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

[airlockedmods]

[The entire space station seems to shiver with the force of the explosions, and the Overseer's platform creaks.

In the ensuing explosions, it's easy to miss the snap of a wooden broomstick and the crack of a body hitting the wall. But nonetheless, a body drops from the wall to the floor with a sickening noise. Her clothes continue to burn, but the shrapnel and the burns to her face have kept her from suffering even as she burns.

Marisa Kirisame is dead.]

[in4apounding]

MARISA-!

[She'd known. She'd known, going in, that this meant they were all going to die. Going to die BECAUSE OF HER-]

[But it was different seeing it, yet again, even after so many other bodies that had belong to people she cared about.]

[But she's up on one of the platforms, ready to try launching herself upwards, after Akira and Seto, to try- to maybe accomplish just a fraction of what they'd hoped- so that even if they all died they would die putting the fear of death in Rox Petuu.]

[playthedamncard]

[Kaiba manages to get a little more height and distance, though instead of clearing the platform he, too, is left clinging to the edge--less desperately than Akira, however. Both arms scrabbling for purchase to heft the rest of his body up, almost there, almost there. So long as nothing happens, he might actually be able to pull himself up, and Akira, too.

Make it count. Like he'd told Yuri.

And then Marisa and her bombs both go off in a shower of flames, the platform creaking and everything around them shuddering. He loses traction from the jolt, sliding--] Marisa! [--loses grip entirely, and he plummets just like Marisa. Just not on fire and not dead. Yet.]

[in4apounding]

[Well. That's happening.]

[Okay! Change of plans. She dives off the podium, arms stretched out, aiming to catch Kaiba before he hit the floor.]

SETO-!

[Please let her be fast enough, please-]

[playthedamncard]

[-and her wishes are answered, slamming into Penny's arms with a whuff of air and a flutter of his coat. It's certainly saved him from snapping his spine or cracking his head on one of the podiums. Much appreciated.]

[theoverseeing]

[It's impossible to tell whether or not Rox takes any satisfaction in Marisa's death nor if she's even noticed the thunk of a body against the cracking bubble. Even with Blaze's weight both protecting and pinning her, she manages to wretch her dominant free and, with gritted teeth, slams her thumb down on the screen.]