Stickronpa: No More Retries

Chapter 1: Pre-Prologue

Notes:

This is the definition of a spur of the moment decision

Chapter Text

POV Terrance

…

… “*GASP*”

For what it feels like forever, I take a gasp of air as relief consumes me soon after. That glitch seemed to only be a visual one and it did not malfunction when I really needed it the most. Or that’s what I thought until I actually open my eyes.. Where am I?

Looking around, I see that I’m not in any place I’d expect. I’m not on a plank that’s over a giant raging propellor of a red airship, nor my shack, in a government base, outside a museum, or even at a post office! No, I was laying down, naked, (which is already a great sign), on what appears to be a summoning circle, inside of some abandoned facility.

Staring at it makes me feel uneasy. I slowly get up with a slight groan and a slight ache that covers my whole body, like I haven’t moved in a long, long while. As soon as I’m on my feet, I notice someone else in the room with me. They turn to look at me, (at my face), and smile.

“You know, all you needed to do was ask~” I say with a wink, “But seriously, why am I here, who are you, and most importantly- why am I naked!?”

The other person obliges as they soon explains who they are and why am I here. Apparently, my worst fears were real. I did die, permanently. However, this magnificent stick figure decided to bring me back, so I can host a game for their friends and enemies. They also used the cheapest summoning technique in the book, which is why my clothes are still dead.

“Okay, ignoring the existential stuff of dying... what game do you want me to help you... uh... host?”

Instead of answering like a normal person, they handed me three games. The titles of the games were: Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, and Danganronpa v3: Killing Harmony. I soon notice how different they look to normal games… How long was I dead?!

I glance back up at them, and say, “I’m not a fan of visual novels. Especially ones that look anime.”

“The game I want to play with them, is the same game these characters play. It looks fun, and I'm sure you would love to host a killing game as well.”

A killing game? “Alright! Now you’re talking! I’ll give them a shot, but first... Can I have some pants. I feel very uncomfortable right now...”

“I have spares for the participants over there. Sorry, it’s the second time I’ve revived someone, successfully.” the stickfigure then shutters like they are thinking about their previous attempt.

“...Thanks,” I say as I walk away, “Heh, just been brought back from the dead, and the first thing I do is play some video games.”

Chapter 2: Prologue

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Reginald

...

...What happened?

From what I could recall, I was walking in my airship, when somebody triggered the alarm. I tried calling up my Right-Hand Man to see why that was happening, but he gave me no answer. Before I could try again, I felt something hit the back of my head and darkness soon followed.

I slowly get up and open my eyes. I was met with confusion and fear. I was no longer on my airship, but instead in... a school room? Not just any school, it looked to be some sort of abandoned facility’s breakroom, that someone just threw in school items, like desks, chairs, and pencils for the aesthetics. They even put a chalkboard on one of the walls that has ‘2 + 2 = Fish’ written on it in chalk. There are no windows in here; however, it appears that there’s a camera and a very intimidating looking gun mounted on the ceiling.

I swallow my fear, and decide to reach into my pockets for my phone. I was clearly kidnapped; however, whoever they were forgot to tie me up, so there’s a possibility I still had my phone on me. Soon, much to my delight, I discovered something in my pocket. I quickly bring it out and- It's some sort of bio card of myself.

“Ultimate? I mean, I am the best leader the clan has ever had, but why call it the ultimate? Also how did this card get a picture of me? And why one that make me look so evil!” I think to myself, as I put my bio card back into my pocket.

I check again, but nothing else is in there. I even go into my top hat’s secret pocket and my hidden coat pockets, but nothing else is in there. Well not exactly, I did find a map of this facility,

which is quiet useful, but not as useful as my phone. These kidnappers really did a good job covering their bases. Though, did they really have to steal my wallet and my golden necklace?

I shake my head. I need to focus. I decide my first step of action is to see if the door to the room is unlocked, and then I should try to figure out who kidnapped me. My bet is the government. They were desperately trying to prove that the Toppat Clan is a crime syndicate, which is it, but thanks to me and our lawyers, they lacked evidence. However, I doubt they were above kidnapping and try to get me to confess.

While I had that tangent in my head, I walk over to the door and turn the nob. It opens, and I exit the room. The outside is not much better, as there’s fake walls set up everywhere. It’s like a makeshift maze, as the ceiling is not connected to the walls, as it is way too high up for them to meet. I walk over to the wall and inspect it. It seems to be bolted to the floor. If I had more people with me, I’m sure I could push this wall down; however, there’s another massive gun in the hallway, that is pointing directly at me. I leave the wall alone for now.

I begin to explore the place with an air of caution. Each turn I make may cause me to lead into a room of army soldiers holding guns. I shudder at the thought.

Soon, I hear over some announcement system, “Attention participants! Please meet in the theater for further instructions!”

I blink. That voice... it’s familiar, but I can’t recall who it belongs to. Despite my lack of knowledge, it sends a shiver down my spine. However, the word, ‘participants’ catches my attention. There’re more people in here?

Seeing how I had nothing better to do and it might give me some answers, I decide to walk over there. Using the map as my guide.

As I head over there, I hear a familiar voice behind me say, “Reg?”

Unlike the previous familiar voice, his voice calms me down and refills my hope I’ll be okay, as I turn around and see- My Right Hand Man.

I run over to him, and tackle hug him.

“Right! You’re here!” I shout.

“Of course, I am! I’m glad you’re here as well!”

I move away from him, and ask, “So, do you know where we are?”

“No. Last thing I remember was some idiot throwing a gas bomb behind me causing me to go unconscious and then waking up here... That happened to you?”

“Yeah. I bet it was shortly after you went out, as I tried calling you.”

“Ah...” Right’s face contorts with guilt.

I smile warmly at him, and say, “Don’t beat yourself up about it, they had to play dirty so that we can both show up here.”

Right smiles, he still looks upset with himself, but at least not as much before.

“Uh... is anyone else over... here...” another voice says, and we both turn to look at another stickfigure down the hall. I sort of recognize him, but like as someone I saw in the background or interacted with him once and never again.

The man is wearing a security uniform and soon spots us. He stops in his tracks and stares at us with fear, as his face grows pale.

“...Hello-” I say to him, which causes the man to bolt to the direction of where he came.

“Oh...” I say disappointed, “Right, you scared him off!”

“Not my fault I’m naturally terrifying! Though... that could not be the only reason,” Right says.

“I agree, he could be working for the government, but I doubt it since of his uniform. Could be a spy for the clan? I know we have a few who are pretending to be security guards,” I say.

Right nods, “Though it’s still suspicious that he ran off like that…”

“Let’s focus on whatever our kidnapper wants first,” I say and bring up the map once again. Right looks at it confused.

“Where did you get that?”

“My pocket. You might have one on you too,” I tell him.

Right checks his pockets and brings out another bio card. This one for him.

“…Bozo? My name’s not that!” Right says.

“Well, you never did give out a name besides being my Right-Hand Man, which is such a mouthful!” I reply.

Right groans and looks at the card again, “Huh... what the heck is an ultimate?”

“If I had to guess it’s being the best in a specific field. As we all know, you’re the best right-hand man anyone could ever ask for, and I am the best toppat leader the clan has ever known!”

Right blushes and says, “Yeah, I am.”

Using the map, we continue walking until we reach the theater. Unlike the first room, it’s made up of false walls that have all connected to form a giant room. There are no chairs, only the same guns, (only times 4), some cameras, speakers, and a stage with its curtains closed. It’s also full of people, whom most are pre-taking in a huge argument. I shudder as it’s between fellow toppats and law enforcement. I say law enforcement, because that’s what their groups had in common, as it’s made up of, a government pilot, a government captain, two police officers, and a warden, whom I instantly recognize as Dmitri, the warden of the Wall. On our side, it seems it’s composed of two higher ups, (Sven and Burt), and the other two… I wouldn’t say recruits, but they weren’t apart of the higher ups. I believe their names were Thomas and Geoffrey.

I also spot two… civilians? No, I’m pretty sure one of them made it on the news for robbing a bank, and I’m not entirely sure, but I think I saw the other on the black market as a hired thief. I also spot a very famous cybernetics doctor, whom I can’t recall her name at the moment, and two security guards; one of whom I recognize as the guy who ran away from us. He seems to be trying to hide behind the entrance, and is barely peeking out to look into the theater.

“Oi! What’s your game here!” Right suddenly, shouts towards the captain. Everyone then turns around to and spots us.

The captain angerly walks over to us, and snaps “What the heck! I can understand Dmitri, Charlie, and I, but why are you holding them,” the captain points to the group who’s just watching the chaos unfold and the police officers, “Here as well? What information for your criminal clan do you think you can grin out of them?!”

“Grr, well first I want to know how you kidnapped us!” Right shouts.

“We didn’t kidnap you! You kidnapped us!” the captain shouts.

They were getting dangerously close toward one another, so I decide to get between them and push the other two aside.

“Are you even listening to each other? Right, I’m starting to think, we weren’t kidnapped by the government,” I tell him, and I look over to the captain, “And we definitely didn’t kidnap you.”

The two step back. The captain mumbles an apology while Right rolls his eyes.

“But uh…,” the pilot says as he approaches us, “If neither one of us kidnapped each other, then… who did?”

“I DID!” the voice from the speakers shouts. Suddenly, the curtains on the stage open, revealing a giant bear mascot costume. It’s not realistic at all, as it has a vertical split, where on the left it’s white, while on its right it’s black. Funny enough, the costume’s right eye looks to be made of tinted glass in the shape of a horizontal red lightning bolt and unlike the other eye, which is just a black dot. We all scream in fear.

“Oh no…” Geoffrey says. Terror in his eyes.

“Sorry~ Couldn’t resist. Got into a new game series and wanted to start this recreation of it off with a bang!” the guy says, and quickly takes off the costume to reveal-

“Terrance Suave, Ultimate Disguiser! Previous chief of the Toppat Clan. And also, the headmaster of this school!” the mad man shouts with excitement. He then proceeds to show off his bio card with manic laughter.

We all scream again. Louder this time.

“I preferred the bear,” Sven whines.

“Please put the costume back on,” Burt says.

“How are you alive?!” the captain stammers.

“Shouldn’t you be rotting in HELL!” one of the police officers, namely the one with incredibly sharp hair, shouts.

“I-I saw you die, I KILLED you, why are you back?!” I stutter out.

“Well, you see it’s very simple!” Terrance says, “I’m here to host a game for you all!”

“What type of game?” Sven asks.

Instead of answering, Terrance shouts across the theater, “Dave, get your butt in here. When I said I want everyone in here, standing outside doesn’t count!”

We all look over to the security guard who’s hiding. The two police officer walk over to him, and basically help him walk closer into the group like they are his bodyguards. He keeps giving the toppats, namely Right, nervous glances like we’re going to jump him the first moment we get.

“Well, anyways- Before we begin, let’s do a small ice breaker so everyone knows the participants!” Terrance says.

“Uh, no thanks,” one the civilians, namely the one with red hair, says.

“Can we just not play either game and go home?” Burt says.

The guns in the room suddenly animate, and turn to face the crowd. We all huddle together, and the braver ones jump in front of sticks they already know. Like Right with me.

“Unless you want to see what these bad boys can do, then I suggest play my games.”

“…”

“[Alright]” the other civilian signs.

The guns die down and everyone separates again.

“Good! Now that everyone is ready, let’s start the ice breaker! What you need to do for this is to tell everyone your name, and ultimate! If you don’t know what it is, check your pockets! I gave each and every one of you your own bio card!”

“What’s an ultimate?” Ellie asks.

“Well, you see, in the game series, Danganronpa, everyone has these things called an ultimate! And since we’re reenacting its game in real life, I thought it’d be best to add them. They are-” Terrance begins.

“Titles given to a person who’s the best in their field. Like ultimate baseball star, or ultimate swimmer,” Geoffrey interrupts.

“…Yes, exactly that…” Terrance sighs, “How do you already know all this stuff?”

“Simple! I’ve already played the game series. I always wanted to try new things, and a mystery series seemed fun,” Geoffrey says.

“Hm, well that throws a wrench in my plans. (Funny how one of the oldest participants is the only one who has played the video game). Though, spoil what happens, and you’ll face punishment time,” Terrance warns.

“…” Geoffrey looks deeply afraid with that threat. Makes me wonder that is? I make a mental note to avoid it whenever possible.

“Anyways, how about you start, since it seems you already know what’s going on here.”

“…Alright. I’m Geoffrey Plumb, and I’m the ultimate planner!”

“I guess it fits, as I am an ideas guy. But honestly, I’m not the best. Thomas, how about you go next?”

“Okay! I’m Thomas Chestershire, ultimate loyalist~”

“Kind of a boring one thou… I wish you chose something else for me, like ultimate tailor or ultimate hottie!”

“Pff! In your dreams! You have the rizz of a panda!” the police officer with the sharp hair says.

“Oh yeah? Then how about you go next, wise guy!”

“Okay… I’m Rupert Price, ultimate soldier.”

“Probably the stupidest one here, as I’m not a soldier. I’m a police officer! Shouldn’t I be… ultimate police officer or something?”

“Nope! Cause I’m the ultimate police officer!” the other police officer says, “Oh, and I’m Johnny Panzer!”

“Which fits~”

“Didn’t you get put on probation for attacking before the guys you were chasing attacked first?” Dave says.

“…Not now, Dave.” Johnny says.

I make another mental note to avoid Johnny as much as possible.

Suddenly, the government pilot shouts, “Oh! Me next! I’m Charles Calvin, ultimate pilot!”

“Mine makes sense as well, as I’m a pilot and can fly almost anything!”

“Almost anything?” Sven asks.

“Yep!” Charles says, “Though, I uh haven’t mastered these makeshift wings, yet-”

“Charlie, remember our talks about what’s considered classified?” the captain says.

“Sorry, captain,”

“How about I go next,” The captain says, “I’m Captain Hubert Galeforce, and I’m the ultimate general,”

“Which is funny because I’m not one yet. Was working on getting promoted before I woke up here though.”

“You’re not a general yet? Ugh, those dogs don’t know what they’re missing out on! If I wasn’t too busy hosting this game, I’d give them a piece of my mind!” Terrance sighs.

Captain Galeforce looks at him confused, and says, “…Thanks?”

I look at Terrance equally confused.

“I’ll also go next,” the warden spits, he has a Russian accent, “I’m Dmitri Johannes Petrov. Ultimate Warden.”

“Heh. Fits, since I haven’t had an escape for my entire run as warden, and I’ve been one for over 50 years!”

“What about Wall’s prisoner suicide rates? Are they not highest?” the doctor says in a thicker Russian accent than Dmitri.

“Small price to pay for perfection. Though, it is shame that I am surrounded by high-ranking criminals and are forced to leave them alone… for now.”

“Thank goodness,” Captain Galeforce groans.

“…I’ll go next,” Sven says, “I’m Sven Svensson, the ultimate… SPARE!?!”

He shouts looking at his card. He then looks directly at Terrance and curses him out. Rupert bursts out laughing.

“Aw~ But that’s all your worth!” Terrance says.

“That is not true!” Sven shouts.

Terrance blows a raspberry at him.

"Really captured his likeness for Sweden in his card, huh?" I think to myself.

“Guess I’m going next,” Burt says, “I’m Burt Curtis. Ultimate Communicator.”

“…”

“Anything else?” Right asks.

“No,”

“Okay, guess I’ll go next. I’m- not going to tell you, but I’m the ultimate right-hand man,” Right says.

“[Afraid of the death note?]” the other civilian signs.

“OF COURSE NOT!” Right shouts, “(Pst, Reg, what’s that?)”

“(It’s an anime)” I whisper back, I then turn back to the crowd and say, “Though you guys can call him, Right. As for me, I’m Reginald Copperbottom. Ultimate Toppat Clan Leader”

“That one is a stretch!” Terrance says, “I wanted to give you the ultimate sissy but- my boss said no!”

“OH, SHUT IT!” Reginald shouts.

“Okay, let’s get back on topic,” the red-haired civilian says, “I’m Ellie Rose. Ultimate…” she looks directly at the cops and then looks at the toppats. She looks at the security guard next to her, who’s giving her a worried glance. After that she decides to finish with “Nevermind.”

“Nevermind?” Sven says.

“I don’t want to reveal it at the moment.” Ellie says.

“Ooo, a secret one! Though, it’s pretty obvious what is~” Terrance giggles.

“Shut up.” Ellie spits, “Anyways, Jacob, would you like to go next.”

“Sure,” Jacob says, “I’m Jacob Rose. Ultimate security guard!”

“Huh. You two related?” Captain Galeforce asks.

“Nope. Just a coincidence. But we’re as close as siblings,” Ellie and Jacob both say at the exact same time.

“Wait, then what does that make you, Dave?” Johnny asks.

“Uh… let me see,” Dave responds, and brings out his card, “So, I’m Dave Panpa and apparently I’m the ultimate… *sigh* Ultimate unlucky stick.”

Both Johnny and Rupert burst out laughing.

“Screw you two.”

“*Chuckles* That fits!” Johnny says, “You are the unluckiest person I’ve ever met!”

“Hey, at least it’s not ultimate spare or something you aren’t,” Rupert giggles.

“HEY!” Sven shouts.

“Y-Yeah. I guess,” Dave says in plan defeat.

Suddenly, the other civilian clears his throat to get everyone’s attention, when they are all looking he signs, “[I am H E N R Y S T I C K M I N and I am the ultimate achiever]”

“[Before anyone says anything, my card is misspelled. S T I C K M A N is a completely different guy, and I am not him]”

“Sorry,” Terrance says.

“Huh, that’s funny” the captain mumbles to himself.

“Did you have plan for him, comrade?” the doctor asks the captain all of a sudden.

“…It’s classified,” Captain Galeforce says.

“Everything is classified with you.”

“You haven’t gone yet, how about you introduce yourself?”

“Alright. Am Dr. Vinschpinsistien. Ultimate doctor,”

“For good reason too. I pioneered and invented most modern-day cybernetics and prosthetics. Also created the first cybernetic brain and have brought people who all thought were goners back to life. I believe I even brought someone back who was cut in half, though I do not remember the story...”

“Vicky, please. This isn’t a good time to bring out your god complex.” Captain Galeforce says.

Dr. Vin rolls her eyes and says, “I do not have god complex.”

“Are you not Victor Frankenstein but girl and Russian?” Dmitri says.

Dr. Vin scoffs.

“Don’t call her that!” Captain Galeforce says, and the mumbles, “(Only I can…)”

Terrance then begins, “Now, since everyone’s finishing getting to know each other, we can begin the game! How exciting!” Everyone boos, “First off, let’s explain the rules. Rule number 1, all of you will live the rest of your natural lives in this school!”

“WHAT?!” Everyone shouts.

“You cannot do that! I have complex to run!” Dmitri shouts.

“I have a clan to run!” I shout.

“I have an army to lead!” Captain Galeforce says.

“Aw man, I don’t want to repeat school!” Charles groans in annoyance.

“N-no…” Dave panics.

“…I can’t stay here!” Jacob cries.

“Don’t worry, Jacob. I’ll get us both out of here!” Ellie reassures him.

“Oh, don’t act so upset! There is a way to get out of here!” Terrance says.

“And that be?” Right asks.

“Graduation!” Terrance says.

“IT’S JUST LIKE SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Charles wines.

“Oh, how does one graduate?” Sven asks.

“Simple! It’s super easy! All you need to do- is kill another participant and get away with it.”

Another wave of “WHAT!?” This time louder echoes through the school.

“It really doesn’t matter how! Stabbing, poison, falling, electrocution, drowning, strangulation, a clever trap, or a simple bonk on the head-”

“T-Terrance, I know you are a terrible person, who doesn’t value others’ lives, but… but… This is too far!” I shout at him.

“Ha-ha! No! It’s right up my ally! This game has everything I love! Bloodshed, friendships, mystery, betrayal, death, despair, hope, and perhaps even romance, all that jazz~”

“Heck no! We aren’t doing this!” Johnny shouts and tackles Terrance. He begins strangling Terrance. The headmaster doesn’t fight back, probably because one of the guns begin to point towards his assailant. Johnny doesn’t seem to notice.

“Oi!” Right shouts and runs after him along with Charles and Rupert.

“JOHNNY! GET OUT OF THERE!” Dave shouts, too scared to help.

Fortunately, right as the gun fires, Right, Charles, and Rupert successfully manage to pull Johnny off of Terrance right before the bullets hit him, which now hit Terrance instead.

“…”

“Welp! Another easy adventure for Johnny Panzer the ultimate police officer!” the police officer says.

“You are never going to let that title go aren’t you?” Rupert sighs.

“Nope~”

Suddenly, Terrance gets up, despite having multiple bullet holes in his body.

“…Ow.” he says.

For the fifth time today, everyone screams.

“H-How!?” Ellie shouts.

“Is possible to learn this power?” Dr. Vin asks and is immediately elbowed in the stomach by Captain Galeforce.

The holes on his body quickly heal up, and Terrance answers, “Simple! You can’t kill what’s already dead!”

“… [So, we are trapped here?]” Henry signs, “[No matter what?]”

“Yep! You guys all of three options. One: play the game, two: die, or three: live here for the rest of your lives, which will be true for most of you.” Terrance says, “Now, here is a more extensive dive into the rules. If I were you, I’d read them, because I’m betting you don’t want to be punished! Tootles~” He then throws a bunch of tablets in the air. Surprisingly, they don’t break when falling on to the ground. Then like magic, he disappears.

“…”

“Well, if we’re all being forced to play the game. Might as well look at the rules,” Charles says as he grabs a tablet.

Quickly, we all grabbed a tablet, and read the rules that appear on it. It says:

“Rule #1: Everyone will stay in the school for the rest of their lives unless they commit a murder. Attempts to escape will result in punishment.

Rule #2: Once a murder occurs, the culprit will be given the title as the blackened, and an investigation then trial will occur. In a trial, everyone must discuss who the blackened is, and at the end vote who they think it is. If the majority votes right, the game will continue but the blackened will receive punishment. If the majority votes wrong, only the blackened will leave, while the rest will receive punishment.

Rule #3: An investigation will trigger once a body is discovered. This is when three innocent individuals see a body, or if 24 hours have passed without discovery.

Rule #4: A blackened will only count as a blackened if they are the stick to deal a killing blow to the last victim. Double murders, accomplices, and failed attempts at murder are allowed, but unless the stick figure who does them deals the final blow, they won’t count as a blackened.

Rule #5: Nighttime starts at 10:00 pm and ends at 6:00 am. Water and lights will be shut off during nighttime. I also do not care if you are out and about during this period or are sleeping outside your dorms.

Rule #6: your mom

Rule #7: Nobody is allowed to kill the traitor.” Traitor? Does that mean Terrance has someone working for him? “If attempted, I’ll step in the way. They are also not allowed to commit murder, only add fuel to the fire for a murder to happen. They also won’t be punished if the participants vote wrong in a trial.

Rule #8: Murders caused directly by me don’t count, and will not trigger a trial.

Rule #9: Suicides don’t count. If someone tries to attempt it, I’ll intervene. Unless it’s assisted, then the assistor will be counted as a blackened (It’s no fun giving a punishment to a corpse.)

Rule #10: No attacking me. It won’t do anything, since I’m already dead. It’s annoying.

Rule #11: I can change, add, get rid of, and ignore rules if I so pleases.” So, this is why we have a tablet, so he can update us…

“Rule #12: Geoffrey is not allowed to say what the punishment entails or any other Danganronpa spoiler. If he does, he’ll immediately receive punishment for ruining the surprise” I spot Geoffrey flinching as he read that rule.

After reading, everyone goes silent as the reality of our situation begins to sink in. Suddenly-

“I-I CAN’T DO THIS! I CAN’T!” Dave shouts with tears in his eyes. He’s shaking uncontrollably, “I DON’T WANT TO DIE IN HERE! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!”

“Dave,” Rupert says in comforting tone, and puts his hand on Dave’s shoulders. In response, Dave breaks free and runs right out of the room.

“DAVE!” Rupert shouts and goes after him.

“Uh…” Johnny says and then runs after them, “Wait for me!”

“…”

“Well, I know who’s not making it,” Right says, and I elbow him in response.

“E-Ellie, don’t you have powers? Get us out of here!” Jacob shouts at his sister.

She looks at him in dismay and says, “I’ve already tried. I can’t access it… He’s got his all his bases covered.”

Jacob looks at Ellie horrified.

“…Are we not going to talk about how there’s a traitor in this game?!” Right shouts, “One of us is working for Terrance, and might’ve been the one to bring him back to life.”

“[How do we know Terrance was brought back?]” Henry signs.

“…Are you serious? The guy literally said, ‘you can’t kill what’s already dead!’” Ellie spits back.

“Besides, a lot of toppats and I saw him die when we dethroned him.” I tell the group.

“What if he faked his death?” Charles asks.

“We spent weeks cleaning the propellor Reg throw him into. If you saw even a glimpse of how much blood and gore was on it, you’d not believe there was even a shot he survived.” Right explains.

“Wait, you killed him?” Jacob asks me.

“Yes, I did.” I respond. The security guard starts shaking, while his sister looks at me with disproval, “Oh, please. I’m sure half the people here have at least ended a life once. We have soldiers, criminals, and Dmitri in here. Besides, it was Terrance, who I shall remind you, was the worst leader the Toppat Clan ever known! He killed and maimed hundreds of innocent stick figures and law enforcement, and that’s not counting his own toppats that he sacrificed in the name of his heists! I wouldn’t be surprised if half of the people in this room were in one way, or another, negatively affected by his journey to seek thrill. It was deserved!”

“…” Jacob rubs his arm, “Yeah, that’s fair…”

“Okay, now that’s over and done with, are we going to finally talk about the traitor among us?” Ellie says.

“[Among Us]” Henry repeats while smiling to himself. Ellie gives him an annoyed glance.

“Well, personally… I think the captain over there is the traitor,” Thomas says.

“No, I’m-”

“Yeah, I agree with that, especially how chummy Terrance was acting around him,” Sven says.

“Ugh. Hubert is not vile enough to pull something off like this. I would say, Reginald or orange mustache is traitor,” Dr. Vin says.

“Oi! We would never do something like this! Especially to our own toppats!”

“[What about D M I T R I? This situation seems like something he would do]” Henry signs.

“Please, I wouldn’t put random law enforcement in my version of the game,” Dmitri ‘defends’ himself, “I say it is Reginald,”

“That’s a really bad defense,” I tell him, “Besides what would I gain for killing my own toppats?”

“What about Dave? He could’ve faked that freak out of his to gain sympathy and remove our suspicions of him,” Burt says.

“It looked too real to be fake,” Geoffrey says, “I’d more wager he’d be the most viable to fall into despair and become the first blackened. I would say the traitor is either Johnny or Ellie. The former being a bit too aggressive and the latter for hiding her ultimate.”

“Hiding my ultimate doesn’t prove I’m the one behind this. I DON’T EVEN KNOW HALF OF YOU!” Ellie shouts, “Maybe it’s you, because you’re the only one in here that knows about that stupid game!”

“That we know of,” Charles says.

“EVERYONE CALM DOWN!” Captain Galeforce shouts. Everyone turns to look at him, “I know the situation is scary, but we can’t afford to accuse each other and drive each other apart. If we want to get out of this situation alive, then we need to work together. I suggest we take a moment to relax and get familiar with our surroundings.”

“…Uh, who made you the leader?” Burt asks.

“Are we really going to ask that-” Captain Galeforce.

“Yeah! I think we should make Reginald the leader! He’s already the leader of the Toppat Clan, and I don’t want to follow a government captain!” Thomas shouts.

“I agree! I’m clearly the best option~” I say, “Besides, my ultimate is literally called ‘Ultimate Toppat Clan Leader.’”

“Didn’t Terrance say that was a stretch?” Charles says.

“He’s just mad that Reg killed him,” Right says.

“Really, that’s your argument? ‘Ultimate General’ is another leadership ultimate,” Captain Galeforce says, “I really think I should be the leader instead.”

“I am not going to follow some criminal!” Dmitri spits, “I say, I be the leader!”

Everyone looks at Dmitri, and after a minute he finally yields and says, “Fine, Captain Galeforce can be the leader.”

“I’m not going to follow a government agent!” Thomas shouts, and the other toppats nod in agreement.

“Well, I do not want to follow a criminal, either!” Dmitri says, and Dr. Vin, Charles, and Captain Galeforce nod in agreement.

An argument soon takes place, both sides arguing why everyone should follow their leader and not some untrustworthy enemy. It gets pretty annoying, as the other side doesn’t give up and realizes how much better of a leader I am!

The fight ends when I shout, “Fine, be that way! We don’t need you following me! We can survive and escape without your help!”

That causes a chain reaction with Captain Galeforce yelling, “You know what? I agree. Anyone who wants to actually work together follow me.”

“And those who are loyal toppats, follow me!” I shout.

The room is soon split into sides, on my side we have me, Right, Sven, Burt, Thomas, and Geoffrey, while on Captain Galeforce’s side he has, himself, Charles, Dr. Vin, and Dmitri. At first I thought we have the advantage, but then I remembered not everyone has picked a side yet, and with how Captain Galeforce looks at the spot where the ones who didn’t get involved were, who left during the argument, he realizes this to.

Before either side can make a move, over the intercoms, Terrance says, “It’s nighttime! Wow, it hasn’t been a day yet, and some juicy drama has already started! I love this!” Then the lights go out, and it becomes pitch black.

“…”

“Alright, I think we should find a place to stay for the night,” Captain Galeforce and I say at the exact same time.

“Uh, didn’t we have a map that had our dorm rooms on it?” Charles and Burt say at the exact same time.

“Alright! Everyone let’s go there!” Captain Galeforce and I both say, and the two groups go their separate ways.

It’s really difficult to go back to our rooms as there was barely a single light on. I feel goosebumps form across my skin, as we exit the theater. Soon, I feel Right grab my hand, causing me to feel a lot safer. Eventually, we make it to our rooms, but it’s too dark to tell who’s room is whom. Unanimously, we decide to figure that out in the morning, as I open a random room. No locks? That’s concerning…

Right follows me in, and we both navigate towards the bed. We lay down on it and after a minute, and I soon overhear someone yelling at another person to get out of his room. I chuckle a little bit at the mix up, but then- it grows eerily quiet.

I’m stuck here. How long will my enemies go before deciding to snap and kill one of our clan members? Or have they already decided to do so, and are currently thinking up a plan? Should I be thinking of a plan to kill one of them so I can live another day? Am I going to die here?

I feel Right grab hand and hold it gently. My uneasiness mostly evaporates. As I slowly drift off to sleep, I just know I’ll be fine as long as he’s beside me.

Though one lingering fear remains. Does Terrance still have-

POV ???:

…

“…And he’s gone. *Pause* Why does this have to happen to me? Okay, it’s fine. I’ve been in worse situations. I’ll figure out a way around it. I got to. Everyone is counting on me to.”

16 remain...

Notes:

Don't expect many pictures after this. I don't find drawing, especially digital art, as fun as writing. Especially, since I don't think highly of my ablitiy to draw art.
Why did I add them? Cause I think with this type of story, it'll give more of an impact than word could.
Also, like only a handful of these sticks really deserve the title of ultimate lol

(Also, I didn't take away Reginald's necklace so I didn't have to draw it. You're lying!)
Fun fact! The bio card for Dave is named 'Card 13' in my files. Because, come on! It had to be him.

Chapter 3: PtS Daily Life #1

Summary:

Everyone's exploring the abandoned ~~factory~~ school they're all trapped in.

Notes:

So, remember when I said I'll update it when I finish one of my more longer works... Well, I lied.
I couldn't stop myself, and now here we are.
I've decided to go a middle route. I'll post the entire chapter 1 (or trial one) throughout the following weeks, either weekly, every other day, or when I finish the BDA and Execution on it's respective chapter. After that, I'll go do other projects for a while and then go back here.
(I love how the chapter card gives the impression that Johnny's going "If I just ignore him, I'll be fine" with Jacob.) Yes, I changed Dave's design a bit. I made him better.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Reginald:

Ding, Dong! “Good news everyone! Yesterday wasn’t a dream! Good morning!” Terrance shouts from the intercoms, “It’s now 6:00 am! Have fun murdering!”

I groan as I get up. My body feels shaky. I put my head into my hands and sigh.

“Bad dream?” Right asks.

“This is all a bad dream,” I answer back.

We slowly get up and I immediately head into the bathroom. As I enter I notice it has a cheap looking toilet, sink, shower, dryer, and washer inside. Goes to show the budget of this place. The only thing remarkably okay is the drawers which the sink is on top of. Above the sink, there lies a mirror where I see my reflection. It looks like a mess, especially since I forgot to change and slept with my clothes on. I sigh and search the cupboards for a comb and some hair gel.

With luck, I soon discover some, along with some strange coins. It looks oddly like the bear costume Terrance wore before. I pocket the ‘bear coins’ for later. They might be important. Regardless, I begin fixing up my hair and mustache. Killing game, party, or just simply a casual day, I will never exit my bedroom without looking my absolute best!

Afterwards I exit and see Right finishing putting on his clothes. The final thing he does is place his top hat right on top of his head. He soon spots me, and we quickly swap places. There I get a good look at our room. It has a standard bed, which probably should not be used by two people at once but who cares. It also has drawers and a desk lamp. I soon put on clean clothes.

After we’re both done, we finally exit our room and discover we slept in Hubert’s room. I chuckle before we head out.

The first thing I notice is how everyone else seems to have either slept as well as me, (which was already terrible), or worse. The only exceptions to this rule are Sven and Burt, who look like they got a good night’s sleep. However, I don’t think it’s because they’re relaxed. More likely, their bodies welcomed sleep, because the two are infamously known in the clan as chronic workaholics.

Though, seeing how they have attached themselves to each other’s hip, as soon as they got out of their dorms, and how Sven is holding a comb like it’s a weapon while Burt is holding a sharpen pencil the same way, makes me think today is the only day they’ll be the exception.

Meanwhile with the others, Ellie is currently dragging a half-asleep Jacob down the hallway. He groans in tiredness in response.

“Aw, is the little rose-bud grumpy this morning?” Ellie teases.

“Shut it… It’s hard… to adapt to a… new sleep schedule.” Jacob responds tiredly. Ellie chuckles to herself as she drags him up the stairs.

I also soon spot Johnny, Rupert, and Dave exit out of the same room. Looking absolutely exhausted, like they were up almost the entire night. I’m not the only one who spots this, however.

“Why were you three in there?” Dmitri asks a bit aggressively, though it’s clear he’s just curious. He has his arms crossed and is leaning back against the wall. He trying to look relax, but there’s uneasiness in his eyes.

“Uh… *Yawn* I was feeling really anxious and scared, and when the lights went out it got worse,” Dave says and begins to ramble, “But then Johnny proposes we have a slumber party together to uh distract from the tension and we did it! It was really fun! Though, I think being a security guard on the nightshift kind of made it, so I didn’t get tired, and I might’ve kept us up way too early. It doesn’t help I’ve been getting a lot of nightmares- Wait, where are you going?!”

Dmitri quickly books away from the security guard to escape his boring monologue. Dave gives a hurt expression because of this.

“Rude!” Johnny says.

“What a jerk,” Rupert says and begins patting his friend on his back.

“…Well, I guess I understand. I’ve been told I’m really annoying and talk way too much and… I should stop now.”

“I don’t think you talk too much; I like hearing you talk,” Rupert smiles.

“Really?!”

“Of course!”

Johnny then says something under his breath, which causes his friends’ faces to turn red. Rupert elbows him and grows, “Shut it!” The police officer laughs in response.

“Heh. Looks like you’re not alone, Sven. There’s another monologuer in this building.,” Burt jokes as he watches the trio of friends leave.

“Shut it,” Sven says in a slight light-hearted manor.

Thomas and Geoffroy soon arrive; Thomas trying to keep up appearances like me, while Geoffroy had somehow found a pipe and is now smoking it to calm himself down. As all members of the clan were up, we all make our leave out of the hallway.

“So, where are we going first?” Right asks.

“Lunchroom, obviously.” I say, while pulling up my map.

As we walk over there, I hear a loud *SPLASH*. After walking a bit further, I see Charles, soaking wet, while Henry has an empty bucket pointed directly at the pilot. Captain Galeforce and the rest of his crew are close by.

“Thanks, I really needed that!” Charles says. Henry gives him a thumbs up.

“Probably would not have been needed if there were locks.” Dr. Vin says.

“Yeah, but Terrance wants us to kill each other. Having our dorms lock free, would make it so it easier to do so,” Dmitri says.

“Pleasant comment, Petrov,” Captain Galeforce says with a hint of sarcasm.

“It is not supposed to be pleasant?” Dmirti says confused.

“…Anyways, Henry. Would you be interested in joining our group? Might be a good way to earn a pardon,” Captain Galeforce says.

“Really? Bribing with pardon?” Dr. Vin says.

“NO! I am not allowing a CRIMINAL on our team!” Dmitri shouts.

“It does not matter if he’s a criminal or not! We need more allies and it’ll help avoid a murder!” Captain Galeforce says, “Ugh, I regret telling you that…”

The two then get into a pretty heated argument about getting Henry to join the team. Dr. Vin tries to intervene but gets ignored.

Meanwhile, Charles goes up to the man in question and asks, “So, what do you say?”

“… [Nah. I prefer doing things on my own and besides, I do not want to work with D M I T R I]” Henry signs.

“R-Really? Aw man.” Charles says.

“[Probably easier to convince you to leave and join my side]” Henry signs.

“…Um…”

“[The neutral side]”

“OH! Ha, sorry! Uh, I’m going to stay on the Law Enforcement side. Someone has to help Dr. Vin keep the captain and warden from fighting,” Charles says.

“[Yeah. Good luck with that!]” Henry signs and runs off. Just in time, for Captain Galeforce and Dmitri to finish their argument.

“…Now look what you’ve done! We’ve lost a potential ally!”

“What I have done, is save us from being murdered!” Dmitri shouts.

“Heh. Can’t seem to get your team in order, Hubert~” I tease. If looks would kill, Captain Galeforce would’ve been the first blackened.

“Looks like we have a potential toppat on our hands!” Sven says.

“Have ‘em” Dmitri says. In response, Captain Galeforce gives out a long sigh.

After witnessing that, we soon finish our trike to the lunchroom, and we sit all on the right. Law enforcement soon enter and huddle up on the left side, leaving the neutrals in the middle.

There’s a stench of uneasiness that fills the room. The realization that this is all real is hitting everyone hard. It’s too quiet in the room. I feel myself playing with my mustache, as my anxiety slowly starts eating me up. Is this really going to be where I spend the rest of my life? Constantly worried for my safety? Will I die in here?

Tension starts bubbling up in my chest, but fortunately- Charles and Dave basically kick down the door that separates the lunchroom and kitchen, with multiple plates of pancakes in hand.

“WHO WANTS PANCAKES!” Charles yells excitedly, “Charles edition!”

“Anyone can have them!” Dave says.

The two then go all around the room giving the plates to everyone. Each plate has the aforementioned pancakes, but also comes with butter on top and a cup of syrup on the side. Although they did say everyone can have them, it ends up with us, the toppats, being dead last to get our food.

“H-here,” Dave says as he hands me and Right our meals. He looks at us with nervousness. Mostly Right.

“Thank you!” I say.

“Haveagooddaybye!” Dave quickly says and sprints over to Rupert and Johnny.

“…”

Ignoring what just happened, we soon head over to our side of the room and sit down. I look at the plate, nervously. Could it be poisoned? No, they gave pancakes to everyone… But that doesn’t exclude the possibly. Would they even try something this early? Perhaps. We all have questionable lives beforehand, and I know at least most law enforcement agents have or were responsible for ending a life. I know everyone on my side has. I feel my stomach rumble, but I still couldn’t bring myself to touch it.

Hearing my stomach, Right says, “Reg? What’s wrong?”

“…Nothing, I’m just worried someone’s already trying something.”

“…” Right then stabs one of my pancakes with a fork.

“HEY!” I shout at him.

He then greedily takes a bite. After a few seconds, the fiend turns to me and says, “See? Not poisonous. Actually… this is really good.”

“…Thanks,” I reluctantly say, “But warn me next time.”

Even with Right not dropping dead, I still hesitantly take a bite, but once I do, I’m greeted with a delicious sensation!

“Mmm, my compliments to the chef! Wonder who made it?”

“Charles and Dave did.” Thomas says, “Hope we can recruit one of them. We need better cooks in the clan!”

“Hey! My cooking isn’t that bad!” Sven shouts.

“No, it is and isn’t Charles already on a side?” Burt asks.

“Well, we can always convince him to CHANGE sides!” Thomas responds.

“Actually, speaking of future plans,” Geoffrey begins, “Chief, have you decided what we should do?”

I sit there in silence for a moment. Everyone is looking at me. I can tell they’re all terrified, even my right-hand man. They desperately need my guidance. To hear any sort of plan, so they know they’re not going to die in here. They’re all counting on me to save them.

So, I steal a bit of Right’s pancake and I say, “We should first explore this area. Knowing the layout of our prison will help us. Then we should set up a base of operations. Somewhere, where we can all meet up and discuss without them listening in,” I point to the law enforcement table, “Last but not least, we should also try getting more people on our team. The more people united, the less chance of a murder to occur.”

All the toppats nod in agreement.

“So, let’s start off with the first thing. After we’re finished eating, we’ll go into groups of two. I’ll be with Right. Sven, you’ll be with Burt. And finally, Geoffrey you’ll be with Thomas.”

“Thank goodness,” Sven sighs.

“But uh, where should we go to meet back up?” Burt asks.

Good question. I bring out my map and place it down on the table. I scan the area and place my finger down on one of the classrooms. Namely, classroom 2A.

“We’ll meet up there at 8.” I say.

Once again, the toppats nod. They’re all smiling now. Still scared, but now they have a plan.

After lunch we go into our groups and explore the area.

The first thing we checked out is the kitchen. It looks like a regular kitchen, sans the mess. Fortunately, Charles is currently cleaning it up. He looks troubled by something, but I didn’t really care enough to ask why. I’m sure someone on his side will care enough to help him.

Ignoring him, I walk over to the coffee maker, which unfortunately isn’t a Keurig. I suffer with this downgrade to make some black coffee, while Right walks past Charles and searches the cupboards.

“Oh! Hiya!” Charles suddenly says, “Didn’t expect anyone to be back here. You need anything?”

“…Tea,” Right says hesitantly.

“Left top shelf,” Charles says.

Right goes to that self and low and behold, a tea bag. He soon sets up a kettle and begins making himself it.

“Why isn’t Dave here helping ya clean?” Right asks.

“I uh… sent him off. Told him I could do all the work. He really wanted to help, but uh… I kind of told him I want to be left alone for a bit. To um process everything,” Charles says, “You know, our situation and the killing game?”

“…K?” Right says.

“Do you still don’t want help?” I ask.

“Yep! I’m almost finished! Going to try to hang out with Ellie or Henry after this!” Charles says.

“You know them before the game?” I say surprise.

The pilot flinches, “Uh… No… But, they just seem pretty cool, and want to get to know them better!”

Seriously? In a situation like this?! Ugh, he’s not your responsibility, Reginald…

“Well, um, have fun?” I say.

“Thanks! You too!” Charles says and leaves the room. As soon as he leaves, I find another one of those coins from earlier. Wonder what they’re used for?

After we drink our respective beverages, we go exploring. We decide to ignore the classrooms for now and go north(?) Hard to tell here. We walk past the bathrooms and some sort of room that seems to lead upstairs, which we decide to wait on it, and go inside the room next to it.

Inside is a… tank full of sharks. The glass that contains them looks barely stable, and there’s a sign on it that reads, “Caution: Stick Eating Sharks! Will feed failed participants to them to give them the taste.”

“Ew.” I say, “But I guess its effective in its own… twisted way.”

“You know, Sven will really love this room,” Right says trying to change the topic.

“Naturally,”

“…Did not know he kept sharks here,” Dr. Vin suddenly says, causing us to jump in surprise.

“Exploring as well?” I ask. She nods.

“Wonder if there is way to go up there,” the doctor says and points to the top of the tank.

“Uh, what do you mean by that?” Right asks.

“I mean is there a way to be on top of tank?”

“Most likely, seeing how these sharks are stick-eating and we are in a killing game,” I say.

“Will check.” the doctor says and then walks away. Right and I look at each other and then quickly follow her. We go outside of the room and check any of the rooms surrounding it. Soon, we discover a stairwell. Climbing up it, we are greeted by two doors. One is cyan, while the other is gray with a keyhole.

