THIRD TRIAL

[bathymetric]

[ Two bodies this week. As a result, it's a little longer before Mayor Fontaine's voice calls out over the loudspeakers. ]

All right, that'll do, all of you. Get to the bathyspheres. Trial time.

[ There's fewer bathyspheres this week, aren't there? It's starting to get really noticeable. One by one, alone or in pairs, you descend into the depths. The bottom of the seafloor, a place no human life was meant to travel to unassisted. It's dark, until it isn't, the same bio-luminescent slugs as before lighting up the area and revealing the great glass dome in which the trial takes place.

Within, three more podiums have gone dark. They remain empty as you all gather around into the circle.

The projector clicks on, and you see the silhouette of Mayor Fontaine above you. ]

We all know why we're here. Florida Man and Cryptobro got themselves got. Up to you to figure out who did it, or... well, you know by now.

[ Welcome to your third trial. ]

Comments

[fuckingguy]

So, I guess I could go into the church without issue this whole time.

[ This is the lead-in Nandor chooses! He looks very mad about it, but also he has an empty podium to either side, so maybe just let him nag for a moment, as a treat. ]

Anyway, someone made a fucking mess in there! I did not examine the body closely myself, as there were no bloody weapons lying about, but there were signs of a big fiery explosion in the middle of the floor... in that there were scorch marks on the floor and burnt and blown-up pews all around. So, pretty cut and dry. They were smoldering whilst we did our investigation. Closer to the front of the place than Jason's carcass—

[ he says "cahcahze", i'm so sorry ]

—and then there was a smaller scorch mark on the ceiling nearby also. Kind of looked like the scorch marks outside the church. I checked the floor for gunpowder or the signs of a bomb, but it was not to be... got soot and ash all over my fucking clothes for nothing.

[allatonce]

Oh. Yeah, Jason probably caused that.

[She's back to eating her nachos.]

[fuckingguy]

... Which one, though? Because at first I thought "oh, something from the big blowup hit the ceiling", but it does not seem like that was the case.

[allatonce]

Big one on the floor is my guess, 'cause it seemed like he was trying to get away from someone.

[fuckingguy]

And Yasuhiro was also there, yes? With the damage Dandy was just talking about, and the burnt hair.

[allatonce]

What, like they killed each other and then an unknown third person went after Hagakure? 'cause I was assuming that Jason ran into the church, the killer finish him off, and then that gave Hagakure time to construct a barricade, Les Mis style.

[fuckingguy]

[ Frowning... ]

I do not think he would do that. If anything, they may have tried to combine their strength and take on the murderer as a team. But both of them being there... what is the timeline on this, exactly?

[specialyellthing]

…

Y’think… it was because he was the bomb?

Am I usin that right? [ZINDA NOW IS NOT THE TIME BUT ALSO JASON WOULD HAVE LOVED IT.]

[allatonce]

[She snorts.]

Yeah. That and also 'cause he was clearly trying to get away from whoever stabbed him.

[hotpaprika]

[... He is very glad he didn't mention the church comment loudly then.]

[hotpaprika]

What kind of horrible person would desecrate a church like that...

[This is said more to himself.]

[bootyhunter]

Not everybody's Christian, Jonny-baby. I'm not down to throw-down over a debate on theology, on account of the fact that it ain't my place. But the whole fire n' brimstone thing isn't the ipso-facto for all of us.

[Dandy speaks sternly in Jonathan's direction, although it's followed by a sigh and softening up.]

Either way, it's pretty disrespectful.

'S just that some people don't really care.

[specialyellthing]

Or they were more focused on somethin’ else. Like surviving.

[bootyhunter]

Yeah.

[He flashes her a sheepish grin.]

That too.

[giddyundertaker]

[ After applauding the big boy for setting foot in a church... ]

There seems to be a lot of fire damage mentioned, especially in Jason's case. Perhaps our killer was playing around with those fire plasmids?

[fuckingguy]

I mean, not sure what else it could be, since we are lacking all our powers. Who else was using the fire ones besides Jason?

[visiblepattern]

We may not get an answer unless someone was seen with them - it would be senseless to admit to such a thing now.

[fuckingguy]

Yes. Even if they are not the culprit, I would not be surprised if they kept it to themselves.

[hotpaprika]

... I suppose we could start by collaborating on who we know took the plasmids. It wouldn't rule anyone out, nor would it necessarily create a list of suspects, but perhaps it might be a good mental note.

[capreelcious]

[ Floyd has a thought... ]

D'you think along with the fire powers, someone coulda used the sonic boom powers? Because somethin' like that coulda acted like a bomb almost!

[fuckingguy]

—Oh, that is a very clever idea!

[capreelcious]

Yeah! Last I checked the boom powers don't mess with your hands much, except for like ripple effects, so you might not even know if someone had it unless they were usin' it! So it's like...

[ He holds out his hands toward the ground in a little demonstration. ]

One hand has fire, one hand has the boom, aim it right and it's a big explosion!

[pairtner]

You get only two powers at a time, and since Jason showed signs of both fire and a plastic hand, there's no room for him to have a sonic boom as well.

[Meaning:]

If this is true then it's proof Jason didn't do that to him. It would have to be a third party.

[capreelcious]

Yeah- that's what I'm figurin'! Sunfish didn't really seem like the kinda person to like... go on a big fiery rampage unless he was tryin' to protect himself, or the powers suddenly went haywire. And last I checked they didn't.

[ Jason is absolutely Sunfish. ]

[inaclearing]

No. He wasn't...the most careful person, but he wouldn't have deliberately hurt anybody.

[Like, Brett could see him accidentally causing an explosion with fire hands, but there's no real sign of anything here being unintentional.]