moment when everything came crashing down around her.
"Hey, look!" Runa Yomozuki popped her lollipop out of her mouth, a smile on her face.
"It's Mary!"
...what?
Kaede Manyuuda adjusted his glasses.
"Ah, yes. The housepet who won her way out of her life schedule."
What was this?
"Quite a loss for us, really..." Yuriko Nishinoutouin sighed elegantly.
"But I suppose it can't be helped."
Was this some kind of joke?
"Tee hee! Well, we still got that governer's son in our pocket, so it's all okay!" Yumemi Yumemite giggled.
"Besides, I don't blame her. To be married to a pedophile like that senator in her life schedule..."
These people were supposed to be in jail.
"I can see why the president has such an interest in her," secretary Sayaka Igarashi said with a hint of jealousy.
"Such determination..."
She had sent them all to jail!
"................" The Vice President, Kirari's twin sister, stared at Mary, face hidden once again by her mask.
What the Hell is going on?!
"Ah, Mary." A door opened from the left, and in walked in the class president herself. Kirari Momobami gave Mary a cool smile, then sat down at the head of the table, resting her head on her knuckle.
"How nice to see you. Did you have a good weekend?"
"You...you...!" All Mary could do was sputter, still trying to process this all. What was this?! Kirari had been arrested, they all had been arrested! Why were they here, as if nothing happened?!
"Ahaha! Wow, she's gone crazy!"
"Poor thing...hanging around Yumeko so much must have messed with her mind!"
WHAM!
Mary slammed her hands down on the table, glaring right at Kirari.
"You! You're all supposed to be in jail!! We put a stop to you all in Isle Delfino!"
"Isle Delfino...?" Kirari's smile didn't waver.
"Mary, are you all right? I know I told you I like those I don't understand, but that doesn't mean those who speak in tongues."
"I am not speaking in tongues. You know it! You all know it! I-No and Leeds killed you, then you all were sent to jail! That's how it worked! That's why I-"
"You what, Mary? What was your plan for walking into this student council room today?"
"I was...I...ugh!" Mary shook her head, as if to shake off the question.
"It doesn't matter! What does matter is that none of you should be here!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Kirari sat up now, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap.
"I don't see anything out of the ordinary. In fact, I really can't recall ever hearing of an Isle Delfino, or those people you mentioned. I think it's best we all go back to our daily lives, don't you? Unless...this is your way of saying you've changed your mind about joining the council."
Looking back, this was where Mary made her biggest mistake. What Kirari had just said was a warning. A threat. Act like everything is normal, join the council, or else. But Mary was too worked up. All that hard work, all her dreaming of being president...it was all for nothing! Nothing!
"Grrr...no way!" Mary put her fists on her hips, refusing to let up.
"Once Yumeko gets back from her vacation, she'll back me up! And then-"
WHACK!
A sharp pain in the back of Mary's head sent her to the ground. She was still conscious, but her pain and blurry vision made her wish that she wasn't. She could hear voices, but nothing that they were saying registered at the time.
"
Midari! You lazy bum, showing up so late!"
"Hey, better I did now! She was gonna blow our cover!"
"I didn't think you'd care."
"Sure I do! Yumeko wouldn't want anything to do with me if we lost our council!"
"We should do something about her, though...she'll run her mouth if that blow to the head didn't give her amnesia."
A gun cocked.
"I can take care of that..."
"W...wait..." Mary held a weak hand up.
"Don't! You'll stain the carpet!"
"Kirari, maybe we could..." Sayaka's worda became a whisper.
"Ooh...I think that would work. Midari, if you don't mind."
"You got it!"
The last thing Mary saw was the heel coming down on her head.
---
"Nngh..."
Mary Saotome slowly regained her senses. She was laying on her back now, somewhere cold, and she could hear faint music. Her head was pounding in two different places, and she could barely hear or see. Jeez...what happened? She tried to remember as she sat up-
Thud. "Ow!!" Great. Her head hurt in three places now. Groaning, Mary rubbed her head, laying back down for a few moments, before she realized what it was that just happened. She had bumped her head on something. What exactly was it, though? Mary couldn't see with how dark this all was... Lifting up her hands, she felt all around. It was a small, confined space, and it was pitch black. What the Hell?! Where was she? What was this-
"Eek!" The space shook, as if knocked upward. Mary gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. They were moving. A small black space that was moving...oh God. Oh no. She was in the trunk of a car?! This couldn't be happening!
"HELP! HEEEEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPPP!!!" Mary started banging her fists on the roof of the trunk, screaming at the top of her lungs. She had enough stamina to go a good two minutes, before collapsing back down, exhausted. Shit. Shit! There had to be a way out of this place! Turning her head from side to side, looking for something, anything she could use, a small glow caught Mary's attention: a little handle to her right. Yes! Grabbing the handle and pulling it down with all her might, the trunk flung open, revealing a night sky full of stars. Mary sat up, and, oh thank God, traffic! Beautiful, beautiful traffic! Mary jumped out of the car, and ran, refusing to stop until she got out of there.
"Hey!" A man's voice called out from behind her, only making Mary run faster. There was a city ahead. She just had to reach the city, and she would be safe, right? Who cared about that weird sense of foreboding she had every step closer she got to that place? She just had to reach the city. Then she could find a phone, get home, and take Kirari and her gang of criminals down for good! No one made a fool of Mary Saotome and got away with it! No one!
...fast forward to the next day, where someone very much had done just that.
Mary didn't remember what exactly had happened to her between arriving in this city and waking up in a hospital the next morning. All she knew was that somehow, things were now far worse than they ever had been. Trying to leave this place only brought pain, and there was no way to contact her parents, or Yumeko, or anyone who could help her out! And now...this guy shows up?
"Uh, yeah." Mary crossed her arms, giving this man a very unfriendly scowl.
"And I would've left this dump, too, if I could. I'm trying to get back home, but I can't leave this stupid city!"
@Gummi Bunnies