I walk over to the gray door and-

“Guess you found the second floor-ish!” Terrance says suddenly materializing in the room.

“NYEH!” I scream, while Right punches him in the face in surprise. Unfortunately, Terrance manages to dodge.

“Hey!” Terrance says annoyed.

“WHY ARE YOU HERE?!” Dr. Vin shouts.

“Well, I can’t tell you. Unless you apologize for that!” Terrance says while looking at Right.

“…”

“Well?”

“Fine, I’m sorry… that you’re a maniac.” Right says.

“…Eh, close enough.” Terrance shrugs, “I’m here to tell you all about this floor-ish!”

“Floor-ish?”

“Exactly! You see, if you hadn’t already notice, there’s catwalks everywhere!” Terrance says, “But those aren’t for show, no, no, no! They are a secret area you can only access,” Terrance pulls out a shiny golden key, “With this key!”

“So, does that mean top of the tank is unavailable?” Dr. Vin asks.

“NOPE! Just check the door, it’s unlocked!” Terrance says and points to the cyan door. Right cautiously walks over to it, and turns the knob. Sure enough, it leads to some sort of room that has bags of what I hope is chum lining the walls, and a small port that leads off into the shark tank. It doesn’t have a wall on its far end, which shows off the entire surface of the shark tank.

Seeing this, I try to turn the knob on my door. It’s locked.

“Since you guys are the first to find this, I’ll give one of you the key! Now who shall it be… Ooo, such a tough choice! *Pause* If two of you didn’t murder me that is! Here ya go, Vicky! Keep it safe!” Terrance says and tosses the key into the doctor’s hands. She barely catches it.

“Tootles~” our kidnapper says before disappearing.

“…”

“Well?” Right asks.

“I am not using it.” Dr. Vin says and puts the key in her pocket, “It is easy way to commit murder.”

After that, and finding another bear coin, we go back downstairs and separate. Once that happens, I look up and see- catwalks. Long catwalks. Long enough that they probably cover every inch of this forsaken place. Although knowing only one person can go up there and she claims she won’t use it, it still doesn’t put my mind at ease. All you have to do is drop a heavy object and-

Right seems to have noticed my discomfort and grabs my hand. He gently squeezes it which dissolves most of my panic.

“Thank you,” I mumble.

Soon enough, we encounter a hallway that leads to a large watertight door. It makes up most of the wall. Right lets go of my hand and pounds his fist on it, which causes the gun nearby to whirl towards him and make a clicking sound, like it’s giving him a warning. Reluctantly, he backs off.

“Wonder if that’s the way out.” I say.

“Possibly. Or… it could be where we’re supposed to do those ‘trials.’” Right says.

“…Agreed.” I say.

Next to the mysterious door, is the library, and we soon enter inside. The room unsurprisingly has a ton of books inside, most on shelves. Besides that, it has a very old armchair sitting next to a small table which has a plastic candle sitting on top of it. We both soon enter and soon find-

“Why are you two here?” Dmitri spits as he closes the book he’s holding with a snap.

“Exploring, like you,” Right says.

“…Go explore somewhere else, you filthy low lives!” Dmitri says with a growl.

Right growls back, before I grab his arm.

“Let’s go, it isn’t worth it,” I say and reluctantly Right yields.

We leave, but before we are out of earshot I soon here Dmitri sigh disappointedly, “None in Russian?”

We soon come across some sort of metal door. Before we enter, we both hear Sven screaming loudly in excitement.

“Found the shark room.” Right says.

“Heh,” I say and push the door. Surprisingly, it opens.

We walk inside and what greets us a medium size room that’s completely dark gray. In the center, Captain Galeforce seems to be staring at an- incinerator. He soon notices, and proceeds to try to hide the worried look on his face and says, “…Don’t get any ideas.”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” Right says.

“Besides, it’s a too obvious way to get rid of evidence,” I say, “…Well, unless that evidence is grilled stick~”

Captain Galeforce gives me a horrified glance, while Right snickers. He looks over at Right and then sighs.

“…Not the time for those kinds of jokes. Though, know if and ONLY IF a murder occurs, I’ll be checking this place.”

“As will we,” I say.

“…Good,” Captain Galeforce says and then leaves. We then inspect the incinerator closer and soon we find an orange tag that says, “1800F / 980C”. A feeling of uneasiness soon returns. I take a deep breath and we soon carefully exit the room and soon enter the armory.

The room itself is full of weapons as the name suggests. Swords, guns, ammo, daggers, and even a few bombs sit patiently in the room. I swipe a dagger and put it inside a secret pocket inside my top hat. Instantly, the uneasiness I have been feeling for the entire day loosens up as I feel safer.

I spot Right grabbing a gun and loading it up with ammo. After he hides it in his coat, we exit the armory.

Then, we soon discover the infirmary. The area is extremely low budget, as there is only one bed, a cupboard on the floor, and a toy version of other medical supplies. Guess it makes sense on why there isn’t that much here, as an infirmary isn’t exactly something the host would like to be used in a killing game.

“Hey, Reg check this out.” Right says as he opens up the cupboard.

I walk over to him and see that the cupboard- is full of different types of poisons.

“…”

“I’m stealing this,” Right says and begins pocketing the poisons in his coat. I do the same.

Once we finish, we exit the room and make our way into the gym. The room is giant and full of excising equipment, like bars and weights. There I spot Geoffroy, Thomas, and Charles watching Henry.

“E’llo,” Right says, “What’s going on here?”

“(Henry’s going to try to escape!)” Thomas whispers excitedly.

“(How so?)” I ask.

Thomas points towards Henry, who’s tossing what appears to be a grenade up and down in his hand.

Henry turns to us and smiles confidently, and I swear I see Thomas’s face turn pink. Geoffroy notices and laughs.

“Alright! Let’s get out of this stupid school!” Charles yells excitedly.

“(This is such a dumb plan, we have to stay and watch)” I whisper to Right, right as Henry pulls the pin out and throws it at the wall. That’s when I realize we were probably standing way too close to the blast radius. It becomes even more apparent, when the grenade hits the wall and ricochets back at us.

Henry’s face screams, ‘Oh shoot!’

“Oh, that’s bad,” Charles says.

Thomas screams and hugs Geoffroy.

“Take cover!” Right shouts and jumps directly on top of it.

I… couldn’t move. I was so scared. Not just for my own life, but for Right’s. Everyone stands there frozen for a few painful seconds before-

“You really think I was dumb enough to put actually explosives in here?” Terrance suddenly says as he appears, “I don’t have the budget to afford strong enough reinforcements for this building.”

“…” Right slowly gets up, with his face looking pale. He then turns to Terrance and yells, “WHAT THE HECK?! Why did you even put a dud in here in the first place!”

“Cause, it’s funny!” Terrance says, “Like imagine someone thinking they’ve got an easy kill and throw it at someone. Then it doesn’t explode, and they are just left with the person they just tried to kill?! Pfff! Hilarious!”

“T-that’s really disturbing!” I tell him.

“Eh, to each their own,” Terrance shrugs.

“[I should have known it was not going to be that easy]” Henry signs in disappointment.

“Don’t worry, Henry. It was a great attempt!” Thomas says.

“Ooo! We’ve got a si-” Terrance says.

“LEAVE!” Thomas yells with his face blushing hard.

“Alright, alright. But don’t think I’ll forgot about this,” Terrance says, “Tootles~” He then leaves.

Henry tilts his head to the side towards Thomas.

“Uh…he was… g-going to call me silly,” Thomas lies, “A silly little toppat.”

“Well, as much of this was a ‘nice’ distraction, we better start exploring now,” I say and grab Right.

“Same, we should get back to it as well,” Geoffroy says.

“…Alright,” Thomas says.

I drag Right away from the group, and then turn to ask him.

“Why did you do that! I thought you were going to die!” I shout at him.

“What was I supposed to do? Let you be blown up!” Right argues back.

“…Well, be more careful next time,” I tell him, “I’m sure we wouldn’t get as lucky.”

We go to the back end of the gym and find the locker rooms. We go past the girls’ one and enter the men’s one.

The room is cut in half, as one leads to a changing room/ bathroom with a shower, while the other leads to a bunch of blue lockers. There are also a few giant bags in that room. Bigger than their necessary purpose as weight holders. Besides another bear coin I discover, there is nothing else really worth noting.

After that we head into the closet that sits between the two locker rooms, while our previous group enter the room we just exited out of. Seems like they’re sticking together for now. Inside the closet, there are two metal poles inside along with a net, a few sports equipment, rope (in all types like a short thin one for jump rope and a long one for climbing up), a dummy that looks like a stick figure, and a few bags of sand, which like the bags in the previous room, they seem suspiciously too large for what most people use them for.

Having seen mostly what this gym had to offer, we exit and make our way to the classrooms. It’s not time yet, but it doesn’t hurt to check the area first.

“Probably be good idea to go back to that area,” Right says, “To keep our strength up.”

“Agreed. Never a bad idea to keep ourselves in shape, especially in a situation like this. Though, would you be my spotter for me~” I say.

“Heh. Of course, if you do the same for me~” Right replies.

Soon enough, we make it to the classrooms.

Not really anything special there, as they all look the same, sans different writing on the board. One was a crudely drawn picture of me falling to my death, and another said, “UwU”. Hopefully, Terrance will be thrown into a propellor by the time this is done, along with whoever thought it was a good idea to revive the man.

We soon came across some sort of closet, where I soon spot Rupert, Johnny, Dave, and Terrance. The latter of who are giving the trio instructions. There also appears to be some sort of gumball machine, but instead of gumballs in its container, it’s metal balls with a button on them.

“Come on, it won’t bite. You might get a really cool prize out of it!” Terrance says.

“What’s going on?” Right shouts. Causing Dave to jump, and the rest to look at us.

“What are you lot doing here?!” Rupert shouts.

“Yeah! Why are you here?!” Johnny says.

“Exploring, like you!” Right snaps back.

“…Well, I’m not going to explain again. David, show them how the machine works!” Terrance says.

“Please don’t call me that,” Dave says. He puts in a coin, which looks a lot like those bear coins from earlier, into the machine and pulls the lever. Soon, a metal ball escapes the machine and enters Dave’s hand.

“Well, go on!” Terrance says.

Dave cautiously presses the button, and it folds up revealing- nothing.

“Well, that was anti-climactic,” Rupert sighs.

“Huh, guess I forgot to fill that one. Really living up to your ultimate, aren’t you?” Terrance says.

“Yeah,” Dave sighs.

“Here,” Terrance says and gives Dave another coin, “Try again.”

“Thanks,”

“Who are you and what have you done with Terrance?” I ask.

“Really? I’m not that evil, Reggie!” Terrance says, “I can excuse omnicide, but I draw the line at low life scams!”

“You can excuse what now?” Rupert asks.

“Alright, Davey~ Let’s make this a re-do. Don’t worry, that was the only dud in the whole machine!” Terrance says.

Dave puts his second coin in, and another metal ball falls out of the machine. Once he presses the button, a bunch of colorful stickers fall out of the capsule.

“Ooo” the trio say as they check out the stickers. From the angle I’m at, I’m able to make out a panda sticker, a mayfly one, a bat one, a rock one (that’s a pun), a key and heart one, a star one, and- Johnny suddenly steals one of Dave’s sticker and slaps it onto Rupert’s forehead.

“Oi!” he shouts in surprise. Dave and Johnny start giggling as the sticker is of a donkey in a pit. We (and Terrance) giggle as well.

Rupert takes it off, looks at it, rolls his eyes with a slight chuckle, and puts it in his pocket. Dave puts the rest in his own pocket.

“How about you try it now, Johnathan~ I’m sure you’re itching to get something!”

“It’s Johnny. Only call me that when I’m in trouble, k?” Johnny says and he puts his coin in. Soon, another metal ball falls out of the machine. The police officer grabs it and presses the button. A lighter comes out of the capsule.

On que, Johnny begins playing with a lighter by flicking it on and off. Won’t allow explosives, but fire is fair game?

“Hm, pretty good lighter,” Johnny says as he finally turns it off and pockets it, “Kind of boring though.”

“Nice! We’re on a roll! How about you try your luck now, Ruby!” Terrance says.

“Don’t ever call me that again.” Rupert warns.

“Ugh, is it a crime to give you all nicknames?” Terrance says.

“Yes,” Johnny and Rupert say with no hesitation.

“Only if we’re friends…” Dave says.

Rupert hesitatingly puts his coin into the machine and once he gains his prize, nervously presses the button. What pops out is-

THUD “OW!” Dave screams in pain, as a giant punching bag lands on his foot. Seems that these capsules rely on cartoon logic.

“Ah! Sorry,” Rupert says and with the help of Johnny and Right, pushes the bag off of Dave.

“You okay, Dave?” Rupert asks.

“Y-Yeah…” Dave says, while his foot looks really smushed.

“…” Rupert throws Dave’s arm over his shoulder and says, “There seems to be infirmary on the map, let’s go there and get you an ice pack.”

Dave’s face grows red and says, “Uh… you don’t have to-”

It falls to deaf ears, as Rupert has already gotten him out of the room. Johnny shortly follows.

“HEY! You left your gift in here!” Terrance says.

“@$@# your gift!” a muffled Rupert shouts.

“Thought it was pretty nice, we should move it into your room as soon as…” a muffled Johnny says. I didn’t hear the rest of his sentence as he becomes too far away.

“…”

“Well, you see how it works and I’m sure you already know you can find those coins all over the school. Tootles~” Terrance says and leaves.

“…Might as well try it,” I say and walk over to it. I put in one of my coin, and receive a capsule. Hesitantly, I press it and- I receive some brass knuckles. Well, it’s something.

“Let me try,” Right says and puts one of his coins in the machine. He gains a capsule and presses the button. Popping out, is a gorgeous tiny mirror.

We both look at our prizes and then the other’s prizes. We stare at each other for a moment and then silently trade them.

“Thanks!” We both say at the same time.

After that, we make it to the dressing room. Once entering, we find it’s a medium sized room full of clothes, make-up, a few arts and crafts supplies, and mirrors.

“Oh, hey!” Ellie suddenly says catching us both of guard. She comes out behind one of the hangers that house clothes.

“Oh, hello,” I say.

“E’llo,” Right says.

“…” Soon Jacob appears from behind Ellie. He gives us suspicious glances.

“So, found the best room too?” Ellie says.

“Best?” Right asks.

“Well, of course, it has everything! A large arrangement of clothes, make-up, items that you can use to make even prettier clothes, and so MUCH MORE! It’s going to be a blast in here,” Ellie says.

“…That sounds really boring-” Right says before I elbow him.

“That sounds wonderful!” I say, “Would love to get a new suit made… You know, one that Terrance didn’t provide.”

Ellie nods in agreement.

We then explore the room more thoroughly, and everything Ellie told us is in here. Honestly, I felt excited by the possibilities of what I could do in here! Meanwhile, Right tries to look like he’s interested, but it’s clear that he could care less. Same with Jacob, as well.

“Ooo! Look at that suit!” I say out loud.

“Where?” Ellie says popping in right besides me, “Oh, that looks nice!”

“I know, right?”

“…Yeah, it looks so… cool,” Right says.

“Yep! It does, Ellie… Can we please explore somewhere else-” Jacob says.

“Is that an Envy wig?” Ellie interrupts.

“I think that it is!” I say.

We probably spent the next hour looking through the room. We also probably sacked the entire room of those bear coins, and since I was having such a nice time with Ellie, I told her what they’re used for. Shame I didn’t have anything to give her though. I also found a small stage in the back, which leads to the theater. Guess that is how Terrance made his escape, though… I do see something that looks like a trap door on the theater’s stage. I should make a mental note of that.

Towards the end of our search, I decided to ask Ellie a few questions.

“So, I’m guess you and Jacob are pretty close, since I don’t think I’ve seen you two apart.”

“Yep, we’ve been through thick and thin. I can’t even imagine my life without him!”

“Interesting, I feel the same way, but with my right-hand man, and you know… more romantically speaking.”

“Heh. Yeah, I’d be pretty weird if you two had a sibling bond like me and Jacob,” Ellie jokes, “Like I’ve never seen more of a lovey-dovey couple than you two. With how you two are always holding hands, blushing, staring longing at each other-”

“Out of curiosity!” I interrupt to save myself from embarrassment, “What did you do before ending up here.”

“…I um, I was going to… apply to become a security guard with Jacob. I certainly have physical strength for it,” Ellie says.

She then lowers her sleeve and flexes her arm to prove it. Too add more credit to her story, she picks up one of the hangers, while it’s still covered in a bunch of clothes, and places it on her shoulder with only one arm and not breaking a sweat. Satisfied, Ellie places it down.

“What about you? What did you do before- oh right,” Ellie says slightly awkwardly, “So, how’s it being the leader of an entire clan?”

“Pretty good, all things considered,” I say, “Much better than being in this sick game.”

“I’m pretty sure a lot of things are better than being in this sick game.”

“Touché.”

Eventually, we say our goodbyes and exit the room to go our separate ways. Much to Right’s and Jacob’s delight.

“Right?”

“Yeah?”

“We should totally try to recruit her to our side.”

“Heh. Wow, doesn’t take that much to please you, huh?”

“Oh, shut it!”

I soon look on my map, and realize we’ve explored every room. Just in time too, it’s almost 8 am. So, we make our way and enter classroom 2A, fashionably late of course. Everyone else is already inside talking to each other. Well, ‘talking’ isn’t quite right, as it’s mostly an argument between Sven and Thomas about a drawing and whether or not it’s a volcano or a top hat, while Geoffroy and Burt watch while eating some popcorn.

“Ehem.” I call out to the group. They all turn to me, and everyone stops what they are doing.

“Hi, chief!” the toppats greet me.

“Now, since we’re all here, we should discuss what we should do next. But first things first, has everyone explored the area?” I say.

“Barely, Sven wanted to stay in the shark room,” Burt says.

“Hey, we were able to see everything!” Sven says.

“Well, look at the bright side Burt. At least Sven wasn’t following a guy he just met for a few hours,” Geoffroy says.

“Oh, come now! I wasn’t that enthralled by him,” Thomas says.

“Terrance almost called you a simp for that.” Geoffroy says.

“Well, what does he know?! He trapped us here, so therefor his opinion is already invalid! Besides, have you seen Henry?!” Thomas says and begins blushing, “He tried escaping in such a cool fashion, and he had such a determined look on his face, when attempting it! Shame it didn’t work out though,”

“Simp,” Burt says.

“SHUT IT!” Thomas says.

“Besides learning that Thomas has a crush, which was already obvious,” I say, “Is there anything else we found?”

We then go over explaining information. Most of it is what Right and I already know. We do share what the bear coins are used for, the poisons in the infirmary, and the key to the catwalk. What the toppats gives to us is information about the bathrooms in the top left corner we accidently skipped. (Apparently, they got hit with the same budget cut as the infirmary). Also, another place we skipped, which was a door between the armory and the gym. It’s locked. Plus, more information about the library, or rather what’s in it. It seems like all the books in there are, or at least most of them, murder mysteries and true crime. How on brand and… slightly concerning. Guess Terrance wants to give us ideas.

Suddenly, Geoffroy asks the question, “You know, chief. There’s something that has been bugging me since yesterday, and I like you to clear it up.”

“Oh, what is it?” I say.

“You… killed Terrance, at some point. Could you elaborate?”

“…What’s there to say? He was a leader who abused his power and didn’t respect stickfigure life. His raids were bloody, and filled with casualties on all sides. He acted like he was the main character, and the world was his sandbox. He also had a morbid curiosity, and would do things with the excuse of ‘I wanted to see what would happen’. Gosh, he was so excited when we decided to overthrow him, because he ‘never got dethrone before’.

“What I did back then, was save the clan. He was leading us to ruin! Only carrying about his own entertainment rather than being an actual leader! And as a self-respecting toppat, I couldn’t stand by and let him destroy my home!

“I don’t care if you think I’m untrustworthy after this, I did the right thing. Especially now, in this game he’s trapped us all in. Just goes to show what kind of person he is, and why throwing him into that propellor was beneficial to everyone!”

“And yet… someone brought him back,” Burt says.

“…”

“Thank you for explaining,” Geoffroy says.

“Guess he never learned his lesson huh?” Sven says, “I mean, he was overthrown because he prioritized his pleasure over everyone else, and now… he’s doing the same thing with this game.”

“Heh, guess this going to end the same as well. Him in a propellor!” Right says.

“Obviously, but now since I answered your question, can you answer mine?” I say.

“…Sure?” Geoffroy says hesitantly like he already knows where’s this is going.

“You’ve claimed that the game Terrance was made for us, is inspired by a video game series, Dang-a-rope? Whatever. And you’ve claimed that you’ve played it before.”

“Danganronpa,” Geoffroy corrects, “And yes I’ve played it before. Interesting little series. I played all the main line games, since the concept intrigued me so much.”

“So, is there anything you can tell us about it?”

“…” Geoffroy begins to sweat as he begins to shake, “I don’t think that’s a smart idea… One of the rules dictates I stay silent.”

“Come on, there’s got to be something you can say,” Sven says.

“Perhaps, but… I’m not willing to take that chance.” Geoffroy says.

“Please Geoffroy! How bad is that punishment really? Can’t you toughen it out for your fellow-” Sven says.

“Oi! Can you cut it out! Geoffroy, is clearly deathly afraid of the consequences!” Right shouts.

“But, if it can help us survive-”

“That’s not what toppats do,” Right hisses.

“…”

“I agree with Right. But at least you’ve told us one thing,” I say.

“What’s that?” Geoffroy asks.

“Whatever this mysterious ‘punishment’ is, should be feared,”

“…” Geoffroy smiles, “Well said, but uh… I think there’s something else I can add.”

“You sure?” I ask, “You don’t have to,”

“No, it’s fine. One of the rules already spoiled it. I’m sure I can say it.”

“Spoiled it? Which rule are you talking about?”

“Rule #2. Once the blackened is found out, they’ll be punished. With that in mind, promise me none of you will ever become a blackened,” Geoffroy states in a very serious manor.

“B-blackened? Don’t you mean murderer?” Sven asks.

“Murderer, culprit, killer, etc. They’re all the same,” Geoffroy sighs, “It doesn’t change the fact I want not a single one of you to end another life. No matter what!”

“Pfff! That’s easy!” Thomas laughs.

“No, it’s not, because Terrance, anyone who is working with him, and the nature of this very game itself, are going to do everything in their power to tempt you to commit it.”

“Wait, what do you mean by nature?” I ask.

“…I don’t think I can say, but I’m sure after the first trial it’ll become clear.”

“F-first trial? You don’t honestly think-” Sven says.

“I do, Sven. I really do wish I was lying or being pessimistic, but… please, just don’t let it be any of you who become the blackened.”

“Wait, what do you mean ‘no matter what’? Like we can’t kill in self-defense?” Burt asks.

“…Yes.” Geoffroy says, “You can’t. It’ll still count, unfortunately,”

“So, you’re saying to let the other faction kill us?!” Right shouts.

“Eh, no,” Geoffroy says, “There’s other ways to stop someone without murder.”

“But, if it comes down to their life or ours?” Burt asks.

“…I know this sounds unfair, but trust me that killing… isn’t worth it. Even if it was out of self-defense. Please, just trust me on this. I’ve played the game before. I’d hate to see my fellow toppats punished.”

Silence fills the room. No one can really respond. Sure, toppats don’t kill people out on a whim, we’re not Terrance after all, but… never? Just let the other faction kill us all?

The silence is broken suddenly, when Thomas puts his hand on his heart and says, “I promise that I will not kill another participant, no matter what.”

“I promise that I will not kill another participant, no matter what,” Sven responds shortly afterwards, with his hand on his heart.

“I promise that I will not kill another participant, no matter what” Burt says, with his hand on his heart as well.

“I promise that I will not kill another participant, no matter what,” Right repeats, with his hand on his heart.

“I promise that I will not kill another participant, no matter what,” I repeat.

“…” A smile creeps up on Geoffroy’s face, “Thanks guys. You’ll soon understand why I’m saying this soon.”

Silence fills the room once more.

“So, let’s try to figure out our strategy going forward. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I hate to die in such a dreadful place,” I say.

“Maybe we can get more recruits on our side!” Thomas says, “Think about it! If we have more people to help us escape and to defend ourselves against the other faction!”

“Not a bad idea, Thomas,” I tell him.

“Heh. I always have good ideas,” Thomas says.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Burt says.

Thomas sticks his tongue right at Burt.

“Anyways,” I say to get ourselves back on track, “I think we should get Ellie on our team.”

“Why? Cause she has the same taste in fashion as you?” Right jokes.

“…W-Well, it just proves she can be trustworthy!” I say.

“But isn’t she hiding her ultimate?” Sven asks, “What if her ultimate is actually ultimate traitor?”

“I don’t think so, since Terrance said something about it being ‘obvious’. And well, traitors aren’t supposed to be obvious,” I say.

“I suggest getting Henry, cause-” Thomas begins.

“We know, you’re a simp.” Burt says.

“H-Hey! At least listen to my point! He looks like he’d be a pretty cool guy and super strong!” Thomas says, “I bet he can get us all out of here!”

“What about Rupert or Johnny?” Sven asks, “They seem physically strong and could be beneficial to us.”

“They’re both police officers,” Right says, “They’ll probably joined the law enforcement side, if they haven’t already.”

“Besides, they both seem like jerks.” Thomas says, “I wouldn’t trust either of them with my top hat, let alone my life!”

“Are you sure? We don’t know much about them,” Geoffroy says, “I’m sure given the chance they could join our side. I mean, we do have ex-government and ex-police agents in the Toppat Clan.”

“Plus, having them on our side or at least keep them neutral will be a great hindrance to law enforcement,” Sven says.

“Okay, since we’re making a case for the police officers then what about the security guards?” Burt says.

“…”

“I’m… not entirely convinced either one of them are actually security guards,” Right says, “I’d would say they were both wearing a security guard costume when they were brought here and are just keeping up the act to stay safe.”

“Agree,” I tell him.

“But isn’t one of their ultimates, ultimate security guard?” Burt says.

“Well, some of the ultimates aren’t accurate,” I say, “On the top of my head, Captain Galeforce’s ultimate is ‘ultimate general’ and one of the police officer’s has ‘ultimate soldier’. Both don’t match to their current occupations.”

“Yeah! And I have ‘ultimate spare’! So, they don’t have to be accurate!” Sven says.

“Yep.” Burt says.

Nobody dares to rebuttal either of them.

“Anyways, I think it might be a good idea to recruit either of them,” I say, “As the more stick-power we have the better. Though, I suggest we try getting Ellie or Henry in the group as our top priority.”

“YES!” Thomas says.

Suddenly- Ding, Dong! Terrance soon shouts from the intercoms, “It’s 10:00 pm so we’re going into nighttime! Huzza! You know, wouldn’t be funny if it was actually daytime outside? You wouldn’t even know!”

Soon, the lights go out leaving everyone in complete darkness.

“…I think we should also try to get to our dorms before 10 pm. This is the second time this has happened,” I say to my group. They all verbally agree.

It once again took us a while for us to get back to our rooms and once again I have no idea if the room I enter is the same room I used before. I make a mental note to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Especially since I can barely see my own hand in front of my face.

Notes:

3 chapters left before body reveal...
I remember seeing other creators have their daily life being one whole chapter. And I decided that I'll be different and split up the daily life into different chapters based on days...
As you can see, this was probably a good idea.

Also I practically foreshadowed every real case in this chapter in some shape or form, lol.

Chapter 4: PtS Daily Life #2

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

TW: BREIF MENTION OF CANNIBALISM (so brief it didn't make sense to tag it, especially since it only shows up in this one chapter).

POV Reginald:

Ding, Dong! “It’s 6:00 am! Now, Fredrick Fazbear and co are deactivated and it’s safe to roam the halls!”

“Who is Fredrick Fazbear?” I say as I get up, “…Is he making a reference?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care.” Right says, grumbling while still in bed.

We soon repeat what we did yesterday, sans Right taking FOREVER to get up. Causing me to have to pull him out of the bed. Lazy jerk.

We eventually go back to the lunchroom, and once again Dave and Charles are making- pancakes, which is a little concerning. Not to say the pancakes aren’t of the same quality of yesterday, but… I fear this may be the only item on the breakfast list.

When giving us our pancakes, I notice Dave having faded black marks on the sides of his face.

You have something on your face.” I ask.

“It’s still there?!” Dave says.

“Yeah,” Right says. Dave flinches at his voice, as he avoids eye-contact with him.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Someone pranked me, while I was sleeping. Thanks for telling me,” Dave says before running away from us again.

While heading to my table, I notice Rupert and Johnny have moved and are now sitting with the law enforcement group. Happily chatting with the others at their table. It seems Right was well… right about those two. I also notice Dave sitting down next to them. Guess he joined as well. Meanwhile, us toppats soon sit down and begin eating.

“So, what’s the plan today, chief?” Geoffroy says.

“Are we going to start recruiting new members?” Sven asks.

“Yes,” I say, “And also, I want all of you to talk to different participants here. Get to know who we’re dealing with. We’ll meet up once again at 8:00, in the same room.”

“Aye, chief!” they all say.

Soon, we scatter. First, Right and I were still able to grab our respective drinks. We also notice both of Dave and Charles cleaning up. Though as I walk out of the lunchroom, I notice Right looking very antsy. Realizing why, I sigh in slight disappointment.

“Reg?” Right asks, “You okay?”

“I am, but you’re clearly not.”

“W-What?! Of course, I’m fine!”

“Right, you’re an introvert.”

“…So?”

“You’ve spent the entirety of yesterday with me. I can tell your social exhausted.”

“I’m not!”

“Right, I have a special mission for you. I want you to look for any possible exit… alone.”

A bit of relief creeps on Right’s face, until it gets replaced with his worry, “But what about you? I can’t leave you alone right now. We both know how you get when scared, and this… this is the scariest situation we’ve ever been in.”

I ignore the small bout of paranoia that I feel in my bones, and answer, “I’ll be okay; besides I have this.” I show him the dagger I stole from the armory yesterday.

“Alright… But I’ll follow you in a few rooms over, just in case you get attacked. Though-”

“Though?”

“With how loudly you scream, I don’t even need to follow you that close.” Right giggles.

I lightly elbow his arm as a retort. After that, we split up. A feeling of dread washes over me, but it becomes manageable as I feel for my dagger. As long as I have that, I’ll be okay.

First, I go into what I have now dubbed as the prize corner to spend a few of my bear coins on the machine. If I want to gain allies, I need gifts. From the machine, I’ve been given; a diamond ring, a rose pin, and a weird action figure of a green blob monster that is labeled ‘Jumbo Josh’. I then proceed to go searching for a certain red-head.

I first try the dressing room, but no sign of her. I do see Henry examining the place.

“Hello,” I greet him.

“Ah!” Henry yells in surprise, but then quickly signs, “[Oh, hi. R E G I N A L D. What do you need?]”

“I was looking for Ellie. Say, why are you in here?”

“[T H O M A S was doing something weird, and I fled.]”

Oh great, it has already started, “What was he doing?”

“[Making weird puns, about me being a library book and checking me out. He also was asking me if I would consider becoming a part of the top hat clan because and I quote ‘The clan needs more hot people’]”

I want to face palm so hard… “Ah, that’s just… Thomas.”

“[I know. I am usually better at dealing with crazy people like him, but with everything going on, I cannot tolerate it right now...]”

“Ah, understandable… I don’t think anyone’s on their A-game today,”

Henry smiles, “[Yeah, I guess so]”

Seeing an opportunity, I decide to give Henry the diamond ring.

The man gives me a shocked look.

“[For me? For real?]”

“Yes, of course!”

Henry looks at the ring and pokes it a little bit. He then looks at me, with a slight astonishment.

“[How did you know I love gems? Especially, diamonds?]”

I shrug, “I had a feeling. You seem to be the type who loves those kinds of things.”

Henry chuckles, “[You have no idea.]”

“So, Henry. Would you like to hang out for a while?” And hope Thomas hasn’t ruined any chance you want to join us.

“[Why? Would you not want to hang out with your right-hand man?]”

“…Well, we’ve already spent yesterday together, and he needs some alone time. Can’t have him constantly by my side.”

“[Alright. What do you want to do?]”

“Whatever you want to do?”

Henry looks at me suspiciously, before giving me a hesitant thumbs up.

I spend the next few hours, listening to Henry monologue about an adventure he had. Apparently, he once got arrested by attempting to rob a bank, (which he refused to go into, seems like the heist was pretty embarrassing for him.). However, he did manage to escape the prison he was sent to, all thanks to a mysterious package that one of the police officers forgot to check. To this day, he still doesn’t know who sent it. This was all told in a bragging sort of way, to make himself look better. Besides the fact I have learned that Henry’s a criminal just like me, something in the story catches my attention.

“Wait, wait. Hold up. You’re saying you beat up two police officers with one of the bars in your cell?”

“[They did not stand a chance!]”

“But you mentioned their names being Rupert and Dave. Is that Rupert and the one here, the same person?”

Henry stares at me for a second and then signs, “[Yes. Same with D A V E.]”

“…I find that hard to believe. For Dave I mean.”

The thief shrugs, “[He can be pretty scary if pushed right. Believe me, I was one of the prisoners he used to guard.]”

Instead of yelling at Henry that there is no possible chance that police officer named Dave and the one in this killing game is the same person, I say my original point, “So you already knew Rupert and debatably Dave before entering this game?”

“[Yes. However, I do not know much about them except that R U P E R T is an @$@@#$# and D A V E is fun to mess with.]”

“Interesting,”

“[Please, you already know the members of the top hat clan in here. Or at least, most of them. Me knowing R U P E R T and D A V E before is not out of the ordinary.]”

“I wasn’t actually thinking about that, since Captain Galeforce seems to be already familiar with Dr. Vin. I was more thinking if there is a connection between all of us, and why we are here.”

“… [So, are you going to ask me if I want to join the top hat clan?]” Henry asks.

This catches me completely off guard, and I stumble, “H-How did you know?”

“[You gave me a gift and allowed me to talk about myself. Plus, T H O M A S already asked me to join]”

Thomas you useless simp- “W-Well, I guess we can get straight to the point. So, will you join the Toppat Clan? Or at least, our faction in here.”

Henry shakes his head.

“What? Why?!” I ask.

“[I do not have a reason too]”

“What do you mean!? We can protect you in this dangerous game and you can gain some reliable allies! Did… Thomas ruin it for you?”

“[No, he did not. Actually, I change my answer. I will join. On one condition.]”

“Which is?”

“[That I will become the leader of the clan.]”

“…” I stare at him for the longest time before shouting, “NO! That’s too much! I can’t give you that! Especially, for a person I just met!”

“[Then I am not joining.]” Henry shrugs.

I feel my blood begin to boil. The nerve. I spent a good diamond ring on that man. Henry chuckles at my frustration. Seems he’s taking a lot of pleasure out of my misery.

Suddenly, the dressing room door swings open and Ellie enters very annoyed. Followed by Charles and Captain Galeforce. She soon spots us, and groans, “Oh, for the love of-”

Henry waves excitedly at her, and I soon approach her.

“Hello, Ellie. Nice seeing you here!” I say and walk towards her. Despite the bonding we did yesterday, she seems pretty annoyed at my presence.

“Hey, back off!” Captain Galeforce yells and pushes me aside, “She’s not going to become a part of your team!”

“A part of my team? What are you talking about?” I say.

“Come on, Ellie! I’d be fun! Besides, you’ll have a lot of protection against attempts at your life,” Charles says.

“I can protect myself… Isn’t that the reason why you wanted me on your faction in the first place?!” Ellie yells.

“Uh… sorry.” Charles says realizing his mistake.

“It’s fine,” Ellie sighs.

Oh, so this is what this is about. “Guess the law enforcement really is up too high on their high horse for their own good?”

“We’re not! *Pause* Mostly… Please, Miss Rose. We can really use someone like you on our team! I can offer you a pardon- Wait, you’re not a criminal. I’ll offer you a handsome reward for joining our side.” Captain Galeforce says.

“Your side? Do you really want to be on their side? They are sweaty and gross with no sense of fashion! Maybe, you’d like being on the toppat side more?” I say.

“…Is this being in a love-triangle without the romance is like?” Ellie responds, “For the billionth time, not right now! I want to discuss it with Jacob first.”

“Ellie, please!” Charles begs.

“NO! I refuse to be on any side unless Jacob wants to be there as well!” Ellie shouts, “But with you two’s prodding, it’s making it pretty hard to even consider joining your team. Not to mention Dmitri.”

“*Sigh* He is a necessary evil,” the captain explains.

“Well, the Toppat Clan hasn’t been that forceful on you, haven’t we?” I say, “I mean, instead of asking you to join immediately, we looked around this very room for it’s incredible line of clothing and make-up!”

“[His tactic is flattery! He has already given me a diamond ring and got me to talk about myself just so I can join the clan!]” Henry signs.

“Thanks, and well… that’s not really that impressive that he got you to talk about yourself. Yesterday, you told me about how you escaped prison while we were exploring. With zero prompting.” Ellie says.

Henry huffs.

“Listen, if you two want me on your side. Recruit Jacob first,” Ellie sighs to us and then walks towards Henry. She and Henry then take off and run out of the dressing room and into the theater, like they’re escaping both of us. Captain Galeforce and Charles look at each other with worry.

I soon exit the room in defeat. This is not going well. I should follow with Ellie’s advice, though. We really need someone like her in the clan. Especially one who shares the same interests as me.

Before I can even wonder where I can find Jacob, I hear an announcement play.

“Everyone! Please meet me in the theater for a mandatory meeting. I have something fun I want to show you!” Terrance calls from the intercoms.

Already, I feel my fear seep into my skin. Regardless, I walk to the theater and soon meet up with Right again.

“So, how was your alone time?” I ask.

“Eh, good. Didn’t find anything of use,” Right shrugs, “Though, I did overhear the captain with Charles trying to ‘woo’ Ellie to join their side. I was going to intervene, until I noticed how annoyed she looked.”

“Yeah. Unfortunately, it seems like she’s not picking any sides at the moment. Not unless her brother joins one first.”

“Huh… that’s going to be difficult.”

“Why’s that?” I ask.

“While you and Ellie were gawking at all those clothes yesterday, I was stuck with her brother and… he seemed afraid of me. Not as much as Dave, but enough not to start a conversation, and I tried starting one!”

“Huh, maybe their job requires them to know about the Toppat Clan and be automatically scared of us?”

“Eh probably, but be scared that much?”

“Though to be fair, you are terrifying.”

“And those security guards are wimps.”

We soon enter in the theater and see Terrance once again on the stage. He has some sort of bulletin board next to him with its back facing us. Everyone else is also here, looking at him with annoyed tolerance.

“What do you want now Terrance?” Captain Galeforce asks, “Is trapping us all in here not enough?”

“Oh, Hubert… The fun hasn’t official begun!” Terrance says.

“Stop calling me by my first name!” Captain Galeforce snaps.

“Yeah, you are not even his comrade!” Dmitri says.

“Dmitri, I can defend myself…”

“Pfff, if you say so, Hubert~” Terrance says.

“WHAT DID I JUST SAY!”

“Anyways, how are you all doing? Has the despair seeped in yet? Are you on the edge of murdering a fellow participant yet? Have you already gotten a plan?”

“Of course,” Rupert says. Dave snickers at this. Johnny too, but to a lesser extent.

“WHAT!” Dmitri shouts.

Rupert flinches and says, “Not really. It was just a joke.”

“That was terrible,” Dr. Vin says.

“Yeah, that’s just Rupert’s jokes,” Charles says.

“Oi! I’m funny… most of the time,”

“Yep, you are!” Dave says.

“[Really? I have not heard you say a single funny joke in my entire time of knowing you.]” Henry signs.

Rupert gives Henry a really offended look.

“AGAIN. Anyways, it doesn’t really matter what you’re actually thinking,” Terrance says, “Cause I’m bored!”

“Oh no,” I say.

“And unfortunately, I can’t introduce anything yet to spice things up because apparently it’s ‘too early’. So, I decided to do the next best thing!” Terrance then flips the bulletin board beside him, and it shows-

“A prediction list! Now, this isn’t a secret glimpse into the future and will not actually show you what happens. Especially since I don’t actually know what will happen. However, this doesn’t mean I can’t try to figure out what will happen!”

I fill my stomach knot up just by looking at it, and just by glancing at the others it seems they feel the same way.

“I AM NOT THE TRAITOR!” Ellie yells, “And why on Earth would I kill Geoffroy of all people?”

“I should have known…” Dmirti hisses, “She has the air of a crook.”

Jacob flinches at that statement.

“Cause he’s important!” Terrance says, “After all, he’s the only other person you know who knows how this game works!”

“But that doesn’t explain why you put her as the traitor,” Charles says, “Don’t you want to hide that fact?”

“And what about me being the ‘mastermind’. Is that your… boss?” Jacob asks.

“Well, I did say this is only a prediction. Not the cold-hearted truth!” Terrance says.

“…You don’t even know who the traitor or your boss is?” I ask dumbfounded, “Isn’t that your…team?”

“OF COURSE, I KNOW!” Terrance yells at me, “I… just… can’t tell you. Who knows, maybe I lied who the traitor and mastermind are, or I didn’t? *Pause* I just realized I spoiled the fact that there’s a mastermind…”

“Oh, so you can spoil future plot points, but Geoffroy can’t? How unfair!” Thomas yells.

“I agree,” I say.

“Thomas, chief, it’s fine.” Geoffroy says.

“No! It’s not! You’re scared of something, so you stay quiet, while this fiend yells out spoilers!” Thomas shouts.

“To be fair, it was a mistake…” Terrance says.

“To be fair, it’s you.” Right says.

“…Can we look at the rest of the list please.”

“Okay. Why am I the first victim?” Johnny says, “I can defend myself! Especially towards that fancy looking toppat.”

“Because there’s no possible way you’ll survive the first round. I’m actually keeping a stopwatch just to see how long you last. It’ll stop the moment you perish.”

“…” Johnny looks slightly horrified.

“Oi!” Rupert yells, “I’ll have you know that Johnny is not going to become that pansy’s victim! Or anyone’s victim! He’s a lot stronger than you’ll ever give him credit for!”

“…Thanks, Rups,” Johnny says.

“And don’t worry about it coming true. I for one am not going to soil my hands with anyone’s blood in this entire game.” Thomas says.

“Uh… thank you?” Johnny says.

“Heh. Good luck,” Terrance laughs.

“Why do I kill another teammate in the next… ‘round’?” Dmitri says.

“Cause you’re the most likely to snap and strangle that erinaceous police officer to get some peace and quiet from his annoying personality.”

“…I can see it,” Dmitri says.

“Oi!” Rupert shouts.

“He’s not that annoying” Dave says.

“Wait, why is Rupert’s entire friend group become important for the following ‘rounds’?” Charles asks.

Terrance shrugs, “It’s a coincidence. They’re all pretty killable.”

“Uh, Dave’s a killer on the third round?” Burt says, “And kills two people. One of which is the right-hand man.”

“From what I have seen, that is pretty unlikely. More unlikely to escape the Wall,” Dmitri says.

“Oh! That’s because the third chapter always has two victims! And what better way to get rid of those two! The killer is also crazy, so what perfect person is that of one who is usually so sweet and nice all the time! It’ll make it all the more shocking! *Pause* It’s also why I chose Jacob as the mastermind. Though, between the two, I can totally see Dave going full on cannibalism on Reginald and Right. Maybe even eating their still beating hearts!”

Silence fills the room and then a lot of gagging is heard. To various degrees of disgust.

“I… I would never!” Dave stammers out.

“Yeah, Dave would never! Stop bullying my friends!” Rupert yells.

“Wait!” Sven suddenly shouts, “What do you mean that Burt kills me?! We’re best friends!”

“What… WHAT?!” Burt says offended like he just noticed that detail.

“Going to be honest, I have no idea what to do with you two. I don’t think you’d become survivors, but how you die? I don’t know. Though, a betrayal kill is fascinating!”

“Grr. No, it’s not! Especially with me and Burt! I’ll have you know that me and Burt go way back, and even if things are bad, we’d never turn on each other! We’ll have each other’s backs through and through! It even helps that we’re toppats! And toppats never turn on each other! Law enforcement might, but not toppats! We don’t even know the word ‘betrayal’!”

Terrance laughs, “Oh, they do. They do. Reginald, dear, mind telling us what it means?”

“…You betrayed us first with your so called ‘leadership’.” I spit.

