unknownseas | SIXTH TRIAL

Alright, same as every week before this - gather at the Vault Door so my Assistant can let you in. And I can start hoping to salvage at least the aquarium.

[ The Assistant, nee Failsafe, stands in her armor at the ready when you arrive, not saying a word and simply unlocking the door and elevator for you to head on down to the trial room. Second verse, same as the first five verses, but a whole lot quieter and a whole lot meaner.

The elevator is a lot emptier now, isn't it? Your number has fallen yet again since the last time you were here. Feels like yesterday, or maybe forever ago? Time's feeling pretty weird right about now, but trial days are for getting locked into the moment. You're here, you're present.

You're running out of allies.

The screens are the same as ever, though, and lower as you enter. ]

I see you haven't decided to continue to increase the number of bodies this week. Perhaps something to be thankful for, in all of this. Hotshot is dead, and the responsibility of finding his killer falls to you. Hopefully this is all old hat to you by now, no?

[The screens rise.

Welcome to your sixth trial. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...Like Alice's?

[She nods.] I thought the same thing.

...Hey, if it was a case like Alice's, do you think... He lost control? If he was the one with the gun, that would explain why the spread of fire was the way it was.

It also seems like he was the one scratching up the walls. Maybe he started out using the gun, but lost enough control that he couldn't even handle it anymore?

Maybe, but that would mean they went around the whole area more than once. There were claw marks and bullet holes in more than one of the rooms.

Either way, that means whoever stabbed him probably did it in self-defense. That'd also explain why there was only a single stab wound. They didn't want to kill him, and probably weren't even trying to.

What about the corrosion, though? We don't have any idea what did that. You think that was him, too?

I don't know. Though, the one thing I did notice... It didn't look like the bullets, the claws, and the acid were moving as a crossfire. If someone is attacking you with claws and a gun, and you're defending yourself with an acid spray, the first two should be going one way and the last one should be going the other, right?

Hm. That's true. Could Vincent have switched between using the rifle and his hand to fight at close range?

Firing off bullets is a good way to herd someone's movements, if you want to get close instead of just shooting them for some reason. That, or he started to fire every time they got out of melee range. It's hard to say for sure.

Does it matter all that much, Rin? Whether they desired it or not, that is still the person we're after. And if they were only acting to protect themselves, why not simply confess now and get it over with?

All I'm saying is that it explains some things about what we found. He wasn't even dead when Zerinda got to him, you know?

You suggest that our culprit left in something of a hurry, then? Most people looking to kill someone would make sure their target is actually dead.

Exactly. And didn't Zerinda say there was a lot of blood pooled under him? That would suggest that he was left to bleed out for a while.

My best guess is that it was someone who was panicked and just hoped for the best. "He's still alive, and our powers are still working, so maybe he'll just heal it off." Something like that.

That would be an incredibly stupid thing to think, especially if he did lose control as we theorize. In that situation, the worst case and most likely scenario is a healing whatever-Vincent-Valentine-was running rampant through this facility.

Maybe, but it's still a case where they don't have to die for killing someone. I don't see what's so hard for you to get about that.

It is no difficult concept, I only think it more likely they assumed Vincent Valentine would die when he was killed and rushed off prematurely.

(no subject)

bolderfell - 2020-05-23 17:59 (UTC) - Expand

fivestagegod - 2020-05-23 18:08 (UTC) - Expand

mouflon - 2020-05-23 18:04 (UTC) - Expand

bolderfell - 2020-05-23 18:07 (UTC) - Expand

blackmass - 2020-05-23 18:10 (UTC) - Expand

mouflon - 2020-05-23 18:18 (UTC) - Expand

blackmass - 2020-05-23 18:20 (UTC) - Expand

Hypothetically panicked as they were, either they were still good enough not to get scratched, or they weren't bleeding for some reason.

Edited 2020-05-23 17:52 (UTC)

That's a good point. They also managed not to get shot, even if Vincent might not have been aiming as well as he should have been.

Still, defending yourself and coming at someone with the intent to kill are two different things.

ladygeryon - 2020-05-23 17:59 (UTC) - Expand

bolderfell - 2020-05-23 18:04 (UTC) - Expand

nothingcanstop - 2020-05-23 17:59 (UTC) - Expand

Because they're going to end up dead if they do that. Something most people acting to defend themselves aren't too thrilled about doing.

They're going to end up dead anyway, with our current track record despite all odds.

Yeah, no shit. But you're asking why they wouldn't confess to what they did. There are less of us, and so we're less likely to solve. Might as well at least put in a good faith effort.

A very good point, I have to agree.

It wouldn't explain the lack of prints... though I guess it would if he was wearing a glove.

[The color in Zerinda's face fades a little.]

Our powers were unstable. If he lost control and attacked someone and they fought back that would explain what he said.

[ Della glances at Zerinda, but doesn't make eye contact. ]

...It would.