Fourth Trial

[bathymetric]

[ After the evidence (and what a large batch of evidence it is, this time) has been gathered up, after actually patiently waiting a longer time than usual to make sure everything's been grabbed, the speakers over New Rapture crackle to life. ]

Time's up, everyone. You know where to go.

[ The lower number of bathyspheres, as you descend, is starting to become really notable, isn't it? The descent is the same as ever, lower and lower into the sea. The bioluminescence of those slugs on the ocean floor is almost brighter today, somehow, and some of them have even crawled up the cliff face around you as you pass them.

The dome approaches, slowly as ever, gleaming red in the darkness. The bathyspheres land in a row, doors opening one by one to reveal the familiar sight of the trial room, three more podiums now darkened. ]

Take your places, ladies and gentlemen. You've got a doozy of a situation to discuss. Ass Man and Silver Fox are dead. You know what happens if you can't figure out whodunnit.

[ Welcome to your fourth trial. ]

Comments

[allatonce]

I mean, he's got a point, even if it was by accident. You're one of like, two people here that would do that to Dandy and it's kind of sus that you showered and changed before we got here.

[hotpaprika]

[He beams a little.]

[buriedstar]

I'm not going to apologize for not wanting to be in dirty clothes.

[ To the first point. ]

Who's the other one?

[allatonce]

Oh, him obviously.

[She points at Drakkon.]

Possibly Gaius, but eh. Seems a little too extra for him.

[inaclearing]

Wh - why him?

[bless brett's heart tbh]

[asymptotes]

[ an exhale. ]

Brett, I haven't been entirely honest, and I'm no longer in the mood to pretend. I'm no danger to you, but... not exactly a stranger to this kind of thing.

[inaclearing]

...and what does that mean?

[It's even, if not quite that regular interview cadence, but he does look a little unnerved. This is his regular adult suitemate buddy, they were supposed to be regular responsible adults together!]

[asymptotes]

I'll explain when we're out of here, okay? Exclusive interview.

[allatonce]

....... Brain busted by the multiverse, fucked up by the motive, keeps saying that he thinks it's tacky but is absolutely smart enough to do something completely unlike his usual MO to throw us all off.

[inaclearing]

I think a lot of us are fucked up by a lot of things...

[ah, but tommy's talking, so brett's just gonna.......not press this one]

[fuckingguy]

As she said. But also, they would be able to wield a sword and lift Dandy with ease, and I know I did not do this shit.

[asymptotes]

[ A shrug. Not an unreasonable conclusion. ]

My best defense is that I think it was tacky.

[allatonce]

But you would do something tacky in order to be more, to fix something fucked up. [She smiles.] Wouldn't you?

[asymptotes]

[ He laughs. ]

I didn't tell you what happened when I fixed the multiverse, did I? I didn't tell you that I won?

[ He grips his podium. ]

I created one perfect world. And it destroyed itself. The universe wants to work the way it does. There's not nothing out there, Joy. That's the worst part. And there's no fixing that.

[specialyellthing]

… Yeah. That sounds about right. [sighing…

remember when zero hour literally made a new big bang

this was BEFORE flash went so fast that he erased zinda from continuity]

[allatonce]

Oh, I know. But that's where you and I are different. You're a hero, aren't you? So even if you can't fix the whole multiverse, you could maybe fix something. And that's enough.

[daimakaicho]

[ just to get it crossed off the list, even if does go nowhere – ]

Hypothetically speaking, does that opinion change if you thought he had anything to do with the poisonings?

[hotpaprika]

-Wait, why on earth would anyone think Dandy did that?

[daimakaicho]

Hypothetically.

[ She snaps straight to Jonathan, her pupils turning into slits again. ]

[inaclearing]

I don't know, but we sure still don't know anything about that.

[This bothers him a lot!]

[asymptotes]

[ Drakkon laughs. It's not kind. ]

Honestly, out of respect for pulling it off, I just might let the person who did it live with the shame of not having finished me off when they had the chance. But coming down here... what do you think the odds actually are on someone winning this thing while there are so many people left? I fight teams all the time, I'm not stupid enough to go after this one with a half-baked plan. Despite the change in attitude, there are some of you I do actually respect.

[daimakaicho]

I'd agree the odds don't look good. But there are those here who have and will try their luck, hoping for the offhand chance they catch everyone on an off day.

So long as someone's willing to make that deal, we're still going to end up here. That's just the terms of the contract.

[ But honestly as long as nothing else happens to come up in the interim, she seems largely satisfied with that answer, giving Drakkon a smile. ]

[buriedstar]

Hmm...unless someone upset his Emperor, I agree.

[allatonce]

Honestly, if I had to pick I would say you're more likely to have done whatever the fuck was up in the ice cream parlor. That seems like the overly complicated bullshit where you don't get your hands dirty you'd be into.

[buriedstar]

Oh, because I'm a mage?