“Wait, survivors? Does that mean the ones who are not labeled anything… live?” Dr. Vin says.

“Yep!”

“…Terrance, your bias is showing.” Dr. Vin says as she rubs her temple.

“…I do not know if I should be flattered or greatly offended…” Captain Galeforce says, “At least, I’d still have Vicky and Charlie.”

“And I have Henry!” Charles says.

“Welp, I think we got everything out of this! Here!” Terrance says and then throws a bunch of papers onto the floor. One falls to my feet, and I see it’s the same prediction sheet Terrance used except smaller and not filled in, “If you want to predict something as well, go for it! Tootles~” He then disappears.

“…Dmitri, I swear to all things holy,” Captain Galeforce says.

“I… I am not going to fill this out!” Dmitri shouts and yet puts the paper in his pocket, “I just… want to study it. For later.”

“(…Why am I stuck here with this man)” Captain Galeforce says as he puts his face into his hands.

“You know what! Screw him!” Thomas says as he grabs one of the papers just to rip it in half, “I’m going to become a survivor! Just to spite him and his stupid prediction list!”

“Heh. Don’t we all?” Geoffroy says.

“Not me,” Burt says. Sven elbows him.

We soon all leave the room. I spot Jacob heading north and, after telling Right, proceeds to follow him. (I didn’t bring Right along, because Jacob’s scared of him and that could ruin my chances). He soon leads me into the library, which is where I then make my presence known.

“Hello Jacob.” I say causing the security guard to jump. Guess they really are wimps… Seems Right is right a second time today.

“Uh… um… hi?” Jacob says frantic, “W-What do you want?”

“Oh! I just wanted to give you this gift!”

“Sure?” Jacob says. I then proceed to give him the rose pin. He looks at it strangely.

“Is there something the matter?”

“No! Of course not! Roses are my favorite flower! For… obvious reasons. Why did you want to give me this?”

“I wanted to get to know you better!” I say, “Say, would like to hang out. Your pick of the activity?”

“I guess?” Jacob says confused, “Uh, I wanted to look around in the library so… how about we do that?”

We spend the next few hours looking around the library. Just like what my toppats shared last night, there’s only murder mystery and true crime books. However, we do find exceptions, as Jacob finds a kids’ book, and what I mean by that is the book is for literal preschoolers, with colorful pictures explaining how time works. Meanwhile, I find an old DVD cartridge of the movie, “Happy Death Day”, without a disk. Replacing it, the cartridge has something written on the inside of it which basically can be summed up to, “Book Good. Movie Bad.” It seems like Terrance is making fun of us.

After an uneventful search, Jacob sighs in defeat and sits down on the floor.

“Darn it. I was hoping there would be a book about mental health in here.”

“Mental health? Why are you looking for that?”

“Uh… no reason. It’s just because… I like learning about that kind of stuff. Want to be a therapist once I get the money to be able to.”

“Interesting. So, you believe you’ll leave this place?”

“…I hope so,” Jacob says, “I can’t imagine dying in place like this. *Pause* Ellie promised me she’ll get us both out of here, and I believe in her!”
“Hm. What’s your relationship with her anyhow?”

“Oh, she’s basically my best friend! We’ve been by each other’s side since childhood! Though…”

“Though?”

“Nevermind. Sorry, for always being scared around you and the other toppats. I… had a bad experience with them in the past, but that doesn’t justify it…”

“Oh, sorry about that. And Right is naturally scary. Heh, he can’t turn it off!”

“I guess you’re right,”

“Though, he’d be lot less scary if you got to know him or… be on the same side as him,”

“Uh… are you suggesting I join your faction?”

“Ye-”

“OH, HECK NO!” Johnny shouts as he barges in with Dave walking in beside him. Funny enough, Rupert is nowhere to be seen at the moment, “You’re going to join law enforcement. Tell him, Panpa!” The police officer then pushes his friend right in front of Jacob.

“W-Why?!” Dave asks.

“Cause you worked at the same museum as him! You have the best chance of convincing him to join our side!” Johnny says.

“Dave? You j-joined their faction?” Jacob says with slight hurt in his voice.

“Yeah, well… I don’t want to be murdered, and Rupert and Johnny were joining, and I didn’t want to get separated from them. I mean, we already have sperate jobs, so I don’t want to be even more separated-”

“Dave,” Johnny says.

“Sorry. I joined. Uh, so um, us security guys got to stick together so… do you want to join as well? Y-You don’t have to I mean. Just, it’d be cool.”

“I’m sorry, but do you really want to join a team with him?” I say, “He can’t even say a coherent sentence!”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Do you really want to join a team with this stuck-up man who looks like he’s related to the Monopoly Man!” Johnny retorts.

“Oh? Then I’m sorry. But do you really want to be on a team with this careless police officer, who doesn’t know the word ‘respect’!”

“Do you?”

I stare at him intensely and then take a deep breath. He isn’t worth it. I look to Jacob and ask, “So? What will it be? Law enforcement or toppats? And I’ll have you know that toppats are loyal to one another and won’t betray each other for an easy kill!”

“And I’ll tell you that law enforcement isn’t full of criminals but instead actual heroes! Who won’t back stab each other!”

“I…” Jacob stares at both of us. He then sighs and then says, “I… don’t want to be on either side… at all.”

“WHAT?!”

“Oh, that’s fine. What’s the reason?” Dave asks.

“Um… it’s personal,” Jacob says rubbing his arm, “But let’s just say… I don’t really trust cops and by extension the government.”

“Fair. But are you sure you’re going to be okay? Being alone sucks…” Dave says.

“I’ll be fine, Dave. I have Ellie. And I’m assuming that’s why you’re trying to recruit me? You don’t actually want me on your team, you want El, which hurts a little. Honestly, though I’d be more worried about you.”

“Me?” Dave asks.

Jacob gives Johnny a distrustful glance and then looks back at Dave to say, “…People are usually out for their own self-interest. I pray that once you discover that it won’t be too late.”

“…” Dave stares at him and then rubs his own arm. Something is telling me he already knows that lesson.

“What a bunch of baloney!” Johnny says, “Are you implying that I’ll betray Davey here? I’d sooner face death than do that!”

“And what if I am?” Jacob says.

“Uh, Jacob, Johnny. You don’t need to-”

“Unbelievable!” Johnny says, deeply offended. Though I don’t blame him, “What? You think I, the ultimate police officer, murder him for a chance to escape?” The police officer then dances around the room in a mockery intimidation.

“Johnny!” Dave says trying to get his friend to stop.

“You think I’ll be like, ‘Oh, I’m going to murder you, David! I’ll get some bug spray, and spray it all over your face. I’ll teach you that cockroaches like yourself are still mortal!”

Despite not wanting Johnny to do this, Dave begins chuckling at his friend’s antics.

Johnny continues with, “And once I get out of here, I’ll go into YOUR savings account and buy ALL the donuts. And I won’t share a SINGLE one of thEMMMMM-” Johnny then trips and lands face first onto the table. Hitting the side of it with his forehead.

“JOHNNY!” Dave screams and rushes over to help him, “You okay?!”

“Jeeze, you okay?” Jacob says also heading over, “I’m sorry!”

“Oh dear,” I say also heading over.

“I’m… fine,” Johnny says sitting up, “Guess I didn’t pay much attention to where I was placing my fe…et…” His voice goes quiet all of a sudden as he brushes his head with his hand.

With the help of Dave, Johnny is able to stand up, but there’s a look of horror on his face as he stares at his own hand. I then notice there’s a small cut on the top of his head, that is bleeding all over his face.

“Oh… that’s not good,” Dave says.

“…I need to go.” Johnny suddenly says with an uncharacteristic amount of seriousness and fear. He puts his hand on his new injury. Blood seeps through it regardless.

“Johnny? You okay-”

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” Johnny snaps. He then calms down a little and says, “S-Sorry. I… need to clean this up. D-don’t follow me, please.”

The police officer then proceeds to practically run out of the library, while keeping his hand on his forehead.

“…”

“…I… should leave. Sorry about all of this,” Dave says and then leaves the library. Now it’s just me and Jacob.

“So, have you considered-” I tell him.

“No,” Jacob says and then leaves.

I sigh and look at the clock. Realizing the time, I soon head over to classroom 2A.

Once I get there, again fashionably late, I see everyone listening to Burt.

“Reg,” Right says as he spots me coming into here, “You made it.”

“Hello, chief!” the other toppats greet me.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“I was telling everyone that I got yelled at,” Burt says.

“…Sorry, but how’s that interesting?” I ask.

“Your guess is as good as mine,”

“Hey! It’s important! This might give us valuable information on the other team!” Sven says.

“I don’t know. It just boils down to that Charles is nice, Rupert and Charles might see each other as friends, which anyone with a braincell could have figured out, and the latter is rude.” Burt says.

“Wait, what happened?”

“Well-” Burt begins.

POV Burt:

Dang it, Sven, where are you?

I am currently searching the area for Sven, who has prematurely abandoned me. It worries me a little bit, but I have not heard any screams for help yet, so I’m assuming we’re just separated.

I take a moment to think about where he could have gone, then realize he’s no doubt in the shark room. Sighing, I begin to make my way to the room, where I soon bump into-

“Hey! Oh, hiya Burt!” Charles says.

“Hi,”

“Where you off to?”

“Shark room. Where are you going?”

“I’m looking for Henry and Ellie. Have you seen them?”

“Can’t say I have… Hey. Out of curiosity, what’s your relationship with those two, since you guys seem pretty close. I also heard a rumor that Henry was a criminal, but I do not know if that’s true or not.”

“Oh, he is a criminal. Stole a giant diamond once. It’s kind of the reason why Dmitri is so admitted of not getting him on the team, despite the captain and me being really cool with it.”

“Why?”

“Well, for starters. The captain believes strongly in redemption. Before we got here, he was going to put a plan into motion that would result in Henry getting a pardon by doing work for us.”

Did he just tell me classified information? “So, you know him that way?”

“Not really. We couldn’t go through with it cause well… we’re here now, and can’t do any missions to stop the Toppat Clan. *Pause* No offense,”

I shrug, “Eh, we’re natural enemies. It’s fine. But that means you knew of Henry before getting here?”

“Y-Yeah. But he’s really nice when you get to know him, and funny, and charming, and dorky, and determined, and brave, and-” Charles continues to list off Henry’s attributes all while blushing hard. Seems Thomas has competition.

Eventually, Charles stops listing allowing me to ask, “Huh. Guess you really like him.”

“Yep! So um, how’s everything going on with you?”

“Could be better. Though I do like the break from working. Guess the only time I get a vacation is when I get kidnapped.”

“Oof. The clan doesn’t offer vacations?”

“Eh, not exactly. I’m the head of my division, and if I’m gone everything falls apart. I really don’t want to leave them all unchecked for even a day.”

“…Are you worried about them?”

“Very. But either the chief is going to get us all out of here, or I die, and it stops being my problem. Though, thinking about how much work I’ll have to make up, I’m starting to hope for the latter.”

“Dude, no dark jokes!” Charles says, “I know the captain says it’s a way for people to cope, but um one you’re not on our team (sorry) and two they’re really uncomfortable!”

“Not to me.”

“Yeah, but to everyone else…”

“Gosh, you’re starting to sound like Sven.”

“OI!” a new voice shouts and soon I see Rupert marching between us, “What do you think ya doing?!”

“Rups, we’re just talking,”

“Like Hell you are! Get lost!” Rupert shouts, “I’m not letting another one of you criminals try and corrupt Charles!”

“Oh really? How am I corrupting him?”

“…You talk about gaining stupid power and money so you can recruit him!” Rupert shouts.

“…I didn’t bring up those things. Honestly, Charles was the one who was doing wrong here. He told me about a planned mission… unprompted.”

“Sure, ‘unprompted’.” Rupert rolls his eyes, “…Wait what?”

“Rupert,” Charles growls in slight annoyance. His laid-back energy is completely gone. Replaced with… something else. Rupert flinches at that tone, “I know you hate criminals, but please… shut up. Nothing happened, so stop putting words into Burt’s mouth.”

“…”

“…Sorry about him,” Charles says with his old tone, “I guess we should break off now. Especially since Rups just insulted you.”

“…Yeah… I should go,” I say.

“…Same… Wait, where’s Johnny and Dave?” Rupert says, “#@$@, I think I lost them!”

“Heh. Karma,” I tell him and walk away.

“Shut up!”

“Rupert, please,” Charles says with a strained voice.

“…sorry,” Rupert says.

Guess that was why I didn’t see him with Johnny and Dave. Kind of funny since I’ve rarely seen those three apart.

“I then found Sven right where I thought he was.” Burt says, “See? Nothing really interesting,”

“Yeah. I guess so.” Sven says, “But I’m not that predictable!”

“Sure.”

“To get us back on topic, I want to say,” Thomas begins, “We need to work harder to get more allies. Law enforcement has already gained two new members in the past two days!”

“Three,” I correct, “Dave has joined.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of obvious.” Burt says.

“That doesn’t subtract from my point,” Thomas says, “It just means that the other faction now has an equal amount of members as us! Which means we need to get Henry-”

“And Ellie,” Sven adds.

“On our team as soon as possible!” Thomas says.

The others nod in agreement, except for Geoffroy who looks conflicted.

“…Do you think this is right focusing on the other groups?” Geoffroy suddenly says.

“What do you mean?” Right asks.

“I mean, we should be all working together to get out of here. Not two teams who are actively working against each other. I fear… that this won’t end well for any of us if this keeps up.” Geoffroy says.

“But I don’t want to work with some stuck-up law enforcement!” Thomas says.

“Besides, they’re our natural enemy. It’s like snakes working with mongooses. It’s just not possible!” Sven says.

“But even with a united goal against a mutual enemy?” Geoffroy asks.

“Geoffroy, law enforcement aren’t our friends. We can tolerate each other, but we can never truly work with them.” I say.

“…If you say so,” Geoffroy says disappointed.

We then proceed to talk about what we found today. I recapped what I learned about Henry’s, Ellie’s, and Jacob’s situation and well general alignment. We then discussed plans on how to recruit the members of the neutral faction and how to get out of here. Nobody has a clue about the latter. I also showed off the weird green figure I got from the prize machine, which Burt happily took of my hands.

This time, we were able to watch the time and ended the meeting earlier. As we head back to our dorms, I began talking to Right.

“So, how was your day?” I ask.

“Uneventful,” Right says, “But… thanks for letting me be on my own. I needed that space… unfortunately,”

“Unfortunately?”

“Reg, we’re in a death game, and… I don’t know what I’ll do if anything were to happen to you.”

“…” I look at Right for a moment and then place my hand into his. I give him one of my sweetest smile and say, “We’re going to be alright. Okay?”

Right’s face turns into a lovely shade of pink and then he mumbles “Okay…”

As soon as he looks away, I feel my smile disappear. I can never tell him I don’t fully believe this. However, I’m sure I can take care of myself, and he certainly can do that for himself as well. We’ve always been able to…

We soon reach our dorms and manage to finally change into some pajamas, just in time-

Ding, Dong! “It’s 10:00 pm! What a lovely soap opera this has all been! Can’t wait for things to shake up… with murder~”

I feel a chill go down my spine as darkness soon comes into the room.

POV ???:

I sigh as I lay down on my bed from exhaustion. It’s done. I just finished my first task as the traitor. I place my hands on my face and groan. I don’t know what to do.

I don’t want to cause any deaths. I don’t want to be the traitor. I don’t even want to be here! However, like everything else in my life, I have no choice. Ugh! It’s so frustrating!

I take a deep breath and remove my hands. I stare at the celling while a feeling of numbness takes over me. I have to find a way. I have to.

I can’t let anyone die under my watch. Even if it goes against the wishes of my be- the mastermind.

I suddenly hear muffled footsteps in the hallway. Wonder who’s out and about this hour? It’s probably just Terrance.

Notes:

2 chapters left before body reveal...

Sorry, you guys don't get a blank prediction list. I messed up on the file. But, I might've accidently shamed you into not doing that... sorry about that.

Chapter 5: PtS Daily Life #3

Summary:

motive chapter

Notes:

Yeah, I know. I should stick to a once a week schedule, but... nah. I think I want this done before the new years.
Also, no picture this chapter. Again, they're not going to come up much.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Reginald:

Ding, Dong! “It’s 6:00 am! Oh boy! I’ve waited SO LONG for this day! It’s going to be so much fun!”

“That’s worrisome,” I say out loud.

We once again recite our morning rituals, though as we walk, I notice Ellie, Rupert, and Johnny searching the area with worry. I decide to go up to Ellie at least to ask her what is wrong.

“Ellie? You okay?” I ask.

“…Jacob’s not in his room,” Ellie says with horror.

“Oof, that’s bad. But I’m sure he’s okay,” Charles suddenly says as he walks up to her, “There’s not a reason to kill yet!”

“I wouldn’t say that” Right says. I elbow him.

“What Right, should’ve said is that you shouldn’t jump to the worse conclusion. Maybe he woke up early?”

“Doesn’t stop me from worrying though…” Ellie says.

“Have you found his room in disarray?” I ask.

“No,”

“Then I’m sure he’s fine.”

“I know, but-”

“Oi! Get lost criminal scum!” Rupert shouts.

“Rups, chill out,” Charles says, “They’re just talking, not recruiting.”

“No need to be a Karen about it,” I joke.

“…” Rupert looks slightly offended by that comment.

“Hey! Didn’t Jacob and Dave work at the same museum?” Charles says, “Maybe they are together!”

“Wait, Dave’s missing as well?” I ask.

“Yeah, and if one of you toppats is behind it, I swear-” Rupert says.

“I’ll make you regret you were ever born.” Johnny comes out of nowhere to finish Rupert’s sentence. Though he doesn’t look appreciative of it.

“JOHNNY!” Rupert yells, “That’s way too far!”

“But it’s true!” Johnny says nonchalantly.

“I’ll… talk to you about that later… Let’s just find Dave first, and Ellie?” Rupert says trying to change the subject.

“Yeah?”

“We’ll keep an eye out for Jacob.” Rupert says and then both him and Johnny leave.

“…”

“Charles?” Ellie says.

“Yeah?”

“You need better friends,”

“Ouch, Rups is not that bad! He just said he’ll look out for Jacob.”

“I know, but he’s super rude.”

“Heh. I know he’s nicer if you get to know him. That includes Johnny as well,”

I heavily disagree. I think to myself, but refuse to voice it.

“Oi Reg! We’re heading to the food court now!” Right shouts.

“My apologies,” I tell him and soon run over to him.

From behind I hear Charles say, “Maybe he wanted to get an early breakfast?”

Once we get there, we see an interesting sight. It seems that breakfast has been made earlier, and thankfully it is not pancakes. (Again, they’re not bad, but every day?) Each table has a plate of the meal, where everyone usually sits. Soon, I spot Jacob napping in his chair with a blanket on top of him.

“Oh, thank goodness,” Ellie breathes a sigh of relief.

“*GASP* What is this blasphemy?!” Charles yells.

“What?” Right asks.

“T-these are not pancakes!” Charles says, “This isn’t breakfast!”

“Um, I wanted to do something different today, Charles,” Dave suddenly says as he walks up. Guess this is his doing.

“…TRAITOR! I thought better of you Dave,” Charles says, though he is saying in a joking manor.

“Sorry,”

“Charlie, not everyone can live off of pancakes alone like you.” Captain Galeforce suddenly says as he walks to him.

“Honestly. I was getting sick of it,” Dr. Vin says.

“Really? It’s only been two days. I haven’t gotten sick of it,” Dave says.

“[D A V E, you do not have taste buds]” Henry signs and then leaves. Confusing everyone.

“… (I-I do)” Dave mumbles.

“See? Dave understands!” Charles says.

“That’s only Dave,” I say, “And he only refuted Dr. Vin’s claim about being sick off it. Not that we can have pancakes every day, which isn’t true as he did something different today.”

“W-Well, Rups probably would side with me! He’s eaten an entire box of donuts in one sitting!” Charles says.

“Rupert eats other stuff besides donuts, and… how did you know about that?” Dave says.

“Oh! By the way, Rupert and Johnny are looking for you!” Charles says.

“Ah!” Dave says and then runs out of the food court.

After that, we go our separate ways. Though, before we go to our table there’s something I need to know first. I walk over to Jacob, who is now up but still clearly tired.

“Hello Jacob. Out of curiosity, why are you here?” I ask.

“…To eat?” he says tired.

“I mean, sleeping in here. You look like you didn’t sleep at all last night!”

“…Well, when I was a security guard, I had the nightshift, and so did Dave… And well, it’s kind of… hard to adjust to a new… sleep schedule, so… both of us were up.” Jacob says, “We just… hanged out, nothing… too fancy.”

So, that explains why he and Dave were up early. Though… he didn’t seem to have a problem with that yesterday, and shouldn’t Dave also be feeling fatigue as well?

Instead of prying deeper, I decide to thank him and head to my table. After all, I do want him on my side.

Nothing really eventful happens after this, besides Rupert, Johnny, and Dave eventually coming into the room and eating their share. After we’re done eating, I order everyone, except Right, to try and convince Henry or Jacob to join our side. We proceed to split up once again.

I then leave with Right and go to the prize room. I put in some more bear coins into the machine. This time I get a fancy golden watch, which after wasting a diamond ring on Henry, I’m extremely happy in gaining. I also get a purple panda plushy, and box of chocolates. Right puts his coins in and gets a bouquet, an onion, and a box of ammo. We quickly trade the bouquet, box of chocolates, and a small kiss. Then leave.

“So, where are we going, Reg?”

“Hm, I think I want you to go searching for an exit again, alone.”

“…Really?” Right says annoyed.

“Yes, because I want to talk with Dave.”

“Dave? Why?”

“Just plain curiosity.” I shrug, “Want to get his side of Jacob’s story and some information about a certain…incident… that happened yesterday.”

“Heh. Should’ve known it had something do with gossip. Alright… want me to distract Rupert and Johnny just so you have a chance to talk with him.”

“Very much so, thank you.”

Thus, our plan goes into action. We separate, looking for our respective people. I first check the kitchen where I spot Dave cleaning up. Charles is nowhere to be seen. Guess he was more offended by the food choice than I thought.

“Hello, Dave,” I call out. Causing the security guard to jump.

“Ah! Oh… h-hi,” Dave says, “What do you need?”

“Some coffee and I want to chat with you,” I tell him as I make my coffee.

“Alright…”

“So, how are you doing?”

“…G-good,” Dave says, “Just adapting. You?”

“I’m fine,” I tell him, “I’m adapting as well. How was last night?”

“It was good, though my feet kind of hurt,”

“You did a lot of walking around with Jacob?”

“…You can say that” Dave says.

“What did you do?”

“…Jacob, doesn’t want me to say,”

I look at him in silence before saying, “…Are you two planning a murder-”

“NO! No! It’s not what you think! We were just… hanging out! He’s just… a little paranoid right now. I don’t blame him. It’s a really scary situation we’re all in, b-but we still have each other and our friends, so it’s not that bad! Plus, we have our own rooms with beds, which is way better than sleeping on the floor! Bonus, they’re comfy too! And the area is really big with different slightly smaller areas to walk around in! It’s like a huge shopping mall!”

“I guess so, but that doesn’t make it great.”

“I’m not saying it is, but it doesn’t hurt to look at the bright side of things.”

“I guess…” I decide to help Dave clean. He’s a little taken back by this.

“Uh, you don’t have to. Rups and Johnny are going to help me to clean up. They’re getting some supplies right now. *Pause* Shouldn’t they be back by now?”

“What’s your relationship with those two?” I ask to change the subject.

“Oh! They’re my best friends! We’ve known each other since our days at the police academy!”

I stare at him, “You cannot have ever been a police officer.”

“Uh, well I was. I had some help with my friends and… some privileges.”

“Privileges?”

“…” Dave looks uneasy and then says, “I had rich parents.”

“Oh,” Something is telling me he’s not telling the full truth.

“A-anyways, we actually officially met when I got mugged.”

“Mugged?”

“Y-Yeah. Some guys dragged me into an alley way, and pointed a knife in my face. I got so scared that I screamed, and was about to give them all my money, but- then Rupert showed up and demanded that they leave me alone. They laughed at him and tried to stab him, but he fought back! He didn’t even have his police stuff on him, so he did with his fists and legs!” Dave’s face starts blushing, “It was super cool, and he was holding his ground quite well! Then Johnny showed up and tackled one of the muggers, as Rupert knocked out another. I technically helped a little, but it was mainly Rupert and Johnny doing all the work. I’m sure they would’ve been fine if I didn’t step in. (Probably would’ve ended better).”

Again, I don’t think he’s being entirely truthful. Wonder what he is hiding?

“After that, we learned we all went to the same academy and the rest is history. They’re both such great guys! Rupert’s really compassionate and Johnny’s super loyal!”

“Don’t know about compassionate, Rupert seems a bit rude.” I say to him, trying to put it lightly.

“Ah, that’s… him. He’s… incapable of saying anything nice. He’s only nice through his actions. Like him helping me with cleaning up. He went to get some cleaning supplies with Johnny. Wonder what’s taking him so long?”

“I’ll take your word for it,” No I won’t “…Do you know why Johnny freaked out as much as he did when he started bleeding?” I suddenly ask.

“Not really. He’s sensitive to that kind of stuff, doesn’t like talking about it. So, Rupert and I are both in the dark about it as much as you are, though we both know whatever it is, it causes him to be… insecure. I just hope that he knows that if he ever tells us, we’ll still love him the same amount. No matter what!”

“Alright.”

“Where are those guys anyways? They should be back by now.”

“Why are you so scared of Right?” I jump in. I thought Right was the one doing the distraction. I want to get a bit more out of him, before rejoins his friends.

“…I… I don’t know to be honest,” Dave admits, “He just looks like he’s from one of my nightmares.”

I look at Dave strangely. I know Right can be extremely scary, but to the point of nightmares?

Reading my expression, Dave suddenly says, “Uh, don’t think to hard on it. I don’t know why that is either! I only been having really bad nightmares since I got fired.”

“Do you remember any of them?”

“They’re usually really vivid, but after a few seconds of waking up I forget about them. I do sort of remember that they’re strange and have events that… haven’t happened to me. Honestly, sometimes I’m scared that they might be…” Dave pauses, “But that’s silly. *Pause* I also shouldn’t be venting about my problems to complete strangers, sorry about that.”

“Oh, no worries. I asked,”

“…Okay… Thanks.”

Dave rubs his arm a bit in a fit of nervousness. I feel slightly bad, so I decide to give Dave the panda plushy, as a sign of thanking him for answering my questions.

“Oh! You’re giving this to me? Thank you so much, I love pandas! And it’s my favorite color too!” Dave says excitedly and hugs the plushy close.

“You’re welcome. Also, you should give Right a chance. He’s a nice guy.”

“…You’re right, I should-”

Suddenly, I hear Johnny and Right screaming. Bolting out of the room with Dave following close behind, I see my right-hand man holding up Rupert, who is continuously kicking and shouting in a vain attempt to break free, while Johnny whacks Right with a boom.

“LET HIM GO, YOU NAMELESS OX!” Johnny screams.

“Oi! Stop it or I’ll actually put him a tiny box!” Right shouts, “Along with you!”

Well… that’s one way to keep them distracted.

“HEY! Let him go, please!” Dave screams.

“Right, let him go.”

My right-hand man obliges and drops the feral porcupine on the floor. Immediately, Dave rushes to his aid.

“You okay?” Dave asks.

“Yeah, I’m fine… just spooked.” Rupert responds.

Right rolls his eyes and walks over to me- only to trip and fall on the floor thanks to Johnny.

“Oops.” Johnny says with malice, and then walks over to his friends.

Right growls, but before he can say anything I tell him, “Don’t. It isn’t worth it.”

I then help him up, and say, “Next time, don’t immediately go to threats.”

Before Right has a chance to defend his actions- Ding, Dong! “Everyone goes to the theater room for a special announcement!”

“What does that crazy zombie want this time?” Rupert spits as Dave and Johnny help him get up.

“If it’s another prediction on all of our deaths, I’m blowing up this place when we escape,” Johnny says, “With it’s own bombs.”

We all then walk over there, but with some distance of course. I can feel Rupert’s and Johnny’s hateful glares from behind me as we enter.

As soon as the area is filled up, Terrance appears on stage.

“Hello, everyone, unfortunately!”

“Unfortunately?” Captain Galeforce asks.

“Yeah, it’s unfortunate, because nobody has died!” Terrance says, “Which is so boring! The only thing I had to watch is your attempts at recruiting the neutral faction on to either of your sides.”

“Not me,” Dmitri says.

“2/3’s still counts,” Dr. Vin says.

“That, and Hubert’s strange obsession with the incinerator room,” Terrance continues.

“Hey! I’m just making sure that if something were to occur I’d know that room was used. Can’t be too safe can we?” Captain Galeforce says.

“…”

“So, when’s the wedding?” Terrance and Dr. Vin say almost entirely in sync.

“JINX!” Terrance yells.

The captain looks angrily at the two before sighing, “Quiet…”

“Um, Vicky.” Charles says.

“What?” Dr. Vin says, “And its Dr. Vin to you.”

“Oh nothing, just wanted to let you keep talking.”

“…What?”

“Charles, you can explain how that game works later. We’re focusing on this game, where we’ve reached three days without a murder! Do you know what that means, Geoffory~” Terrance says.

“…” Geoffroy looks gives an expression of both anger and fear.

“Haha, that’s right! We’re pulling out our first motive!”

“Motive?” I ask.

“It’s a fun part of the game, where I add a little stake to get you killing. Now, everyone has a secret. Whether big or small. Incriminating or just plain embarrassing! But what would happen, if they got out. Haha!

“In all of your respective rooms, the traitor has given you a secret on a piece of paper. If nobody kills in the next three days- all those secrets will be leaked out to the public. You may go look at what I’m revealing now. Pray it isn’t that bad.”

“There is no way-” Right says.

“Do you really want to take that risk? You should know all my attempts at your name are purely jokes. Never serious,” Terrance says, “Well… until now~”

“Y-You d-didn’t…” Johnny says.

“Oh, I did! Did you honestly thought I would keep your little secret?” Terrance says.

“Oh…no…” Jacob says looking pale.

“Hey don’t worry. I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Ellie says.

“…So…that means…” Dave says, “I really did…”

“Dave, you did nothing wrong,” Rupert reassures him, “Stop blaming yourself.”

“…We should probably check what they are-” Burt says, which causes everyone to run out of the room. Including me, which is funny, because I don’t even know what my secret is. However, knowing Terrance, he probably has some real nasty dirt on me for my secret.

We all sprint over to the dorms. We slowly separate and go into our correct rooms and not the ones we picked out for ourselves. Sure enough, I see a piece of paper on the ground; folded neatly so I can’t see what’s written on it.

I pick it up and unfold it. It reveals text that reads, “You want to move on from your life of crime, but your sister doesn’t. This has caused a rift in your relationship.”

I stare at the note for a second and then check which dorm I’m in. Then I see others doing the same.

“Oops! I guess the traitor put the wrong secrets in everyone’s rooms! Now someone else knows your secret. Guess it’s not going to the grave after all,” Terrance says over the intercoms.

Panic rises in the halls. Seems a lot of people have skeletons in their closets. I notice Right getting close to me. Worry is written on his face.

“Reg, can I talk to you for a minute.”

“Of course,”

“Thanks,” Right says and then he grabs my hand. He then leads me to our shared dorm. Once there I let go and walk further into the room while he closes the door.

He turns to me and says, “@$@#, this is #@$@ing bad.”

“I know. This is going to cause a lot of unrest. We’re going to have to be a lot more careful in the days leading up to this.” I tell him.

“Yeah, and… someone knows my real name…”

“What? How are you so sure?”

“Because what else is on that stupid note!” Right snaps, “It’s either that, or the life I willingly left behind. The one I burned and buried! The one that is tied to my real name! *Pause* I don’t want anyone to know…”

“…” I walk over to him and hold both of his hands. I get close up to his face and say, “It’s going to be alright, love. We’ll figure it out. We always do.”

“…Do… you have…it?”

“I don’t. Unfortunately,”

“…”

“We’ll find the person who has it, and… well. Make sure they stay silent… without murder of course.”

“Yeah…”

“And if worst comes to worst… That isn’t your name anymore. Nothing will change if it gets out,”

“Even if-”

“Right, we’re criminals. We all have skeletons in our closet, and,” I take a step back and show him my note, “You’re not the only one who has a secret. They’d all be hypocrites to bully you with it. Especially if they are another toppat.”

A small smile creeps on his face and then he kisses me, “Thanks, Reg.”

“Nyeh!” I say happily.

We soon separate and a question soon falls out of my mouth, “What was your secret?”

“…Mine?”

“The one you got?”

“…” a look of worry and fear soon appears on Right’s face.

“Right? Oh. You don’t have to show me if you don’t want to-”

“Just look,”

He gives me his paper and it reads, “You caused this entire killing game.”

I jump as I feel goosebumps appear all over my skin, “Is that… the mastermind’s secret?!”

“Most likely. Shame it doesn’t tell us who it is,” Right says.

“Which is good since whoever has your secret probably doesn’t know either.”

“Really? Everyone knows I don’t have a name! So, a secret that starts out with, ‘your real name is’, is going to be pretty obvious who it’s referring to!” Right says.

“…Can’t argue with that. I think my secret is obvious too. I mean, who else here has a sister?” I tell him.

“…Heh. Yeah,” he responds.

“I think. The best course of action is to call an emergency meeting. Get every toppat to come to our meeting room and we’ll discuss the motive.”

“On it chief,” Right says and is about to leave the room, before I stop him.

“Oh, and Right?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

A smile creeps on his face, “I love you too.”

It only takes a few minutes to round up the toppats. I arrive and unlike the previous times I enter in here, it’s dead silent.

“So, let’s get this started. Does anyone have a secret that involves someone’s real name?” I ask.

“…No,” the toppats say in almost perfect unison. Right grits his teeth at the statement.

“Geoffroy?” Sven asks.

“Yeah?”

“When you said, Terrance will do everything in his power to get us to kill each other… was this what you were referring to?”

“Yes. Though to be honest, out of all of them this is quite tame.”

“T-tame?”

“This could ruin my life!” Right shouts, “How is this tame?!”

“It won’t,” I respond to him.

“Well, at least the time limit is for when Terrance leaks our secrets out to the world, not all of our deaths.”

“Would’ve preferred that,” Burt says. Sven elbows him.

“Regardless of if it’s tame or not, it’s making everyone tense. We need a course of action; a plan to counter it!”

“Maybe we can tell each other the secrets we got?” Sven says, “That way we know what’s being leaked out?”

“That’s a stupid idea, Sven.” Burt deadpans.

“Agree. I wouldn’t want the law enforcement side telling each other my secret!” Right hisses, “So, we shouldn’t do it here either.”

“Ditto, it’s so rude and un-toppat like to root through others’ secrets!” Thomas says. A feeling of guilt climbs up my back at that statement.

“Says you,” Burt says with a bit of malice in voice.

“What?”

“I have your secret,” Burt says.

“Oh!” Thomas says, “What is it? Can you tell us?”

“…You want to share?” Burt says, “Or more accurately don’t know?”

“I don’t recall having any secret. So, any secret written on there would be interesting to hear.”

“Actually, Burt. Are you sure it’s Thomas’s? There are no names written on the papers,” Sven says.

“…Who else would betray the Toppat Clan for a hot man?”

Thomas looks shocked and then says offended, “…I-I would never! Sure, I can get a little caught up with boys, but never at the expense of the clan! Besides, I’m still a loyal member! This secret is completely wrong or for the wrong person! I bet it was yours, Burt!”

“We didn’t get our own secrets, moron.” Burt says.

“And it can’t be mine. I don’t like guys like that,” Sven says.

“Same here,” Geoffroy says.

“And I’m already in a relationship with Right!” I tell him.

“Ditto,” Right tells him.

“But I can’t be this secret holder! Uh… maybe someone else who is currently not in the Toppat Clan is this person! Maybe Dave or Jacob! Maybe that’s why they’re scared of us! They have a guilty conscious!”

“Or maybe, you forgot about it,” Geoffroy says.

We all look at him.

“What do you mean by that?” Sven asks.

“We have no windows, no clocks, and no way to tell time. Terrance said it himself in the announcements, it could be midnight right now and none of us would know. Couldn’t be too much of a stretch to say-” Suddenly, the gun in the room points at Geoffroy making a clicking sound, which immediately shuts up him up. The room goes quiet as we watch the gun slowly deactivate.

“…”

“And that’s why your idea was dumb, Sven,” Burt says.

“You’re the one who went through with it,” Sven responds.

“...Geoffroy is right. Even if I did something a while ago to betray all of you, I don’t remember it or the reason why I did it! I don’t even have any recollection of the devil. So, right now, I’m still a loyal toppat! Through and through! And I’ll beat up my past self for committing that treasonous crime!” Thomas says shaking his fist.

“Makes sense to me,” Geoffroy says.

“…I guess so,” Sven says.

“Still not going to fully trust you,” Burt says.

“...I just realize this is probably what Terrance wants,” I say.

“What?”

“He wants us to fight and lose faith in each other with these secrets, so Burt, I suggest you forgive Thomas for being himself, until he is actually proven to be unfaithful,” I tell him. Though, it never hurts to make a mental note about this…

“…I guess so,” Burt says.

“It might not even be real, since Thomas didn’t even know about this,” Sven says.

“Wait, that’s how we’ll beat this motive!” Geoffroy suddenly says. Everyone turns to him.

“How?” Sven asks.

“We won’t lose faith in each other!” Geoffroy says, “We just got to respect each other and remind ourselves that we aren’t all perfect. Especially, since we’re all criminals. We all have shady history.”

“But what if the secrets do get leaked.” Right says.

“Let the law enforcement kill each other to stop it,” I tell him, “We aren’t the only ones here after all.”

“And toppats are supposed to be a big happy family! We’ll forgive and forget if worst comes to worse,” Thomas says.

“Even if it’s treason?” Burt asks.

“…I doubt any of us remember it. Especially if mine’s correct,” Geoffroy says.

“What do you mean correct?” I ask.

“…” Geoffroy looks to the crowd and brings out the note. He then rips it to shreds and crumbles it into a ball, “It doesn’t matter.”

“W-what was on that note?” Sven asks.

“Something… that’ll drive us all to despair,” Geoffroy says as he gets up. He then throws the remaining pieces away.

Once he gets back I then say, “Anyways, I agree with Geoffroy. We should not lose faith in each other. Maybe, a good way to do that is to not to tell each other what we got.”

“Are you sure, Reg?” Right asks, “My secret could get us all out of here.”

“All out of here?” everyone else says in unison.

Before Right can say anything else, the door to the classroom swings opens. Johnny then shouts as he enters inside, “Hey, hey! It’s ya boy! The ultimate police officer~”

“…”

“Get out,” Burt says.

“Oh, come on! There was no rule for me not to join in on the conversation!” Johnny says taking a seat, “After all, no one said the factions couldn’t talk with each other.”

“I mean… he’s right,” Sven says.

“Yep. It’d be too mean to not talk to the other faction,” Geoffroy says, “Especially, if we have information that can help all of us.”

“…Yeah, I’m not telling you the secret while he’s in the room.” Right says.
“What secret?” Johnny asks.

“It’s about the mastermind. It practically confirms there’s one.” I tell him.

“Reg!”

“What? Geoffroy is right, we have no reason to hide it,” I say to him. Plus, it could cause the law enforcement to betray each other.

Right groans and says, “I don’t need to tell it. You already said what it confirms.”

“…Wow, someone was really depraved enough to set this whole thing up,” Johnny says, “Makes you wonder who in their right mind would do such a thing. I’ll have him arrested as soon as I get out of here!”

“Him?” Burt asks.

“…There are literally two girls here,” Johnny says, “Statically, it’s more likely they’re a guy than a girl.”

“Dunno, Ellie is still hiding her talent,” Sven says.

“Maybe that’s her secret!” Johnny says, “Her secret is all about her secret talent! So, are we going to share another one?”

“No! Unlike your terrible faction, we decided to not share our secrets!” Thomas says.

“Oh. My mistake,” Johnny says, “I thought you criminals would be so willing to share other’s secrets. Unlike us, who planned to find who our secret belongs to and have a conversation with them. Though admittedly, it does make me a bit relieved,”

“So, are you going to do that? Talk to your secret holder about the secrets we were given?” Thomas says.

“No, for one simple reason: ignorance. I don’t know who my secret is referring to and who has mine.”

“It isn’t obvious?” Burt asks.

“Yeah, I have no idea who fits this description. Though who ever it is sounds like they’re committing a sunk-cost fallacy.”

“Could you tell us what your secret is?” I ask.

“Only in exchange for yours~,” Johnny laughs.

“Oi! We already told you one of ours!” Right yells.

“It’s the least you can do,” I tell him.

“…Ugh, you’re right.”

“C-Chief. In all due respect, why do we want to here his crummy secret? Didn’t we already-” Thomas says.

“My secret is,” Johnny says as he opens his note and reads aloud, “You never actually supported him. You just thought the situation was unfair and felt too guilty to leave his side.”

“…”

“There! Now, don’t tell anyone I said this. Rups and the captain will yell at me if he found out I told my secret to a bunch of people.”

“I have… no idea who’s that is,” I say.

“It sounds familiar, but… I don’t know either,” Geoffroy says.

“What a waste of our time,” Thomas says, “Why are we even discussing this with the enemy?! Especially a snot nosed pig!”

“Because sharing is caring, not like you would know anything about it, four eyes,” Johnny says.

“…Technically, thievery is sharing! Just by force! And toppats share with each other all the time. You akaryocyte!”

“I don’t even know what that means, and I’m still offended! Honestly, you look like an alien who came to Earth and wanted to look classy here without actually knowing what it means!” Johnny says getting up.

“You take that back!” Thomas yells getting up.

“Make me, you ai-generated stick figure,” Johnny says.

“…You know, I thought Rupert was terrible, but I think I should apologize on his behalf to have such incompetence representing his profession!”

“…You take that back.” Johnny says with malice. Like he’s offended.

Thomas smiles smugly and responds, “Make me, overcompensating donut consumer.”

The two of them were close to each other’s faces, while veins popped out of their heads. It seems a fight was about to break out. Fortunately, Geoffroy manages to go in between and sperate the two.

“Hey, you two cut it out!” Geoffroy says, “What good will fighting do? It’ll end up with someone dangerously hurt… or worse. Especially since the infamy is lacking… Now, let’s take a deep-”

“I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!” Johnny snaps. He then proceeds to storm out of the room. Leaving everyone surprised and confused.

“…”

“You know, I was referring to Thomas getting badly injured, but that works,” Geoffroy says.

“HEY!”

That was strange. It seemed like he was searching for an excuse to be offended. And what’s weirder is why didn’t he leave earlier with Thomas’s comment? I think to myself.

“Good riddance, though,” Sven says, “His breath reeked of donuts!”

“One. Donuts don’t smell that bad. Two. Rupert’s the one who has donut breath, not Johnny,” Geoffroy says, “And three, don’t you think you’re being a bit too harsh on the kid?”

“Of course not! He came here, uninvited, and insulted one of our members. You know, with being forced to work so closely with you, I’ve now realized, you’re soft,” Sven says.

“…Sven, I don’t like to discriminate,” Geoffroy says, “I want to give everyone and anything a chance.”

“Must be easy since you are as blind as a bat,” Sven says.

“I can see well enough,” Geoffroy snaps back.

“Oi! Calm down you two!” Right shouts.

“Fighting with each other is going to get us nowhere!” I say.

“Um, guys. I think it’s getting late. We should end this meeting. Especially since we’ve run out of things to talk about,” Burt says, “And have know resorted to arguing with each other.”

We all agreed on that statement, so the meeting ends. We part ways and got to our dorms just in time for, Ding Dong! “It’s 10 pm! So, how bad is your secret? Are you ready for it to be revealed? Or are you simply going to silence your secret holder buddy! Sweet dreams, for those who hold a particularly nasty secret! Like one about the mastermind or traitor… if there even is one!”

“…”

“Don’t worry, the mastermind probably gave you that on purpose to spread suspicion,” I tell Right, as the lights go off.

We soon get ready for bed and lay down. As I lay there, I can’t help but worry about the secret. We stopped each other from killing, but what about everyone else? Would they try to kill us to stop a secret? The thought sends a shiver down my spine. I huddle closer to Right. He senses my discomfort and pulls me into a snuggle. I slowly start to relax and begin to drift off-

Someone opened the door.

