final trial

[airlockedmods]

[With the announcement, the Champions can crowd together onto the teleporter with no issues. Once that's done the process of teleporting is automatic and happens in the blink of an eye. Once second they're in the center of the cafeteria before a soft blue light surrounds them and then they're standing in the middle of a circle of podiums. It's so much emptier than it was just a few weeks ago that their voices echo when they try to speak up.

The room itself it the same shiny, chrome-covered atrocity as most of the rest of the ship save for the sections of floor that aren't the teleporter: those are thick clear glass that show nothing but empty space and stars beneath the Champions' feet. As for the podiums they're the same sort of garish chrome with a digital screen facing toward the center of the circle. More portraits and names in blaring red have been added this week. Thomas MacLaine, the Champion Accomplice, Manaka Sajyou, the Champion Mother and finally Roxy Lalonde, the Champion of ████████.

The Overseers are waiting when they all arrive, standing on a floating platform just high enough to be out of reach and back far enough toward a far wall to have a full view of the courtroom. Both are dressed well, Rox in a pressed grey dress jacket and skirt and Blaze in a black suit with the sleeves rolled up to expose his numerous tattoos. He still has the eye patch and Rox watches them with keen interest as they enter.]

Welcome back, Champions. There are six of you here but, if things go correctly, only five of you will leave. I don't think I have to explain at this point what will happen if you choose wrong.

This shouldn't take long though. We all know what happened. Anticlimactic but not everything can be a good mystery I suppose. [She folds her arms across her chest, looking down on the Champions.] Let the trial begin.

Comments

actually, pre-trial also

[lovecolored]

[ Marisa promptly walks out of the kitchen with her broom in hand, Mima's wand hooked on her belt, and at least 8 patchwork-looking chemical bombs floating around her. She'll delicately hand one to each person coming with on their death run, and saves a few for herself. ]

Now be careful! I know we're basically on a suicide mission, but ya wanna stay alive as long as possible, yeah? I watched this movie in the media room where this kid got set on fire and then the doctors replaced his heart with a baked potato and it exploded all over his poor friends. Don't be that kid!

[ Marisa then proceeds to give surprisingly accurate bomb-handling instructions, despite baked potatoes having nothing to do with this. Okay, maybe she ate one before she came here. Don't wanna fight on an empty stomach. ]

[le_mat]

...yeah, let's not do that.

[lovecolored]

I thought for a minute that scene would make me never want a baked potato again, but it turns out to be my last meal. Whodathunk.

How's your pitching arm? These ones you can just throw.

[playthedamncard]

If nothing else, we'll go out with a bang.

[lovecolored]

Things goin' boom was always my specialty. I couldn't pick a better way to go out, ze.

[in4apounding]

[Cautiously taking one of the bombs.]

...how do you mistake a heart for a baked potato.

[lovecolored]

I dunno, the doctor was pretty stupid. One'a the nurses put his lunch into the medical microwave and then they did surgery, and I guess he slapped it in there by mistake. It was a weird-ass movie. Nothin' but dick jokes, ze.

pre trial

[le_mat]

[As they all crowd on, but before teleporting down]

Hey, everyone. Group up.

[Don't ask questions as Akira... pulls his phone out, snapping a pick once folks have a chance to realize what he's doing.

He tosses it to Bolton]

The unlock is a star.

[He makes the finger slide gesture in the air]

Most of it's still locked, but not the important stuff. [His pics, music, anything that doesn't ahve to do with Phantom Thievery. Keep it safe buddy]

[lovecolored]

[ giving the biggest grin she can muster, bombs in her apron and all

She has a surprisingly cute smile. ]

[in4apounding]

[Sorry Akira, Penny mostly just manages a look of surprised shock in that photo.]

[dejabrew]

[Bolton is still recovering from having his soul stolen picture taken when he's tossed the phone. Luckily, he catches it, looks down at it and then back up at Akira.]

I'll remember.

...If we get out of here, who do you want me to give it to?

[le_mat]

My...

[Friends? Sojiro?]

....my mom. Her number is.... is on there.

[unhappylittletrees]

...Are you sure you want to do this?

[This is a horrible plan and Jamie is Not Here For It but clearly he was outvoted before he even arrived at the holodeck.]

[le_mat]

Yeah. I, we, gotta. I'm sorry Jamie....

[in4apounding]

Just- stay safe, Mister Jamie. Please.

[le_mat]

[Once inside, Akria doesn't go for his podium. Instead heading right for the middle of the room, standing over space]

[in4apounding]

[Penny enters, still clutching Shovel-kun to her chest.]

...Yes. We do.

[She looks up at Rox.]

Do you remember the message I had CECE give you, Miss Petuu? That's still true.

[M... TB... start?]

[le_mat]

I was there, I saw what happened. But that doesn't matter. Penny is innocent.

[lovecolored]

[ While the others are arguing with Rox, Marisa hops on her broomstick and takes a deep breath. She ties her two spare bombs up in her apron, making sure they won't rustle too much. It was as good of a distraction as they were all going to get.

For a second, she wonders how this will work if she can't fly. But then she remembers, what she and Penny were talking about when Penny found Marisa's broomstick--that before she could fly properly, she'd propel herself up in the air with little fire blasts, and it gives her an idea. She still has her best spell.

In a flash, she's off, launching herself up into the air with a gust of white fire, flames licking at her socks and the edge of her skirt. Briefly, just briefly, she taps Akira's shoulder, to at least give him a warning; he knows to avoid the bullets. ]

Blazing Star!

[ As much as she loves using Master Spark, it's this one that's her showstopper, her final performance. There's a flash of light, and Marisa's zipping around the trial room, blaze of heat and stars trailing behind her. She can't control where she's ramming herself and just hopes that she hits Blaze (ha) or Rox, but she manages to plant her feet on the walls every time she reaches one, pivoting herself backwards to try again. She has 35 seconds to (attempt to) make this work. ]

[le_mat]

[he feels the tap and nods]

Bolton, Jamie, get behind the podium! Seto, Penny, cover her!

[he rears back and lops his own bomb up at the overhang]

[airlockedmods]

[When Rox hits the button on her phone, the process begins. It's not unlike what happened with Korra. Once again, CECE doesn't issue her usual warning, as the bubbles begin to close up over the podiums of the dead and block off the Overseers' podium.]

[le_mat]

[he hears Marisa die. Hears Seto scream and fall.

They're dead, they're all dead. But still he refuses to let go. He bellows, refusing to drop his knife to get a better grip, but putting all he had left into hauling himself up. He strains, his sight going splotchy white with the desire to pass out, but he's managing it- just a little more-!]

[dejabrew]

[Bolton and Jamie are still tucked behind Chloe's podium, but when the bubble starts to come up and close around them he... he tries one last time to get them to save themselves.]

Guys! They're closing! Get to a podium, now!

[theoverseeing]

[When the metaphorical dust settles Rox pushes back a long section of hair that'd fallen in front of her face in the chaos, smoothing it back behind her ear, and looks out on the seemingly empty room.]

What a waste.

[theoversaw]

[Blaze Dudely looks down at the glass, at the two shocked adults and the dead teenagers floating beneath the glass floor.

He looks, and says nothing.]