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

[theoverseeing]

[Rox follows his gaze, her face twisting into a scowl at the sight of the only two survivors.]

I expected at least one of them to be the first to go. What kind of Champion titles are 'Landscape Artist' and 'Barista' anyway? One cup of coffee can't be that good. It would've been annoying but at least the Trickster or the robot would've been interesting.
[The same section of hair she pushed back before falls again.] If there was only one of them left I could get away with making him the Ultimate Champion maybe. But not both.

[She touches the pocket of her skirt, preparing to pull something out.] If you want something done right, you have to do it yourse-

[She's abruptly cut off by the sound of her phone ringing.]

[theoversaw]

[Blaze looks at her when she starts speaking, even though she's not addressing him. He's about to tell her to have some fucking tact when her phone starts ringing.

Both their eyes go to the cell phone.]

...Huh. Must be a big deal.

1/2

[theoverseeing]

[Rox pinches the bridge of her nose and heaves an exasperated sigh before lifting the phone to her face to read the caller ID. Almost immediately her face blanches.]

I have to take this. [She quickly glances between her phone and and shell shocked adults on the ground, takes a deep breath-]

2/2

[theoverseeing]

[Then turns back to Blaze with that unsettling shark-ish grin of hers, delicately lifts her free hand and boops him on the nose.]

Take care of it.

[Rox presses the green 'answer' button on her screen, touches the phone to her ear and takes a few limping steps to the center of the platform. In a flash of the Overseers' teleporter activating she's gone.]

[dejabrew]

[The sound of David Bowie snaps Bolton out of his shock, and he looks up at the Overseers with a glare.

When Rox leaves the room, Blaze looks back down and their eyes meet.]

Jamie, get on the teleporter and go back upstairs.

[It's a wonder his voice doesn't shake.]

[unhappylittletrees]

[Jamie doesn't respond immediately. He seems frozen, still holding out his arm and staring at where the teenagers were just a few minutes before.]

...Wh-huh? O-oh.

[After a long hesitation he slowly untangles himself from Bolton and climbs to his feet on shaky legs. He moves on autopilot to the transporter, just as he has in weeks past, and only stops to look over his shoulder when he gets there and realizes Bolton isn't right behind him.]

B-?

[Flash. And he's gone.]

[theoversaw]

Smart move, Barista.

[Blaze claps.]

She would'a picked him. But I guess ya could'a guessed that, huh?

[He jumps down from the Overseers' podium, bracing himself with one hand on the floor when he lands. When he stands, he draws the hilt of his saber.]

[dejabrew]

[Bolton stands up and takes a wary step back from Chloe's podium.]

Didn't wanna give her the choice.

[theoversaw]

[Blaze flicks his arm, and the saber lights up in a shaft of golden light.]

I respect that, takin' his place. I'll make it quick for ya. See if I can convince her ta let him go with just one Champ left.

[dejabrew]

Thanks, but no thanks. Penny died so me and J could have a chance to live- I'm not throwing that away here. I just need to get through you and I can get back to him.

[theoversaw]

Well, th'offer stands.

[And then Blaze lunges, swinging the golden blade down at Bolton.]

[dejabrew]

[Bolton ducks behind the podium just in time to dodge the swing. The blade slices white hot through the podium.

He turns and looks at the half of the podium. When Blaze Dudely rears up to swing again, Bolton hefts his weight against the heavy chrome and flips it into his face.]

[theoversaw]

[Blaze Dudely grunts, swinging his sword to cut through the metal again with ease.]

Clever. But how long do ya think you can keep it up, Barista?

[He stops, looking around. Bolton White is gone.]

Oh, come on. Hiding already? Ya can't have gone back up, ya know I can find ya.

[dejabrew]

[Bolton hides behind his own podium, following Blaze Dudely's movements by ear, holding his breath and looking around for something he can use to counter that sword. If he can just disarm him he can punch him out.]

[theoversaw]

[Blaze turns and slices Jamie's podium in half with a snarl. And then he lifts his head, and stops.]

Hot Fudge Sundaes-- What-

[dejabrew]

[Bolton peeks up over his podium, and stops still as well.

Scorpion Worm stands at Tsurugi's podium, just staring still and quiet. There's no indication that he's dead but, well. He super is.]

[theoversaw]

Hey! What in the-

[Lucina is next, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth, her skin blackened and burned. Next to her is Osomatsu, with blood pouring down the front of Karamatsu's clothes from the gash across his throat, and then Manaka, with blood in her hair.]

What kind of ghosts are you!? If this is a joke, I'm not laughin!

[dejabrew]

[Bolton is messed up by the ghosts as well, but unlike Blaze he knew about the sightings of the dead.

And like Blaze, he knows an opportunity when he sees one.

He slips off his shirt and twists it like he's about to flick a towel, then sneaks out from behind his podium and creeps up behind Blaze.

He jumps at him, looping the shirt around his neck and pulling tight.]

You were looking for me, you bastard?

[theoversaw]

[And just like that, Blaze isn't paying attention to the ghosts anymore because there's an angry barista on his back pulling a hawaiian print rope taut against his neck. He drops his saber to grab at it, twisting the cotton fabric and gasping for air.

He can feel the stars dancing across his vision, giving tempo to the burning in his lungs. He twists and staggers backward, slamming Bolton's back into Prompto's podium.]

[dejabrew]

[Bolton cries out in pain when his back hits the podium, but he pulls tighter until he's slammed into the voting panel on the front of Prompto's podium.]

Is that all you've got?!

[airlockedmods]

[Almost immediately after Bolton's back hits Prompto's podium CECE's voice echos from above:]

The votes have been tallied. Commencing execution.

[theoversaw]

[Blaze freezes. He's loosened Bolton's grip enough that he's not being choked anymore, gasping for breath as he nearly trips over the bubble that's starting to rise from the floor.]

What!? CECE, shut it off! That wasn't a vote!

[dejabrew]

What's the matter, Blaze? You scared?

[Bolton can taste blood in his mouth from where the second slam made him bite his tongue, but he tries to get his arm around Blaze's neck instead of the shirt.]

[theoversaw]

You idiot! You really think you're gonna survive too?

[His fingers dig into Bolton's arm as his voice goes hoarse from the pressure back at his throat.]

If I die, you die too.

[dejabrew]

You think?

[The bubble is up to their hip level on the sides, now. Bolton sucks in a breath and reaches back with his free hand to grip the podium, leaning in to bite Blaze on the ear hard enough to draw blood to startle him into letting go.]

They told me to live, you bastard.