Immediately, I get up and Right follows, and in the doorway I see a shadowy figure slumped towards us. It’s too dark for me to figure out who it is.

I get out of bed, and pull out my dagger. I yell at him, “Who goes there?!”

I don’t here a response, but I do here someone saying, “Shoot! Get out of there,” and seeing the figure being dragged away.

I stare for a moment and then sprint after them. I hear Right following me close behind.

“Get back here!” I shout, as I see the two shadowy figures in the hallway. Upon seeing me, they quickly run, or rather, one drags the other in a certain direction while saying a bunch of curse words.

We follow the two shadows out of the dorms and onto the main floor. In the darkness the factory becomes a confusing maze, which ends up working to our advantage as we soon corner the two.

“Who the heck are you two!?” Right shouts.

“I-I’m sorry! Don’t hurt us!” the more active shadow says.

“That’s not an answer! I’ll ask again, what is your name?” Right says way too aggressively.

“…J-Jacob,” the more active shadow says.

“Jacob? Why did you barge into our room?” I ask.

“Technically, Dave did that. I just got him out of your room.”

“Why did he do that?”

“Well-”

“W-What…?” the other shadow, Dave, says waking up. He takes a moment to realize his surroundings before shouting, “Oh, shoot! Did I sleepwalk again?! What happened?!”

“You went into our room! That’s what!” Right shouts.

“AH! I’MSORRY!” Dave screams.

“Dave, calm down!” Jacob says.

“Wait, go back. What do you mean by again, Dave?”

“…He… well… *Sigh* So, funny story. Remember when I said that me and Dave hanged out last night cause of our sleep schedule?”

“Yes?”

“That wasn’t entirely true. I caught Dave sleepwalking yesterday, and I think he’s been doing it since we got here. I spent that entire night, making sure Dave didn’t get into any trouble.”

“Thanks again for that, and for tonight, heh,” Dave says.

“But then, why did you lie about this?” I ask.

“…Cause I was worried that Dave could be killed for this,” Jacob admits, “If people knew that Dave did this, he’d become a target. After all, if he walked far enough away from the others so they couldn’t hear him anymore and since he’s still… asleep, it would be very easy to… you know.”

“Good point,” I say.

“By the way, who are you two? I have a guess, but I want to make sure,” Jacob says,.

“I’m Reginald and that’s Right,”

“E’llo.”

“Right? Oh! I was looking for you yesterday! Or… well… more accurately gathering the courage to do that. B-But anyways, I think I have your secret!” Dave suddenly says, “Uh… it has something to do with your name, A-”

Before I could even register what Dave had just uttered, Right grabs Dave by the collar and slams him into the wall. Creating a loud thud.

“Right!” I shout.

“DON’T YOU DARE TELL ANYONE MY NAME!” Right shouts with hatred.

“I won’t! I won’t! I won’t! I- Urk!” Dave repeats, but it goes ignored as another thud is heard. I hear the sounds of kicking, but it doesn’t seem like it’s doing any good.

“Because if you do, they’ll never find your body, capiche?”

Dave doesn’t respond. The sounds of kicking immediately go silent.

“…Dave?” Right suddenly says with concern and backs up. Dave falls to the ground, limp.

Eerie silence fills the room. We all stare at where Dave is laying in stun horror, before suddenly-

“HOLY @#$@! YOU KILLED HIM!” Jacob screams and then makes a break for it.

“RIGHT!” I yell at him.

“What! I didn’t mean to! I wasn’t even that close to his throat!” Right yells, “He’s just weak!”

I sigh annoyed at him, “Okay, let me check if you actually killed him or not.”

I walk over to Dave’s body and kneel down. I then feel his neck for a pulse, which fortunately I find.

“He’s alive, fortunately. You’re not a promise breaker yet,” I say and pick up Dave’s body.

“Heh. Not planning on ever being one,” Right sighs, “…Can I check something before we go back?”

“Sure,”

I hear a small patting sound, and then the sound of a sheet paper flapping.

After Right gets what he wants out of Dave, we walk back in silence. It’s still too hard to see, but after four nights of being here, we’re able to find where the dorms are and are own. As for Dave’s, we decide to pick a random room and throw him inside.

“…Oi? W…what?” the resident says sleepily. We don’t respond to him, and quickly leave. We then go back to our dorms for a good night’s sleep.

Notes:

1 more chapters until body reveal...

And so it begins.

Chapter 6: PtS Daily Life #4

Notes:

Thank you so much for the comments! Glad you're enjoying this Au crossover as much as I am!
Also, sorry about the math, but there won't be a body reveal this chapter. BUT it'll be released tomorrow. (BDA has already been finished, just need to make sure I can get the execution and Closing Argument done in time, lol)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Reginald:

Ding, Dong! “It’s 6:00 am! Has the situation set in yet? Are you ready to kill another participant? Tick-Tock, you only have two more days to decide.”

We once again recite our morning ritual and head to the lunchroom. Right looks a little nervous, but not as much as yesterday. Guess scaring his secret holder to the point of fainting can be reassuring.

We enter the room and there’s a tense energy in the air. I soon spot Dave, who’s look more nervous than usual. Currently, he’s tightly holding Rupert’s hand. I don’t seem him working in the kitchen or passing out meals. Assumedly, Charles is doing all the work today.

My hypothesis is proven correct as I hear Charles mumble as he hands up our plates, “Man… is this what I subjected Dave to yesterday? This sucks,” He then realizes who he’s giving the meal to and asks, “Hey, did anything happen last night? Dave seems to be out of it.”

“Why are you asking me this?” I ask.

“Dunno, he’s been scared of you and your friend for the entire time we’ve been here. He hasn’t out right stated it, but I think he believes you want to murder him.”

I stare at Right, who looks slightly awkward. My right-hand man responds, “W-What a stupid notion-”

“Oh, well. I hope he’s alright. And you guys too! I know with the motive and all-”

“Okay what did you nineteen century freaks do?!” Ellie shouts as she walks over.

“What?” I ask.

“Oh, don’t ‘what’ me! You two did something last night, and whatever it is, is causing Jacob to lock himself in his room!” Ellie says.

“But um… our doors don’t lock?” Charles says.

“You’re right- if he didn’t put his bed in front of the door to act as a makeshift lock!” Ellie says.

That’s not a bad idea…

“Reg, no,” Right says reading my mind.

“The worst part is that he doesn’t have access to food or water in this state, and he’s too scared to realize that!” Ellie says.

“Why is he scared in the first place? There’s nothing to be scared about,” Charles says.

The constant threat of murder, the motive, Terrance, the lacking infirmary, the massive guns everywhere, Terrance, the opposing faction, the traitor, Terrance, and whoever is in charge of this game who thought it was a good idea to bring Terrance back to name a few. I decide to keep this thought to myself. Especially, Ellie’s face looks like she has the same thought.

“…He thinks someone got murdered. Claiming, you” she points at Right as she says this, “To be the killer.”

Right growls, “I didn’t kill anyone!”

“Yeah, I can see that. Everyone is accounted for except Jacob,” Ellie says.

“Do you know who Jacob believes is dead?” I ask.

“…I don’t know,” Ellie slowly admits.

“Oh, maybe you should ask him, and then bring the ‘victim’ over there,” Charles says, “If he sees the guy’s not dead, then problem solved!”

“Not a bad plan, Charles. But Jacob refused to tell me who it was,” Ellie says.

“[I know who J A C O B might think is dead]” Henry suddenly signs.

“NYEH!” I shout in surprise.

“Who?” Charles asks.

“[Overheard donkey pit and D A V E telling G A L E F O R C E about how the latter got assaulted last night]” Henry signs, “[By right]”

“Explains why Dave is acting funny, though I told you not to call, Rupert, that…” Charles says.

“What did he tell him?!” Right hisses in a worry, “Did he say anything about a secret?!”

“Calm down,” I tell him.

“[Sort of. He said you did not want anyone to know what your secret is, which caused you to attack him. Unfortunately, he seemed too scared to tell anyone what that secret is. Though, congrats on making donkey pit so mad.]”

“That’s not his name,” Charles says annoyed.

“[It is now]” Henry signs.

“Well, guess we’re going to have to get Dave over here,” I tell them, “Which means, you’re going to have to sit this one out, Right-hand man.”

“What! Why?”

I give him a look.

“…Fine. Just holler if you need me,” Right says and sits back down at our table.

“I’ll go get, Dave,” Charles says, “Especially, since I haven’t heard his side of the story yet.” The pilot then runs off, leaving us three here.

“…You know, you don’t have to come with us,” Ellie says.

“[He is just here to try and recruit us]” Henry signs.

“What, I would never,” I say twirling my mustache. Well, there goes that plan.

“Look, I don’t want to join your team, especially after what you did last night,” Ellie says.

“That was Right, not me.”

“That doesn’t change anything! Jacob and I won’t join your team, ever. End of story,” Ellie spits.

“[Same here. I do not like being on a team,]” Henry signs.

“…So? You’re joining the law enforcement?” I ask in a defeated tone.

“Oh God no,” Ellie says, “Have you seen that side? It’s controlled chaos! Besides, it has Dmitri on that side, and… he freaks me out. He’s basically the right-hand man on that side,”

“Hey! Right is a million times better that ice prick! Even comparing them is an insult!” I shout offended.

Before I humble a certain red head, Charles comes to her rescue by shouting, “I got them!”

He proceeds to rejoin the small group, while bringing Dave, Rupert, and Johnny along.

“[Did we not ask for just D A V E?]” Henry signs while looking at Rupert with an annoyed expression.

“Oi! With what happened last night, I’m not going to let anyone try to murder Dave!” Rupert shouts.

“Besides, we’re a package deal! You’re not going to separate us that easily!” Johnny says.

“[Unless one of you died]” Henry signs.

“…That won’t happen on my watch,” Rupert says.

“Mine to!” Johnny says.

“Ladies please, don’t forget what you’re here for,” Ellie says.

“Yeah, come on! Let’s go!” Charles says with excitement.

Despite my better judgement, I follow the group into the dorm room. I didn’t realize what danger I put myself in as soon as I left the lunchroom. I’m surrounded by four enemies, and two neutrals who don’t care if I live or die. I put my hand into my coat, to feel my dagger, while maintaining a poker face.

Once we get there, Ellie bangs on Jacob’s door yelling, “JACOB ROSE! GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF THERE!”

There’s a pause before a muffled, “No! It’s dangerous!” escapes through the door.

“Alright, let’s execute the plan,” Ellie says turning to us.

“Dave, tell him there’s nothing to be scared about!” Charles says.

“Okay,” Dave says and walks to the door. He knocks on the door and says, “Hey, Jacob! It’s me, Dave! I’m alright! I just fainted! N-nothing bad happened!”

“Dave? You’re… you’re alive?!”

“Y-Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

We soon here a low screech sound, like one would here from dragging a large piece of furniture across the floor. Soon, the door opens up slightly.

“Dave?!”

“Sorry, I scared you. I uh… sometimes faint if I get too scared. Either that or I just run away-” Dave says. Before being tackled by Jacob and thrown into a hug.

“OH MY GOSH! I THOUGHT YOU DIED!” Jacob shouts.

“I thought I was going to die too,” Dave says.

“Alright, that’s enough hugging,” Johnny says and separates the two.

“Johnny, you’re being overbearing again…” Dave says slightly annoyed.

“…” Johnny grumbles, “Yeah, but… he insulted-”

“Johnny,” Rupert says also annoyed.

“FINE!” Johnny says rolling his eyes, “You can finish your stupid hug!”

“Uh… the moment’s gone…”

Rupert and Dave give Johnny an annoyed glance.

“…Sorry,” Johnny responds.

“Okay, now that you’re out, let’s go back to eating. I’m starving!” Ellie says.

“...Me too,” Jacob admits.

“Agreed, I’m famished!” I say.

“…You didn’t have to come?!” Ellie says.

“Well, don’t worry guys! There’s plenty of pancakes to go around!” Charles says.

“…Oh pancakes, my favorite,” Jacob says in a slightly strained voice.

“[Hey, pancakes made by Charles]” (Or that’s my assumption on what he signed. Guess he made one for Charles), “[Are the best!]” Henry signs.

“Agreed!” Ellie says.

“Thanks!”

“I know! Just… nevermind,” Jacob says, and we all head back.

Before going our separate ways, Charles tells us to stay hopeful, then Rupert elbows me and says, “Oi! I almost forgot. I need to talk to you… later. After we eat our meals, k?”

“Okay? Where do you want to do it?”

“Um…” Rupert takes out the map and then says, “How about… the armory?”

“Sure?”

Rupert then walks away.

I walk back to my seat and begin eating my now cold pancakes. I notice Sven is poking his food, while Burt is looking at him with worry.

Before I can ask them what’s up, Right suddenly says, “So, how was your little adventure?”

“Nothing too eventful, I shouldn’t have joined in.” I tell him, “Though Rupert wants to talk to me later.”

“Hm. That’s suspicious…”

“I know, but you’re coming with me. So, I’m sure we’ll be mostly fine,”

“Heh, yeah,”

After finishing our meals and getting our respective drinks down the hatch, we then go over to the armory. Not before telling all the toppats where we are heading and who we are meeting. Can’t be too careful. I also tell them to try and find a way to escape or to stop the secrets being released.

Once we go in there, I notice how there’s a lot less items in there. A chill runs down my spine. Rupert is there tapping his foot.

“Oh, you brought him over,” Rupert says giving Right a look.

“We’re a package deal,” I tell him.

“And I’m here so you don’t try anything!” Right says, “I’m sure your itching for an opportunity to kill us!”

“That’s not what I want Reginald over here for,” Rupert says, “Besides, I don’t even know what my secret is. It’s probably something embarrassing. Something I would rather have people not know, but I wouldn’t go so far as to kill someone to keep it. Which means, I have no reason to end a life. (And that’s assuming I’d even do something like that…)”

“Then what did you want us here for?”

“I… think I have your secret…” Rupert admits.

“What?” Oh, right I had a secret. I was busy worrying about Right’s secret, I forgot about my own.

Rupert then gives me a piece of note paper. I look at it carefully, as my stomach twirls. What could Terrance have possibly put on mine?

“Well? Are you going to see what it is?” Rupert asks.

“You don’t have to look at it, Reg,” Right says, “Somethings are better not knowing.”

“No, I’m curious. I want to see what it is,” I tell him and unfold the note.

It reads, “You betrayed the next chief of the Toppat Clan in secret to reclaim your leadership position!”

I now understand what Thomas felt when Burt read his secret. I… I have no memory of doing such a thing. I say this thought out loud.

“But you still did it,” Rupert spits, “It doesn’t matter if you remember it or not, you still committed that crime… T-though does that mean that this is your secret?”

“You weren’t sure?”

“I don’t know you! It felt like it fits you the best!” Rupert says awkwardly, “It was an educated guess!”

“…So, does that mean, if this isn’t mine, I could be endanger?”

“…I… I hadn’t thought about it that way,” Rupert admits.

“Oi! Are you stupid?! Why the heck did you potentially gave us someone else’s secret!” Right shouts.

“Are you serious?! Didn’t you want to know who wanted your secret badly enough, you scared Dave half to death, when he gave it to you!” Rupert shouts, “…I want to do the right thing. Not like you criminals know what that is. You don’t even hold the values that you claim make the Toppat Clan better than the rest.”

Right growls. I soon grab his hand and tell him, “He’s not worth it.”

“Tch. I’m leaving. You’re welcome by the way,” Rupert says and leaves.

“…”

“So, how bad is it?” Right asks.

“It’s… bad,” I tell him and show him the note.

“…But you’re the latest chief? Was this referring to someone trying to usurp you?” Right asks, “If it is, that was self-defense! *Pause* I guess that concept doesn’t exist here…”

“Maybe, but this one feels like I’d actually get in trouble with the clan if word got out.”

“But, the clan already knows about usurping attempts, and have praised you for keeping your ground!” Right says.

“I know, but… this secret feels… different. Like the situation was different. Especially with its wording… ‘betrayed’”

“…Well, I don’t care. I’ll still follow you to the ends of the Earth and beyond, Reg,” Right smiles, “Even if you did betray toppat values.”

I smile back, “I know you will.”

We then exit out of the armory and begin to walk down the hallway. I notice Dave holding the door to the gym. Once he notices us, he runs straight into the gym. I ignore him and continue on my way. Soon, we are passing the incinerator. This I can’t seem to ignore, and I turn around to walk towards it.

“Reg?”

“I want to know what Terrance said about the captain is true. If it is, I want to make fun of him for it.”

We walk inside, and low and behold guess who’s in there. Though, I notice someone else in there as well.

“Come on, Hubert! It’s a SUPER cool fighting game! I can get you into the secret gaming room, and we can play it together! Along with other fun games!” Terrance says.

“No! First off, I don’t play video games, and second, don’t you have anyone else to play with? Ones who… are allowed into your secret rooms?” Captain Galeforce says annoyed.

“Well, the problem is that they’re way too good at the game. I’ve only recently discovered this cool game, but those two have been playing it for years! It’s not a fair fight, Hubert! Besides… I want to play with you!”

“…The answer is still no, Terrance.” Captain Galeforce growls.

“Ugh, come on! Where is your sense of discovery- Oh.” Terrance says before noticing me and Right were listening in.

Terrance turns to the captain and asks, “You’ll think about it?”

“I can, but it’ll still be no.”

“…I’ll take that as a maybe. Tootles~” Terrance says and then disappears.

“…”

“What are you two doing here?” Captain Galeforce asks.

“To burn evidence,” I joke.

The captain scowls at me, “Ha, ha. What are you really here for?”

“Just wanted to mess with you,” I tell him as I walk closer to him.

“Don’t bother. Vicky and Dmitri have already made fun of me plenty for visiting this room often.”

“You don’t think this will actually catch a murderer in the act, do you?” I ask.

“Maybe, but it might lead to the murderer having less options. Make it a little harder for them, you know?” Captain Galeforce says, “Maybe make it so hard, that they don’t want to do it anymore.”

“I doubt it,” Right says.

“Look, I’m trying okay? I need to do something that insures the safety of everyone here. It doesn’t help with the motive is causing everyone to panic. Even if it’s not much, if I’m able to help catch a killer then it’ll be worth it.”

“Are you worried about the motive?” I ask.

“For others, yes. Vicky is worried, Dave thinks his is super bad (even if he doesn’t recall doing anything bad), Johnny is a lot more agitated, Rupert is tense, and Charlie… he’s scared out of his mind. He’s trying to hide it, but I can tell. As for me, I already know what my secret is and I’m okay with it being leaked,”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Just something really embarrassing I did when I was still a greenhorn. Though, my secret is written in a different handwriting, so Terrance probably just swapped my real one for that one.”

“Why would he do that?” I wonder aloud.

“Your guess is good as mine. He thinks we’re friends,”

Or you’re the traitor.

“Hubert! There you are!” Dmitri suddenly shouts as he walks in, “We are starting meeting soon. Found any ash in there yet?”

“No.”

“…Why are you talking to toppats,” Dmitri hisses.

“There isn’t a rule about talking to another faction,” Captain Galeforce says annoyed.

“There should be. After all, we all heard what happened to Dave when he talked to them.”

“Vetoed,” Captain Galeforce says as he walks towards Dmitri, “Well, goodbye. Nice talking to you two. Hope your side can figure out this motive without murder,”

“Lying is terrible sin, Hubert,” Dmitri says.

“Says the man who arrested innocent civilians just so he can put them in his prison,” Captain Galeforce hisses. Guess I now know who’s secret he got.

“I fully admitted to that secret, which is being honest,” Dmitri says, “Opposite of lying.”

They both then leave. After a few seconds, I open up the incinerator. It’s cold.

“I think it’s almost time for our meeting as well, Reg,” Right says, “We should head over there.”

“Okay,” I tell him.

We soon go over there, fashionably late. Just like yesterday, the room is tense, but fortunately not as much. Though I do spot Sven looking worried in the corner. Once we make our presence known, the toppats soon get into position for our next meeting.

“So? What did we find today?” I ask.

“…”

“Nothing, unfortunately,” Burt says, “No way out… and no way to stop the secrets.”

“That we know of,” Geoffroy says.

“So, there’s nothing?” I ask.

“We tried everything!” Thomas says, “I tried negotiating with Terrance, but he then threatens me that he’ll come up with another secret of mine to leak!”

“So, it’s hopeless then,” Burt says.

“I-I won’t say that… We still have one more day left, before the secrets get leaked,” Sven says, “So we still have time to think of a solution!”

“But what if we don’t?” Burt says.

“Well… The result may not be that bad!”

“Not that bad?! That secret could cost me my reputation in the clan! I could become an outcast! Maybe even thrown out! And I doubt they’d believe me if I say I don’t remember it! Treason is a huge offense in the clan!” Thomas shouts, “It’s guilty until proven innocent with that kind of stuff.”

“Thomas has a point, some of our secrets could cost us a lot, even if we don’t remember it.” I tell them, “And that’s not even accounting for the fact some of us don’t even know what our secret is. We have no idea what is being leaked to the public, whether it be super embarrassing or… incriminating,”

A moment of silence falls onto the group.

“I offer to become the sacrifice to stop the secrets from going out,” Burt says.

“NO!” Sven says as elbows him.

“Again, we should let the law enforcement kill each other,” I say, “Less of them and our secrets won’t be released.”

“But will they though?” Right asks.

“…We just got to hope that’s the case,” Geoffroy says.

“Hope?” Right says, “Just hoping things will work out won’t solve our problems!”

“But what else can we do?” Geoffroy says.

“Pray that our secrets won’t ruin our lives,” Thomas says.

Silence falls on to our little group.

“We’ll… figure it out. We got to!” Sven says, “We just need a plan. Does anyone have a plan?!”

“…”

“Isn’t Geoffroy the ultimate planner?” I say, “Maybe he can come up with one?”

“I am, but… that’s more of an exaggeration. The only reason why I have it, like everyone else, is for the theming. It doesn’t mean anything,”

“But it can’t be too much of an exaggeration. Although we hadn’t talked before this, I know you were known in the clan for your plans, and your capabilities with a nunchuck,” Sven says.

“I…”

“Geoffroy, please. You’re the only one who has played the games,” I tell him, “You’re the only one who can get us out of this mess.”

“I believe in you, Geoffroy!” Thomas says.

“I’ll…I’ll try to think of one,” Geoffroy says, “To be honest, I had been trying to come up with a plan to get us all out of here, or at least, keep us away from despair,”

“(And how’s that working for you,)” Sven mumbles.

“But… if it stops us from worrying about this motive, then I’m sure I can try to finish it early,” Geoffroy finishes.

“Can you tell us what it is?” I ask.

“…Not right now, unfortunately,” Geoffroy says, “I just need a bit more time and information. I’ll try to give at least a rough draft version to our next meeting.”

“Next meeting? But then there will be no more time to think of one!” Right says.

“No! That’s wrong!” Geoffroy suddenly says, “…Uh, sorry. Danganronpa reference. Anyways, Terrance said three days, and began in the middle of yesterday. If that math is correct, we have all of tomorrow and half of the day after to get this done.”

“That’s assuming Terrance or rather the mastermind is good at math or cares enough to follow it!” I tell him.

“Well, it’s more likely he’ll probably side with a day and half. Think about it. More time to think, more time to panic. And as those thoughts get more and more panic… well, there you go! We have a murder on our hands.”

“Still… at some point it’s too far to even think about, and a short one could cause someone to act more irrationally,” Sven says.

“No time to think rationally,” Burt says.

“Even still, we still have one more day,” Geoffroy says, “I just need more information. Then I can help all of you out! Just please, trust me.”

For a second I thought I heard rapid footsteps. I stop focusing on the conversation and begin to stare at the door with anxiety, but… nothing happens.

“Reg?” Right asks.

“It’s nothing,” I tell him.

“I trust you, Geoffroy,” Thomas says, “I’m sure when we get out of here, we’ll make a new Toppat Clan holiday just to honor you!”

“…Thanks,”

Nothing noteworthy happens for the rest of the meeting, except for Sven asking Geoffroy to talk to him privately tomorrow. He agrees.

We then go back to our rooms, just in time for Terrance to say over the intercoms, “It’s 10:00! That means Hubert needs to say goodbye to his wife, the incinerator!”

A muffled shout of Captain Galeforce cursing at Terrance is heard throughout the school.

We soon go to bed, but the sinking feeling I felt during the meeting doesn’t disappear. In fact, it’s gotten worse. I snuggle closer to my right-hand man, and I feel my anxiety drop to manageable levels.

While I dose off, I hear the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Must be Dave.

Notes:

0 chapters until body reveal...
I think I want to add that I'm trying to give death flags to any character who will be important in the trial, regardless if they die or not. That way, there's will be more suspects in a narrative term. So hurray for red-herrings!

Chapter 7: PtS Daily Life #5

Notes:

Sorry in advance, this was my first ever video I've made + BDA. Hopefully, future ones will be better now that I know what I'm doing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Reginald:

We soon wake up the next day, and head to the lunchroom. There’s something off in the room, that I can’t pinpoint why.

Everything is normal, as Dave and Charles once again serve us some pancakes. Though, I wish Dave woke up early again so he could give us literally anything else.

While eating my pancakes, I notice Jacob and Ellie are in the middle of the room. Strangely, Jacob’s face is pale, and he is practically hugging his sister while trembling. Ellie, meanwhile, is pointing to everyone in the room in quick succession while saying something under muffled breath. Whatever it is, once she’s done it causes her face to grow equally as pale.

I look away, as the two begin to talk. It was increasing my anxiety.

“You okay, Reg?” Right asks.

“I’m fine. Just… something feels different. I don’t know what,”

Suddenly, Sven says, “Hey, has anyone seen Geoffroy?”

Everyone looks up to him.

“…”

“N-No?” Thomas says.

At that precise moment, Ellie then slams her hands on the table, “Well?! Do you know where he is!”

“Nyeh!” I scream.

“Oi! You scared the chief! Apologize!” Right shouts.

“Sorry. But have you seen him? There’s someone missing!” Ellie says.

“Why do you care so much about a missing person?” Burt asks, “Dave and your brother have gone missing before, and we have both found them later.”

“Well…” Ellie begins. She looks at Jacob who is carrying a worried expression. He’s still in the middle of the room, “We- he thinks someone is dead.”

“…”

“Dave is literally right over there,” Burt says pointing to the security guard in question. It seems he’s listening to Johnny yammer about something.

“Yeah! I know! But what about Geoffroy?” Ellie asks, snapping me out of my train of thoughts.

“…”

“Do you think-” Sven asks.

“No! We’re jumping to conclusions. H-he’s most likely fine!” Thomas says.

“But then… where is he?” Burt asks.

Silence fills our table once again.

“Alright, everyone let’s split off into our groups. Right and I will check his room, Sven and Burt will check our meeting room, and Thomas…” I look at him, “You’ll guard our table just in case he comes over.”

“Oh, all right!” Thomas says.

“What about us?” Ellie says.

“Unless you want to join the Toppat Clan, then stay out of it.” I tell her.

She huffs, but it seems she understands why I said that.

We all then split off, and Right and I soon head to our destination. Geoffroy’s room.

I knock on the door and say, “Geoffroy? It’s your leader and his right-hand man, open up.”

Silence.

“Oi! Geoffroy! You better not be sleeping there!” Right shouts, “If you don’t respond, we’re coming in!”

Silence.

We look at each other. I walk out of Right’s way as he violently opens the door. We soon see that Geoffroy- is nowhere to be found. I soon spot two notes on his bed. I walk over to them and pick them up.

Before I even get a chance to read them, I suddenly hear Terrance’s voice over the intercoms, “A body has been discovered! Head to Classroom 2A, where we’ll begin our first ever investigation!”

I have never felt so cold in my entire life. I look over to Right, whose face is white pale. Without a word, we run over to our meeting room.

Once we get there, we see a good chunk of people in the hallway looking absolutely horrified. Sven is on the ground shaking tremendously while Burt is trying to comfort him. Ellie is mumbling a bunch of curse words. Jacob holds on to his sister for dear life.

We soon get past them and enter the room. Where… Where…

(Author's note: Don't click on this link if you are sensitive to flashing lights. Keep scrolling if you are that)

...Where I see right in front of me is… is…

Is Geoffroy Plumb’s, the ultimate planner, corpse on the ground.

Notes:

A little surprising nobody seemed to suspect Geoffroy to be the first victim.
Geoffroy was the only person who already played the game, which gave everyone an advantage, even if Geoffroy was being forced to stay silent. Funny enough, I don't think I've ever seen a character who knows how the killing game works try to help the participants. They usually stay silent, while Geoffroy almost got shot for speaking out.
Still ironic he died first though...

Chapter 8: PtS Deadly Life- Investigations

Notes:

Me: TesSenda! You haven't even finished the Closing Argument or Execution yet. Don't add another drawing on top of that!
Also Me: What if I corrupt the title card, and only put up the protagonist and the killer on there. That would be cool.
Me: TESSENDA, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also, I changed one of the bio cards in the Prologue a bit. I won't tell you why though...
This was released early, cause tomorrow is my birthday.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Soon, everyone else runs into the room. Horrified silence fills the room. Only breaking by a few small remarks of horrified astonishment. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I’ve seen corpses before, especially ones of my fellow toppats, but this… this is different.

“FAIL!” Terrance shouts as he suddenly appears out of nowhere, “Didn’t even make it to the first trial! SMH!”

“G…Geoffroy?” Thomas says as he snaps out of whatever state he was in when he first saw Geoffroy’s body. The toppat runs right up to the corpse and begins shaking it wildly and even starts slapping his late acquaintance.

“Geoffroy! Wake up! I don’t like this! Come on! P-Please! W-Wake up, Geoffroy!” Thomas shouts as tears drop from his face.

“Привет!” Dr. Vin shouts as she goes between Thomas and Geoffroy, “Stop hitting the body, you are messing with evidence and have gotten blood all over you.”

“…H-He’s not d-dead! J-J-Just… sleeping! Sleeping peacefully… He just needs to be woken up! Because he can’t be… can’t be…”

Dave suddenly puts his hand on Thomas’s shoulder and gives him a sympathetic smile. He seems to have tears in his eyes.

“D-do you need a minute?”

“I…”

“D-Don’t worry! Rupert and Johnny deal with murder cases all the time! Plus, toppats are probably able to think like a killer. They’ll find who killed o-your friend,” Dave says in a slightly shaky voice, “I’m sure of it.”

“…”

“You also… shouldn’t try to investigate while in shock… You’d probably not do as a good of job as you want.”

“F-Fine.”

Dave then leads Thomas out of the room.

“Welp, with that out of the way, it’s time for us to start our first investigation!” Terrance says, “You all have one hour to investigate the crime scene, and then we’ll all start our first-class trial! Good luck! You’ll need it! Tootles~” Then the headmaster disappears.

I blink. This doesn’t feel real. This doesn’t feel right. This shouldn’t have happened and yet… I look back to my fallen comrade. Geoffroy was an honorable toppat member. He wanted so desperately to help us escape and now… he’s dead. I feel a sense of uselessness growing across my body. I promised him protection and yet… I grit my teeth. I’ll avenge you, Geoffroy. That’s a promise.

<INVESTIGATION START!>

My train of thought is suddenly broken by Captain Galeforce suddenly shouting, “Who were the first people to see the body?”

“…”

“Um, that would be me and Burt,” Sven says.

“Alright, you two guard the body!” Captain Galeforce.

“Why?” Burt groans.

“Because you we don’t want anyone to temper with the evidence, and you two are the only ones who are clear.”

“Um, excuse me? We don’t listen to you,” Sven says.

“…Sven and Burt go guard the body,” I tell him.

“Alright!” Sven says.

“Sure,” Burt says.

“Good. Have za two weakest topp…topp- men guard body. This will end well,” Dr. Vin says.

“…Alright. I’m going to do my own investigation. See-ya,” Captain Galeforce says before leaving the room.

“Uh captain? Where are you going?” Charles asks.

“I’m checking the incinerator,” he shouts from outside of the room.

Alright, with that out of the way. Let’s start investigating.

I first walk over to Sven and Burt. They were the first to discover the body, and since I am on my way there, I could ask them a few questions.

“Hello, Sven. Hello, Burt. How are you two doing?” I ask.

“Besides the fact that I’m guarding the dead body of my coworker, I’m… not doing fine…” Sven says.

“I’m doing fine,” Burt says.

“You sure?” Sven asks.

He nods.

“Pleasances aside… Isn’t there anything you can tell me when you found the body?” I ask.

“Sven is a loud screamer,” Burt says.

“Hey! At least it’s an appropriate reaction!” Sven rebuttals, “Unlike your ‘Mood’!”

“I say things like that all the time, Sven,” Burt says, “I’m fine.”

“Okay…” I say, before asking, “Captain Galeforce said something about you two being ‘clear’. Do you have any idea why?”

“I think, it has something to do with the rules. Saying that only three innocents finding a body can trigger an investigation,” Sven says.

“And since me and Sven found the body, which caused that announcement to go off, it means we’re innocent.”

“Thank goodness for that!” Sven says, “I’d hate for me or Burt to be accused!”

Huh, I almost forgot that rule existed. I should note that. The less suspects the better.

Truth Bullet: Da Rulez.

“Thank you, you two.”

“No problem!” Sven says.

I then walk past them to examine the body. Or more accurately, talk to Dr. Vin who is examining the body.

I decide to hold off questions for her, as I do a brief overview of the body. Poor Geoffroy looks like he’s been stabbed way past necessary. It seems our killer wanted to make sure he was dead, causing him to bleed all over his chest. Before I finish counting how many there are, I notice that on the back of the body’s head it seems to be bleeding. Funny enough, besides his chest of course, it’s the only other part of his body that has blood on it. I try to look closer, but Dr. Vin gets in my way.

“Can you move?”

“No, I am investigating…”

Then why are you still here? “Are you…tampering with the body?”

“What? No! Of course not!” Dr. Vin says in an offended tone.

“Stop tampering!” both Burt and Sven say. Though do nothing to really stop Dr. Vin.

Ignoring how concerning that is, I ask “Then what are you doing?”

“Making sure Geoffroy does not have any other wound except ones on chest. I have already found one in back of head. Nothing else to be of note though.”

“Could you tell me more about that? The back of his head I mean,”

“I wish to not tell you. I would like to have my own evidence to present,” Dr. Vin says.

I scowl at her, as I walk away. That was pointless. Though I should note down what I’ve already discovered.

Truth Bullet: Injuries.

I proceed to find the knife on the desk. It’s covered in blood. So, it might be the murder weapon. I take a note of it.

Truth Bullet: Blood-Stained Knife.

I walk away from the body and step right into the blood trail. Ruining my good shoes. I sigh in annoyance. I follow the trail outside but there’s nothing there. Curious.

Truth Bullet: Blood Trail.

I head back inside and see Right looking at me worryingly.

“…So?”

“So what?”

“…Someone’s trying to frame me!” Right says and points to some text beside the body. It’s Right’s name written in blood. I almost forgot about it, or rather… wished to ignore it.

“Oh right, that…”

“Ugh. Reg, believe me when I say I didn’t do it!” Right says.

“Of course, I do!” I tell him, “It slipped my mind because it was so unbelievable! Besides, doesn’t it feel… off?”

“Of course, it does. It’s fake!” Right hisses.

Even so, I should write that down.

Truth Bullet: Bloody Text.

“Oi, Reg?” Right asks.

“Yeah?”

Right looks around and then whispers to me, “(Didn’t you find two notes on Geoffroy’s bed? Maybe you should read them?)”

“Alright, let’s just go someplace more private, but let me check something first.”

“Alright.”

I look over to see what is in the garbage can. Perhaps our killer tried to remove evidence using this method.

First I notice how Geoffory’s secret was utterly gone. Guess Terrance empties the trash bin often. The next thing I notice is his hat. That explains where it went. I look underneath it just in case and find- a lighter. Might be important.

Truth Bullet: Lighter

We soon walk out, and I notice Dave comforting a sobbing mess that looks like Thomas. Dave doesn’t look good either, but it seems he’s toughing it out for him. I then notice Johnny walking out, who gives the situation an annoyed stare, but continues on his trike with Rupert in tow.

That is… until Rupert notices us and proceeds to abandon Johnny to run up to us.

“Oi! I have something I need to tell you!” Rupert shouts.

“Uh? What is it?” I ask.

“Last night, Dave spent the entire night in my room. Therefor, he has an alibi along with me. So, don’t you @#$@ing dare try to accuse him, alright?!” Rupert shouts.

“…”

“Okay?”

Truth Bullet: Rupert’s Account.

“Good.” Rupert says and then runs back to Johnny. I then spot him yelling the same exact thing to Dmitri who is also out and about.

“That is… one way to try to prove your friend’s innocence,” Right says.

“Oh, please you’d do the same thing,” I tell him, “I’m actually surprised you aren’t doing it now.”

“I want to help you investigate. Besides, I doubt they’d believe me because of that stupid message.”

I check the trashcan in the hallway and find nothing. After that, we walk over to the theater, where it appears that no one is here. All except the dummy, which I remember seeing it in the gym somewhere. Probably be good to note that.

Truth Bullet: Dummy.

Soon, I open up the first note and read it out loud, “I overheard you’re looking for some information. Lucky for you, I have that information! I discovered it when I was trying to figure out who my secret belonged to. Meet me in the theater, BETWEEN 10:00 and 5:00. If you don’t come, you’ll miss your chance, FOREVER. -Right”

“…God, I hate how the real culprit still frames me as the murderer!” Right hisses, “The message by the body wasn’t enough for them?”

“I know! How disgusting! Regardless, it’s still evidence,” I say.

Truth Bullet: Invitation Note.

“…I hope that you don’t-”

“Right, if you were the killer, you wouldn’t have signed your name on it,” I tell him.

“Heh. That’s true. Plus, I would’ve done a much better job and wouldn’t go so low as to frame someone!”

“Right. Now, let’s hope the other one is better,” I say as I clear my throat.

The next one reads, “Dear my fellow toppats,

“If you are reading this note, then I’m most likely dead. I write this to help the future investigation and the rest of the clan if in case I do die. Now, that’s a terrifying thought. Anyways, you may be wondering, why did I fall for this trap? It’s so obviously one! Right would never say things like that. My reasoning for going through with this, is that you are all counting on me to come up with a plan out of here, so I have to take this risk. Don’t worry, I’m not going there completely defenseless. I’ll bring a knife with me. Not my nunchucks though. It’s purely to harm any attacker enough to run away. Though, you wouldn’t be reading this if that knife helped me, would you? I’m going to say this, I will leave as soon as I finish this note, which will be at around the beginning of 12:00. Sadly, I cannot offer you any more information, since as of writing this I am currently not dead and very much alive.

“That leads me to my other point. Since I am now dead, I want to wish the Toppat Clan good luck. You’ll need it, not only for this trial, but for the rest of your time here. DO NOT lose hope and murder someone! That’s what they want. So, spite Terrance’s wishes. It’s our toppat duty. Also… reality can be misleading. This game lies about the outside world and what is real. Be prepared for whatever truth leaks through the cracks. It may cause you despair if you don’t stay strong, but I already know all of you are. So, I shouldn’t worry. Especially since I am now dead, incapable of doing that.

“-Your loyal toppat member, Geoffroy Plumb.”

“…”

“It’s a shame we have to read this,” Right says.

“…Agreed, such a shame. *Pause* Right?”

“Yeah, Reg?”

“This murderer will rue the day they decided to shed toppat blood.”

Right smiles and punches his hand, “Heh, I’ll enjoy seeing them realize their mistake~”

Truth Bullet: Geoffroy’s Last Note.

Since we were already here at the theater, we decide to look around. I notice a few smears of blood on the ground. The way they were shaped looks like there was a huge puddle, and someone cleaned it up. Interesting.

Truth Bullet: Blood Smears.

I decide to check out the trashcan from this room for more clues, and unfortunately, the lighter still remains as the only useful thing that has come out of it.

“Oi! Reg! Come over here!” Right suddenly shouts interrupting my thoughts. I run over and see… a spherical ariel bomb. The kind one may see in cartoons. Its fuse is completely gone, while blood drips from its side.

We look at each other and nod with mutual understanding.

Truth Bullet: Dud Bomb

“Oh! Hey!” Ellie shouts as she and Jacob enter the room. Henry and Charles follow close behind.

Jacob is practically tied to her hip, as his face is dead pale. Ellie is trying and failing to disguise her own fear. Henry looks worried, while Charles… looks fine. They all give Right a glance of suspicion.

“Oh hello! What brings you two here?” I ask.

“Nothing much, just trying to find evidence that is outside of classroom2A,” Ellie says.

“Wow, looks like we really hit the jackpot!” Charles says, “In the evidence department, I mean.”

Henry nods.

“What do you mean? There’s barely anything here?” I ask.

“Yeah, but it’s something. Everywhere else is pretty much barren.” Charles says.

“Well, we finished up investigating in here. So, the floor is yours,” I tell them.

“Thanks!” they say and begin exploring.

I begin to walk out with Right, before realizing something. I turn to face Jacob and call out to him, “Hey! Jacob can you come over here for a second?”

“Um…” Jacob says, shifting closer to Ellie.

“Come on, Jacob! Nothing bad is going to happen. Even if they try something… well, you already know what I can do!” Ellie says.

“…” Jacob proceeds to hesitantly walk over to us. When he finally stops, there is a good distance away from him and Right.

“What do you need?” Jacob asks.

“I was wondering. Were you and Dave out again?” I ask.

“Um…Y-Yes, both of us were out,” Jacob says hesitantly like he doesn’t know if he should reveal this information, “But I didn’t commit the murder! I brought Ellie with me this time, and I’m glad I did.”

“Hm. Did you see anything that night?”

“…If it’s alright with you guys, I think I would rather wait until I have more information first before saying anything. It was really dark out, so I don’t know if my information is any good.”

“Oh, that’s alright, any information is good! If it’s not, we can always disprove it.”

“Not unless the killer uses it. Especially, if Geoffroy wrote his killer’s name in his blood.”

“!”

“Right is innocent!” I shout at him.

“We’ll see at the trial…” Jacob says before running off.

Despite his blatant mistrust of Right, I should put that into consideration. Especially since it retcons a different statement, and it also reminds me of another thing I should note if the murder took place during the night.

Truth Bullet: Jacob’s Account

Truth Bullet: Darkness

We’re about to leave again, before I overhear Charles say, “Wow! So, that’s why it’s here?”

Quickly, I run up to him and ask, “What’s going on? What do you mean ‘why it’s here’?”

“Oh!” Charles says, “Uh, Henry was just telling me that he saw Rupert, Johnny, and Dave bringing this dummy into the theater!”

Henry nods, “[I tried to ask them why, but donkey pit and J O H N N Y threw a fit and told me to get loss. I bet they had no idea either.]”

“Huh… interesting…” I say.

Truth Bullet: Dummy (Updated)

Suddenly, “Attention! Your hour is up! Make your way to the elevator, and there we can start the trial!” Terrance suddenly shouts over the intercoms. After a few seconds he then adds, “It’s the little box labeled trial on your map.”

I sigh in annoyance and worry. I still don’t know who did it. Everyone walks over to where Terrance says the elevator is at and we find the door open. Inside is an… awful looking elevator.

With no other option, we enter, and the elevator creaks at the weight. If there were two more people inside the wire would have snapped. The only person who doesn’t enter is Dave, whose face is pale.

“What are you waiting for?” Dmitri asks.

“It… it looks really cramp…” Dave says, “I don’t want to go in there…”

“WELL, TOO BAD!” Terrance suddenly shouts and pushes Dave inside. He screams as he falls into Dmitri’s arms, who then pushes him off. Before Dave can run out, the elevator’s door closes. He looks petrified. Rupert and Johnny soon come to his aid. Then the elevator begins its descent.

I notice everyone staring at Right with suspicion, though they don’t dare say anything. Even still, it makes me feel nervous.

I suddenly feel Right grab my hand. I look up at him and I see him giving me his best reassuring smile. Though it’s clear he’s afraid.

I smile back. We’re going to find that blackened!

Notes:

RIP Geoffroy, you would've asked Terrance where's the Monokuma File (or well the equivalent to that)
There will be no autopsy report in this fic, because that's apart of the mystery.

Chapter 9: PtS Deadly Life- Trial

Summary:

Trial start!
The making of the closing argument and execution drained the soul out of my body and stomped on it. So don’t be like me kids, a try hard.

