fourth trial

[airlockedmods]

[When the announcement sounds and the evidence gathered it’s time for a trial. When the remaining champions are all gathered by the docking bay doors they slide slowly slide open.

The two lines of sentry robots are there again, creating a border path from the docking bay doors to the circle of metal podiums. The podiums themselves were made of strange metals in red and gold and orange and black, each one etched with the name of one of the Champions. There are flood lights - like spot lights - in front of each podium. The lights on Oda, Akande and Leon's podiums have been turned off and their floating grey scale portraits have joined the six from last week.

Blaze Dudely stands on a repair deck on top of his ship, which looms over the proceedings ominously. His expression is still hard to read but his arms are folded across his chest and if you squint close enough there's a somberness about him that hasn't been at other trials.]

Ya'll know how this goes by now. [He's in no mood for pageantry this time.] Take the time ya need but don’t bore me.

Comments

[tokencanadian]

...I don't know. I'm not sure why Leon would ever think to attack someone like Akande. He would probably be too scared to attack him head on.

[Sorry again, Leon.] So is is possible that he would attack him from behind?

[induality]

He probably wouldn't have attacked him head on. He's not stupid. But if he felt like he was at risk...

...he would have attacked him from behind.

[tokencanadian]

Then it's entirely possible that Akande's bruise is from Leon attacking him from behind. Possibly doing it with the baseball.

The question is... why?

[induality]

I doubt he would have done it unless he felt threatened. If Akande was up to something and he saw it... he might have acted then.

He said he was going to clean that ball off so... that would explain why there's blood on it again.

[helladoptera]

If he saw Akande in the cell working with chemicals... that would be suspicious, right?

[tokencanadian]

It would be suspicious enough, given that everyone knows what kind of person he is now.

He must have used the ball to attack Akande, and it got blood on it in the struggle. A blow like that must have hurt, coming from Leon.

[helladoptera]

So then Akande pitches forward, knocking over the bleach, and that burns his arm.

[tokencanadian]

Not that it would stop him from chasing down Leon.

[induality]

Because if whatever he was doing got out, it would be a problem for him.

[helladoptera]

Of course not. Or from beating him up. But if Leon managed to get the door closed with them both in there, then... not hella much Akande could do, given how the cell doors work.

[induality]

But then... he'd be trapped too. What was so important that he felt like he had to...

[helladoptera]

Soma said it earlier, right? Akande wanted to kill us all. Nine bottles, nine rooms. [ NINE DOORS ]

[induality]

Then... he...

Did all that.





...to save us?




[I'm sorry, the old Fukawa can't come to the phone right now.]

[tokencanadian]

That's.... [Frankly amazing, actually.]

If it's true, then... Leon might have just saved our lives.

[induality]

Which would mean... he set off the stuff that was meant to kill us and as a result... killed himself and Akande...

[tokencanadian]

Which would make the things involving Noctis... a distraction?

[helladoptera]

Maybe... that was Akande's plan if people survived. To frame Noctis.

[induality]

...Akande may not have expected to be interrupted. He may have intended on framing Noctis before things... turned out like this.

[power_of_dominance]

[Soma is calm enough now to hear this. He looks toward Fukawa, and there's a grim smile on his lips.]

The same guy who worried about me enough to get you? Looks like he died a hero.

[nightcure]

... We owe him more than we could ever imagine.

[helladoptera]

I... if that's how things went down, then... yeah.

[ A regular everyday hero, even. ]

Akande was planning to gas us, and Leon stopped him.

[tokencanadian]

No... because the doors can't be opened from the inside. In that case, Akande would have been stuck in there, with the room filling with gas.

[empathiser]

And when Akande realised they were trapped inside...

He broke both of Rideaux's legs because he was rude to him. What would he do to someone he realised had guaranteed his death?

[induality]

It would probably be enough for him, yeah. Out of everyone, he thought Akande and Rick were the most suspicious ones left. He probably would have jumped to that conclusion if it was Rick too.

But. Yeah...