FOURTH TRIAL

[bathymetric]

[ Well! That's sure something, isn't it? There may or may not be a lot of you excited to get down to business, but Jones does eventually move to collect you all and bring you to the theatre. It's a familiar routine by now, perhaps even comfortingly so given the irregularities of this particular killing.

Two of you gone this week. The elevator is started to feel downright spacious, don't you think?

A shanty, as usual, echoes from the crew of the Dutchman as you enter. The room is the same as it has ever been before you as the elevator settles into position. ]

To yer positions, passengers. Chins up.

[ Three more podiums claimed by the rust and wear.

You have your evidence, and you're going to need it before long. The music outside dies down.

Welcome to your fourth trial. ]

Comments

[scouserer]

It could be possession--or something similar to it.

[A pause.]

I've seen instances where someone has become host to an entity without their own knowledge. That entity'll remain dormant until it's time to strike--completely transforming their host physically and mentally, and the host is no the more wiser.

[sivard]

Hmm...

That could explain it. Both how it could be triggered, and how someone wouldn't know there's a problem in the first place.

[scouserer]

Exactly.

[Constantine rubs his chin.]

But regardless of physical transformation, there's always at least some evidence left behind. With werewolves, you've got...you know, random scars and shed fur, so on and so forth. Since Sara and Albedo were...uh, presumably ripped apart with claws...there'll probably be at least some sort of blood, unless they cleaned up.

[Constantine grimaces.]

[silentscout]

So whoever it is might not even know what happened.

[scouserer]

Mhmm.

[He crosses his arms, brow furrowing deeply.]

It's somethin' worth thinking about. Of course, we could be going about this completely the wrong way, and they might just want to hide it out of shame.

[silentscout]

But it's not their fault. If they lost control, we shouldn't be blaming them.

[jibunwo]

It won't matter in the end. Their intentions or lack thereof don't factor into how this is going to conclude when we find out who did this. So obviously, they would want to hide it for their own survival.

[silentscout]

Oh.

[He doesn't look happy about that answer though.]

[scouserer]

Well, perhaps their apologies will be enough to bring the dead back to life.

[silentscout]

[Just. This look.]

[hellahighwater]

You're saying someone...might've done all that and not know? Again?

[ Allenby was bad enough, but this... ]

[scouserer]

Memory's more fallible than you think.

[As demonstrated by Captain Jack's earlier motives....]

We could be going about this the completely wrong way, but for the time being, what's important is that we've got evidence that doesn't match up with anyone's physical form--which means something's up.