Notes:

Sorry inadvance on how long this chapter will be. It's basically around 60 pages long on Word, lol. (The whole chapter 1 is around 180 pages long, if that's not foreboding on future chapter lengths I don't know what is...)
Also, I have brought in C O L O R S to make this more enjoyable!
Also, Also, there are a few mini-games missing that hopefully will show up later. Except Lie Bullets. I have no idea how to write those, so there's a good chance they'll never show up in this fic.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

TW: Ableism. There's a few bits of it in this chapter and the next. I don't know how bad it is, since I don't deal with that kind of stuff; however, better safe than sorry. There is nothing wrong with being disabled.

I feel like it’s best to review the evidence before I go to who knows what.

Truth Bullet: Blood-Stained Knife: A knife found near Geoffroy. It’s covered in blood.

Truth Bullet: Blood Smears: In the theater, there’s remnants of blood spill all over the floor. It seems like there was an attempt to clean it all up.

Truth Bullet: Bloody Text: Next to the body, there’s a message written in blood that simply reads, “Right”.

Truth Bullet: Blood Trail: There’s a blood trail that leads out of the room to the body. However, it doesn’t appear outside of the room. No attempt to clean it up has been made.

Truth Bullet: Darkness: During nighttime hours, it’s way too dark for anyone to see clearly. Not too much that you can’t see, but not enough to see important details.

Truth Bullet: Da Rulez: In the rules, it states that when three innocents find a body, it’ll trigger an investigation. Those who found Geoffroy were Sven and Burt.

Truth Bullet: Dud Bomb: A cartoon bomb has been found without its fuse and covered in blood.

Truth Bullet: Dummy: A dummy that originated from the gym has been found in the theater. Henry claims that Rupert, Johnny, and Dave moved it in there.

Truth Bullet: Geoffroy’s Last Note: Geoffroy expresses that he left at 12:00 and a brought a knife with him for self-defense. Kind of ironic since he himself didn’t want anyone to kill each other. There’s more, but I don’t think it’s related to the case.

Truth Bullet: Injuries: Geoffroy has several stab wounds on his chest. He also seems to be bleeding from the back of the head. Blood can’t be found anywhere else. Dr. Vin is hiding the full information about it though.

Truth Bullet: Invitation Note: Geoffroy received a note detailing someone wanting to meet up him with him at night and at the theater to give him some information.

Truth Bullet: Lighter: Found in a trash can near the body underneath Geoffroy’s hat. No other trashcans had anything in it. I don’t remember who it belongs to.

Truth Bullet: Jacob’s Account: Jacob claims, he, Dave, and Ellie were out and about during the night. Most likely due to Dave’s recent sleepwalking behavior. Though he doesn’t reveal what he saw during that time… yet.

Truth Bullet: Rupert’s Account: Rupert claims that he and Dave spent the entire night together.

Something isn’t right… and I’m going to get to the bottom of this. For Geoffroy and the Toppat Clan!

After reorganizing my thoughts, the elevator opens. We exit the death machine and into… a weird looking court room. There are a bunch of podiums that are arranged in a circular fashion. Behind it, there appears to be a throne with a button in front of it. Terrance is currently sitting on that throne. The rest of the room is pretty bare, save for a weird looking metal door that has a tv on it. Currently, it is turned off.

“Welcome to the trial room, class!” Terrance yells, “Unlike with your dorm rooms, I would like you all to go to your respective podiums. Your names are on all of them. Don’t you dare make me make it a rule if you don’t follow it!”

Silently, we all oblige. I find mine with an awful spelling of my name, and judging from everyone else’s reactions, Terrance gave them the same fate.

“…My name’s not bozo…” Right mumbles under his breath, as we all get onto our respective podiums.

Starting with me then to the left, our order is, Right, Dmitri, Dr. Vin, Captain Galeforce, Charles, Henry, Ellie, Jacob, Johnny, Rupert, Dave, …, Thomas, Burt, Sven, and back to me. It seems most of us are next to people we like. Though, it’s not perfect as Dmitri and Right are giving each other death stares, Jacob is inching towards Ellie while giving the cops nervous glances, I don’t like the fact that those metal doors are behind me, but I can’t pinpoint why, Dave has to turn his whole body to glance nervously at the elevator as it’s behind him, and lastly-

“Why am I sitting right behind, Terrance?” Captain Galeforce outwardly complains.

“Cause, I wanted you to be there!” Terrance says.

The captain groans in annoyance at that response.

“Um… what is that?” Burt asks as he points to a certain podium.

The one he is pointing to seems to have a memento of Geoffroy standing up right where he would’ve probably been. Though to say it is respectful…

Would be entirely inaccurate.

“Oh! So, it’s kind of unfair for the dead to not be able to show up to a trial and miss out on all the fun, especially if they were killed first,” Terrance explains, “So, think of it as them being here without actually being here. Like a regular memento!”

“But… it’s cover in blood that reads ‘Fail’?” Burt says, “And looks embarrassing?”

“Well, I need to make fun of them for dying,” Terrance says, “Anyways, it’s time for our first-class trial! I think I brief introduction is in order. All of you are separated into two sides, innocents and the blackened. The innocents’ goal is to find Geoffroy Plumb’s, the ultimate planner, killer, while the blackened’s goal is to ‘muddy the water’ and get away with it. After 7/8ths of the participants have reached a satisfying conclusion, a vote shall be cast on who the majority thinks is the blackened, which will determine which side won. If the blackened wins, they go free. If the innocents win, they get to continue the game. The losing side will be punished~ ALL RISE FOR THE CLASS TRIAL!”

“…”

“That means go, you idiots,” Terrance says.

“Takes one to know one,” Dr. Vin says.

“Ouch…”

"Wait, before we start," Right suddenly says, "What about our secrets? Are you still going to send them out?"

"...No," Terrance says slightly confused, "The condition was met. All you guys need to worry about is the aftermath!"

"Thank goodness," Right sighs relieved.

“Anyways, comrade. Did your escapade to incinerator yield any results?” Dr. Vin asks the captain.

“…It was cold,” the captain sighs.

“Cold?” Charles asks, “Uh, so did the culprit flip the lever the… other way? How did they do that?”

“I meant it wasn’t used Charlie,” Captain Galeforce says.

“Ha! It seems your pilot isn’t that bright!” Sven laughs.

“[Shut it, ultimate spare]” Henry signs angrily.

“You-” Sven warns before being slammed by Burt, he then shouts at his friend, “WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!”

“We have more important issues to deal with, like this case.” Burt says.

“Agreed! We need to discover who killed Geoffroy!” Thomas shouts, “So, I can give the villain a toppat style punishment!”

“Heh. Well,” Dr. Vin says as clears her throat, “As you all know, I have examined body. And I am ready to reveal-”

“No need for that! This case is open and shut!” Johnny shouts, “I should know! I’m the ultimate police officer!”

“Please stop flexing that title…” Dave sighs in annoyance.

“…Okay. Then who did it?” Dmirti asks, “If you are so confident.”

“It’s obviously, Right! All the evidence points to him!” Johnny says.

“WHAT?!” Right shouts.

“Then where is it?!” Thomas says, “I can’t see how it all leads to him?”

“Oh, it’s all here,” Johnny says, “Just let me lay it out for you, criminal.”

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Bloody Text

Johnny: It’s really an open shut case!

Johnny: Right wanted his secret kept so badly, he was driven to murder!

Johnny: We know this because of what he did to Dave.

Johnny: And what better target than his fellow toppat?

Right: Oi! I’ll never betray one of my clanmates!

Jacob: I don’t know…

Jacob: They do say someone close to the victim is more likely to kill them, then a stranger

Johnny: EXACTLY!

Johnny: So, he took a knife…AND STABBED HIM!!!!!!!

Johnny: Then in his final breathes,

Johnny: Our poor victim wrote down the name of his killer.

Johnny: Open and shut!

Right: That was only one piece of evidence…

Johnny: OPEN AND SHUT!

Dave: I-I don’t know, Johnny.

Dave: Doesn’t this feel kind of… easy?

Dave: Wouldn’t the killer have tried a bit harder?

Johnny: Remind me which one of us is a fired police officer?

Dave: …

Rupert: Too soon, John… too soon.

Johnny: Sorry

I can’t believe someone is already trying to pinpoint the blame on to my right-hand man.

Though, since he is stupid, I’m sure I can refute one of the weak spots in his argument with the right evidence… Let’s go over it again.

< Johnny: Our poor victim wrote down the name of his killer.>

BANG!

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!”

“Um… what?” Johnny asks.

“Your argument can’t be true,” I tell him.

“How so? We all saw the same message, didn’t we?” Johnny says.

“Or… you’re just saying that cause it’s your… um, what is your relationship statis with your right-hand man? I know it’s romantic but…” Jacob says.

“Their relationship status is unimportant to this trial, Mr. Rose,” Dr. Vin says.

“Mr. Rose?!” Jacob asks confused.

“I do not call people by first names? I thought you all know this?”

“Vicky, only the law enforcement faction knows that” Captain Galeforce says, “If you didn’t use all your time to-”

“CAN WE PLEASE GO BACK ON TOPIC!” I shout, “Anyways, that’s exactly why you’re wrong. The text looks a little too perfect,” I say as the screen above the metal door suddenly shows the text. We all look at it, though it’s a little hard to see. We proceed to all look at Terrance.

“What? I was only able to steal one!” Terrance says.

“Back on topic, doesn’t it seem, strange? Since it’s placed directly next to the victim. Wouldn’t it be easier to do it on the floor and smaller? And wouldn’t the killer clean up the name to prevent getting caught?” I say, “This message… is false evidence, and only idiot would fall for it!”

“Oi! Don’t call Johnny an idiot!” Rupert shouts, “Maybe… Right or the culprit didn’t see it?”

“Yeah!” Johnny offers, “It was dark after all!”

“You little-”

“Refute with evidence, Right,” I calmly tell him.

“…Fine. There is no way that message is real; look at Geoffroy’s hands!” Right says and the tv screen moves to Geoffroy’s body, “If this message was made by Geoffroy, than why… IS HIS HANDS FREE OF ANY BLOOD! He should have some on his hands if he did write that!”

“[Charles? Can you sing Pursuit]” Henry signs, “[It is a good time for it]

“Oh, okay! Du, du, du,” Charles begins to sing. He doesn’t sing any lyrics only mimicking the instruments with his voice.

“…Uh… Fine! The message may be fake,” Johnny admits.

“If so, this proves Right’s innocence!” Sven says, “Why would he purposely frame himself?”

“Yeah! Why would I?” Right shouts.

“I wouldn’t say that” Captain Galeforce says, “It’s possible Right could’ve framed himself if he felt guilty of what he had done.”

“As if! The killer is probably laughing to themselves about how they’re getting away with murder!” Rupert says.

“Of course. They killed in cold blood,” Dmitri says, “Why would they ever feel the need to make sure they get caught?”

“Hate to say it, but I agree. There is no way the killer is anything but a swine,” Thomas says.

“It was just a thought,” Captain Galeforce says, “But… you two are right. Unless we get better evidence that Right is the culprit than his name is official cleared.”

“Can I now say what I have found?” Dr. Vin says, “Now that this stupid escapade Mr. Panzer forced us on is over,”

“Don’t see a reason why you shouldn’t,” Captain Galeforce says.

“Go ahead,” Terrance says.

“[Are you not supposed to be in this debate?]” Henry signs.

“Technically yes, but I can voice my opinion here or there,” Terrance says.

Oh great…

“Anyways, I was going to reveal head injury.” Dr. Vin says. The tv then moves over to Geoffroy’s head.

“Uh, I don’t see it?” Charles says.

“That is because it is on back of head.” Dr. Vin says.

“Wait… was that why you did not let anyone near his head? Because you wanted evidence for only yourself?!” Dmitri shouts at her.

“Да” Dr. Vin says.

“…” Dmirti then begins shouting Russian words at the doctor, who just rolls her eyes response.

“Can we save the insults for later? Someone is dead,” Captain Galeforce sighs.

“Hmpf,” Dmitri says, “(If I was back at Wall, you would have been fired for that.)”

“I do not work for Wall,” Dr. Vin responds.

“So, is that how he really died?” Ellie says.

“What do you mean?” Dr. Vin says.

“Because if it’s all fake, then the knife didn’t kill him? So, that would mean that he died from the injury,” Ellie says.

“I thought that at first, but-”

“That is exactly right!” Thomas shouts, “Our killer is not only heartless but also a spineless COWARD!”

“How so?” Sven asks.

“Cause backstabbing is such a cowardly thing to do!” Thomas says.

“Um… I don’t follow?” Charles says, “Especially since the stab wounds… are on his chest not back.”

“Don’t worry little birdy, I’ll explain it to you!” Thomas says.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Injuries

Thomas: It’s obvious!

Thomas: The culprit sneaked up to him…

Thomas: Weapon in hand

Thomas: And wacked him in the back of the head!

Thomas: Which killed him, instantly!

Burt: But uh… what was the weapon?

Thomas: The knife of course~

Thomas: You can stab the back of someone’s head.

Dr. Vin: Do you even know what you are saying?

Dr. Vin: I have not even revealed what type of injury it was!

Burt: Yeah, it could’ve not even been lethal…

Ellie: But the stab wounds can’t be it!

Ellie: That message proves this whole scene is fabricated.

Ellie: And that knife is a part of it!

Rupert: Or you’re just being paranoid.

Thomas: Either or way…

Thomas: THAT INJURY KILLED GEOFFROY!

Thomas is so blinded by rage that he’s jumping to conclusions. I need to shoot his argument down or he’ll lead us astray...

I think someone said something that I agree with, but I just need to remind myself of what.

<Dr. Vin: I have not even revealed what type of injury it was!>

BANG!

“I AGREE!”

“Dr. Vin, could you please tell us the nature of this injury? You never told me what it was.” I ask her, “Was it even lethal?”

“It was not lethal. Just enough to knock him out,” Dr. Vin says.

“Oh… now I look silly,” Thomas says, as a small blush appears on his face.

“Then, what did kill him?” Ellie asks.

“Yeah, what did?” Johnny says.

<Select Evidence>

<Truth Bullet: Blood-Stained Knife>

“Heh. Simple as that!”

“…The knife,” I say, “That’s the only other option, right?”

“Yeah, Reg?” Right says.

“Not talking to you,” I tell him, as I look at the doctor and she- nods.

“Да, stabs killed him. I did not see any other way and I checked thoroughly,” the doctor says, “Though, am sad to report that I could have saved him if I had my boat with me.”

“Y-You could have?!” Thomas asks.

“Of course! I am best doctor here. Blood loss and damaged organs are child’s play to me,” Dr. Vin says with a slight laugh, “It is only shame that I do not have materials to help.”

“Vicky, there’s been a murder. You can save your ego tripping for later,” Captain Galeforce says.

The doctor rolls her eyes.

“…So, if you were able to get out of here-” Thomas says.

“No, I am not killing anyone,” Dr. Vin says, “Just so I could potentially save your friend.”

“Darn,”

“Thomas? Are you okay?” Sven asks, “You shouldn’t say things like that-”

“I know! But I’m *Pause* I don’t know…” Thomas says tears in his eyes, “I… I just want Geoffroy back… W-why did he have to be the one to die… a-and why-”

“Aw, don’t be upset, Thomas. After this trial, Geoffroy’s will become shark food!” Terrance says, “So, any death would’ve been meaningless in that regard! Though, I appreciate thinking ahead.”

“…”

“Why are you all looking at me like that? I did tell you that’s what will happen to your corpses when you die here,” Terrance says.

“Ignoring what was just uttered. We should get on track, we’re missing a lot of information,” Burt says.

“Yeah, like who killed him,” Charles says.

“That’s what we are here to solve- *Sigh* I was thinking more on when Geoffroy died,” Burt says.

“When?”

“If we can figure that out, then we can actually make some progress,” Burt says, “Since right now, anyone could have committed the murder.”

“Well, not everyone…” Thomas says, “Toppats would never do such dirty tricks, and more importantly NOT BETRAY each other.”

Terrance laughs.

“Shut it, you deserved it,” I shout at him.

“So, then… when did it happen?” Captain Galeforce says.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Geoffroy’s Last Note

Sven: Well, it’d have to be AFTER our meeting.

Sven: Since that was the last time we saw him alive.

Ellie: Maybe it happened during the night?

Jacob: I can agree with that!

Burt: I don’t know…

Burt: Having it happen at night seems too broad.

Thomas: Plus, it’s so dark during those hours!

Thomas: I doubt anyone would’ve been able to kill!

Rupert: Unless you’re Right.

Right: Oi! My hands were nowhere near his throat!

Rupert: Sure

Dr. Vin: We are getting off topic.

Charles: Could it be possible he was killed in the morning?

Capt. Galeforce: Possibly.

Capt. Galeforce: We were all eating, which is a great distraction.

Burt: I doubt it, since we would’ve seen someone covered in blood.

Everyone seems a bit confused, even though the answer is straightforward. Guess that message made everyone too skeptical.

< Ellie: Maybe it happened during the night?>

BANG!

“I AGREE!”

“You’re right, Ellie.” I tell her.

“Naturally~” Ellie says.

“But when though?” Burt asks.

I pull out the note and then say, “I found this in Geoffroy’s room. It’s a note written by him; in case he did die. He claims that he left at 12:00, to what was a trap…”

“That narrows down the time,” Burt says.

“Not by much. It seems that it happened immediately after we’ve gone to sleep,” Sven says, “At least we know it was completely dark during the whole time.”

“Why did he go? Was he not ‘veteran’ of game?” Dmitri asks, “Is he imbecile?!”

“Oi! Geoffroy also stated in that note he brought a knife to protect him,” Right says and then suddenly goes somber, “…Which might have been the same knife that got him killed…”

“Heh. Painfully ironic,” Dmitri says.

“Even so, we can narrow down who was out during that time.” Burt says.

“It doesn’t really matter much though. Like, who is out during that time!?” Johnny shouts.

“Why did he go out?” Ellie asks, “Did he write that?”

“He did it, because he was a loyal toppat. Wanted all of us to escape and beat the motive. And was prepared to do anything for it… even walk straight into a trap,” Right says.

“So, that confirms it. Geoffroy was killed at night,” Burt says.

“That really sucks,” Charles says, “Causes um anyone can claim they were sleeping at that time. I don’t know how we’re going to be able to prove who’s telling the truth or who’s telling a lie.”

“That is a problem…” Captain Galeforce.

It seems we’ve reached a dead end… Fortunately, I believe I have some evidence that can give us some possible suspects. What was it?

<Select Evidence>

<Truth Bullet: Jacob’s Account>

“Heh. Simple as that!”

Before I can say anything, Ellie answers it for me by saying, “Actually, Jacob and I were up during that time.”

“E-Ellie!” Jacob shouts in surprise.

The room suddenly goes into stunned silence.

“A-And you are just going to admit that?!” Sven says flabbergasted, “Do you not realize that this marks you and your brother as suspects?!”

“Trust me, I know.” Ellie says, “But we’d be going nowhere if I didn’t say anything. Like Charles said, we’d all be claiming we were sleeping at that time. No real suspects. Besides, I know both me and Jacob are innocent. We have nothing to fear.”

“Makes sense. So, what did you two saw during that time?” Captain Galeforce asks.

“Jacob,” Ellie says, “Care to explain?”

“Me?!” Jacob says.

“You’re the one who wanted me to come with you and have a story to tell. So, you should explain it,” Ellie shrugs.

“…Alright, so. Last night, I heard some footsteps outside my door. I was worried someone was in danger, so I left my room to protect them. However, I was too scared to do it by myself,” Jacob begins.

“Aren’t you a security guard?” Sven asks.

“Yes he is, but so is Dave.” Right says, “And we all know how much of coward he is.”

“Ouch…” Dave says.

“So, I woke up Ellie so she could protect me. Just in case something went wrong.”

Ellie smiles while flexing her arm.

“Because of that, we… um… quickly lost them, but we kept looking. At some point, Ellie ran off cause she thought she heard something fall. (It actually turned out to be Terrance messing around in the shark room. Apparently, since he is dead, he doesn’t need to sleep). Then I was alone, so I kept wandering around looking for them both and… and…”

“A-And?” Johnny says.

Jacob gives off a look of horror, “I saw someone in the shadows, dragging what appeared to be a body…”

The room goes silent. I thought I hear someone curse under their breath, but I couldn’t find who did it. Nevertheless, Jacob continues.

“I-I ran away as soon as I could, which is where I met up with Ellie. I told her everything, and we ended up staying there for around a few hours. Hoping whoever it was went back to bed, so we could safely go back to our dorm rooms as well.”

“Jeeze, that much of been terrifying man,” Charles says, “But uh, if you saw them, then why didn’t you try to stop them?”

“Yeah! Why didn’t you stop them!” Thomas shouts.

“Jacob got so spooked, that he couldn’t do anything,” Ellie explains, “My first priority was calming him down, not taking down the murderer. By the time he was calm, he wanted so desperately to go back to his room, where it was safe. Besides, the murder probably happened already, and there was nothing I could do. Plus, I probably couldn’t have even seen who it was any how.”

“[Who did you see, J A C O B?]” Henry signs.

“It was too dark to truly confirm. I have a guess, but I want to wait on it. I want a bit more evidence first,” Jacob says, “The last thing I want to do is accuse someone who is innocent…”

“Smart,” Charles says.

“Wait, that means… Geoffroy didn’t die in the classroom,” I say, “He was murdered outside of it!”

“Yeah! He would’ve had to do die somewhere else!” Thomas says.

“Are you guys sure?” Charles says, “I don’t think it’s possible.”

“How so?” I ask.

“Well…” Charles says, “There’s no blood in the hallways.”

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Blood Trail

Charles: Geoffroy was bleeding out thanks to the stab wounds.

Charles: So, uh… if the killer moved his body.

Charles: Wouldn’t that leave a blood trail?

Johnny: Yeah! It would!

Johnny: Maybe Jacob mistook what that person was dragging.

Johnny: What he could’ve saw Ronald!

Right: Ronald?

Rupert: That’s the name of the dummy.

Dmitri: Could explain why it is in theater.

Dave: Um…

Dave: Actually, never mind.

Charles: Yeah, that’s probably what it was.

Charles: So, sorry Jacob.

Charles: I don’t think you saw a body…

Charles raises a good point, but all the evidence points to Geoffroy being somewhere else. I just need to think of the RIGHT evidence to counter this claim, as the wrong one at this point would be easily refutable…

<Charles: Wouldn’t that leave a blood trail?>

BANG!

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!”

“You’re right, Charles. It WOULD leave a blood trail,” I say, “This blood trail to be exact.” The tv suddenly then shows off the blood trail near the Geoffroy’s body.

“Oh, hey. You’re right!” Charels says, “Guess I just forgot.”

“That doesn’t really prove it though,” Ellie says, “As it only exists inside of the classroom.”

“But it’s still strange,” Right says, “If that were true then that would mean, Geoffroy was knocked out, stabbed, then dragged from the entrance of the room to the back wall, all while still being in the same room. The way it’s shaped doesn’t make any sense. It looks more like whatever preventing the blood from spilling out was taken off as soon as it was put inside that room.”

“[But then where is the rest of it?]” Henry signs, “[Should it not be in the hallway as well?]”

“I think it’s too early to say what happened,” Captain Galeforce says, “I suggest we wait on it.”

“Agree,” Dr. Vin says.

“But we still don’t know if it WAS a body or not,” Johnny says, “You are forgetting that!”

“It was definitely body sized!” Jacob says.

“Ronald is body sized!” Johnny says.

“Well, I don’t exactly know where I was, but…” Jacob says, “I don’t think he was dragging it towards the theater. He was dragging it left, and the only way I would able to see it that way and have it end up into the theater by that method… is if I was in the gym. However, I know I was at least in a hallway when I saw that!”

“I- ugh. Fine!” Johnny says.

“So, that concludes it. There is no doubt about it that Geoffroy didn’t die in-” I say.

“DON’T GET YOUR HOPES UP!”

“!”

“Oi! Are we seriously taking what Jacob said into account? The only thing he has is baseless evidence!” Rupert says.

“Are you saying he lied?” I say.

“Maybe. Maybe not. I just don’t think we should be jumping to conclusions by taking what he said as gospel!”

Ugh, Rupert seems unwilling to accept this, and judging how happy Johnny looks, I’m thinking he’s just doing it to help his friend. Guess just like Johnny making Rupert fight his battles, I should fight Jacob’s.

<Rebuttal Showdown>

Truth ~~Bullet~~ Sword: Da Rulez

Rupert: What Jacob is saying is an assumption!

Rupert: He could have easily lied to get suspicion off of him!

Rupert: ‘Left because he heard some footsteps’, give me a break!

Rupert: He could’ve easily gone up there killed Geoffroy.

Rupert: His story is as fake as your mustache!

ADVANCE

Me: First of all, how dare you.

Me: Second of all, if he was planning a murder then why bring Ellie?

Rupert: He brought her as an alibi.

Rupert: We already know this killer is willing to use dirty tricks.

Rupert: So why not trick his sister into giving him an alibi?

Rupert: It works since he has admitted that they were separated at some point.

ADVANCE

Me: So, you’re saying Jacob is the killer?

Rupert: That’s… one possibility.

Rupert: Another is that he could have been mistaken.

Rupert: It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that.

Rupert: Since, I’m sure we all know how dark nighttime is.

Rupert: There’s no way to prove he actually saw the body.

SLICE!

“I’LL CUT UP THAT STATEMENT!”

“Rupert, recall what one of the rules said about discovering bodies,” I tell him.

“Um… there was a rule?” Rupert asks.

“It’s rule #3. It states that when three innocents see a body it triggers an investigation. I sent two people, Sven and Burt, to check the classrooms. When they saw the body, an investigation was conducted. However, that was only two people, who was the third?” I tell him.

“The third? Um…” Rupert says, “An accomplice?”

“No, it was Jacob. When he told us his story, he revealed that he was the first to discover the body, thus making him the previously unknown third innocent,” I say.

“Or well, first,” Sven says.

“Oh…” Rupert says.

“Ah, don’t worry, Rups! Mistakes happen to everyone!” Dave says.

“Though, I’d appreciate it, if you apologize for it,” Ellie hisses.

“…Sorry, Jacob,” Rupert says.

“I-It’s fine!” Jacob says, “Just… don’t accuse me again…”

“So, then where did Geoffroy die?” Charles asks, “Since Jacob did say he saw the body being dragged.”

“Does it matter?” Dr. Vin says, “We just know Geoffroy is dead, and someone killed him. That fact does not change even if he died in different rooms.”

“Yeah, it does not. Because it is obvious Ellie did it.” Dmitri says.

“Actually, no. Location is important.” Ellie says.

“Wait, hold up. How is it obvious that Ellie did it?” Sven asks.

“We have confirmed Jacob’s innocence, but not Ellie’s,” Dmitri says.

“[That does not mean, she did it though,]” Henry signs.

“We do not know her movements, as Jacob said he got separated from her. Who is to say during that time, Ellie killed that criminal and met back up with Jacob.” Dmitri says, “It could also explain why the killer did not try silencing Jacob. At least to our knowledge.”

“…” Jacob looks horrified.

“You do realize that doesn’t make much sense! It implies I have lighting speed!” Ellie says.

“No, it does not. We do not know Jacob’s exact location or how long each event took place. Distance and time could be a lot shorter than we think,” Dr. Vin says.

“Maybe her ultimate is ultimate killer?” Thomas says.

“THAT IS NOT MY ULTIMATE!” Ellie shouts.

“Then where were you, Ellie?” I ask her.

“I went to the shark tank like Jacob said and stayed there after Jacob ran into my arms. Terrance, you can back me up on this!” Ellie says, “I was talking to you there!”

“…Nah,” Terrance says.

“N-Nah?!” Ellie shouts.

“My role in the trial is not to confirm or deny alibies. My job is to provide much needed comminatory, enforce the rules if need be, make sure what is actually happening is a trial not a fight (though that would be entertaining), and getting missed evidence!” Terrance says.

“Wait… missed evidence?” Sven asks.

“[I did not know you could do that for us?]” Henry signs.

“Oh, I can, Henry dear!” Terrance says, “I made that rule as soon as investigations were over! You guys absolutely SUCK at getting all the juicy details of a case. So, to be fair, I’ve enacted a new rule, where I can confirm or deny pieces of evidence missed in investigations, on the condition that you tell me what it is and where it is.”

“W-Wait, does that mean… We… We missed crucial evidence?!” Dave says.

“Yep! And crucial indeed! If you guys had found it- Ha! We wouldn’t need a trial!” Terrance says, “Makes me glad though, since this is so entertaining!”

Well, that’s concerning. Hopefully, I can figure out what it is, soon…

“Aw man, we shouldn’t have looked in the theater, since Reginald and his right-hand man already did!” Charles says, “We could’ve found it!”

“No time to think about what we should’ve done in the past,” Captain Galeforce says, “We should be considering if Ellie is telling the truth or not, and where Geoffroy was murdered.”

“I AM TELLING THE TRUTH!” Ellie shouts.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Invitation Note

Ellie: I was at the shark tank!

Dmitri: That does not prove innocence.

Dmitri: Geoffroy could have been killed near that area.

Sven: Don’t know, it kind of feels a bit illogical?

Sven: That would imply Jacob ran full circle!

Dr. Vin: Maybe he did.

Thomas: Maybe he was killed somewhere near the classroom?

Thomas: Like the theater!

Johnny: I still think he was killed in the classroom.

Rupert: Oi, Johnny, move on.

Burt: Maybe we should ask the horse’s mouth.

Burt: Jacob could know where it was.

Jacob: I saw the… being dragged in a hallway.

Jacob: Where that hallway was or if he was killed there,

Jacob: I wouldn’t know, since it was too dark.

Henry: [So that means, it’s impossible to know?]

Charles: I hope not!

I think I already know this… I just need to remember where I heard it from…

< Thomas: Like the theater!>

BANG!

“I AGREE!”

“Thomas, you’re right. He was killed in the theater,” I tell him as I pull out the note.

“Wait, does that tell us where he was? Cool!” Charles says.

“Why wasn’t this brought up earlier?” Ellie asks.

“[So, where did he die?]” Henry signs.

“He died in the theater, like Thomas said.” I tell him, “The killer lured him in there with the promise of information.”

“What kind of information?” Captain Galeforce asks.

“It wasn’t specific,” Right admits, “But Geoffroy wasn’t specific either.”

“I just realize…” I tell the group, “Last night, I heard footsteps running away outside of our meeting room. That was probably the killer. I knew I should’ve investigated that!”

“…How dare they…” Thomas says, “Eavesdropping on a conversation, just so they can use it to lure their victim- *Pause* Terrance, you don’t need to punish the culprit. Because by the time I’m finished with this villain, we’ll have another trial on our hands!”

“…Didn’t we all agreed not to kill anyone?” Sven says.

“Oh, promises. How you bind me! I’ll just have to rough up this villain instead!”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, Tommy,” Terrance says.

“Don’t ever call me that again.”

“But unfortunately, I’m the one in charge of those, alone. Fortunately, I’m sure you’ll agree with what I have planned for our dear blackened is very… fitting,” Terrance says, “All you need to do is figure it out!”

“Anyways, this proves my innocence!” Ellie says, “I was nowhere NEAR that area!”

“You could have lied.” Dmitri says.

“[What happened to innocent until proven guilty?]” Henry signs.

“But she is only suspect!”

“That we know of. I mean, someone could’ve gone up during the night, killed Geoffroy, and decide not to tell anyone,” Charles says.

“[And the fact she even mentioned it proves she is innocent. If she was guilty, why bring it up?]” Henry signs.

“Plus, I may not be 100% sure who it was. But I know for a fact it wasn’t Ellie,” Jacob says.

“So, unless we have evidence that says Ellie did it,” Charles says, “All the evidence against her is circle-stance-al.”

“Circumstantial.” Rupert corrects.

“Yeah! That!” Charles says.

“Thanks guys,” Ellie smiles.

“Anyways, I should mention… that note, doesn’t prove Geoffroy died in the theater,” Johnny suddenly says.

“…What?” everyone else suddenly says.

“But it clearly says-” Sven shouts.

“I know, but what if the killer got that toppat before he went over there. There’s no evidence saying he actually went there!” Johnny says.

“…Hate to say it, but he has a point,” Burt says, “We know where he was supposed to be, but we have no idea if he actually ended up there.”

Great we’re being too skeptical again. I should probably bring up another piece of evidence to prove that he was there and killed once and for all.

<Select Evidence>

< Truth Bullet: Blood Smears>

“Heh. Simple as that!”

“Actually, Johnny. There is proof. It comes from the blood found in the theater.” I say as the tv reveals my piece of evidence, “Therefor, it could’ve been caused by Geoffroy… being stabbed.”

“That doesn’t prove Geoffroy was killed there!” Rupert says, “It could’ve been caused by someone being an idiot and accidentally injuring themselves. Like Johnny.”

“HEY!” Johnny says in a deeply offended tone.

Realizing that stung a little too much, Rupert swiftly apologizes.

“[That was not there yesterday],” Henry signs.

“Can confirm,” Ellie responds.

“Plus, it looks smeared. Like someone tried to clean it up,” Sven says, “There could’ve been a lot more of it but it’s… gone now.”

“I guess that confirms it,” Captain Galeforce says, “Happy now, Johnny?”

“…Sure,” Johnny pouts.

“Johnny…” Dave says in a sympathetic tone, “We can’t be right all the time. It’s fine. Thanks for helping us confirm it!”

“…”

“Wait, if Geoffroy was killed there, then… what caused that injury on the back of his head?” Charles asks.

“What do you mean?” Dr. Vin says.

“I thought there was a struggle and Geoffroy ended up banging his head against the wall in the classroom, which got some blood on the wall. But the theater is baren except for the stage. So, um… where did he get that injury?” Charles says.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Dud Bomb

Charles: Um, this doesn’t answer my question.

Charles: So, I’ll say it again…

Charles: Where did Geoffroy get that injury?

Sven: He hit his head on the floor?

Sven: That could’ve caused the blood.

Burt: Or the stage.

Burt: It has an equal chance.

Dr. Vin: That is good possibility.

Dr. Vin: But it is impossible to say.

Dr. Vin: As that is also where blood from stabbing,

Dr. Vin: Would have come from.

Jacob: Maybe the dummy caused it?

Sven: Then there would be blood on it…

Thomas: Could it have been a weapon?

Thomas: Knock him out and then kill him like the coward this killer is.

Ellie: If that’s the case, what would it be?

Thomas: …I don’t know.

Everyone’s confused. But I think someone is on to something…

<Thomas: Could it have been a weapon?>

BANG!

“I AGREE!”

` “Thomas is right. Geoffroy got that injury from a weapon. This to be precise,” I say as I hold it up. It has some good weight behind it.

“How’d you know?” Charles asks.

“Because it has blood on it,” Right snaps.

“Ah.”

“It does solve the blood problem.” Sven says.

“Wait, that bomb is missing a fuse?” Jacob says, “Why hasn’t that bomb blown up?!”

“Yeah, why hasn’t it?” Captain Galeforce wonders out loud.

“Cause it’s a dud. All bombs are duds,” I tell him, “Terrance didn’t want us to blow up the place. Shouldn’t have Charles told you? He along with Henry, me, Right, Thomas, and… Geoffroy all knew that.”

“I uh… forgot to…” Charles says.

“[Same here]” Henry signs.

“Thanks boys,” Ellie sighs.

“Glad we can always count on you two,” Burt says.

“If they’re all duds, then why have them at all?” Rupert says.

“Cause Terrance’s an @#$hole,” Right says.

“And proud of it! It was hilarious, seeing the blackened’s face after the bomb did not go off! It was better than I imagined!” Terrance says, “…I just realized I should not have said that.”

“You somehow suck more as a host than you do as a leader!” I yell at him.

“Might work in our favor though in this case,” Right says.

“Or any other time,” Burt says, “We didn’t know there’s a mastermind to this game without him blurting it out.”

Terrance grumbles at that comment.

“Wait, how’d ya see their reaction? It was dark?” Charles asks.

“The cameras have night vision,” Terrance says, “I wouldn’t be able to know who did it, if the cameras didn’t have that.”

“Anyways, I think because of this revelation, we can greatly lower the possible suspects,” Thomas says, “As there’s no doubt that the killer had to be from the law enforcement faction! Because only us toppats knew the bombs were duds!”

“What!” the faction in question shouts, almost at once.

“You can’t be serious!” Rupert shouts, “We’re not the ones who have done it! You guys did it!”

“Yeah! We couldn’t have done it!” Charles says.

“[Ice pick and donkey pit could have, but they have the captain and Charles to keep them in check!]” Henry signs.

“My side would never!” Captain Galeforce says.

“You are criminals. You could easily betray each other!” Dmitri says.

“Yeah, especially with all your talk of loyalty,” Johnny says, “That would make it easy to kill another member!”

“*Gasp* Toppats value loyalty above all else!” Thomas shouts.

“Agreed!” Right shouts.

“Your team lacked the bomb information!” Sven says.

“And you guys would love to tear apart a criminal for your own gain!” Jacob spits.

“Makes sense,” Burt says, “Especially since we all promised not to murder people.”

“Sorry, Charles and Henry. I have to agree. The evidence points to that faction…” Ellie says somberly.

“See? My side would actually never even dare to think of doing it!” I yell at them.

“Guys! I think we’re getting off track,” Dave says, but goes ignored.

“Ooo! Looks like we’re all split down the middle,” Terrance says with a smile, “Guess that means we’re doing a scum debate!”

“A… scum…what?” I ask.

“It’s where you all debate as two different groups over a topic. It’s basically a gang fight but with words! Everyone, go to your side of the argument you support, it’s time to DEBATE!” Terrance yells.

<Scum Debate>

Toppats Killed Geoffroy LE Killed Geoffroy

-Captain Galeforce -Reginald

-Charles -Right

-Rupert -Sven

-Dave -Burt

-Johnny -Thomas

-Dmitri -Ellie

-Dr. Vin -Jacob

-Henry

<BEGIN!>

Henry: [How do you know that they didn’t know about the bombs?]

>Ellie: You and Charles never told ANYONE about it! Only the people who were there knew!

Rupert: Sven and Burt weren’t there

>Jacob: They were there for the body announcement. They’re already cleared.

Charles: Couldn’t it have been some who was neutral? They didn’t know either.

>Right: Everyone who is neutral has already been cleared.

Johnny: Anyone could have used that bomb to knock out Geoffroy!

>Burt: Then why use a bomb to knock him out? The killer wanted it to explode.

Dmitri: One of you could have used Geoffroy’s loyalty for personal gain.

>Thomas: Toppats value loyalty above all else!

Dr. Vin: That does not exclude possibility.

>Sven: The possibility is lessened, because we all promised not to murder.

Capt. Galeforce: My faction would never do something like this.

>Me: Your faction isn’t sinless as you like to believe.

“THIS IS OUR ANSWER!”

“See wasn’t that fun!” Terrance says.

“No, it wasn’t,” Burt says.

“Yeah, we could’ve been just fine without it,” Sven says.

“Regardless, we have now greatly reduced possible suspects,” I say, “Now only people on the law enforcement side could have done it.”

“Except Charles” both Ellie and Henry say at the exact same time.

“Yeah, except Charles.”

“Then, who did?” Sven asks, “Since there’s not really one law enforcement.”

“…”

“We have six suspects left, and no leads with any of them,” Dr. Vin says, “This is not good…”

“So, is this it? We’ve run out of evidence?” Sven says.

“Geoffroy’s killer has… gotten away?” Thomas says, “No! There has to be more! Chief! You’ve been a huge help during this case! Y-You got to have a suspect in mind!”

A suspect in mind? I was hoping one would come up on its own, but… Hmm. It may be a stretch, but I think someone said something about a third person out, excluding the victim himself of course… Maybe it’s time to bring out that contradiction…

<Select a Stick>

<Dave>

“It has to be you!”

“So, Dave… what were you doing last night?”

“Uh… what?” Dave asks, “W-Why are you asking me that?”

“What the #@$@ are you trying to do?” Rupert hisses.

“Yeah, why are asking him out of everyone where he was at?” Johnny spits.

“Well, during investigations, Jacob told me and Right his account of what happened before the trial. He brought up a certain someone’s name that for some reason he has yet to bring up during the trial. Even after he gave his full account. *Pause* Jacob, is there any reason why you did that?” I ask.

“Well, to be honest… I’ve realized that person… had to be the one who killed Geoffroy,” Jacob says, “And… *Sigh* I’ll admit, I didn’t want to say it, not because I wanted to make sure, but because… he is a dear coworker of mine, no, a friend of mine, and I didn’t want it to be true…”

“…J-Jacob?!” Dave says with a twinge of betrayal in his voice.

“I’m… sorry for keeping the whole truth to myself for so long but there’s no denying it now. As much as it pains me to admit, Dave Panpa has to be the culprit just like Reginald said!” Jacob says, “No one else could’ve done it…”

“W-What? I didn’t-” Dave says.

“Oi! Dave would never!” Rupert shouts, “Besides I told you all before the trial, that Dave slept in my room that night! Do I need to say it again?! He was in my room. DAVE HAS AN ALIBI! There is no way in Hell he killed that toppat!”

“That is… That is not good alibi,” Dr. Vin says.

“Agreed, he could’ve easily got up while you were sleeping, Rupert.” Jacob says, “You would’ve been none the wiser.”

“How are you so sure, Dave did it?” Johnny says, “It could have been anyone out!”

“…Yes, that’s true; however, ever since Dave got here, he’s been sleepwalking,” Jacob says, “I’ve been trying to make sure that’s alright during those walks, since well… it’d be really easy to…*Pause* Which is why me and Ellie were out. Reginald and Right, you can back me up right?”

“Yep. He walked into our room one night. Scared Reg badly,” Right says.

“And not you at all, mister?” I tell him.

“That doesn’t prove anything!” Rupert shouts, “All that means is that Dave could’ve been out and not conscious! And I’m sure we’ve all established; this murder was conscious! With the whole, writing a note and attempt to frame Reginald’s right-hand man. What you’re saying is that Dave sleep-murdered?!”

“[Have you looked outside? Strange things happen all the time. Sleep-murdering is not that farfetched]” Henry signs.

“Yeah. Look outside Rupert. It’s not like we’re all trapped in a factory that has no windows.” Burt says.

“Good one,” Sven says.

“Thief…I was going to say that” Rupert says.

“It’s a school to you!” Terrance says.

“I don’t think he sleep murdered; however, he could use that as a way to cover up his guilt,” Jacob says.

“But I didn’t sleepwalk-” Dave says.

“Now you’re making stuff up! That’s a possibility not reality!” Johnny says, “It holds us much weight as saying, I did it, because I had the ability to sneak off and kill that toppat! And I used the fact that I sleep during those hours as an alibi! The only evidence you have is that you might have saw Dave,”

“I do have more evidence. Although I couldn’t see his face, I know for certain the killer wore a cap.” Jacob says.

“To add strength to Jacob’s argument, I heard footsteps around Dave’s dorm room at around 10:00. That could’ve him leaving to set it up,” Captain Galeforce says.

“Why did you not say this before?” Dmitri asks.

The captain shrugs, “Didn’t think it was relevant.”

Dmitri then says something in Russian, which the captain responses back in Russian. Dmitri stares at him in shock.

“Really now? So, having a cap makes you a killer? Then why pick Dave out of everyone! The captain, Johnny, and me all wear a cap! Plus, Johnny’s and my dorm rooms are right next to Dave’s,” Rupert shouts, “Why aren’t we considered suspects first?!”

“Well… for starters, you’re silhouette would look… How do I say this without being rude…” Jacob says, “Um, well I’d recognize you immediately by your super sharp hair and donut breath.”

“…Oi! My hair ain’t that sharp, and my breath doesn’t smell like donuts!” Rupert says.

“Tell that to all the donuts I stocked for all of you in the lunchroom,” Terrance says.

“[We have donuts?]” Henry signs.

“Exactly,” Terrance says.

“Then what about the captain?” Johnny says, “He wears a cap.”

“That’s a little harder…” Jacob admits, “But instead of proving the captain’s innocence. L-let me ask you this. How much did Dave contribute to this debate?”

“Plenty,” Johnny says.

“Um, no he has not,” Dr. Vin suddenly says.

“I don’t think I ever really recall him adding anything to conversation,” Sven says, “Honestly I forgot he was even there!”

“He um stayed silent for most of this trial,” Charles says, “Including in the Scum debate. He was the only one of us who didn’t say anything!”

