The Mock Trial

[airlockedmods]

[Jesse McCree is dead, the first victim of, what the Overseers seem to hope, is a long game of motives and murder for whatever their reasons. With the investigation completed, C.E.C.E.'s voice comes over the system and directs the Champions to proceed to the locked elevator door at the end of the hallway. Once all Champions are on board, the elevator begins a slow descent down beyond any area that they've been able to explore so far. At least the elevator music is charming.

When the elevator door opens, the Champions enter a courtroom with 21 podiums arranged in a circle and each one marked with a name. McCree's face grins casually at the 20 surviving members from one of the podiums, a greyscale portrait in honor of the dead.]

Congratulations. We have now entered the trial portion of the test. I trust that you will do your best to determine who disturbed the peace by committing murder. Once the culprit has been found, they will face an appropriate punishment for their crime. If you fail to determine the culprit, however, they will be allowed to leave the space station and the rest of you will face punishment instead.

Comments

[rosetagonist]

[ One second, Naho had been here and then the next... she wasn't. The video feed started up and it was sending shivers down her spine, eyes widening when the man came through the screen toward Naho. No amount of huntress training and the tragedy at Beacon Academy could have ever prepared her for this.

Naho's scream causes Ruby to go pale as a sheet, the spray of blood afterward making her cover her mouth with her hands but she never could expected it when the view changed to show a different side of what was going on. Her silver eyes were fixed on the screen in horror, and before it's even done she's sunk down to the floor with her hands having moved to cover her ears so she doesn't have to hear that.

All while she doesn't even realize she's started crying, her small form trembling, eyes shut and not wanting any more of this. ]

I can't...! Make it stop... please...

[misplacedxsheath]

[Margulis is going to crouch down again to offer a hand up.]

Stand up. There's no point in remaining here now.

[rosetagonist]

[ It takes a noticeable couple of seconds before she looks up at him with tear streaked cheeks and pain still lingering behind her silver hues. ]

...So... it's over? It's really... we can leave this room now?

[ She's already reaching to take his hand, trying to gather her composure now even if she'll likely not be able to get Naho's screams out from her head. ]

[misplacedxsheath]

[He nods as he helps her to her feet.]

The elevator is open. It's time for us to return to the more palatable portion of our cage.

[rosetagonist]

Y-Yeah. I don't think i'm really gonna like ever coming back here, though.

[ Look at Ruby. She's at least trying to regain some of her spunk, even if a little bit despite she's still clearly hurting. ]

We have... to try hard to keep going. That's what she would have wanted for us.

[ With that she is going to try to head to the elevator, but will remain next to Margulis because right now she just doesn't want to be left on her own. ]

[misplacedxsheath]

Then pray we gain the upper hand before they find another sadistic choice to force one of us to murder. Now that we've seen the consequences of playing their game and losing, I'm certain none of us will repeat this process short of desperation.

[stitch_in_time]

Hey! Hey, it's-

[Well, nothing about this is okay. Nine's gonna crouch next to her, hand on her shoulder.]

It's over.

[rosetagonist]

[ That first initial touch got her to still somewhat, but it's when the Doctor speaks again that she finally looks up at him. This just... was so exhausting and painful. How did everyone else manage to handle this? ]

...It... is? [ She initially sounds unsure, raising a hand to try and wipe away the recently fallen tears. ] Naho didn't... I know she killed that guy but all of... that wasn't what she deserved!

[stitch_in_time]

Yeah, it's over.

[For now, at least. Until the Overseers come up with something else for them. But for now, it's over, and in this moment that's the important thing.]

No one deserves that, I know. Best we can do now is try to make sure it doesn't happen again.

[No one should have to see that, either. You're like what, twelve?]

Think you can stand up?