Chapter 6.

Chapter 6: Cracks in the Foundation

The air in the workshop had never felt heavier. After the battle with the Sukuna Bot, the team had gathered for a much-needed breather. But the euphoria of victory was quickly replaced by a growing tension, the kind that could only be fueled by unanswered questions and unresolved issues. It started with whispers, quiet murmurs between team members as they tried to make sense of everything that had happened, and it slowly built into something far more dangerous.

It wasn't long before the group found themselves divided—not by their enemies, but by their own thoughts.

Sitting around the workbench, Clara fiddled with her tools, but her focus was on P. Diddy, who had been acting oddly ever since they had learned about the accusations surrounding him. His usual swagger was gone, replaced by a defensive energy that radiated off of him.

Hikari leaned against a wall, watching the rapper carefully. "Yo, Diddy, I gotta ask. What's the deal with all this stuff we're hearing about you? The allegations, man?"

Rick, ever the skeptic, leaned in from his corner. "Yeah, you've been acting a little... off. You think we don't notice? Everyone in this dimension knows the stories. And I'm not talking about your music."

P. Diddy, who had been staring down at his hands, looked up slowly. His face was tight, his usual easy-going smirk nowhere to be found. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said quietly, but his voice lacked the usual confidence. "Those are just rumors. People like to spread stuff about you when you're on top."

Sans leaned forward, his skeletal face unreadable. "Come on, Diddy. You know that ain't it. Rumors don't follow you around like that. You can't hide from the truth. So, how about you tell us, honestly."

The group fell silent, the weight of the question hanging in the air like a heavy fog. Gojo, who had been silent up until now, glanced over at P. Diddy. There was a strange look in his eyes—something between caution and disappointment.

"You think the team's gonna let this slide?" Gojo asked, his voice calm but firm. "We're supposed to be in this together, but secrets? Secrets don't fly around here. Not when lives are on the line."

Clara's voice was quieter than the rest, almost like she was treading carefully around a delicate subject. "P. Diddy, you've been with us through all this craziness, but if you're hiding something, it's not just your problem. It affects all of us. You need to come clean."

P. Diddy shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking down at his hands again, then around the room as if searching for an escape. There was a flicker of frustration in his eyes, but also something deeper—something darker.

"You wanna know what happened?" he finally said, his voice shaky, but resolute. "I've made mistakes. But that doesn't mean I'm guilty of the things they're saying. That's not me. I'm not the person they're trying to make me out to be."

Clara raised an eyebrow, her skepticism evident. "So what? You're saying you didn't do any of the things people are accusing you of? That's a pretty serious thing to just brush off."

Rick smirked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, sure. It's all just a big misunderstanding. Like how every celebrity is innocent until proven otherwise, right?"

Gojo was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on P. Diddy, a deep seriousness settling over him. "The truth doesn't stay hidden forever. It'll come out, sooner or later."

"I'm telling you, it's all just noise! I'm not guilty! It's just… it's just... I'm not perfect, okay?" P. Diddy's voice cracked for a moment, the vulnerability seeping through the façade he'd been trying to maintain.

The silence that followed was thick and uncomfortable. Clara, sensing the tension, glanced around the room, her thoughts racing. This is bigger than we thought.

"P. Diddy, I… I don't know what happened in your past, but right now, it's making things hard for all of us." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "I don't want to be that person, but we have to address this. We're supposed to be a team."

A chill ran through the room as Clara's words hit like an emotional sledgehammer. It was clear that the drama wasn't just about the accusations anymore—it was about trust. And trust was something that was slowly unraveling in front of their eyes.

Hikari, who had been oddly quiet until now, pushed off from the wall, his voice cutting through the tension. "Yo, I gotta say it. We're all here because we're trying to win, right? But I don't know if I can trust someone who's hiding stuff from us. We need to have each other's backs."

Sans shrugged, a rare seriousness crossing his usual lazy grin. "It's not about the mistakes, Diddy. It's about the secrets. I can't fight alongside someone who won't even tell me the truth when it counts."

Rick, who had been fiddling with his portal gun absentmindedly, looked up again. "Look, I get it. People have skeletons in their closets. But this? This is bigger than whatever shady business you've been involved in. If the team can't rely on you, then you're just dead weight. And we've got enough of those around here as it is."

The words hit like a slap in the face. P. Diddy flinched as if physically struck, his pride taking a blow. The tension grew thicker. He stood up abruptly, his voice rising.

"You think I'm dead weight? You think I'm just gonna let you talk to me like that? I've been in this game a lot longer than all of you. You think you know everything about me, but you don't! No one knows what it's like, living this life!"

The anger was palpable. For a moment, it seemed like P. Diddy might lash out, but instead, he clenched his fists and turned away. "You guys want the truth? Fine. But I'm not talking about it right now."

Without another word, P. Diddy stormed out of the room, leaving the rest of the group standing in the suffocating silence he left behind.

Rick crossed his arms, his eyes narrowed. "What now, huh? We can't just go on pretending everything's fine. It's clear this is going to be a problem moving forward."

Gojo, who had remained silent through most of the argument, finally spoke, his tone quieter than usual. "He's right, though. We can't pretend this doesn't matter. But it's also true that pushing him too hard won't fix anything. We're a team, and that means letting each other grow."

Clara sighed. "I don't know. I just… I don't know if I can keep working with someone who's keeping things like this from us. Trust is everything."

Sans stretched, breaking the tense atmosphere with his usual lazy demeanor. "Guess we'll see what happens, huh? This whole thing could either bring us together, or tear us apart. Can't say I'm a fan of the second option."

The group stood in quiet contemplation, the fractured silence telling them that things were far from resolved. As the seconds passed, it was clear that the rift between them wasn't just about the allegations—it was about what came next. Could they work together as a team after everything that had been revealed?

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To be continued…