“W-Well, that’s because… I don’t think I have anything worth saying,” Dave says, “I don’t want to say anything wrong and lead you guys to the wrong conclusion! B-Besides, all my information I have has already been said or was wrong…”

“That’s not true, Dave,” Rupert says, “You could add plenty to the conversation! You just need to speak up!”

“Agreed, because that is ze worst excuse I have ever heard!” Dmitri shouts.

“But… but that’s the truth…” Dave says.

“Unfortunately, the evidence does neatly point to you as the culprit,” Ellie says, “And your alibi isn’t exactly air-tight.”

“D-did you… actually comforted me over the loss of my friend, when you were the one who killed him?!” Thomas shouts, “THAT IS DISGUSTING! I knew the killer was a worthless coward, but… do you have no shame?! No honor?! NO DIGINTY?! Start the vote, Terrance! I want to see what this punishment is for such a vile existence!”

“I… I… I…,” Dave says shaking in place. He looks like he’s using every inch of his strength not to run right now, “I didn’t kill him! Please, believe me! I was with Rupert the entire night, I promise!”

“YEAH! He was!” Rupert shouts, “Listen to him!”

“You’re the only one who could’ve done it!” Sven shouts.

“It makes sense with all the evidence. Dave checks all the boxes,” Burt says.

“No, he doesn’t!” Johnny shouts, “Does this look like a killer to you? He’s shaking in his boots cause of you’re stupid accusations!”

“He’s not wearing boots?” Burt says.

“Come on guys, I couldn’t-”

“SHUT THE @$#@ UP, DAVID!” Jacob shouts, “You killed someone… I…I trusted you!”

“B-But I didn’t…”

“What are we waiting for? Let’s start the vote!” Thomas shouts.

*HONK*

Everyone turns around and looks at Henry who’s holding an airhorn. He lays it down, and with a slight annoyance signs, “[Are you guys hearing yourselves? We are jumping to conclusions. Let him defend himself. D A V E, where were you?]”

“Can’t believe, I’m agreeing with Henry right now,” Rupert says.

“Woah, criminal that cost Dave his job is helping us?” Johnny says.

“[Is your name D A V E?]” Henry signs in annoyance.

“…”

“[Thought so. Now, D A V E. Explain]” Henry signs.

“I… I was in Rupert’s room…” Dave says, “I was terrified to sleep in my room alone after Right… and when I explained it to Rupert, he offered me his room for the night. So, I wouldn’t be alone.”

“[K. Then explain what actually happened. Because that has already been disproven]”

“Okay… but… THAT’S THE TRUTH! I DIDN’T DO IT!”

“OI! DAVE HAS AN ALIBI!” Rupert shouts, “WHY ARE WE EVEN DISCUSSING THIS?!”

“STOP ASSMING DAVE DID THIS!” Johnny shouts.

“I’M NOT THE CULPIT/ DAVE’S NOT THE CULPRIT!”

<Mass Panic Debate!>

Truth Bullet: Rupert’s Account

Dave/Rupert/Johnny

“I didn’t do it!”/ “The evidence is cherry picked!”/ “You’re just trying to frame Dave!”

“I was with Rupert the whole night!”/ “I invited him into my room!”/ “He was in that room!”

“I didn’t leave at any point!”/ “He was scared out of his mind,”/ “I checked at 12:00”

“Even subconsciously!”/ “And didn’t want to be alone!”/ “The time the murder took place!”

“My legs aren’t sore today!”/ “We stayed in that room for the night!”/ “They stayed there!”

“Please! You got to believe me!”/ “HE’S INNOCENT!”/ “Dave couldn’t have done it!”

They’re all talking at once. It’s kind of respectable that they’re so adamant on defending Dave, despite the evidence…

…Something is not right with one of their arguments. I’ll just need to listen more closely to figure it out.

<Johnny: I checked at 12:00>

BANG!

“No, that’s wrong!”

“Johnny… what the heck did you just say?” I say.

“What? The fact that Dave and Rupert were together?” Johnny says.

“Yes, I heard that, but… Rupert nor Dave never stated you were there or saw them?” I say.

“Well, I did! They were having a little sleepover~” Johnny says, “It was so cute! Dave was sleeping on the floor, and it seemed Rupert gave him his blanket-”

“JOHNNY! WHAT THE HECK MAN!” Rupert shouts blushing hard.

“What? It’s the truth!” Johnny says.

“I-It is but… you can’t just say that in front of everyone!” Dave who looks like a tomato right now.

“I know, but if it’s to prove your innocence then it’s worth it!” Johnny says.

“Why were you checking on them?” Ellie says.

“Well, I heard a WACK and wanted to make sure they were all right! Though admittedly I couldn’t see who was in there, but it was Rupert’s room, there were two people inside, and Dave wasn’t in his room, so I put two and two together. I mean, who else would be sleeping in there besides Dave?”

“Charles, maybe?” Burt says, “I think they’re friends as well-.”

“I was sleeping in my own room,” Charles says.

“This…this feels like an invasion of privacy…” Sven says.

“I only looked to make sure they were okay, and it wasn’t long! And I’m only revealing this, because you morons are trying to make Dave a killer!” Johnny shouts.

“Wait. You said you heard a ‘wack’?” Captain Galeforce asks.

“Yeah!”

“I didn’t hear it?” Captain Galeforce says.

“I think heard something that sounded like that,” Jacob says, then a glimmer of horror crosses his face as he finishes with, “But… I was upstairs when I heard that…”

“So?” Johnny says like he doesn’t understand what this implies.

“…”

“I didn’t hear anything like that at any point, and I’m a light sleeper,” I say.

“I’m the same as well,” Dave says, “And I didn’t-” The security guard seems to have stopped himself. He looks horrified before saying, “But… I slept really well that night, so I don’t think I would’ve heard it regardless.”

“…Then…what caused that sound?” Jacob says horror-struck, “And why… could only you hear it clearly enough to wake you up? Even when Rupert and Dave, who are next to you in terms of dorm rooms, didn’t?”

“Well, um… I don’t know what you’re implying!” Johnny says.

“…Come on, Jacob. There’s got to be a better explanation for that…” Dave says.

What is Jacob and Dave even implying anyways, and why do they sound so horrified by it? Let me take this into parts…

<Logic Dive>

Where did the WACK come from?

-Dave’s footsteps

-the bomb hitting Geoffroy

-a cupboard falling down.

>the bomb hitting Geoffroy<

“Heh. Simple as that!”

“Are you implying that Johnny… heard Geoffroy being knocked out?” I ask.

“Yes. What else could it be?” Jacob says, “I’m the only other person who heard it. And… well, I think I was near the theater at that point. It actually got me to go near that area, which all happened before I saw…that,”

“Oh please, that doesn’t really matter!” Johnny says, “So what if I heard something? I-It doesn’t mean anything!”

“…So do you admit that it was the bomb you heard?” Jacob looks concern.

“Maybe,” Johnny shrugs.

I think I’m catching on to what Jacob’s thinking… But I don’t think I need another step.

<Logic Dive>

Why is Jacob concerned about this noise that only Johnny heard?

-Only the killer would’ve heard it

-He’s worried about Johnny’s hearing.

-He’s not concerned at all. I’m just reading the room wrong.

“Heh. Simple as that!”

How did I not realize this sooner? It’s obvious in hindsight…

“Reg? You okay?” Right asks me.

“I’m fine… just…”

“You figured out who killed Geoffroy too?” Jacob asks.

“…Yes,” I say.

“It’s Dave!” Thomas says, “Right?”

“NO! IT’S NOT ME!” Dave shouts.

“Oi! Did you not listen to a single word I said?!” Rupert shouts, “Dave. Is. Not. The. CULPRIT!”

“I exposed something slightly embarrassing about my closest friends to prove their innocence, and you STILL think it’s Dave?!” Johnny shouts, “Ugh, should have expected much from a toppat.”

“No… It’s you,” I tell him.

“…” Johnny stares at me and begins laughing.

“Really, now? ME? What’s next, you’re going to say Rups did it?” Johnny laughs but his eyes betrayed an uneasy look, “Just admit you have no idea who the killer is and are just grasping at straws!”

“But then why were you the only person who heard Geoffroy getting knocked out!” I yell.

“…Okay, maybe I didn’t hear that! I was in a different room,” Johnny says.

“Then what caused that noise!” I yell at him.

“I d-don’t know! It’s probably not even important to the case! Why are you guys so ready to believe Jacob over me anyways?!” Johnny says.

“Because he isn’t law enforcement swine like you!” Thomas says.

“And he has already been cleared,” Sven says.

“You don’t have a clear record like Jacob does. Which means, you have all the right to be a suspect!” I shout at him.

“LOOK WHO FINALLY DECIDED TO WAKE UP!”

“!”

“This conversation is getting all of us nowhere!” Captain Galeforce says.

“I don’t understand what you mean?”

“Jacob said he saw Dave not Johnny out. Which proves Panzer’s innocence! You’re barking up the wrong tree!”

Grr, the captain hasn’t put to and to together yet. Surprise that Rupert or Dave weren’t the ones to bring this up. However, judging how Dave has decided he’ll let everyone else do the talking for him and Rupert already used his ‘1 rebuttal showdown per trial card’ then I guess it makes a little sense.

<Rebuttal Showdown>

Truth ~~Bullet~~ Sword: Darkness

Capt. Galeforce: Jacob claimed that he saw Dave.

Capt. Galeforce: Not Johnny.

Capt. Galeforce: We’ve already established Jacob as a reliable source.

Capt. Galeforce: He has no reason to lie!

ADVANCE

Capt. Galeforce: And Johnny is clearly lying.

Capt. Galeforce: He said it to protect Dave.

Capt. Galeforce: And it backfired.

Capt. Galeforce: That doesn’t mean he did it!

ADVANCE

Me: I’ll agree that Johnny is… an unreliable source.

Me: But Jacob is one too!

Capt. Galeforce: How so?

Capt. Galeforce: There is no way Jacob isn’t telling the truth!

SLICE!

“I’LL CUT UP THAT STATEMENT!”

“You’re right. There is no way Jacob didn’t tell the truth… on purpose,” I tell him.

“On purpose?” Captain Galeforce asks.

“We have all decided that Rupert’s testimony must be false while Jacob’s testimony is pure truth, but what if it’s not as black and white as we once thought?” I say, then continue with, “We all know how dark it gets at night. So, is it a stretch to say, Jacob was mistaken? He could have easily mistaken Johnny for Dave, as it’s pretty clear both look similar. Plus, he might have accidentally got his evidence from his own bias. Since he’s used to Dave being up during the night, he would’ve assumed this night isn’t any different.”

“Plus, he never even saw who made the original footsteps. It could’ve been Geoffroy’s footsteps that he heard,” Right says.

“All this to say that Jacob’s account, while helpful, isn’t 100% correct,” I finish.

“…*Sigh* I guess you’re right,” Captain Galeforce says.

“That’s it? The possibility that I did it?” Johnny says, “I’ll agree that Jacob was 100% wrong about Dave being up but that doesn’t mean I was up! It could’ve easily been Ellie.”

“D-Do you not think I know what my sister’s silhouette. Besides, I saw someone with a cap. Something you have,” Jacob says.

“ADMIT IT YOU DID IT, COWARD!” Thomas shouts.

“What about the captain?” Johnny says, “He also wears a cap?”

“Regicide…” Charles says.

“…I was sleeping. We have no evidence that I was up at any point,” Captain Galeforce says.

“Can confirm,” Terrance says, “I have the camera footage to prove it.”

“…You said you couldn’t give us alibi’s-” Ellie says.

“Rule #11. I can ignore my own rules, sister!” Terrance says. Ellie growls at him at that statement.

“[Bias much?]” Henry signs.

“Look in a mirror,” Terrance spits back.

“Are we just going to ignore the fact that Terrance watches us while we sleep?” Sven says.

“He’s the evil version of Santa Claus!” Charles says.

“Okay, anyways… I wasn’t up.” Johnny says.

“But you were up? If not, you’ve retracted your statement?” Sven says.

“[That means D A V E is guilty then…]” Henry signs.

“No! No! No!” Johnny waves his hands, “That doesn’t mean Dave is guilty! Let me explain what I mean by that! I was up and not up. They can both be true!”

“…Okay?” Burt says.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Lighter

Johnny: Okay, here’s what happened!

Johnny: I heard a Wack, which woke me up.

Johnny: That COULD have been that toppat being knocked out.

Johnny: Then I decided to check up on Rupert and Dave.

Johnny: Which confirms their alibi!

Capt. Galeforce: Then what did you do?

Johnny: I went back to bed!

Dr. Vin: You did not go investigate noise?

Johnny: Nope! I was sleepy.

Johnny: And it’s the truth!

Johnny: There’s nothing that says I was up on the main floor!

Johnny: Unlike… some OTHER people.

I think I remember having evidence that belonged to Johnny at some point. I just got to remember what that was…

< Johnny: There’s nothing that says I was up on the main floor! >

BANG!

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!”

“Johnny, there is something that tells us you were up,” I tell him.

“No there isn’t!” Johnny spits.

I bring out the lighter, “I found this in the trashcan near the body, which was conveniently underneath Geoffroy’s top hat. Is this yours?”

“…”

“Yes, it’s his,” Rupert suddenly says.

“RUPERT!” Johnny shouts.

“What? It’s obvious you’re as innocent as me and Dave. The more truth that’s out there, the more it’s going to reveal that you didn’t do it! We’ve used that to prove Ellie’s innocence, so why not yours?”

“…”

“Anyways, it’s an interesting coincidence, isn’t it?” I say.

“Yeah, it IS a coincidence. Who’s to say that Johnny didn’t throw away the lighter earlier?” Rupert says.

“He only came into our room one time,” Right says, “And that was a few days ago!”

“He threw it away then!” Rupert says.

“Actually, it was the only item in the trashcan besides his…top hat… being used to cover it up, and… Geoffroy threw away his secret in the same trashcan on the same day.” I say, “But it was completely and utterly gone today!”

“But what if he… threw away when you guys weren’t in the room!” Rupert shouts, “Or someone stole that secret!”

Sven gives Rupert a slight shocked look, before saying, “W-Why would he even be in there? That’s the toppat meeting room! No place for a police officer!”

“I… don’t know, but it’s possible!” Rupert says.

“Possible? That isn’t strong evidence,” I tell him.

“Really? You’ve just argued that it was possible for Johnny to be the person Jacob saw! And you almost voted Dave out, because it was possible he could’ve done it. If we are taking possibilities into consideration, then my evidence is as strong as yours!” Rupert shouts.

The sharp haired police officer then turns to his friend, “See? No worries!”

“[That raises a good point,]” Henry signs, “[When does Terrance throw away the garbage?]”

“Hm? You are asking me?” Terrance says.

“Yeah! When do you throw away garbage?” Charles asks.

“Well, I’ll throw him away once he commits murder or dies on his own,” Terrance says looking straight at me then looks back at Charles, “But the kind you are talking about, I throw it away every evening!”

“Oi! I’ll rip your spine out of your back for that comment!” Right shouts.

“Simp,” Terrance says.

“Any who. That means, that Johnny HAD to have been there at night to throw it away.” I say.

“Um… maybe he threw it away in the morning?” Rupert says.

“Now look who’s gasping for straws?” I say, “You of all people should know that’s impossible!”

“How so?”

“Johnny would’ve seen the body!” Right shouts.

“E-Exactly! I could’ve been the 1^st person who saw the body!” Johnny says.

“H-Hey!” Jacob says.

“Alright, first off. That implies you saw the body and didn’t say a single thing about it!” Right shouts.

“Second of all, that implies Jacob didn’t see the body or committed the crime!” Ellie says, “And we’ve already established that it had to have been a body, Jacob saw, and for the latter, Jacob was having a panic attack when I saw him again, and I think it’s safe to say this murder wasn’t done out of self-defense nor an accident. So, there was no reason for Jacob to be so scared like that if he was the killer.”

“Maybe someone saw him commit the crime?” Sven says.

“Has anyone other than Jacob testified that?” Ellie says.

The room goes silent.

“No? Good.”

“Plus, you three are rarely separated. Rupert and Dave would’ve seen the body as well!” Captain Galeforce says.

“…Oh… Maybe he threw it away at… night?” Rupert says, “BUT NOT AT THE TIME OF MURDER!”

“Oh my gosh,” Ellie says, “Give it up, Price!”

“Why would anyone get up, walk over to a room that isn’t very important to you, throw away garbage and leave to go back to bed? Why not use the much more convenient garbage can in your room?” Burt says, “Or wait until morning?”

“Besides, he would’ve seen the body… Actually! He could’ve used the lighter to frame Right! Because the fire would’ve been a great light source to write that text!” Sven says.

“And, for the rest of the murder as well,” Burt says.

“It does solve that mystery on how killer could see in the dark,” Dr. Vin says.

“Maybe… someone stole it?” Rupert says.

“But nobody knew Johnny owned a lighter until right now,” Captain Galeforce says.

“Well, Reginald and his right-hand man knew. They saw him get it in that prize machine thingy (don’t remember what it’s called). And they’re thieves, they could’ve easily done it,” Rupert says.

“We’re cleared you idiot!” Right shouts, “And may I remind you, you and Dave also saw that. If you go on with that theory, you or Dave will be labeled as suspects or even killers!”

“Unbelievable!” Johnny says, “Okay, that lighter is mine and I used it. Just before the murder. However, I can explain why it’s in the trash can.”

“Well go on! We’re all ears!” I say.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Dummy

Johnny: Okay, so plot twist-

Johnny: I WAS up.

Johnny: And yes, I used the lighter as a light source.

Johnny: But I didn’t kill him!

Johnny: The reason why it’s in that area

Johnny: Was because it was out of fuel and on the way there.

Sven: Why were you up then?

Johnny: Because I was investigating where that sound came from.

Sven: But you said-

Johnny: I KNOW WHAT I SAID!

Johnny: I… lied because it’d make me suspicious.

Rupert: Johnny, that made you seem more guilty!

Charles: Um where did it lead you?

Johnny: Into the theater.

Johnny: The source of the sound came from Ronald falling over.

Johnny: Don’t know why it was there,

Johnny: But I picked it up and went back to bed.

Dave: And that’s the truth!

Dave: …Right?

This story seems more plausible but… there’s still so much wrong with it. However, I need to use the right contradiction to let his story fall apart.

< Johnny: Don’t know why it was there>

BANG!

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!”

“Really? You didn’t know?” I ask.

“Yeah, I don’t,” Johnny says.

“But… you along with your friends were the ones who brought it over there!” I yell at him.

“Uh!”

“[CHARLES sing Pursuit!]” Henry signs quickly, and Charles quickly obliges.

“Well, uh… what’s your evidence for… that?” Johnny stammers, taken completely off guard.

“Henry said during investigations he saw, you, Dave, and Rupert moving the dummy. He asked you what it was for, but you three never gave him an answer.” I tell him.

“[That is true!]” Henry signs.

“He was getting into our business!” Rupert says.

“Did you even know why you were doing it?” Right asks.

“…No. BUT! I’m sure whatever reason Johnny had, it had nothing to do with the murder!” Rupert claims, “Tell ‘em, Panzer!”

“Well… um… I moved it because there… was no room in the gym for it? There was a lot of weightlifting stuff and not enough room to beat it up if you know what I mean,” Johnny says.

“Yeah! No ill-intentions! Besides, why would he want a dummy in that room, if he’s planning a murder?” Rupert says.

Yes why would he want a dummy in the room? That doesn’t make any sense, unless…

<Logic Dive>

Why was the dummy moved into the theater?

-To more easily beat it up

-For a fashion contest

-To act as bait

“Heh. Simple as that!”

“Simple, it was bait,” I reply.

“W-What? How so?” Johnny says.

“We all know that it’s dark during the night. However, it’s not too dark you can’t see your surroundings or in this case, other people. Judging from where Geoffroy was hit and you didn’t know the bomb wouldn’t explode- You couldn’t have been in the same room, or at least you were as far as you could possibly be in the room.”

“…”

“But Geoffroy wouldn’t go into a room that’s empty, he would become suspicious. So, you put up that dummy to make Geoffroy think the person who called him in there was in that room. Because it was dark and his already poor eyesight, he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a dummy or a stick figure at first glance, and by the time he figured it out… it was too late.”

“…O-Okay, but you don’t truly know that…”

“Oi! Stop accusing Johnny! There were no ulterior motives! He wanted it in a different room, simple as that!” Rupert shouts.

“Huh. You aren’t as shouty when defending Johnny compared to Dave,” I tell him, “Care for him less?”

“No! I care about my friends equally! The difference here is that you were all ready to vote for Dave because you can’t disprove he didn’t do it, so naturally he had to have done it! Johnny on the other hand, you’re just cherry picking your answers!” Rupert snaps back.

“Why are you so admit on Johnny’s innocence?”

“Because there’s no way he would actually have done this. Johnny is the bravest, loyalist, and most honorable person on the force! That’s why Terrance made him the ultimate police officer! He would never stoop so low to kill someone for his own personal gain! Even if that someone was a criminal!”

If poor poker faces counted as evidence, Johnny would’ve been voted out.

“Wow, he really believes in your innocence… Such a shame, his loyalty is misplaced.” I say.

“Oi! It ain’t misplace! I’m his best friend! I know him!” Rupert says, “I believe in his innocence!”

“I believe in Johnny’s innocence too!” Dave says, “He wouldn’t have done this! The evidence you have against him for the dummy isn’t really strong. He couldn’t have-”

“I CAN DEFEND MYSELF!” Johnny suddenly snaps, causing both of his friends to go quiet, “I-I can defend myself… I’m not weak… I’m not weak… I’m not weak… I’m a strong police officer! The ULTIMATE police officer! And I don’t need ANYONE’S help! Cause, I’m not weak!”

“And he’s lost it,” Right says in a surprise manor.

“J-Johnny?” Dave asks.

“Gosh darn it! I DIDN’T DO IT! AND I’LL TELL YOU WHY- ONE. FINAL. TIME!” Johnny screams red in the face. Maybe his hands are red too…

<Argument Armament>

“YOU

HAVE

NO IDEA

WHAT YOU

ARE TALKING

ABOUT!

I

DIDN’T

DO IT!

ALL THE EVIDENCE IS CIRCUMSTANTIAL!

I ADMIT

TO BEING

UP DURING

THE TIME,

BUT THAT

DOESN’T MEAN-

I COMMITTED THE CRIME!

YOU ARE JUST

A FLITHY

CRIMINAL!

I AM

A BRINGER

OF JUSTICE!

WHERE IS

YOUR

PROOF?

THE SMOKING GUN

THAT PROVES

I DID IT!

YOU HAVE NOTHING!

YOUR ARGUMENT

FALLS FLAT

REGINALD!

I’M NOT

YOUR

CULPIT!”

<Final Blow>

“If you genuinely believe I did do it! Then answer me this:

HOW DID I COVER UP GEOFFROY’S WOUNDS?”

YOU USED YOUR OWN CLOTHES

“Heh. Simple as that!”

“W…What?” Johnny says.

“That’s the answer to your question isn’t it?” I tell him, “You had to think on the fly, because your bomb plan didn’t work. So, you used your own clothes to cover it up.”

“Um…well… That statement is wrong. Because where would it be?! Cause if you haven’t noticed, my clothes aren’t covered in blood at all!” Johnny says.

“You could’ve changed your clothes,” Sven says.

“…I… Well, that doesn’t change anything!”

“Well, to answer your question on where it is, Johnny. First off, you didn’t throw them away, that would be too obvious, and we’d all have seen it. You couldn’t use the incinerator, as the captain was guarding it like a hawk. The only logical place they would be… is in your room.”

“T-That’s an assumption!” Johnny says.

“…Terrance?” I say hesitantly.

“Yes?” Terrance says with a mouth full of popcorn.

“Can you check Johnny’s room for any clothing that has a lot of blood on it?” I tell him, “If I’m correct, Johnny wouldn’t have any time to wash it off as you’ve said that the water shuts off during the night.”

“Uh… I don’t know… it’s SO far, and you didn’t use the magic word-”

“Terrance, please go check if it’s there or not!” Captain Galeforce says.

“…Better, but still not enough. I’ll do it, if you say that again with the conditions that you one say it in a more friendly manor and two you ignore Reginald said it first!”

“…”

“I’m waiting,”

“…Terry, could you pretty please check Johnny’s room for any clothing that has blood on it?” Captain Galeforce says while his face gives off the expression that he’s having his teeth pulled. Scratch that. His expression looks like he would rather have his teeth pulled.

“Can do, Hubert~” Terrance says and quickly skedaddles.

“I think I lost a bit of my dignity today and my pride…” Captain Galeforce says.

“It is for good cause.” Dr. Vin responds.

“What if he doesn’t find anything?” Dave says, “There’s no way he could’ve done this…”

“Then Johnny lied about being up at all, therefor you’re the culprit,” Right says, “You could have easily stolen Johnny’s lighter and used the dummy as bait as well.”

“What about me?” Rupert says, “I had those same opportunities.”

“Oh, come on, Rups. You wouldn’t commit murder!” Charles says, “Or at least not the cold-blooded kind!”

“So wouldn’t Dave and Johnny! You are all barking up the wrong tree!” Rupert says.

“I’M BACK~ AND GUESS WHAT I FOUND IN JOHNNY’S WASHING MACHINE~” Terrance says and then throws a police uniform that is soaking wet from blood in the middle of the circle for all to see. The room goes deathly quiet.

“…”

“Oh…This… this looks bad…” Dave says.

“Oi… J-Johnny. You can explain this… r-right?” Rupert says.

“…It’s… Pepto-Bismol,” Johnny says in a strained monotone manor.

“…Pepto…Bismol?” I repeat.

“Y-Yeah, I uh… had some stomach problems and I accidentally spilled it on top of me.” Johnny says.

“That… That is a lot more than a normal spill.” Sven says.

“It was the whole bottle…” Johnny says, “In… the dark…”

“It doesn’t have the right texture to be Pepto-Bismol…” Burt says.

“Don’t know what to tell you…it is. One hundred percent!”

“Johnny, give it up.” Right says.

“Well, since I don’t think there’s any doubt left. How about I go over the case? Just in case if we missed anything,” I say.

“Sure, Reg. Let’s hear what happened to distract from… that…” Right says pointing to the clothes.

<Closing Argument>

“Alright, it all started when our killer decided to set up this crime and kill our dear friend, Geoffroy. They first instilled the help of their friends, Rupert and Dave, to move the dummy, ‘Ronald’, into the theater.

Next, our killer proceeded to spy on our latest toppat meeting, which is where they got the idea to use Geoffroy’s want of information to bring him out into the open. As soon as they got the idea, they quickly wrote a note to ask them to meet them at night and at the theater. They then gave it to him.

Once receiving it, Geoffroy decided to go along with it, because he wanted to help us. However, he did not go without being prepared, as wrote us a note detailing at what time he was going and brought a knife with him.

He then showed up and saw the dummy. While distracted, the killer threw a bomb to what they presumed to be an easy kill. It hit Geoffroy on the head, causing a ‘wack’ sound. However, since it was a dud, all it did was incapacitate Geoffroy. I imagine our killer was quite surprised by that.

Our killer then had to improvise. They ran up to his victim and found Geoffroy’s knife. Using the opportunity and the knife, the killer… stabbed him multiple times, killing him. They then decided to use his own clothing to clean up the mess and to make sure Geoffroy didn’t leave a blood trail, as he moved the body.

Meanwhile, Jacob and Ellie were up looking for Dave, whom they believed was sleepwalking again. At some point, Jacob got separated from his sister and saw the killer moving the body. Causing him to be the first innocent to see the body. He then proceeded to flee the scene like a coward, and assume who he saw was Dave. In actuality Dave was busy hanging out with Rupert and not involved with murder what’s so ever.

Going to be honest, I gave up at this point

The killer then made it to his new destination, classroom 2A, where we toppats have our meetings. This is where he set up his own murder scene and let the blood drip onto the floor. He then used Geoffroy’s own blood to set up Right. They were able to do this entire crime using their own lighter, as it was too dark to see. After they finished, they threw their tool away and hid it under Geoffroy’s top hat. They then left to get back to their room to deal with their clothes. Soon, morning came, and Sven and Burt discovered the body.”

“And the only person who could’ve done it-

“-Is you Johnny Panzer. The ultimate police officer!”

<COMPLETE!>

“So, does everyone agree with that?” I ask.

“No!” Johnny spits, “We shouldn’t even be letting this toppat say these accusations! R-Right guys!?”

“…”

“…Y-Yeah. You c-couldn’t have…” Rupert says in a tone like he’s in complete utter denial.

“Oi! John!” Right suddenly says.

“Johnny. It’s not that hard to forget my name!” Johnny says.

“You’re loyal to your friends right?”

“…Yes?” Johnny says.

“Then you should know that the punishment is death. So, if you don’t give this up, your friends will die!”

Suddenly silence fills the room.

“W-What? You’re joking right?” Johnny says.

“I’m not! What else would it be? We’re in a death game, I doubt the punishment is a slap to the wrist! Besides, we already know the non-hidden punishment is death, so why should this one be any different? Plus, Terrance’s prediction chart implied killers were no longer in the game after they killed!” Right says.

“Actually, the punishment may be worse than death, due to it being hidden and well… more severe,” I add.

“DANG IT! Why did you have to ruin the surprise! Ugh, you and Reginald always ruin my plans!” Terrance complains.

“Heh. We try,” Right smiles.

“Wait, you guys are saying that… if I-the killer gets away with this… Rupert and Dave will die… a-at best?!” Johnny says.

“...Yes, that is what we are saying,” I tell him.

“…Oh… I didn’t know…” Johnny sighs and lowers his head, “Well, in that case. I yield. I killed Geoffroy. What Reginald said was almost correct.”

“Almost?”

“You started the closing argument too late, that wasn’t where it all started. It started because of the motive, and then I came to your meeting room to pick out who I was going to kill. You also didn’t say the reason why I didn’t try silencing Jacob at all… was because I thought he was Dave.”

“!” Jacob gives an expression of horror.

Johnny then continues with, “Plus, I did check on Rupert and Dave, but it was after the fact. I lied about the time I saw them.”

“...J-Johnny?” Rupert says in a completely betrayed tone.

“So… you really…” Dave says in a heartbroken tone.

“Yeah, sorry to disappoint you guys,” Johnny says.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s start the vote!” Terrance says.

We are all soon given a slip of paper and pencil. We write down who we think it is and give it back to Terrance. Soon, he looks through them and with bated breath we wait for the result.

Suddenly, Terrance pulls out a pack of cards and flips through them as he plays a drum roll. Then he reveals the top card which is- Johnny’s bio card! Confetti is soon blasted into the room. I chuckle to myself for being right.

“Congratulations! You discovered the first killer!” Terrance smiles, “Johnathan, you have 5 minutes before your execution, which was criminally SPOILED, where you can say your goodbyes and explain yourself! Also, as for losing- who wants to see Johnny’s secret!”

“WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! DON’T YOU DARE-” Johnny screams but it falls to deaf ears as the tv suddenly has words printed on it that read, “You are deeply ashamed by your hemophilia. To the point that you have lied on your medical records about it.”

“Noooo,” Johnny cries out.

“Um, what’s that?” Charles asks.

“It is condition where blood does not clout. It makes what should be minor injuries severe, as excessive amount of blood keeps pouring,” Dr. Vin answers, while Johnny keeps making sounds like he’s being tortured.

“…That’s… it?” Sven says, “Just a disability?”

“There’s nothing wrong with being disabled, Johnny,” Captain Galeforce says.

“No! THERE IS!” Johnny says, “If word gets out that I have this, I’ll be kicked out of the police force for ‘my own good’! It’s the reason why I’m not in the military like my father! *Pause* They called me good for nothing, when I applied…”

“I’m sorry that was your experience,” Captain Galeforce says, “Ableism like that has no place in the military!”

“That means… You killed to keep that secret?” Thomas says.

“Yes! I don’t want to lose my job! I don’t want anyone to think I’m a delicate, weak thing! And I definitely don’t want anyone to look down on me!” Johnny says.

“Then why Geoffroy of all people?!” Thomas says, “Why couldn’t you choose someone like Dmitri instead?!”

“…Excuse me?” Dmitri says.

“Because he had my secret! I barely tolerate my dad, doctor, and Terrance knowing my secret! I don’t want ANYONE to know! I want to be judged by my actions not by a disability!” Johnny says, “If I wanted to do this right and make sure nobody knew, I’d have to kill the guy who has my secret!”

“…” Thomas stares at his friend’s killer before saying in a very low voice, “…I had your secret.”

“…” Johnny stares back at him and the responds, “Well… this is awkward. Guess I really jumped the gun on this one, huh?”

“YEAH! You did!” Right shouts, “Geoffroy had knowledge of this stupid game, cause he played the trilogy in his spare time! You’ve just caused us to lose our ace!”

“And you not only killed Geoffroy, but you also killed the hope we had that no one was going to commit murder!” Jacob says, “That even if that most of you guys were enemies, you wouldn’t go that far…”

“We could be DOOMED because of you!” I snap at him.

“…”

“Guys, please… Shoot,” Johnny says, “Um well, besides, he was a criminal! One less in the world the better! Especially here. So, it’s not THAT big of a loss.”

“!” Captain Galeforce looks at Johnny in shock.

“Hey, Johnny. I have another question,” Jacob says.

“Okay?” Johnny says.

“You… You could’ve gotten away…” Jacob says, “We were all ready to vote Dave off. I was ready to vote him off! Then you admitted seeing him that night, which… got you in the hot seat. Plus, until those clothes were shown, all evidence against you… also could’ve apply to Dave. W-Why did you do that?”

“…Why?” Johnny laughs, “It’s obvious, Jacob! I would never betray Dave and Rupert! If I let you guys vote him off, I’d be a pretty terrible friend! They both mean the world to me. So, I couldn’t stand by and let you do that to him, even if would’ve gotten me the win. Plus, if I knew what this ‘punishment’ really entailed… I wouldn’t have gone through with it. It’s also why I framed Right. No one messes with my friends and gets away with it! Speaking of which… *Sigh* I’m so sorry, guys… I didn’t mean-”

“Johnathan…” Rupert suddenly says in a cold and emotionless tone.

“…Uh? Yeah, Rupert?” Johnny says in a surprised tone.

“You know… I would’ve still loved you and not think of any less of you if your secret did come out. Even if you got fired, I’d still love you. So would Dave. Especially Dave, since he was also fired and is also disabled. Not physically like you, but still… And the reason why he was fired was because he forgot to check a package causing this jerk,” He points to Henry, “To escape, which is a lot worse than being fired for something you couldn’t control. But I still love him, just like I would’ve for you. However,

“You know what I can’t forgive? What can’t I see in the past and will stop me from loving you? *Pause* Is if you killed someone in cold blood just because your too insecure about your disability. I don’t care if your disabled! I care for your moral character! And…” Rupert’s eyes look watery, but blinks it away, “I never doubted you for second of your innocence, because I thought you were a good person. Not until you admitted it. *Pause* You’re dead to me, Panzer.”

“…” Johnny just stands there in shock.

“…Rupert, don’t you think that’s a little-” Dave says before Rupert glares at him, causing the security guard to shut up.

“Hm, so in your quest to make sure nobody knew about your secret, you lost your closest friends. Tell me was it worth it?” I ask him.

“…*Pause* Not at all,” Johnny slowly admits, “…Not at all…”

“Alright, I’ve gotten enough of this coward,” Thomas spits, “Terrance, be a dear and execute his butt. I want him in Hell now!”

"Jeeze," Ellie responds.

"Oh come on, toppats take revenge against people who mess with us all the time! And well, sometimes that revenge is murder. Besides, he has it coming, how bad could this be?"

“Wait! Don’t! Please!” Dave begs, “You c-can’t! Rupert, back me up!”

“…” Rupert looks away. A hurt expression is on his face.

“P-Please d-don’t. We can talk about this,” Johnny says in a shaky voice, “I-I don’t want to die! There’s still so much I want to do!”

“Too bad. You did this to yourself,” Dmitri spits.

“Welp, like Thomas implied,” Terrance says, “The 5 minutes are up. You know what that means-”

“WAIT!” Dave shouts, “Please!”

“O-Oh G-God. W-What d-did I g-get m-myself into?” Johnny says trembling in fear. Reality finally hits him like a bus.

"Hold on a second, is Johnny actually going to die?" Rupert suddenly says, "T-This isn't a joke?"

“-IT’S PUNISHMENT TIME!”

Notes:

Alt title for this chapter: Johnny ruins everything.
(Also, I want to make it clear, Johnny killed because he was insecure about a part of himself that he didn't like and didn't want anyone else to know. If you replaced the disability with like a mole then nothing would change. If Johnny accepted that his disability was a part of himself, but it didn't define him on who he is, then he would've lived. Again, there's nothing wrong with being disabled).
I still irrationally love him, but that's a whole other topic. Also, imagine being so unlucky you almost get voted out, because some one THOUGHT they saw you in the dark. (Sorry for making everyone think I was killing Davey off. That was just a red-herring; he's actually very important to chapter 2's case lol)
Nobody guessed Johnny's a killer! There were people who suspected his friends, but not him. The closest to guessing him, was guessing he was going to be a victim, but that doesn't count. Hopefully, the twist didn't come out of nowhere, I tried foreshadowing what he was planning in the daily life.

Chapter 10: PtS Deadly Life- Epilogue

Notes:

Just realize Rupert channeled his inner Phoenix Wright last chapter, by bluffing to prove Johnny's innocence. He even had faith (or loyalty induced denial) in Johnny's innocence until the police officer actually admitted to it, which was AFTER the final nail in the coffin evidence was brought out.
Does this mean that Dave will channel his inner Miles Edgeworth next trial? MAYBE~

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“FAIL!” Terrance yells as he stops a timer, “You lasted 4 days 12 hours 35 minutes and 7 seconds! Shorter than expected~”

My whole body feels numb from shock. I couldn’t bring my eyes off of the tv. I’ve seen people die before. I’ve killed people before. I’ve ordered and watched real executions before. I’m the leader of a criminal syndicate; those things come with the trade. However, that… that was something else. Something… disgusting.

That’s when I realized… this was the punishment Geoffroy was scared about. This was the reason why he didn’t want us to commit murder, because it could result in this. I’m not alone in this, the room is deathly quiet in a horrified shock. I guess I wasn’t the only one who didn’t register Johnny was actually going to die.

“WHAT THE ACTUAL $@#$ WAS THAT!” Burt screams breaking out of his nonchalant attitude, as he helps Sven to his feet, because his friend fainted mid-way through.

“An execution~” Terrance says, “Didn’t realize that ordering the death on to someone would actually kill them, huh? Lol.”

“W…Was that… PERSONALIZED?!” Sven shouts as he gets his bearings.

“Oh yes! Everyone has their own unique execution!” Terrance says, “My favorite is Reginald’s~”

“Thanks for clarifying… I’m going to be sick,” Ellie says holding her mouth. She doesn’t look well.

“And I’m going to have a new recurring nightmare,” I tell him with a sick feeling in my stomach.

“Good” Terrance spits.

“Oh my God. I mean, I wanted revenge but…” Thomas says in horror, “He didn’t deserve that! Why did you…torture him like that?! Was a bullet to the head too simple?!”

“Yep! I couldn’t just leave out my favorite part in Danganronpa! Even if did ate up the budget like Charles with his pancakes,” Terrance says, “The spectacle! The symbolism! The pure despair! Oh, it’s so good! I can’t wait to execute the next killer!”

“That is good motivation to not kill,” Dr. Vin says, before mumbling something in Russian.

“Why did you dress up as Geoffroy during it?” Charles asks.

“Because ✨symbolism✨” Terrance says, “Plus, I wanted to add my own spin on it, and I’m sure the toppats know how much I love dressing up!”

“Your ‘legacy’ mostly overshadows that aspect of you,” I spit.

“Oh my gosh… H-he’s…he’s… oh my God...” Dave whispers to himself with his hand over his mouth. Tears were falling down his face. He then notices his friend and asks, “…R-Rupert? You okay?”

“…” Rupert is still staring at the tv screen.

“Rupert?” Dave calls out and pokes his arm, which finally gets his attention.

“!”

“You okay?” Dave repeats.

“I…” Rupert doesn’t answer. If this was a visual novel, Rupert would be cycling through all of his sprites. He looks at Dave and then everyone else. He then tips his hat so we can’t see his face and finally says, “…I-I-I’m leaving.”

He then calmly walks over to the elevator. Though I notice him shaking quite a lot.

“…”

“I’m sure he’s fine!” Charles says.

“Welp, with that example, you guys can return to the elevator and go back to what you were doing. Just know, they aren’t coming back. Both of them will be gone for the rest of the game.” Terrance says, “In the meanwhile, I’m going to deal with the corpses. Tootles~” He then vanishes.

We all the oblige. Except Dave, who still has a hard time getting in. Terrance once again reappears and shoves him inside. Rupert once again comes to his rescue. After that, the elevator rises back up at the same speed as before. We all then silently exit the elevator as a hollow feeling fills the room. I guess this is what Geoffroy meant by the nature of this game itself…

“Reg?” Right suddenly says.

I turn to look at him, and I see my clan looking at me with a worried expression, sans Geoffroy. It reminds me of our first day here. Except, much worse. At least then, we didn’t have an example to back up Terrance’s claim.

“…W-What’s next, chief?” Sven asks.

I grin my teeth and say, “We won’t trust the law enforcement faction moving forward. They want us all dead. Johnny was a prime example of that. If we can do that, then as a clan, we’ll all make it out of here, alive.”

POV ???:

I failed. Despite my efforts, two people are now dead. I groan as I basically faceplant into my bed. What kind of a hero am I? One who can’t even protect people! Next time, I need to try harder!

Though… for some reason… I don’t feel guilty at all for their deaths. I don’t even feel sad. I don’t feel anything at all actually. I really hope that’s not a bad sign…

14 remain...

Notes:

We've made it past case/chapter 1, let's go!!!!!!!!! So, as I believed I said earlier on the first day, this fic will go on temporary go on hiatus, as 1. chapter 2 isn't even written yet so I can't just do the same thing here and post weekly, and 2. I should be working on other projects. Don't worry about me abandoning this fic though, because-
-Chapter 2, the reason why I made this fic...
Also, Merry Christmas!

Chapter 11: DtS Daily Life #1

Notes:

It's back let's go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IMPORTANT: I forgot Reginald had gloves, so I had to go back and change ALL the pictures he's in, just so he has them. Except the execution. That ain't going to be touched. Speaking of execution, I forgot Terrance doesn't have his top hat anymore, so him having it, even for one scene... is wrong.
However, I'm not fixing it. Once again, execution ain't going to be touched. All I can do now, is making sure the next execution is better. (the BDA is certainly better, I hated the first one lol)
Anyways, happy reading!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Reginald:

After what happened during the trial, nobody did anything during the rest of that day. We… all needed to process what we just witnessed.

Though, it doesn’t stop me from having nightmares, as I wake up in a cold sweat the next day, with my heart racing.

“Reg? You okay?” Right asks he slowly gets up as well.

“J-Just a nightmare,” I tell him.

“…Want to talk about it?”

“…I’m pretty sure you already know what it is,”

“Yeah… *Pause* Even though that idiot was asking it for, he didn’t deserve to go out like that…”

“Mhm… my nightmare was similar to what happened to him *Pause* You were in it,”

“Oh?”

“My execution was about me stuck in the middle of a government raid, and a soldier was about to shoot me, but you jumped in the way. You d-died, and then… I was killed shortly after.”

Right stares at me before saying, “Huh, that’s funny,”

“How’s it funny?!” I shout slightly offended.

“Cause, my nightmare went the exact same way. Literally.”

“Oh… I guess, that’s a little funny… we had the same nightmare…”

“…Yeah,”

Ding, Dong! “It’s now 6:00 am. And to start of the morning, let me give you some good news: the sharks are enjoying the new meat!”

Suddenly, the lights turn back on, and we soon abandon our previous conversation. We get ready and walk into the lunchroom. Once we enter, there’s a looming silence in the air and two empty seats.

We sit down and wait for Dave to give us our pancakes, which he does so quicker than usual (which is impressive since he always does it quick to get out of there normally). I look over at our table and notice how eerie it is. Normally, my toppats would be talking or complaining about something. However instead, they keep glancing over at where Geoffroy used to sit, while staying somberly silent.

