SIXTH TRIAL

[bathymetric]

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. ]

Comments

[mouflon]

So, like the Professor said, the aquarium was a mess. Several tanks smashed open, and one with bullet holes. Based on the spread, we're looking at an auto or semi-auto weapon, and... I can't be as sure about this, but given the caliber of the bullets, I'm going to guess it's a rifle over a pistol.

There was also a lot of other damage that I'm... less sure about. Claw marks gouged into the walls, and spots that looked... melted?

[ Alas, she knows less about acid damage than she does guns. ]

[blackmass]

Corrosive damage, most likely. There was some in the hallway, along with several bullet holes as well.

[ladygeryon]

There were claw marks on the wall of the weapon room in the museum as well. The weapon case was also smashed open, with one of the swords being missing.

[bolderfell]

[First thing, Therion lays a rifle across his podium. He'll come around to it eventually.]

I looked around where we found him while Zerinda checked the body. Think everyone saw how badly the place was damaged. The walls, the ceiling--and it was particularly bad over by the entrance to the weapons display. Like something exploded, or something hit the floor hard enough to make shockwaves. And that's not the only thing that did damage.

[He takes out a Ziploc bag with some weirdly corroded rock samples inside.]

Anyone familiar with different acids? Because I can't figure out what melted these rocks. Smells sharper than the acids I know. Metallic.

[Finally, he gestures at the gun.]

Also, someone who knows more about this should take a look at it. I already dusted it. No prints on it at all.

[mouflon]

Out of curiosity, how did the bullet spray look in the hallway? I'm assuming it's all from the same gun, but... I mean, does it look like the person firing was doing it in controlled bursts, or just hosing down everything in sight?

mods?

[blackmass]

[That's a good question. How crazy was the bullet spread?]

[nothingcanstop]

Everywhere got a little messed up, huh...? I was going to ask you about the bullets. [ Della places a few on her podium. ] Found these in the garden. They were in the pond, but that's not the only place. There were bullet holes on the walls, as well as claw marks and scorch marks.

...The rest of the garden didn't get off well either, since there was kicked up dirt just...all over the place. And the plants--most of them got hit by something. Except, it was weird...there was a lot less damage to the poison plants.

[bathymetric]

[ Not completely out of control, but "controlled bursts" don't seem to have been the name of the game. ]

[bolderfell]

...Is a "rifle" a big gun.

[bolderfell]

[...Well, someone's gotta ask.]

The claw marks. Think they could've come from Vincent's arm?

[You know. The metal one that made his Therion Check difficult.]

[blackmass]

I wouldn't say there was considerable thought put into the aim, at the very least.

[mouflon]

That's right. Mind if I take a look at that, Therion?

[bolderfell]

Be my guest.

[He brings it over to her. No one should have ever let him have one of Vincent's guns, let alone two.]

[mouflon]

There was also dirt tracked into the aquarium. I assume that means the chase moved from the garden to there.

It sounds like whoever was firing the gun was either inexperienced, or not in a controlled state of mind. Whether you're chasing someone or being chased, your fire should be more controlled than what we're hearing about, and being chased alone shouldn't be enough to make someone with combat experience lose their cool.

mods!

[mouflon]

[ Rin is going to check if there's any ammunition left in the chamber, and if so, if it matches the bullets she and Della retrieved from the other rooms. ]

[bogwife]

Vincent was killed by a fairly large stab wound in his chest. He may have been there for a bit, there was a lot of blood pooled under him. Based on how destroyed the entire area was I think we know there was a fight but there was blood scattered around the museum lobby and there were tears and rips in his cape that looked much newer than the rest of them.

[She folds her arms across her chest, closing her eyes to visualize what she saw better.] He was already cold when I got to him and he was positioned in a bit of an odd way. He was on his back and one arm was set across his chest? [She opens her eyes again and chews her lower lip in thought.]

A few people already know this but Vincent was alive when I found him. He looked at me before he died and he said "I'm a mo-" and then he died. [She frowns suddenly.] I wasn't terribly close with him but does anyone remember what color his eyes were?

[mouflon]

It was the same in the aquarium. Not totally unhinged, but not what I would expect to see from someone comfortable with the weapon, at the very least.

[bolderfell]

Vincent, at least, was used to combat. Someone wanted to destroy the world he's from. He was part of a group fighting back.

[ladygeryon]

They were spaced about the right length for that, it's true. And they didn't look too high up either.

[blackmass]

...We only spoke a time or two, but...red, I believe. Why does that matter?

[bogwife]

When he looked at me before he died his eyes were gold.

[bolderfell]

He smashed something weird I got out of the machine with it, so he could probably use it to fight or attack someone. What I mean is that battling with it seemed to come naturally to him.

[bolderfell]

...Like Alice's?

[blackmass]

How strange. Do you presume that had something to do with everyone's power fluctuations, perhaps? In my own world, magic and the like are often tied to one's eyes.

[ladygeryon]

Hmm...though with all the damage to the walls, either his opponent was good at dodging or he was flailing wildly during the fight.