I glance over at our enemies’ table. It’s quiet as well. Notably, the captain has a guilty expression on his face as he occasionally stares at Johnny’s empty seat. Rupert and Dave both look upset, and grief stricken, with the latter’s eyes looking incredibly red and puffy, but are desperately trying to hide it. Dmitri and Dr. Vin seem the leased fazed out of everyone, but they still seem effected.

Meanwhile, I spot Ellie taking two plates of pancakes and walking out. That’s when I notice Jacob is nowhere to be found.

My stomach growls and I turn to face my meal. However, instead of eating, I stare at my plate with uncertainty.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not eating this,” Thomas says as he pushes his plate away, “Our cooks are law enforcement swine. It might be poisoned! Especially, yours, chief! You were the one who convicted the mutt, so one of them might consider revenge!”

“Oi! Reginald suffers a lot from paranoia already! I don’t want you to increase it,” Right shouts.

“Besides, now with the knowledge on what happens to people who get caught for murder,” Sven adds while poking his pancakes. He doesn’t look very hungry, “There will probably be less murder attempts, or at least more thought-out ones.”

“That’s a fancy way of saying future trials will be harder,” Burt says.

“There won’t be any future trials!” I suddenly say surprising everyone including myself, “What happened to Geoffroy, shouldn’t have happened! As a clan, we were supposed to protect him, and yet… What happened to him was a fluke! Next time, if one of those dogs tries anything- we’ll be ready! There won’t be any more toppat’s blood spilled here! I won’t allow it!”

The table cheers at my statement.

“But uh… what are we going to do now? Are we going to try to recruit more members?” Sven says.

“I wish, but right now it’s too dangerous. Although the neutral ‘side’ has yet to prove that they’re vicious, we need to work on our defenses more,” I say, “We can’t have another repeat. We just can’t…”

“Can… can I suggest something, chief?” Thomas asks.

“Sure,”

“Can we give Geoffroy a Toppat Clan style funeral? It could boost morale and… it’s the right thing to do isn’t it?”

“But we can’t. His body is probably in the shark tank now, along with Johnny’s,” Burt says.

“I know, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do it!” Thomas says, “We can host a funeral without a body!”

“…I quite like that idea. As soon as we’re done eating, we should do it!” I say.

As soon as I said that Terrance appears in the middle of the room.

“Hello, everyone! How’s everyone doing? I hope you are all feeling the despair!” Terrance says.

“…”

“Get out,” Burt shouts.

“Pfff, you have no authority over me,” Terrance says, “In fact, I’m the one who has authority over you!”

“[What do you want, T E R R A N C E?]” Henry signs.

“Oh, just wanted to check how you guys are doing, and to spice things up! What happened to you guys, anyhow? You act like your close friends just died! *Pause* Oh wait~”

“Don’t you have puppies to kick?” Right shouts.

“I haven’t found that video game yet, so no,” Terrance says, “But that’s not the only reason I’m here.”

“Then what is it?” Burt asks.

“Does anyone want some Helibra? I have a couple of days’ worth of this stuff.” Terrance says as he shows everyone the medication.

“Eck! No, I don’t do drugs,” Thomas says, “Especially ones I don’t know of.”

“Helibra… You were giving Mr. Panzer medicine?!” Dr. Vin asks bewildered.

“Wow, you make it sound like I’m complete utter monster!” Terrance says slightly offended, “Of course I was giving him his medicine! I wanted him to be murdered not die from an accident. How boring would that be?!”

“…So, you’re willing to give us medicine?” Captain Galeforce says.

“Within reason,” Terrance says, “I can’t give you medicine that you aren’t already getting. I’m not a doctor.”

“Thank goodness for that,” Dr. Vin says.

“And I can’t give you it if you refuse to take it, like Johnny.”

“…He refused to take it?” Dave asks, “W-Why?”

“Cause in his words I ‘betrayed’ him by releasing that motive. What an idiot. I was never on his side!” Terrance says, “Anyways, any takers?”

The room stays silent before, suddenly-

“S-Sure,” Rupert says raising his hand.

“Nice,” Terrance says and tosses it over to the police officer. He barely grabs it, which almost results in him falling out of his chair. His table looks at him with confusion.

“Now since that’s been settled, tootles~” Terrance says and disappears.

“…”

“That was weird…” Sven says.

“Agreed,” Burt says.

After that incident, we all finish up our breakfast. Then we head over to classroom 2A to start the funeral. However- it is closed off.

“…”

“TERRANCE!” I shout.

“You rang?” he says as he pops out of nowhere, which makes me jump.

“Why is our room closed off?” I ask.

“Cause I’m cleaning it!” Terrance says like it’s the most obvious thing ever, “It’ll be closed for a few hours. Still can’t believe I have to be the one to do it… Anyways, tootles~” He then leaves.

“…So, what now?” Burt says.

“We can just use the other classrooms. There’s four of them after all,” Sven says, “And honestly, I’m glad for that. *Pause* I… I can’t imagine going back in there…”

“Agreed, we’ll go into classroom 3A,” I say.

“Why not 1A?” Burt asks.

“I don’t trust it…” I tell him.

“It’s the one with Reg being thrown into a propellor,” Right translates.

“Ah,”

We soon all enter and the room… is exactly like classroom 2A, except what’s written on the board is ‘UwU’. I quickly erase it.

I turn around and look at the group. They all look uneasy, and I don’t blame them. I keep expecting to turn around and see Geoffroy’s lifeless corpse on the ground. After a few seconds of standing in the room, I realize that we don’t have the right materials to start the funeral.

I voice this by saying, “Nhey, we can’t start a funeral with nothing. Sven, go check Geoffroy’s room if there’s anything we can use to honor his memory. Burt, go grab us some snacks, and Thomas… um, help Burt.”

“Will do!” Thomas says.

“Right and I will stay here to guard the fort,” I order them.

“Wait, why am I getting Geoffroy’s stuff?” Sven asks.

“You’re a bad cook,” Right answers.

Sven growls at that statement.

“Plus, Thomas will probably break down into another sobbing fit over Geoffroy’s items,” Right adds.

“…” Thomas makes a weird expression.

“Now that’s settled, let’s move it!” I shout.

“Yes chief!” They shout and run out the door.

POV Sven:

I still can’t believe he said that about me. I’m a good cook! No. I’m a FANTASTIC cook!

I march all the way over there, and see Ellie standing in front of what I assume to be Jacob’s door, with a plate of now cold pancakes next to her. Henry and Charles are also here. At first, I’m confused, but then remember hearing a rumor about Jacob hiding in his room, because of Dave’s apparent murder. If it was true and he was so freaked out about Dave’s ‘death’ then…

“Everything alright?” I ask already knowing the answer.

“Jacob’s refusing to eat,” Ellie groans.

“[He thinks that as soon as his door opens, someone is going to stab him 28 times in the chest,]” Henry signs.

“But uh… Geoffroy was only stabbed seven times, if I remember correctly,” I tell him, “And you shouldn’t make jokes about these kinds of stuff. Someone is dead!”

“[It is a game reference]” Henry sticks his tongue out.

“…Okay?” I say confused.

“[Jokes are a great way to deal with tragedy,]” Henry explains, “[I do that all the time]”

“But they make me- other people uncomfortable!” I tell him.

“Look, if you’re not here to help, then leave!” Ellie spits.

“Wow, um… that’s rude,” Charles says, “Henry and Sven were just having a conversation.”

“Yeah, which will eventually lead to him,” she points at me, “Trying to sell us on joining the Toppat Clan. Even after I told every single member, NO!” Ellie shouts. Henry nods in agreement.

“You can’t blame us for trying to recruit you! More people in an alliance the safer we all are!” I tell her.

“Then how did it work out for Geoffroy?” Ellie spits.

I stammer back, “…That… That was fluke,” ~~Do I believe that?~~, “It should not have even happened, and- Actually, I think I know how I can help. Can I talk to your brother?”

“…” Ellie stares at me with distrust in her eyes.

“I mean, what’s the worst that can happen?” Charles asks her, “If he tries to recruit him, we can just push him away.”

“…Fine.” Ellie says and walks out of my way.

I walk over to Jacob’s door and knock on it.

“(Go away!)” Jacob says in a muffled tone, “(I’m… I’m not in here!)”

I give the door an annoyed glance.

“It’s me, Sven Svensson. I just want to tell you, no one’s going to kill you once you leave your room.”

“…Someone might! Like Johnny-”

“That dog is dead. We all saw him get executed. Honestly, it’s actually safer now then it was before the trial. We all now know what the ‘punishment’ is for murder, and well, that seems like a really good deterrent for any future murders. And he said it himself: if he knew what the punishment was he wouldn’t have gone through with it!”

“(But… that’s only for if they get caught. What about if they get away with it!)”

“Well, most of us have people we care about in here. I have Burt. The chief has Right. You have Ellie. I think the captain has Dr. Vin, and Rupert has Dave.”

“Um, I have Henry and Ellie!” Charles says, “Oh! And the captain too!”

“[Yeah, he is basically your dad, huh?]” Henry signs.

“Yeppers!”

“See? Most of us have someone, and the ones who don’t have someone are a part of an alliance. If one of us gets tempted, they will not only have to kill one person, but if they get away with it, they’d have to kill the rest of us! If they really want to go through with it, they’d have to willingly kill everyone here, except the traitor, but they um don’t count. And that… that won’t be easy for anyone to do mentally. Sure, most of us have killed people before, but that was in a battlefield like setting, where it was literally kill or be killed in that chaos. Thus, none of us are willing to go out of our way to end people’s lives! Especially without a motive...”

“(But-”

“The only person who has proven they are willing to take a life for their own benefit in here, has been turned into chum. We are all safe from him.”

“…”

“[Besides, no one has a reason to murder, yet.]” Henry signs, “[T E R R A N C E might pull out another motive, but right now he has not. You are safe.]”

We all look at him, before Henry soon realizes the obvious. His face turns red from embarrassment. I translate what Henry said to Jacob.

After that, the door slowly creaks open, and Jacob peaks through. Once he declares to himself that it’s safe to exit, he walks out. Soon, I notice he is holding a taser.

“See? Not so bad!” Charles says, “Nothing to be scared of!”

“…I g-guess,” Jacob says, still wary on his surroundings.

“Here,” Ellie says as she gives Jacob his meal, “Glad you’re outside.”

“Thanks… It’s cold,” Jacob says.

“That’s what you get for locking yourself in your room, rose bud,” Ellie says.

“Heh, yeah,” Jacob says.

“…”

Ellie soon puts her hand on his shoulder, and says, “Look, I promise you I won’t let anyone try to kill you while we’re here. You got my protection.”

“And mine!” Charles says, “Cause, any friend of Ellie’s is a friend of mine!”

“[And mine as well]” Henry signs, “[Same reason]”

“Oh, please. Once you see a shiny rock all bets are off,” Ellie says.

Henry sticks his tongue out at him, while Ellie laughs.

“Well, he’ll try in theory,” Charles says, “What matters is, we got your back.”

Jacob smiles and says, “Thanks.”

“You know… if you want to be safer. The Toppat Clan is always looking for new members, and we all swore to not kill-” I begin before Ellie gives me a death glare.

I decide that I should finish up my task and run away.

POV Reginald:

Everyone walks back with their items in hand. It took a bit of time for everyone to come back. Sven had brought in Geoffroy’s nunchucks and pipe, Burt brought in food items, while Thomas brought in lettuce and plates.

We soon set the funeral up. Thomas places the biggest plate on the ground at the far end of the room and puts lettuce leaves on it. He then grabs Geoffroy’s items and puts it on the lettuce.

“I didn’t ask you to do that?” I tell him.

“I know, but what’s a funeral without some pizzazz!” Thomas replies.

After that, everyone sits down, and I stand alone with Geoffroy’s note in my hand.

“The best way to start this funeral is by reading Geoffroy’s final message. As you already know, Geoffroy wrote us a note before he died to help us find his killer. However, what I didn’t tell you is that he left us a goodbye speech. *Pause* In his memory, I shall read the entirety to you all,” I tell them.

I take a deep breath and read it. After I’m done, the toppats stare at me somberly.

“Ha… Even facing death, he still wanted us to survive,” Sven says.

“He… he did not deserve what happened to him,” Burt says.

“Of course not,” Thomas says, “He was an honorable toppat through and through! He valued the clan so much that it cost him his life!”

“You said it,” Right says.

“Alright, with that out of the way. I say we should take turns going up here and giving a speech about our relationship with Geoffroy. *Pause* How about you start us off, Thomas,” I say.

“M-Me?!” Thomas says, “Why?”

“Because you had that whole freak out when we discovered Geoffroy dead,” Burt says, “You seemed to care about him a lot.”

“But… well…”

“Well, what?” I ask.

“I… I don’t know why I did that,”

We all look at him in shock.

“You don’t know… why?!” I repeat flabbergasted.

“I’m not kidding, I have no idea what came over me,” Thomas says, “I was never close with Geoffroy. He was a neat acquaintance sure, a Toppat Clan hero, and we spent a lot of time together within the past couple of days, but I wouldn’t call him a friend.”

“What are you talking about?! You were a sobbing mess, when we found his corpse!” Right says.

“Again, I don’t know what happened there.” Thomas says, “When I saw his body… I felt… like I lost a close friend of mine. Like we were both soldiers in a war and we developed a bond over our circumstances!”

“But that ‘war’ never happened,” Burt says, “Right?”

“Yeah?”

“Not you,” I tell him.

“Yes. It never happened. I don’t think I’ve ever really talked to Geoffroy much before this killing game, but still… it feels like my heart remembers this ‘war’. Even when… I don’t. Which m-makes it all the worse, since I’m morning for a pal of mine, when I don’t even recall why! No warm memories to look back on. No adventures with him. No bond. Nothing to reminisce. Just an acquaintance that I once knew… My heart cries out, when my mind has no idea why!”

“…”

“…Though, I guess I can I wish I knew him better,” Thomas says, “Then I could understand why I feel this way, or at least have some weak reason as to why.”

“…”

“Anyone next?” I ask.

Burt gets up and walks up to Geoffroy’s memento. I sit back down in response.

“Geoffroy… I wish I was you,” Burt says, “Being eaten by sharks.”

“BURT!” Sven screams.

“But… you didn’t deserve to die. You wanted us all to get out alive. So much so, that you ignored blatant red flags just for a chance to get us out. You risked your own life for us, and well… we all know how that ended. *Pause* Rest in peace, Geff,” Burt says and pats the plate of lettuce. He then sits back down.

“Well, I guess I’ll go next,” Sven says as he and Burt switch places.

“Geoffroy, I told you were soft, and I still stand by it. Your compassion for us lead to your demise. And well… I wish you weren’t that way. I wish you were less loyal to us. Then, maybe, you’d still be here. Heh, isn’t that horrible? I’m wishing you were a terrible person. Someone who doesn’t stand with Toppat Clan values. Just so you’d still be here with us! *Pause* I guess what I mean is, I miss you and wish you didn’t have to go so soon. I also wish I talked to you about…” Sven looks at us before sighing and looking back to Geoffroy’s tribute, “Nevermind. *Pause* You really shouldn’t have died. You were our map out of here, and now… you’re gone. Thanks to that arrogant police officer. Plus, I have sinking feeling in my stomach that we aren’t going to make it out and maybe it’s better tha-”

“Okay, you’ve gone on too long,” Right snaps, “Sit back down.”

“Oh! Alright!” Sven says and sits back down. Right then gets up and takes his place.

“…I’m sorry wasn’t able to protect ya Geoffroy. I’ve failed you. I wasn’t there when you needed me the most. Ugh, I should’ve realized that police officer was planning something. I mean, it’s obvious in hindsight! Why would someone from the opposing faction join in on one of our meetings if he wasn’t planning to kill us! Plus, I should’ve heard that dog’s footsteps and gone after him! If I did, I’d rough him up just to make sure he knew picking a toppat as his target would be the worst mistake of his life. *Pause* I’ll make sure your death is the only casualty the Toppat Clan will ever face, so you won’t die in vain!” Right says. He then sits back down.

I then go up and say, “Geoffroy, you were a model of what it means to be a toppat. It’s a shame that those same values you held on to cause your tragic demise. Rest easy, my friend.” I turn to the morning crowd of toppats.

“Now, let’s get on to business. This shouldn’t have happened. I say that even though what happened to Geoffroy is tragic, we must use this as a learning experience. First off, if any of you get any messages delivered to you, you mustn’t listen to it! Even if it claims it’s from a fellow toppat member. The dog used Right’s name to lure Geoffroy out, which means the rest of the law enforcement might use the same dirty tactics to attempt to kill us. They have proven they are all going to be actively hunting us down for the rest of this ‘game’, until we are all dead. This leads me to my second point; we need to get better prepared in case of another law enforcement tries to kill us. We’ll begin our training next meeting. For now, let’s all sit in silence for our fallen member.”

The room goes quiet. We all sit, (or stand in my case), in silence and look at the ground for a few minutes. Afterwards, we all soon look up back at each other. Moral seems to be lifted slightly. I smile at my accomplishment.

We sit and chat to each other for the next hour until it reaches 8:00. That’s when Sven approaches me and says, “Hey chief. Can I talk to you about something?”

“Sure,”

“…Can we do it somewhere else? Alone?”

“…Why?”

Sven gives me a look that I can’t quite pinpoint the emotion. If I had to guess it’d be close to worry or despair.

“Just, want to have a one-on-one talk with you. Besides, I haven’t really talked to you ever since we got here, and I haven’t even visited the sharks all day. So, can we hang out?”

I press my lips together and think. I sigh and shout to the rest of the toppats, “Alright. Everyone! I say this funeral was a success. Everyone, you may do whatever you want for the rest of the day.”

“Oh, good!” Thomas says, “Not that I don’t want to morn for passing of Geoffroy of course, but I was worried I wouldn’t have time to apologize to Dave!”

“W-Why are you actively seeking out one of them, even after everything?” Sven says, “And why apologize?”

“Well, the reason is because I said some… awful things to him during the trial,” Thomas admits, “Things that were uncalled for and un-toppat like. Especially since it all stemmed from a mistaken identity. And the guilt has been… eating me up from the inside. I wanted to do it earlier, when that dog’s innocence was put into question, but everything went so fast that I didn’t have a chance to take back what I said! And when the trial was over… well… you know why I couldn’t. Not after… t-that. Fortunately, this can now rectify! Goodbye!”

Thomas then proceeds to try to walk out the door before Right grabs him by the collar and pulls him back into the room.

“Oh no you don’t,” Right tells him, “After what just happened? There is no way I’m letting you go talk with a dangerous law enforcement alone!”

“…You are referring to Dave, right?” Burt asks.

“Tch, even if he’s a runt that doesn’t mean he isn’t any less dangerous,” Right says.

“Oh, come on! I’ll be fine, I know a bit of self-defense. Besides, I doubt David would harm me, or his horrid friend. We all saw how he reacted to that dog’s admission of guilt. I doubt he’d ever go so far to as to murder me,”

“But he’s of association!” Right spits.

“Please, just because someone has horrible taste in friends doesn’t mean they themselves are bad. Isn’t there a saying, innocent till proven guilty?” Thomas says.

“But still-”

“I’ll be fine. How about you do what you usually do and protect the chief? You’d be less of a nuisance that way, okay?”

“OI!”

Seeing how he got Right riled up, Thomas makes a break for it. Quickly, Right runs after him.

“…”

“Hey, Burt?” Sven says.

“Yeah?”

“Can… Can you make sure Right doesn’t mur- bother Thomas too much,” Sven says.

“Yeah, can you?” I add.

“…” Burt looks at us and then shrugs, “I’ll try. Don’t die.”

Sven cringes at that statement.

“Sorry, not a good time,” Burt says then leaves the room.

Soon after, we both leave and head to the shark room. Once we get there, we head up the flight of stairs next to the room, and enter the top portion of the room.

“Thanks for deciding to hang out with me,” Sven says, “It’s been… rough.”

“No need to thank me, this whole situation is rough,” I tell him.

“Yeah… Hey, do you um want to… feed the sharks with me?”

“Sure.”

“I understand if you don’t want to and would rather doing something else- Wait, really!? Thank you so much!” Sven says, and we head over to the shark feeding room.

We spend the next hour feeding the sharks. We do this by grabbing a spade and digging up chum from inside the bags. Then throwing it towards them. They seem to really appreciate it. Though, I try to avoid thinking about where this meat came from, especially when I notice dark gray and blue fabric poking out of the chum. I have to remind myself it’s just meat. Not anything more. By the looks of things, Sven is also telling himself that it is just meat. After saying that to ourselves, it’s way easier to feed the sharks.

While we do this, he begins to ramble about sharks and how they don’t actually like stick figure meat, so Terrance is probably starving these ‘poor babies’ or has laced the chum with fish blood to make them eat it. He then goes on with more shark fun facts and debunking a few shark myths. At the end, we sit in silence with more knowledge about sharks than strictly necessary and watch them swim around in the water.

“…Chief? I…*Sigh*” Sven suddenly says breaking the silence, “There is…something I need to tell you that’s been bothering for the last couple of days, and I… I really need to tell someone.”

“Well, tell me!” I say as my inner gossip takes control, “What is it?”

Sven grimaces before saying, “…You know the saying, curiosity killed the cat and well…I’m the cat in this situation.”

“Why? What did you-”

“When we were all leaving the meeting on the day Terrance released that motive, I decided to take a… peek at what was Geoffroy’s secret. You know, the one he threw in the trash.”

I look at him and shock before saying “You read it?!”

“Not all of it! It would’ve been impossible since Geoffroy tore it up, but I saw… enough of it, and well… Geoffroy was right. If we all learned about that secret, it’d drive all of us to despair.”

“…”

“B-But it can’t be right! The Toppat Clan is fine! R-Right chief?” Sven says with a panicked look in his eyes.

“…Of course, it is! It was perfectly fine a few- oh wait how long has it been since we’ve been stuck here? A week perhaps?” I say, “The days have been blending together.”

“I heard one of the law enforcement people has been keeping track of how long we’ve been here, but that’s only a rumor.”

“Of course, one of them has been keeping track,”

“Anyways, even so… can you answer my question honestly?”

“Which is?
“Is the Toppat Clan still standing? Even after you, Right, me, and Burt got kidnapped. Which is really bad for the clan, since we all had important jobs to fill, which means that the clan now has a power vacuum. But even so, i-is it still there and healthy? Not tearing itself apart with pointless civil wars?”

“…” I look at him. I didn’t consider what was happening to the clan in my absence. I was too busy with this entire game that the thought didn’t even occur to me. After a moment of thinking, I soon respond to Sven, “The clan is strong. Even if we’re not here to rule it, I’m sure the higher ups put someone in charge to prevent the clan from imploding. They’re smarter and stronger than that. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Sven sighs in relief, “Oh thank goodness. The clan is my home. Scratch that, my life. I don’t know what I’d do if it was suddenly gone!”

“Commit murder?” I tease.

Sven doesn’t seem to appreciate the joke, “Seriously? Did Burt put you up to this? Ugh, I hate his dark jokes!”

“Speaking of him, why did you come to me instead of Burt? Isn’t he your best friend?”

“Well, yes, but… *Sigh* I worry that if I told him what I was feeling he’d lose hope. The clan is everything to Burt just like it is to me. Even if he says otherwise. And these… thoughts… about the clan being… g-gone… have been causing me to spiral, so I worry if he knew… it’d affect him more.”

“Burt is a lot stronger than you think. I’m sure he can handle a talk about hopelessness,”

“…I don’t think so,” Sven admits, “He keeps making these dark jokes about how he ‘wishes for death’, and I know that’s what they are… jokes. He doesn’t actually want to die. However, jokes… come from the heart, and sometimes people joke about things that bother them. So, there might be a little truth in all of those jokes. And… I’d never forgive myself if I push him over the edge, even if it was an accident. *Pause* But, I know there’s no risk of telling you these thoughts, since you are our leader! You’ve probably already thought about this! You won’t succumb so easily to this type of thinking!”

“…” I give him a smile and lie, “Naturally~”

Sven smiles back. Suddenly, he gives me a ruby ring.

“Um?”

“Uh, think of as thank you for helping me. *Pause* We should probably head back, it’s almost 10:00,” Sven says.

“Alright.”

We head back to our dorms, and I soon spot Thomas glaring at Right and Burt as the three of them walk back to the dorms. Once Right walks up to me, I ask him, “What happened?”

“I uh accidentally scared him off,” Right says.

“Oof,”

We then go our separate ways and head inside of our own rooms, just in time- Ding, Dong “It’s 10:00 everyone! Notice any absences? Heh. Well, you’ll get used to it- until the next set of absences appears! Tootles~”

“Disgusting,” Right spits, “Does he have any tack?”

“I doubt it…”

We lay down in our bed, as both of us slowly drift off to sleep. However, I can’t stop thinking about what Sven said. Was Geoffroy’s secret really about the fall of the Toppat Clan, and more importantly- is it true? We had some weird secrets that couldn’t possibly be true, yet the ones for Johnny’s and Right’s (who confirmed it to be correct, earlier) were spot on.

Suddenly, I recall Geoffroy saying something about Thomas, not remembering betraying the clan. Is it possible that more time has passed than originally thought? Is my clan- actually okay? I may have convinced Sven it was, but… I hadn’t convinced myself.

All these thoughts run rampant in my head before I finally fall asleep, but before I finally drift all, one final question appears in my head. What would I do if I discovered the clan was gone?

Notes:

5 chapters left before victim reveal...

Chapter 12: DtS Daily Life #2

Notes:

Eh decided to add this chapter as well today, just for the heck of it.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Reginald:

Ding, Dong! “It’s now 6:00 am, losers! We’re going murdering!”

I had a hard time sleeping last night, so when morning comes I feel groggy.

“You alright?” Right asks.

“That trial messed me up,” I lie.

“…Yeah, it did for all of us,”

We do our morning rituals and find out Sven has made us breakfast. As soon as I look at what’s on my plate, I internally mourn the loss of Charles’s pancakes.

“Um, what’s the occasion?” Burt asks.

“Well, I didn’t want any law enforcement dogs making our food today and wanted to prove to you all that I’m actually a pretty good cook!” Sven says, “Don’t worry, I’ve already told off that runt and parrot, so they haven’t made our meals today and waste food.”

“Today?” Thomas says.

“As much as I’d love to cook for you guys every day… it was exhausting. I don’t think I have the strength or the enjoyment to do it daily, unlike those two.”

“THERE IS A GOD!” Burt screams with joy, causing everyone in the room to look at him.

“…Oh, @$@# you!” Sven snaps back at him.

After we’ve ‘enjoyed’ our meal, I turn to my toppats and tell them, “Like I said yesterday, we’re going to spend the rest of today in the gym practicing self-defense. We don’t want another one of us to be killed by a law enforcement dog,”

The toppats nod and we soon exit the lunchroom and head towards the gym. While we were walking, I notice Thomas slip out of our group and run off.

“Right?”

“Yeah, chief?”

“Can you start the training without me? I need to check up on something.”

“Ya sure you don’t want me to do it for you?”

“No, I’m just curious.”

“Are you sure?”

“…” I show Right my dagger, “I’ll be fine. Besides, I doubt anyone is going to kill after that ‘‘‘‘brilliant’’’’ display Terrance showed us on what happens if you get caught.”

“…” Right gives me a worried glance before sighing, “Alright.”

Soon, I run off to see where Thomas went. This leads me to see him right outside our meeting room. He’s about to enter before he spots me.

“C-Chief!” Thomas whisper shouts.

“What are you doing over here? I gave clear instructions-”

“The enemy is inside our meeting room!”

“W-What, which ones?”

“Dave and Rupert!” Thomas says, “They’re probably desecrating it for their pal! I got to stop them!”

“Hold on, let me-” I say as Thomas rushes into the room. I follow close behind.

“YOU THINK YOU’LL GET AWAY WITH THIS!?” Thomas screams.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Dave screams back and jumps directly behind Rupert.

“WHAT DID YOU VILLIANS- is that a flower?” Thomas asks as he looks at Geoffroy’s memento. There’s now a fake rose next to it.

“…”

“Oi! Dave wanted to pay his respects! Is that now illegal?” Rupert spits.

“Y-Yeah! That’s all I wanted… to… do! *Pause* Is Right here?” Dave says as he timidly peeks behind Rupert, which is quite the accomplishment as Dave is at least a foot taller than the spikey haired police officer.

“No, he’s not. He’s currently training the rest of the clan on how to defend themselves,”

“Hey, that’s a good idea!” Dave says slowly inching away from the safety of Rupert, “Maybe we can do that as well!”

“I don’t know… It came from a criminal,” Rupert says.

“But it makes sense, and it could cause less deaths!”

“THIEF! You can’t just steal our ideas!” Thomas says.

“Oi! Says you!” Rupert says.

“Anyways, why are you two here?” I ask.

“I already told you, Dave wanted to pay his respects to Geoffroy. We heard a rumor that you guys set up a small funeral for him, so Dave wanted to get involved,” Rupert answers.

“But why didn’t you do it sooner, when we were actually having the funeral?” I ask.

Rupert and Dave both give me a look.

“Oh…right. That would make you two look suspicious.”

“I think it’s for the best we don’t… cause any more fighting between our two factions anyways,” Dave says.

“Wait, but why do you want to pay respects to Geoffroy?” Thomas says, “He wasn’t a member of the law enforcement?”

“Well… call me crazy, but… when he died,” Dave admits, “I felt like I lost a dear friend of mine, even if I barely knew him. The only reason why I didn’t react the way you did was because you already acted upon it, which I guess seeing you in that state gave me the strength to stick it out. Plus, we were going to have to solve a murder, so there was no time to grieve!”

We both look at him.

“…Sorry, I know that sounds crazy, but uh… it’s the truth.”

“I believe ya, Dave,” Rupert says.

“Heh. I already knew that” Dave smiles. His smile fades away before continuing, “Even if you guys don’t believe me that I felt grief over a man I didn’t even know, then well… another reason why I’m here is because… it’s my fault he’s dead,”

“Your fault?” I ask.

“Dave! It was his fault for Geoffroy’s and his own death! You had nothing to do with it!” Rupert says in a slightly angry tone.

“But it’s true! I kno-knew him better than anyone else! I am- was his best friend. I should have noticed that he was worried about the motive. Worried enough to go through with a murder! I knew he was acting strange, but I thought he was just as stressed as all of us were! And with the dummy…” Dave visibly shakes, “I had a feeling John-h-he wanted that dummy in the theater for malicious reasons, especially since he never told us why he wanted in there, but… I never pushed him into answering. And if I did… then maybe I could’ve talked him out of it along with Rups! Then both of them would still be here with us! But instead…” Dave bites his lip like he’s angry with himself.

“It wasn’t your fault, Dave,” Rupert says with annoyance, like Dave told him confidently the Earth was flat 99 times before this and this being the 100th, “We didn’t know. Besides, even if that statement holds any ground, I would also be guilty. Not just you.”

“…But still…”

Silence soon fills the room.

“…How long did you know Johnny was the killer?” I suddenly ask, catching everyone else off guard.

“W-What?” Dave says.

“Oi! What are you talking about?!” Rupert shouts.

“Y-Yeah, chief. What are you saying?” Thomas asks.

“Back at the trial, you figured who did it along with Jacob, but I have a feeling you figured it out sooner. When did you actually figure it out?”

Dave looks at me and sadly admits, “Well, technically, I didn’t know until you proved it, but I had my suspicions as soon as the dummy was first brought up, which was um… I think when we were um discussing how Geoffroy got that wound on the back of his head. Actually, I think it was even further than that, because before we even discovered Geoffroy was dead, he told me not to say a word about what I saw last night and if I do that he’d owe me a huge favor. He was also winking a bunch, and once we found the body that whole conversation got pretty… incriminating.”

“Then if you knew that dog was a suspect, why didn’t you say anything!?” Thomas says.

“I THOUGHT I WAS WRONG!” Dave shouts at him a little too aggressively. Everyone looks at him in surprise, including himself, at that outburst, “Sorry. Um, I didn’t want to believe that there was any way he would’ve done something like this. Besides, I’d be a terrible friend for accusing him out of nowhere. Especially if I was wrong, and well… there was a good chance I was wrong anyhow.”

“How so?”

“…Because I was the one who came up with that theory. I’m not really good at solving these things, along with anything else really. *Pause* I’m really incompetent…”

Silence fills the room, as Dave begins rubbing his arm.

“…Oi, Dave?” Rupert suddenly says.

“Y-Yeah?”

“On the low chance that we do another trial, can you do something for me?”

“What is it?”

“Can you contribute to the conversation? Like say what your opinion is on how it happened. Even if it’s small or you think it’s wrong.”

“I… Well, that’s not going to happen. The captain says that he will see to it that no other murders will happen!” Dave says.

I quietly chuckle to myself. Yeah, he’ll be the one to stop future murder attempts.

“I know, but… if and only if it happens, will you say something?” Rupert says, “I love to hear your opinion with these things and you’re more capable than you realize!”

“Yeah! Plus, I’m sure you have plenty of things you can contribute if you just say something!” Thomas adds, “Even if it’s wrong, it’ll help strengthen the current theory!”

“But what if nobody refutes it though and it’s wrong? What if I end up getting everyone to vote for the wrong person?” Dave says and then visibly shakes, “I-I’d hate to see what my execution would be or… or… what a group execution would be…”

“But what if you get us to vote for the right person?! Ever consider that?” Rupert says, “Your voice matters, Dave!”

“Oh, that reminds me. Ehem, I would like to formally give you a Toppat Clan style apology for what I said during the trial,” Thomas says, “I’m so sorry, Dave, for insulting you like that. It was a fit of passion, but that’s no excuse.”

“What you said?” Dave says confused before suddenly realizing it and laughing heartfully, “Oh! Haha! I’ve already forgotten about that Tommy! No worries!”

“T-Tommy?”

“Uh… oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to-”

“No, it’s fine. For some reason… I’m not as offended by you calling me that name as I would anyone else. *Pause* Weird…” Thomas says, “Well, if you’re going to call me that, then I’d have to call you, David!”

“Oi! He hates being called that!” Rupert spits.

“Rups, it’s fine. He can call me that!” Dave says, “(Funny, I’m not offended by that either)”

“Anyways, do you… forgive me?” Thomas asks.

“Y-Yeah. I do. Is that a problem?”

“…YES! I said something horrible to you! I accused you of murder! I was ready to vote you off! Why aren’t you mad at me at all!”

“Well, Jacob was the one who really accused me, along with your chief,” Dave says.

“But I retracked my statement!” I defend myself, “Besides, it got the real killer out in the open, so it was worth it!”

“Even still, aren’t you mad at us, at all? Even a tiny little bit?” Thomas says.

Dave shrugs, “Not really. I don’t blame them or you for acting how you did. I’d think it was me too with all the evidence. Plus, I would be pretty upset if the person who murdered my friend decided to comfort me and tell me that ‘we’ll find who did it’ too.”

“T-That doesn’t excuse it!” Thomas says.

“Oi! Drop it! Dave forgives you, and that’s that!” Rupert says, “You’re just upset that he’s clearly a better person then you’ll ever be!”

“…” Thomas looks to the ground and rubs his arm, “O-Okay. *Pause* You’re a strange person, David.”

“Oi! Reg, are you done with whatever you decided to do? Oh, there you are!” Right suddenly says as he walks into the room. Immediately, Dave runs behind Rupert for safety. Right sees this and asks in a harsh tone, “What are you blokes doing in here?!”

“Doesn’t matter, we’re done here,” Rupert says. He then, along with Dave close behind, walks out of the room.

Right growls at them before turning to me and asking, “So, what did they do?”

I recap the whole conversation to Right, minus the part with Dave already knowing who the killer was and talks about a next trial. He is surprised by their motives. After that, we head back to the gym where Sven and Burt were… beating up Ronald, or rather getting beaten up by it. It’ll be a miracle if either one of them survives this game.

“Alright, let’s get started,” Right sighs.

We spend the next few hours sparing with one another with the goal of getting enough distance between our ‘attacker’ to run. We each took turns being the ‘attacker’ and the ‘victim’ for this purpose. We try different fighting techniques, different weapons (not real ones, like a piece of cardboard as a blunt object and a nerf gun Burt got from the prize machine), and any other tactics one could use to kill another stick.

Sven and Burt did as well as one would expect from two workaholics whose job in the clan mostly involved sitting at a desk. They are barely able to escape with minimum pretend injuries, (and real injuries in some cases) in our practice scenarios at best. Though, Burt was surprisingly slightly better at Sven at it, especially since he spent more time at a desk then Sven did. Guess he has more of a fighting spirit. Thomas did pretty well with training, and actually manage to throw Right a few feet after the man tackled him to the ground. Of course, I wasn’t no stranger to escaping myself, and I was the best at it. Especially since Right accidentally hurt everyone else… multiple times. It gets me worried that if someone tries attacking Right, he might accidently kill them.

Overall, though, I say our training is a success. Especially since we started having so much fun, we forgot that we were down a member, and… almost called for Geoffroy to join us. Afterwards, I decide to let everyone else do their own thing for the rest of the day.

“So, what are we going to do now?” Right asks as soon as everyone else leaves.

“How about we just… hang out? With everything happening, we haven’t had any time to just hang out with each other. And with Geoffroy’s death, I’m worried…” I stop myself before I say anything more. Uncomfortable silence falls over us.

“…I’d love to, Reg. So, what do you want to do?”

“I haven’t read any of the books in the library, how about we go into our room and read together.”

“Sounds like a plan,”

We soon exit the gym and walk over to the library. That’s where I find Dr. Vin stealing a few chairs from this room, with Captain Galeforce’s help.

“Um…”

“I need something to keep me busy,” Dr. Vin answers.

“Don’t look at me, I’m just helping her,” the captain says.

“Alright?” I say.

“…Comrade, is there not something you want to talk about with them?” Dr. Vin says.

“Um right now?” the captain says.

“Do you want others to suffer Mr. Plumb’s and Mr. Panzer’s fate?”

The captain looks at her and sighs, before looking right at me and saying, “…Reginald, can we talk?”

“Not right now, I want to hang out with my right-hand man,”

“Same here. Well, she’s not my right-hand man, but you get it,” Captain Galeforce says.

“What are you even doing that requires a chair?”

“I need resources,” Dr. Vin says.

“For?”

“Crimes against the natural order,” Captain Galeforce deadpans.

“I want to make some machinery,” Dr Vin says, “Again to keep me busy.”

“Oi! Reg, I found some good books,” Right says and hands me one. He then gives the two law enforcement death glares. If it affected them, they make no sign of it.

“Well, we better get going. Hope whatever you make blows up in your face,” I tell them as we leave.

“Same to you,” Dr. Vin says.

As we walk towards our room, Right stops and tells me he’s going to the bathroom. Soon, he runs off to the closest bathroom, (the one near the shark room), while I wait outside.

As I do that, I notice someone walking by. I’m about to ignore them until I realize who it is, and I stare directly at- Johnny?!

“W-What? How are you alive?!” I say a little too loud, as he walks up to me.

“What are you talking about? We’ve been over- oh. Ha-ha,” ‘Johnny’ begins to laugh as I now notice the red lightning bolt on his right eye, “Oh this is great! I knew my disguises were good, but man. You honestly thought- ha-ha! Oh, this is so good!”

“W-Why are you dressed up as him!?” I shout.

“Oh, I wanted to pull a little prank,” Terrance says, as he removes the mask, “Made a grown man cry!”

I stare at him in shock, before slowly saying, “…You’re a horrible person,”

“Oh please, I’m sure Rupert has gotten over his friend’s death plenty of times before. And he has Dave with him this time!”

“…W-What do you mean by that?” I ask super confused.

“Oh, uh… He has lost plenty of friends throughout his childhood. I think he was a victim of one of my raids, so he has plenty of experiences in grief. Um, anyways I have to put out some final motive on to the next touches. BYE!” Terrance shouts a little too quickly and runs off. Leaving me confused.

“God, they were not lying about how terrible those bathrooms were,” Right complains, “Reg? Did something happen while I was gone?”

“Terrance was being his usually horrid self. Let’s get going,”

Then we finally proceed to walk over to our dorm room and sit down on our bed. We get out our books and begin reading as we snuggle up close to each other and enjoy the other’s company. It’s nice. For the first time, since I got here, I forget where we are. My anxiety and my paranoia take a back seat, as I read and feel Right’s warmth beside me. A small smile appears on my face.

Unfortunately, all things have to end as I soon hear-

Ding, Dong “It’s 10:00 everyone! Have you ever wondered what a bat tastes like? Probably like a mix between a rat and chicken. *Pause* Actually what does a rat taste like?”

Right and I place our books down and go underneath the covers. However, that warmth I felt during that small activity stays with me. Funny enough, that warmth sort of fills me with hope. Hope that everything will turn out okay. As long as Right is by my side, we’ll get through this nightmare. Together.

POV ???:

“I hate this motive,” Terrance says for the billionth time as we look through the list once more.

“Well, if you hate this motive, why are you still going through with it?” I ask him.

“I don’t have much choice, traitor. If I want to continue being the host of this game and not be replaced by a plushy, I have to go through with this stupid thing.”

“Heh. I guess, the mastermind was pretty mad after you revealed to everyone their existence,”

“Yeah, and now I’m banned from saying you guys’ names!”

“Hey, we’re all banned from saying each other’s names. We don’t want anyone to accidentally overhear what we've been talking about. We’ve already had too many close calls…”

“I guess. But I still think the mastermind is being paranoid,”

Silence fills the gaming room.

“…You know, you don’t have to do this. You know that right?” I tell him.

“Stop that. I know what you’re doing, and it won’t work. Unlike you, I’m having fun as the headmaster. Plus, what’s there for me if I go against it? The taste of death? Or… *Pause* You know, you are in no position to judge. You don’t have to do this either! All you have to do is say goodbye to everyone you care about. With the added bonus, of them now knowing exactly the kind of person you really are… right before their gruesome ends, of course~”

“…”

“Out of words? Good. You know the plan?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“…”

“Headmaster?”

“Yeah?”

“This motive blows.”

“Heh. Finally, we agree on something!”

Notes:

4 chapters left until victim reveal...

Chapter 13: DtS Daily Life #3

Notes:

Motive time!!!!!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Reginald:

Ding, Dong! “It’s now 6:00 am. You’re free to go! *Pause* Not really~”

If the announcement didn’t wake me up, Rupert’s shout of, “THIEF!”, certainly did.

We once again recite our daily rituals and head over to the lunchroom. Nothing really interesting happens during this time, as everything goes exactly how it goes usually, except for the small fact everyone is still adjusting to Geoffroy’s and Johnny’s absence. However, once we finish up and go our separate ways, I notice someone following me. I turn around and see Captain Galeforce behind me in the hallway. Instinctively, Right, who is with me already, moves between us.

“Hello, Copperbottom and Right,” the captain says in a stern tone, like he wasn’t being a creep.

“What do you want?” I ask.

“…We need to talk,” Captain Galeforce says.

“That narrows it down significantly,” I say in a sarcastic tone.

The captain gives me an annoyed glance before sighing, “I meant, we need to have a talk about our faction situation.”

“Oi! You better not be trying to convince us to accept you as the leader!” Right snaps.

“Look, that’s not… actually that is technically the reason why I want to talk to you. But-”

I huff and say, “The answer is no. Especially after what one of your dogs did. Good day,”

I turn around and walk away, while Right follows me. After a few steps, the captain shouts, “WAIT!”

“?” I turn back around.

“There’s more to it than that! J-Just listen to me! *Pause* Please,”

“…” Right and I look at each other, before I finally say, “Alright?”

Captain Galeforce breathes a sigh of relief, “Okay. I’m not saying you should accept me as your leader. I’m saying that we all need to work together to survive. No more of this faction business,”

“Why? So, you can murder us-”

“Panzer went against all of us. We didn’t want anyone to murder. I didn’t want anyone to murder. Yet, with his own free will, he decided to take a life. *Pause* His actions don’t reflect the rest of the law enforcement faction. Though…”

“Though?”

“Us being in different factions might have made it easier for him to kill.”

“What?!”

“Oi! That’s impossible! We’ve been sticking together so we can protect each other!” Right shouts, “Not to kill each other!”

“That is the exact opposite of what we’re doing,” Captain Galeforce hisses before saying his next words somberly, “Believe me, I thought the same too… until Panzer admitted to it. Then I slowly realized, when we split into factions, we’ve made our situation worse for ourselves, because we began fighting with each other instead of our shared enemy….

“…I should have realized this would happen sooner. In situations like these, where there’s no sense of control over our lives and the feeling of despair is all around, stickfigures tend to either give up or… create a scapegoat, so they can regain some sense of control, and well… what’s a better scapegoat than another faction comprised of our old enemies? All you need now is a good enough motive, then… you’ll be able to ignore your morals long enough to end up just like Panzer.”

“…”

“…So, you’re saying, that because we’re in separate factions, it’ll make it easier for us to kill?” I ask.

“Precisely. That’s why… we need to start working together. I’m not saying we immediately join together, too much animosity to do that. But we need to throw our differences and pasts aside to fight our real enemy. *Pause* Please, all of us want is to get out of here alive. Isn’t that reason enough to join forces?”

“…Give me a good reason to trust you?” I tell him.

“…” Captain Galeforce looks at me before saying, “I… don’t. However, as a first step, you can call me, Hubert from now on.”

“…” I glance over to my right-hand man. He gives me a small trusting smile. I look back at Ca- Hubert and finally say, “I’ll give it a shot. But, if one of my men dies because of this, I swear-”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure those two will be the only casualties we’ll face-”

Ding, Dong! “Everyone, go to the theater for a mandatory meeting!”

“…God damn it,” Hubert sighs.

We soon walk over there, while Hubert mumbles, “If it’s another motive, I swear-”

We arrive at the scene among everyone else. Once the room is filled, I soon notice Geoffroy’s and Johnny’s absence. It shouldn’t have affected me at all, as it’s only two people, whom I admittedly didn’t know very well, but yet- not seeing Geoffroy stare cautiously and worriedly at the stage, cursed with the knowledge of knowing how bad things will get, and not seeing Johnny next to his friends, slightly irritated by the fact they’re stuck here… makes my skin crawl.

Regardless, Terrance soon appears on stage and says, “Guess what everyone! It’s been 3 days since the last murder, which means- it’s gotten SUPER boring around here!”

“Good.” I shout at him.

“So, what is it this time?” Ellie complains.

“Straight to the point I see! Well, if you don’t want to wait, let’s start our next motive!” He then looks directly at the remaining police officer and with slight twitch of his right eye says, “Rupert, would you be a dear and care to demonstrate what it is for us?”

Everyone turns to look at him, who looks as confused as the rest of us.

“W-What?” Rupert says.

“You’re going to help me show all of us what this motive is all about!”

“…What?! No!” Rupert shouts with rage. His teeth bared, “I’m not going to @#$%ing help you! Do yourself you #@$@ing @#$@!”

“Heh. You act like you have a choice,” Terrance says then snaps his fingers. For a split-second nothing happens. Then Rupert’s expression turns from rage to- horror.

Wide eyed, he looks straight at Terrance and says in shaky voice, “W-What did y-you d-do to m-me?”

Then he collapses onto the floor. We all stare at him for a second, before- we scream.

“HOLY-” Henry shouts.

“OH MY GOD!” Sven shouts.

“Is he dead?!” Jacob shouts.

“I hope not!” Ellie shouts.

“Aw, I liked him,” Charles sighs.

“RUPERT!” Dave screams and rushes to his friend’s aid. Funny, he hesitated.

Dave raises Rupert’s head up and he’s- unconscious. As soon as that’s made apparent, Dr. Vin, as quickly as a cheetah seeing fresh prey, is now sitting on the ground right next to Rupert, checking his vitals.

“I-is he alright?” Dave asks.

“Still has pulse, but head is very warm,” the doctor answers, “Might have gotten fever.”

“Great, we might have an epidemic on our hands,” I mumble.

Even with Dr. Vin’s words already proving it, when Rupert soon opens his eyes, a wave of relief washes over everyone. Dave soon helps him back to his feet, but something is… wrong.

“Thanks, Dave. You’re the best~” Rupert says with a cheery smile.

“Um… your welcome?” Dave says with slight confusion.

“Thank you, Rupert for that great demonstration! You knocked out of the park! The drama! The panic! Oh, how splendid!” Terrance says joyfully.

“Um, thank you?” Rupert says, “Happy to help! Also, nice clothes.”

“What the heck-” Dave says fearful, “W-What did you do to him?!”

Terrance smiles, “The next motive is what I call, Despair Disease!”

“Such creative name!” Rupert says.

“No, it isn’t,” Burt says.

“Aw, don’t be too mean to him. He’s trying his best!” Rupert says.

“What is happening right now?!” Dave says completely mortified.

“Every day, this little sickness, with help from the traitor, will spread to each and every one of you, one participant at a time! You’ll know when one of you is infected when they start acting the opposite of how they usually act. For example, Rups here has gotten the mutation I like to call- the ‘Switch Disease!’ With this, he’ll begin to act a whole lot nicer and sweeter than usual!”

“[So… he now has a likable personality?!]” Henry signs with an excited smile, “[Nice!]”

“Hate to agree, but this is approvement,” Dmitri says.

“NO IT ISN’T!” Dave screams, he then holds his head and begins saying to himself while shaking, “This is so… so… cursed! Rupert isn’t like this at all! It’s like he swapped bodies with someone else! It’s horrible! This isn’t him!”

Henry walks over to him and pats the security guard on the back, “[It is okay, D A V E. Besides, I am sure he is better off this way!”

“Are you crazy!? That is not Rupert!” Dave spits back, causing Henry to back off.

“I have to agree. I didn’t really like that dog either, but you can’t just- change someone’s personality like they’re your toy!” Right spits, “That’s disgusting!”

“Agreed. Rewiring someone is horrid. No. It is one of, if not the most wretched thing stickfigures could do to each other,” Dr. Vin spits angerly.

“Oh, seems not everyone likes the new and improved Rupert. Well, everyone’s a critic,” Terrance says.

“You mean have basic stickfigure decency?!” I spit.

“But if you guys truly don’t like it, there is a way to reverse it!” Terrance says.

“It’s murder, isn’t it?” I say.

“No- I mean- Yes! But no!” we all look at him confused, “Uh… let me explain!” Terrance says, “After 7 days, the motive will reach its conclusion. Whether it be for better or for worse. He might drop dead after the time limit is reached, be cured, or some other third thing. Only time will tell; however, the motive will end early with everyone who is infected getting immediately cured, if someone- is murdered.” Everyone flinches, “One more thing! Swapping personalities… isn’t the only symptom,”

On cue, Rupert begins to go into a coughing fit. At first I don’t think much of it until- I see a pink liquid come out of the police officer’s mouth. I freeze in horror. Then everyone stares at Rupert, as he continues coughing up his own blood.

“Happy killing. Tootles~” Terrance says and disappears.

We all proceed to freak out. Secrets which can destroy one’s life are one thing, but catching a deadly disease is a whole other discussion. Makes me wish Geoffroy was still here. He probably saw this motive in action before and would know of a plan to combat it. Give us a strategy to avoid getting murdered or… infected. However, now- I have no idea what to do, and the feeling of despair creeps up on me.

Among the chaos, someone soon shouts out- something in Russian. Followed by Rupert being dragged out of the room by Hubert with Dr. Vin leading the charge. Dave is the first to follow them, and since I notice it, I grab my right-hand man and chase after them.

We follow them out of the theater and into the infirmary- wait, what?! Unlike the first time I’ve entered this room, which was when it was in a dreary state, it has now been turn into something that looks more like a laboratory. The original spirit of the room is still there, as Rupert is now sitting on top of a hospital bed. However, random assortment of technology litters the room. This new modification surprise doesn’t seem to register with any of the law enforcement, most likely because they were responsible for this change.

Currently, Dr. Vin is overlooking Rupert while Dave butts in every single second in a blind panic.

“Is he okay?! Is he going to be alright!?” Dave shouts, looking pale, “Are you able to save him?!”

“I do not know yet!” the doctor snaps and pushes him away, “But I do know, he will not be if you keep bugging me. Hubert, can you remove him from the room.”

“Of course,” Hubert nods. He walks over to Dave and pulls him away. He then says, “Son, your friend’s going to be fine. We just need to give him and Vicky some space for the time being. We’ll wait outside till they’re both ready, okay?”

“…I-I”

Hubert gives him a sympathetic smile.

“…O-okay. I don’t want make things worse, anyhow…” Dave says with defeat.

“Alright,” Hubert then looks at us, and says, “That includes you two. Don’t want you bothering her.”

“Darn,” I say.

He then ushers all of us out of the room, including himself. Once there we wait in silence. Dave moves away from us and leans against the wall near the door. He starts fidgeting with his hands and taps his foot repeatedly. For a while, it’s the only noise any of us makes.

I don’t know how long we were all silent in waiting for the doctor to be done, but it became too… panic inducing to keep up this quiet.

Because of it, I suddenly ask, “So… any idea what’s wrong?”

“Well, it’s obvious he’s got that ‘despair disease’, but what else- I’m not too sure,” Hubert says, “Though, I have faith Vicky will figure it out soon. Heh, I wouldn’t be surprised if she figured out the cure by tomorrow.”

“Huh. You two seem close, is there a story behind that?”

“…” Hubert looks away for a second before sighing, “She’s my best friend. We met during Terrance’s… origin reign. Bonded over the fact he was terrorizing the both of us. That’s all.”

I press my lips together before asking, “Is that really all?”

“For our relationship, yes. We may have different jobs that require us to be far apart, but regardless we still have each other’s back. Actually, she’s the reason why I learned Russian, since she feels more comfortable speaking that language then English or German.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Hubert says, “There’s nothing to it.”

“…Okay,” I say. Dang, I was hoping for more gossip. However, I don’t think he’s lying about that at all. Besides, it isn’t even important.

Awkward silence comes back. This time, Right breaks it.

“Chief, do you have any ideas on how to… stop this motive?” Right asks me.

“I… I unfortunately don’t. But… maybe we need to figure out how it spreads. If we know that, we can prevent others from getting sick,” I say.

“That’s assuming the traitor won’t find a work around,” Hubert interrupts.

“Wow, I thought I was pessimistic one,” Dr. Vin says as she exits the room. Immediately, Dave runs up to her.

“Is he okay?! Did you bring him back?!” Dave says.

Her face turns grim.

“…W-Will he be okay?” Dave pleads.

“*Sigh* Please note that I am lacking proper equipment. If I was on boat, I would be able to give you and everyone else good statis report on Mr. Price’s condition, but instead I only have speculation based upon previous patients and what I already know from being a doctor,” Dr. Vin says.

“…It’s bad, isn’t it?” Hubert says.

She nods, “If I am correct and his conditions do worsen, ze seven days Terrance talked about is all Rupert has left.”

I could see the heartbreak in Dave’s eyes. He grabs his hat and tightly pulls on it, while saying, “No, no, no. This can’t… This can’t be real…no…”

“Oh, Jeeze. Vicky- Dave, are you okay-” Hubert asks, when suddenly Dave runs straight into the infirmary. Sobbing is soon heard.

I clench my fists together at the information. I’m already worrying about when that illness reaches my toppats, or… m-me. So, knowing getting it might be a death sentence… it’s despair inducing.

“If you are correct?” Right asks.

The doctor nods, “There is good chance I am completely wrong. Again, this is speculation. This sickness might only look scary instead of being something we should actually fear. Only time will tell.”

“What are the symptoms?” Hubert asks.

“From what I have gathered, Mr. Price is currently acting opposite of how he normally acts, but we already know that. His coughing, like I suspected, has caused him to feel light-headed and has given him shortness of breath. He will also most likely experience fainting episodes in future. This all gives me the feeling that Mr. Price’s lungs or heart-” Dr. Vin begins describing what these symptoms mean for him.

However, I soon tone it out, as I feel sick to my stomach. This isn’t only just a single person’s problem; this disease is contagious. Worse yet, we were all in the same room when Rupert began experiencing those symptoms. Who’s to say, I’ve already caught it, along with Right and the rest of the toppats, and we just haven’t experienced any symptoms yet. Silent terror crawls all over me.

“Reg, you okay?” Right whispers to me.

“…I’m worried,”

“…Don’t worry, we’ll be okay,” he tells me and hold my hand.

I drift back into the conversation, just in time to hear Hubert say, “So, what is our options?”

“…I do not know. This is something we should think about. But…” the doctor looks away for a second before saying something in Russian.

Whatever phrase she just said, causes Hubert to straighten up in shock before saying, “Alright. Meet you there,”

Soon, she discharges Rupert from the infirmary. (Though, he and Dave decide to stay there a little longer). We then all go our sperate ways. Just in time, for our Toppat Clan meeting.

We arrive at the meeting later than I would’ve liked, and see how stressful the room is. It’s also as silent as it was when the previous motive was released. Noticeably, everyone is keeping to themselves. Like they are worried that everyone else in the room is a carrier.

“Hello, chief!” they say as I enter.

“Hello. So, I’m sure we all know why we are here?” I say.

“I’m just surprised you didn’t call an emergency meeting! Like you did last time,” Sven says.

“Well, I was busy,” I say.

“Busy doing what?” Thomas asks.

“…One of the law enforcement sticks, namely the doctor, brought the motive victim over to the infirmary. The chief and I followed them.” Right says.

“And?” Burt says.

Right and I look to each other, before we turn back to the group.

“We learned… more of what this motive is about,” I say.

I then recap what I just learned from the doctor. At the end, all of them had a fearful expression on their faces.

“…This is bad,” Sven says, “I mean- if she’s right, then… then… *Pause* We’ll all be dead in 20 days! I… think. It’s hard to do math in your head.”

“Actually, 7 days,” Burt says, “Terrance said the motive will end in 7 days, so we might all get sick, excluding the traitor cause they are immune to death, by then.”

` “I disagree on the fact the traitor is safe from this motive, as regardless of who they are one thing is for certain! They have to be mortal!” Thomas says, “No matter how cautious you are- there is always a chance you’ll get sick! Especially if you’re trying to spread it yourself! Unless the traitor pulls out a hazmat suit or something like that, they’re liable to get sick like the rest of us!”

“Not necessarily,” Right says, “They’ve probably been informed on how the sickness works, so they know what not to do, so they can avoid it.”

“Still- even if you do everything right, there is still a chance you can catch it,” Thomas says.

“Actually, the right-hand man has a point. Certain diseases have different ways of spreading. Rabis for example can only spread through bites,” Sven says.

“So, you’re saying, we should put a muzzle on Rupert?” Burt says.

“NO! You- you get what I mean!” Sven spits, “I’m saying that there might be a ‘trick’ to this sickness that gets someone sick and not the traitor.”

“But what if that ‘trick’ is that it’s airborne?” Thomas says.

“Then we’re already too late.” Burt says.

Everyone sits in silence.

I break it by saying, “We do not know if it comes from being breathed in, or being in contact with infected surfaces, the infected themselves, eating, biting, or anything else I missed.”

Burt raises his hand before deciding against whatever he was going to say and lowers it.

I continue, “We… we just don’t know. And the only way we’re going to know is by unfortunately waiting. We need to see if Rupert’s conditions get any worse and pay attention to what everyone is doing so if any one of them gets infected… we can pin-point the cause.”

“T-That can be our plan!” Sven says, “We spy on the others and see what they’re doing! Then we can compare what future victims and ones who don’t get sick are doing so we can figure out how this illness is being transmitted!”

“Or maybe, we look for suspicious people?” Burt offers, “Something tells me this traitor isn’t helping this sickness infect all of us by not washing their hands.”

“I agree. Besides, even if we only find out who this traitor is, we can stop them from causing future pandemonium.” I say, “Alright, men. Tomorrow, we’ll watch the others for signs of suspicion or transmission of this illness. Right and I will try and find the traitor, while the rest of you spy on the rest of them. Namely, Hubert and his group of hounds-”

“Hold on, Hubert?” Burt says.

“The captain gave me permission to call him that,” I say.

“…Why though?” Thomas says.

“He wants us all to work together,” Right says, “He thinks that’s why that dog killed in the first place. Cause we weren’t.”

“But he killed because of his secret? Didn’t he?” Sven says.

“I know!” Right says, “He’s clearly ignoring facts so he can be the sole leader! But… there is some truth in what he is saying, unfortunately.”

“…Sounds to me he’s trying to lower our guards to kill one of us,” Burt says.

The room goes quiet. I feel a shiver go down my spine, because it makes sense. Why else team up with your sworn enemy? If I’m dead, he along with the rest of the government will have an easier time taking the Toppat Clan down. Yes, I know Right and Sven are set up to take my place, but the latter is far from ready for that responsibility even if I see myself in him, and as for Right… I hate to admit it, but he’s too emotional to be a leader. This is all ignoring the fact that I do not want to die. Especially in here.

“That won’t happen,” Right says and pulls me to his side into a hug, “I won’t let him or anyone of the people on his side get in 3 feet of any of us.”

I feel a smile grow on my face as my fear melts away. He’ll protect me. He always will.

“Um, this is cute and all, but it’s almost 10, and I don’t want to be left in the dark again,” Burt says.

Quickly, we exit out of our meeting room and make a mad dash to our dorms. Just in time, as we all soon hear- Ding, Dong “It’s 10:00 everyone! Hope you all have pleasant dreams, and wake up in the morning not acting like yourself~”

I cringe at that statement. I could feel my anxiety returning at full force, but one look at my right-hand man it becomes manageable. I hold his hand and smile.

We’ll be okay.

Notes:

And it begins...
OMG GUYS Rupert's likeable now! /j
3 chapters left until victim reveal...

Chapter 14: DtS Daily Life #4

Notes:

Released this earlier, as I want to get this done before April.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Reginald:

Ding, Dong! “It’s now 6:00 am. Grab your masks and a handful of sanitizer!”

I groan as I leave the bed. Once again, we recite our morning rituals and head to the lunchroom.

There’s uneasiness in the air, but surprisingly it isn’t so bad, except for the fact everyone is social-distancing from each other so it’s harder to tell where each faction is settled. I scan the room for any suspicious activity of anyone experiencing symptoms of the infection, and find- nothing. Well, nothing except Rupert, grumbling to himself about how Charles and Dave didn’t let him cook.

Soon, Dave and Charles come out with our meals, and we soon start eating.

After a while, Sven suddenly says, “I don’t think anyone’s infected.”

“Rupert is still clearly sick,” Burt says.

“Ugh! I meant nobody else got sick!” Sven snaps at him, “Maybe we’ve beaten the motive?”

“Well, I doubt it,” I say, “From what I’ve seen, Dave spent a lot of time with Rupert, so if anything, he should be sick. Perhaps, the symptoms don’t start until later? I mean, Terrance was able to time when Rupert would become sick.”

“Wait! I just realized something! Dave handles our food,” Thomas says and stops eating. He then pushes his plate to the side, “I’m sorry, David, but not catching what your friend has!”

It takes a moment for the rest of us to realize what Thomas has just uttered. We all stare at each other with silent horror. Then, in an instant we all move our plates away from us and immediately rush over to the kitchen, or in some cases the bathroom, as we urgently start washing our hands. Hopefully, none of us ate enough to become sick.

After I wash my hands thrice over, I stare at my hands and wonder if it was enough. I look over to my right-hand man and Burt, who’ve also used the kitchen sink to wash our hands, and see that their faces are pale.

“What are you three doing?” Dmitri suddenly asks, and we all turn to see him drinking some coffee.

“Since Dave handles our food and he’s always around Rupert, we’re concerned that we could get sick from it, so we’ve washed our hands,” Burt says.

“…” Dmitri looks at us with suspicion before deciding that reasoning checks out, “Hm, I should talk to him later about this…. I guess even you criminals have some common sense. Do not worry, I have plan to counteract motive- Galeforce just needs to see light first.”

“Light?” I ask, “Are you planning-”

“I am convincing him of idea without murder,” Dmitri interrupts, “I may think he is too soft and should not be leader, but unless the Wall is rioting without my leadership, I do not intend to kill anyone.”

“How do you know it’s not right now?” Right says.

Dmitri scowls, “I trust Gregory to keep it running. Besides, how do you know your clan is not falling apart-”

“IT’S DOING FINE!” I snap at him, causing everyone to go silent.

“…”

“Reg?” Right asks.

“…”

“…I trust my toppats to keep the clan running,” I say.

“Heh. Trusting a bunch of self-serving animals not to maul each other for power… You are more stupid than Galeforce,” Dmitri says and then walks away.

“Ugh!” Right shouts before throwing an onion directly into Dmitri’s head. The man howls in pain, and then shouts a bunch of things in Russian.

Once he calms down, he turns to us and says, “I will not forget this.” Then he leaves.

“…”

“It was just an onion…,” Right spits.

“Huh, forgot you got it from that prize machine. Actually, it’s been a while since we’ve visited it, and I’ve gotten some more bear coins,” I say, “How about we get some more prizes?”

“Heh. Really Reg? Gambling?” Right says.

“Hey, at least I will always win a prize!” I say as me and Right begin to exit out of the kitchen, “You coming, Burt?”

“Um no… I want to find Sven first to see if he’s okay, and…” Burt looks at us with a slight horrified expression. Barely breaking his usual blank stare, “D-Does Dmitri… have a point?”

Before I can respond, Right says, “Of course, not! He doesn’t know a thing about the clan! They aren’t going to rip each other to shreds if their leaders are suddenly gone! Someone obviously took our place, and I’d not be surprised if they’re already launched teams to go looking for us!”

Burt looks at him before signing in relief. His expression goes back to being its normal blank stare, “Yeah, I guess that makes sense. *Pause* Thanks.” He then runs off.

We then walk out of the kitchen and make our way to the prize room. Though, I feel a bit more hopeful than I did at the start of this motive, because Right is obviously right! The clan has to be looking for us, and we’ll probably be rescued soon! I can already picture it now, loyal toppats bursting through the walls with dynamite, shooting a billion holes into Terrance, and rescuing us from this horrific nightmare. Shame Geoffroy won’t live long enough to see it through. Thinking about our impending rescue brings a smile to my face.

My smile immediately fades as I see a certain trio turned duo standing right outside the prize room. To be honest, it’s a little uncanny not seeing two police officers there.

“-And here’s the kicker- Charles also feels the same way about Henry. So, Thomas in short has no chance of ever being with Henry, he’s just wasting his time. Plus, he has like no game at all,” Rupert says.

“Hey! Tommy is good at flirting! *Pause* Sometimes,” Dave says.

“Uh-huh. Anyways, do you think one of the toppats are hiding a single strain of grass underneath their hats?”

“What-” Dave says in a confused manor.

“Are you two gossiping?” I ask as I approach them. Neither me nor Right get to close to Rupert. We don’t want to get sick.

“Reg no-” Right sighs.

“That’s such a mean word, I would rather call it having a discussion,” Rupert says.

“(It sounded like gossiping),” Dave mumbles.

“Oh! Did anyone tell you, you have a lovely mustache, or how you look stylish?”

“Not today~ Your words flatter me,” I say.

“Reg, we should go,” Right says putting his hand on my shoulder. He glares at the two of them. In response, Dave hides behind Rupert.

“Aw, come on Dave. He’s not scary!” Rupert says and moves out of the way, so Dave is out in the open.

“Uh…” Dave says as he looks directly at Right.

“…” Right stares at him with a glare.

In response, Dave immediately runs into the prize room. Though, he keeps the door open so he can still see his friend outside.

“Come on, dude. He wasn’t even aiming for your throat. He said it himself. You’re being silly!” Rupert says to him annoyed, “It’s all in your head!”

I give him a concerned look, before asking, “Um, how are you feeling?”

“Never better!” Rupert says, before immediately coughing up more blood. Dave flinches in the background, “…Well, except when that happens…But how you guys? Have the toppats discovered a way to fight the motive? We’re kind of lost on what to do… Hope we find one.”

“…That is none of your business,” Right says.

“I’m just asking…” Rupert sighs, “*Pause* Hey, how about we exchange information. You tell me what you have so far, and I’ll give you some juicy information. Might help you figure out who’s the mastermind~”

We both look at him. Does he really…?

I soon make up my mind. The clan needs that information, so I say, “We’re currently trying to figure out how the disease spreads. Figuring that out might help prevent others from getting sick.”

“B-But for the already infected?” Rupert asks. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve sworn his voice cracks a little.

“…”

“…No, we haven’t discussed anything about it. Just preventing others from getting sick,” I tell him.

“…” Rupert stands there in silence. He looks hurt.

“Alright, we told you our information now spill yours!” Right spits.

“…” Rupert grits his teeth before finally saying, “Dr. Vin says she might’ve created this motive and every other technology in here.”

“…WHAT?!” Right and I shout.

“It’s true! Well, sort of. Either her or some guy named Gabe. Might even be a mix of both. She said it herself, yesterday. Saying those metal balls that hold prizes is reminiscent of her own inventions! Plus, she said that this ‘motive’ might even been a perverted version of one of her own virus’s she created for fun. Can you believe that? She made viruses for fun! Though she is adamant that this game was built without her knowledge. But you didn’t get this from me, okay?”

“…Okay,” I say.

Rupert smiles, “Welp, see you later.” He then runs over to where Dave is and grabs him. He then drags him away, and soon the two of them are gone.

“…Well, that worked out well. Now, let’s go in and win some prizes-”

Ding, Dong! “Everyone, go to the theater to see who’s the next motive victim!”

“UGH! I hate you!” I scream.

“Tch, let’s just get it over with,” Right says.

We then walk all the way to the theater. Noticeably, everyone besides Dave, Charles, Hubert, and Dr. Vin seem to avoid Rupert. Probably in a vain attempt to not catch it as well. At least, that’s my motivation for trying to stay away from him. Soon, the room fills up and Terrance appears, though- his smile looks fake.

“So, it’s been a day. How’s the motive treating you all?” Terrance says.

“Horrible,” Dmitri says.

“Not good… not good at all,” Jacob says.

“I think Sven washed away his fingerprints,” Burt says.

“I don’t really like it… can you cure me now?” Rupert asks, “Please?”

“That’s only if you murder, Rupy!” Terrance says, “But anyways… *Sigh* Okay, I can’t... I can’t pretend I’m on board with this. So, before I infect the person who’s next, I just want to say that I’m truly sorry, Vicky.”

“…H-Ну вот?!” Dr. Vin suddenly says. She looks scared.

“But I can’t let you stop this motive,” Terrance says and snaps his fingers.

Dr. Vin’s face soon goes from looking fearful to pure panic. She dives to the ground, not from collapsing but from her own volition. Hubert runs to her aid, and sits down beside her.

After a fearful few seconds, the doctor soon gets up.

“…Vicky?” Hubert says before saying something in Russian.

She turns to look at her friend before- sticking her tongue out and giving him a razzberry. Her face looks warm.

“Um…” Hubert responds.

“Ha, ha! Hubert, your face looks funny!” the doctor laughs. She still retains her Russian accent, despite all this.

As Hubert silently helps his friend to her feet, Terrance says, “Victoria now has the mutation called, ‘Careless Disease!’ Meaning, she’s going to act like a total blackout drunk while infected!”

The doctor in question now has her arm wrapped around her friend, while she struggles to stand up. She has a content but tired look on her face.

“Well, I’ll let you guys deal with this. Tootles~” Terrance says and-

“WAIT!” Dave shouts before Terrance disappears.

“?” Terrance looks at him.

Dave pauses staring fearfully at him, before taking a deep breath and saying, “W-Will, Rupert… die… in… 7 days after being… infected?”

“…” Terrance looks at him, before saying, “I’ve already told you, in 7 days the truth of the disease will be revealed. What that truth is, I can’t tell you- unless you kill or reach the 7^th day. Tootles~” Terrance then leaves for real.

“(…Truth of the disease?)” Burt repeats to himself.

“Great! Now we have lost our doctor,” Dmitri sighs in annoyance.

“Honestly, I thought Dave would’ve been the next infected,” Thomas says.

I nod in silent agreement. By all means, Dave should have been the next person infected, because of how much time he has spent with Rupert.

“…Um, well… I washed my hands a lot because of Rupert being sick,” Dave says giving his own explanation on to why he isn’t infected, “I’m not stupid!”

“Can confirm. Dave is super cautious with this whole motive!” Rupert says.

“Yep! He made me wash my hand five whole times before we made our batch of pancakes!” Charles says.

“…How…How did we forget the possibility Dave washed his hands?” Sven asks.

“Because there is a good chance he wanted us sick on purpose!” Right snaps.

“H-Hey…” Dave says, “I wouldn’t do that.”

“Disagree, Dave isn’t like that,” Thomas says, “He wouldn’t harm anyone of us on purpose or without a good reason to.”

“Ye…ah! Davey is… good person!” Dr. Vin suddenly says as she plays with Hubert’s hat. He looks so annoyed, “Very… very… *Pause* @$#@, English words hard!”

“Oh right. Dr. Vin, you okay?” Charles asks.

Hubert slaps her hand away from his hat. She pushes herself off him and struggles to stay up right, like a baby giraffe on ice.

“I am… FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEE!” the doctor says, “I feel woozy. Kind of like cotton candy…Brain not functioning right… Being rewired sucksssssssssssssss”

“With how’s she’s acting, it makes me want to have what she’s having,” Right says.

“Right!” I say in annoyance.

“This… this is not caused by… drink,” Dr. Vin says as she points her arm weakly at Right before laying it back down, “It is diseaseeeee. I do not… do not… like being like this!”

“Wait, is that… self-awareness?!” Sven says, “You’re aware you’re sick?”

“Да, why… why would I… why would I not be?” Dr. Vin says, “My brain’s all screwy, but I am still me!”

“Um, I have self-awareness too!” Rupert suddenly says, “I’m still myself, just a whole lot nicer!”

“I guess being constantly drunk is the only symptom of her mutation!” Charles says.

Suddenly the doctor starts coughing up blood. Re-confirming the stakes of this motive.

“Oh right… forgot about that,” Charles says.

“Vicky!” Hubert calls out, as the doctor wipes her mouth and stares at it.

“…That is… that is not good…” the doctor says, “Ha… I am going to die…”

“No, you’re not,” Hubert says as grabs her non-blood-stained hand, “We’ll stop this motive, okay? *Pause* And didn’t you say you are still ‘yourself’? You can still work on a cure!”

“Да! I willllllll make cure!” Dr. Vin cheers.

“Captain, I know you are known for your idiotic ideas, but this one takes cake!” Dmitri says, “She is drunk, and I do not think anyone would like to have their doctor drunk on ze job. I mean, it is illegal to drive drunk in Canda. So, if drunkards are considered too dangerous to be on road, then why should it be any different with our lives?”

“…Do you have any other ideas how to stop this motive,” Hubert suddenly says, “Because it’s either her, who although is out of it, is a trained professional, or… killing someone else.”

Everyone stands in shock silence.

Hubert sighs, “We don’t have many options left, like it or not. Terrance knew what he was doing when he got Vicky infected. In hindsight, I’m surprised she wasn’t the first victim. However, she’s our only hope for us to survive this motive, like it or not.”

“…Do not worry! I will savvvvvvveeee, you all!” Dr. Vin proclaims.

With that, Hubert and the doctor leave. Then, the rest of us follow. Despite what Hubert says, it is a little worrying that our survival rests upon a drunk doctor. Maybe, it’s not as hopeless as Hubert believes it to be.

Regardless, I still have a prize to win! Right and I head back to the prize corner, and spend a few bear coins on the machine. I receive a screwdriver, a small electronic kit, and a stop sign for apparent reasons, I put it back into its capsule but still keep it. Meanwhile Right gets a jar of protein powder, a stress toy that looks like a government soldier, and confetti. Just that. Confetti. It shoots out of the capsule right into Right’s face. He sighs in annoyance.

With that we head off. I point out that we have not been in the dressing room in a while. We head over there, and inside I see two stick figures playing with some swords and ninja stars, which is honestly incredibly concerning but as long as they aren’t toppats I won’t stop them. Why I say stickfigures, is because each of them is wearing a hoodie with a mask that almost completely hides their identity sans their eyes and a bit of their hair. The left one is wearing a cyan disguise while the one on the right is wearing a lime green disguise. I wonder if there’s a completely black one… They are both giggling like children.

“E’llo?” Right asks.

“!”

“Oh! Um, hi-ya, didn’t see you there!” the one in the lime green disguise says, and I soon recognize their voice as Charles’s.

“What are you two doing in here?” I ask.

“[We are playing ninja]” the one in the cyan disguise signs, obviously they’re Henry.

“…”

“Someone got sick and you’re just playing?!” Right asks.

“[You have no authority over me]” Henry sighs.

“Oh shoot! That reminds me! The captain wants to see you, Reginald!” Charles says.

“Why?” I ask with suspicion.

“I dunno. I guess he wants to do some sort of ‘team building’ exercise with you,”

“Do… do you know what he’s planning?”

“Not really, to be honest,” Charles shrugs, “But I trust him!”

I look over at Right who gives me an uneasy look. Burt’s words of claiming Hubert were trying to kill me, echo through my mind. However, I told him I would give it a shot, and toppats do not go back on their words.

I stand in silence for a moment thinking about what I should do before reaching for my dagger and touching it without pulling it out. A feeling of safety washes over me, and so I ask, “Where is he?”

“Reg?”

“It’s fine. He won’t try anything if I bring you along,” I say.

“…Okay.”

“Um, I think he’s in the infirmary with Ellie,” Charles says.

“Why is she with him?” I ask.

“[She invited herself]” Henry signs, “[Something about how girls should stick together]”

“Ah,”

“[Anyways,]” Henry grabs Charles around the waist and pulls him into a sideways hug, causing the latter to blush by the motion, “[We are going to continue our game now.]”

“Heh…Yeah! See-ya!” Charles says.

We walk away, and head towards the infirmary. It’s only been around 5 minutes, and he has already set this up? Maybe I’m giving him too much credit and he already had this set up, but was interrupted by Terrance’s announcement.

Anyways, we walk over to the infirmary and see a table set up with some strange pieces of elections, wires, and a blueprint sitting on top. Inside the room are Hubert, Dr. Vin, Ellie, and Jacob. They are all sitting down on makeshift chairs that were near the table, except for Jacob who’s eyeing the door. As soon as we enter, we are spotted by them.

“Huh, so you’re probably wondering why I asked Charlie to call you over here,” Hubert says.

“Very,” I say.

“Well, I thought we could do some ‘team building’ per say,” Hubert says, “As to build a better bond, so we don’t have to be scared of each other. So, Vicky offered that our first team building exercise should be building a small machine.”

“Huh,” I say and cautiously walk over to the table, “What is it supposed to do?”

“It’s a voice changer,” Ellie says, “When you active it, it disguises your voice,”

“…Why make it, though?” I ask.

“It does… not matter… whay,” Dr. Vin says barely able to build it on her own, so Hubert is doing most of the work, “Ze journey to... creation…is…is… REASON enough.”

“…”

“How did you know that the chief likes tampering with things as a hobby?” Right hisses.

“You do? That’s great!” Hubert says, “Heh. I was worried you wouldn’t like doing it, Reginald.”

“See! I was right! Everyone… likes robots!” Dr. Vin says, “Except Jacob…”

“M-Me?!” Jacob says, who I honestly forgot was even there, “Why did you say it like that!?”

“Cause… you are not helping!” Dr. Vin says, “Bad…”

“I… I’m just here because Ellie dragged me over here! I’m moral support.” Jacob says.

“Bad…” Dr. Vin hisses once again.

“Vicky, please,” Hubert sighs, “Anyways, do you want to join?”

“…” I let my lips move back on my face, without opening my mouth.

“(Reg, you don’t have to do this,)” Right whispers to me, “(You can leave)”

“(I think… I’m going to stay. That’ll make him think whatever his plan is, is working, which might get us the upper hand)”

“(Heh. Way to think ahead, Reg.)”

“Alright,” I say as I take up a chair, “I’ll join.”

I spend a few hours creating the device, using the blueprint as my guide. I look over it plenty of times, just to make sure I’m not actually building a bomb that’ll kill me once activated. However, it seems innocent enough, which makes it more suspicious. I then start wondering how she was able to get this stuff. I doubt scavenging around, stealing useless items, can make these parts.

I suddenly recall what Rupert said about her involvement in this killing game. I look over and see her almost accidentally blowing up the machine from her drunkenness, with Hubert barely managing to stop her. He’s doing most of the work, as she isn’t in her right mind at the moment. I wave the passing suspicion away from my head. After all, why would Terrance infect his own boss?

During this time, excluding the help the screwdriver that I recently got gives me, I discover I have a knack for building machinery, more so than I originally thought. This isn’t much of a surprise as it is a small hobby of mine and I’m good at everything, but… I am a little too good at this.

I look over, and see Ellie ahead of me in terms of building this device. Guess this is a hobby of hers as well. She’s making light conversation with the doctor, and both seem to really enjoy each other’s company. Seems they are becoming friends.

Right tries helping me, but it he soon proves he’s too much of a hindrance to help. So, he gives up and cheers me on in the background, while Jacob watches him with slight fear.

In the end, Ellie and I make two working voice disguises, while Dr. Vin makes a mound of trash which electrocutes anyone who goes near it. She seems proud of it, while Hubert mumbles something about fixing it later. Overall, despite everything, I had fun. So, I give Ellie the stop sign I won earlier, which for some reason gives her a feeling of nostalgia, while I give the doctor the kit. She seems ecstatic for it, saying something on the lines of, “I kept trying to win this!” Though, I will admit, I gave her that gift mostly to convince Hubert his little ‘plan’ is working.

We say our goodbyes, and with a newly required voice changer, we soon arrive in Classroom 3A, fashionably late. We all greet each other, and begin the conversation.

“Alrighty men, do we have any hints on how this disease has been spreading?” I ask.

The room goes quiet. I swear I hear crickets chirping.

“We all thought Dave would be the next infected, didn’t we?” I sigh.

“Well, in hindsight it should’ve been obvious, that doctor also would’ve spent a lot of time with Rupert, so she would be liable to get sick,” Sven says, “Even more so than Dave.”

“Though,” Burt says, “Isn’t her getting infected… too convenient? Especially, with how Terrance was acting.”

“What are you implying?” Thomas asks.

“I’m implying that whoever is in charge might have full control over who gets the sickness and who doesn’t,” Burt says, “Meaning that we should be careful on what we’re doing and predict who gets sick by how ‘convenient’ it would be for the ones in charge.”

“But how do we know who would be ‘convenient’ for them,” Right says.

Burt shrugs, “I guess whoever will make us panic more.”

“So, they wouldn’t want it to be predictable?” Sven says, “Because if we could predict it, it’ll lessen the panic. Fear of the unknown and all that.”

“Which means, either someone from the Toppat Clan or the neutral faction is going to get sick!” Thomas says, “We’ve already had two law enforcement catch it. Logic states they’ll have to switch to a different faction or less we start thinking that it only infects them!”

“But that doesn’t mean another one of them won’t get infected! Allusion of safety and all that,” Right says.

“Plus, with the cameras, they might change their minds and infect another law enforcement,” Sven says, “Just so they make us think we’re off the mark.”

“Then I guess we have to think about who would be the next convenient stick to be infected?”

“If I’m going to be honest chief,” Thomas says hesitantly, “You and the captain are at the most risk of getting infected if this theory is true. You guys give a sense of stability for your own factions, so if you two are out of the picture- well… I’m sure we all know what will happen.”

I cringe. Thomas is right, my absence will cause things to become worse for my clan. Makes me worried about my clan at home- NO! They are perfectly fine.

I take a deep breath and audibly agree with Thomas. He smiles to himself for being right.

“Which means you need to be protected!” Right says, “Starting right now, we need to make sure the chief is protected from any threat of danger or suspicious activity. We still don’t know what causes this illness to spread, so if you get even a whiff of danger, warn the chief!”

“But what if… we fail?” Burt says.

“…”

“If I find myself unable to perform my toppat duties…” I tell them hesitantly,
Right will take my place. Just like he would normally if we weren’t in this situation,”

“Ha! Toppats win again!” Thomas proudly says.

“We uh didn’t win anything though?” Burt asks.

“Oh! I have an idea!” Sven says, “Ever since we all got scared that our breakfast might have been contaminated, I was thinking that I should cook us all our meals forward! Or well, until the motive goes away…”

All of our faces turn grim. None of us can decide what’s worse, getting sick with a disease that makes act not like ourselves and slowly die or Sven’s cooking. It’s not an easy choice.

“W-What! My cooking isn’t that bad!” Sven shouts like he read our minds, “Besides, Burt can help me!”

“…”

“I can only promise to stop him burning the food. Besides, it’s better than death,” Burt says.

“Is it though?” Thomas asks.

Sven and Burt glare at him, forcing Thomas to take back his statement.

With that, we end our meeting and head back to our dorms. Just in time, to hear- Ding, Dong “It’s 10:00! Ha! *Pause* Can someone please murder…”

I stand in shock at that sentence. For a second I almost thought Terrance was pleading. He’s probably just insanely bored though, and wants entertainment. I then go with my right-hand man go to bed, but worry plucks at my skin. Will I be the next infected?

Notes:

2 chapters left until victim reveal...

Chapter 15: DtS Daily Life #5

Notes:

I released this chapter early this week, because I wanted to have the chapter for investigations and the chapter for the trial to be a week apart in my predetermined time limit.
(This means three chapters on the weekend...)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Reginald:

Ding, Dong! “It’s now 6:00 am. Hope you’re not feeling hungover!”

I did not sleep well last night. So, much so, I wake up feeling anxious, because I’m next… or well, most likely next. Though knowing Terrance it’s a guaranteed 99%. Worse, I won’t know for sure until this afternoon. I soon begin doing my morning rituals.

“You okay, Reg?” Right asks as he gets up as well to do his.

“I’m… fine.”

“Doesn’t look like it,”

“…I’m worried about being next. I… I don’t want to die,”

Right grabs my hand and holds it gently, “You won’t die. Not while I’m here.”

I smile at him, and a bit of my worry washes away. Still…

We head to the lunchroom and soon Sven and Burt deliver us our meals. It’s certainly better than last time, but Charles and Dave are still so much better cooks then the two of them combined. Why do they have to be on the wrong side?

We eat in silence, before suddenly, Terrance appears in the room and walks over to Dr. Vin. Everyone stops eating to stare at him, like a herd of bunnies seeing a wolf walk past them.

“Ugh… Terr…rance go away!” Dr. Vin shouts as she sloppily swipes at him with her hand. I notice that the doctor is wearing her coat sloppily now, but this detail isn’t important.

“Hey! Calm down. I got you a present. Here ya go!” Terrance says, and gives the doctor some medicine, “It won’t cure the disease, but it’ll make it suck less.”

“Can I have some please?” Rupert asks, “I fainted twice this morning, so it’ll help a bunch if I got some!”

“Well, I only have enough for one and… I really don’t care about you,” Terrance says.

“…Oi! I helped you with the motive, complemented your costume, AND gave you a gift! You owe me!” Rupert says.

“Sorry, but I really, really don’t care about you. I mean, I wouldn’t even care if you drop dead in the next few minutes.”

Rupert looks slightly horrified by that phrase. Seeing his friend’s reaction, Dave suddenly says, “I would care!”

A smile forms on Rupert’s face, while Terrance spits, “Who asked?”

“…You can have… medicine! You have… beeeeeen infected… longggger! You ne…ed it morrrrre than I do…” Dr. Vin says and gives Rupert the medicine.

“Thank you!” Rupert says.

“NO! That’s for her! Not you!” Terrance shouts stealing back the medicine and slamming it on the doctor’s plate.

“If I am only one who gets it… then I do not want it,” Dr. Vin says pushing it away.

“Come on! It’ll make you feel a little better! I’m sure the light headiness and shortness of breath isn’t fun,” Terrance says pushing it back.

“It is not… buuuuuut I do not trust youuu at all! And you are a big-” she then says something in Russian. Terrance looks hurt by it.

“H-Hey! Look, I’m not going to kill you with this! I’m actually rooting for the opposite outcome. You saw my prediction chart!”

“Then whhhhyyy am here?”

“Cause, I want my friends with me! Which also means, take the medicine! It’ll make the disease tolerable!”

“That’s enough! Didn’t you say if someone refuses medicine then you can’t give it to them?!” Hubert suddenly snaps and stands up. He looks beyond angry, almost like his patience with Terrance finally broke.

“Yeah, but rule #11-”

“That doesn’t matter! She refused your medicine, and that’s that!”

“Hubert! Why are you taking her side?! You should be helping me! Vicky is refusing medicine, and as a doctor she should know better!” Terrance yells, “You should know better!”

“What about you?! You’ve trapped us all in a killing game! You should know better not to do that to others!” Hubert shouts.

“…Calm down, Hubs. What’s gotten you so riled up?” Terrance says.

“This #@$@ing killing game and the fact you keep acting like we’re friends for starters!” Hubert shouts.

“Wow… You really aren’t having fun, aren’t you?”

“Only a deranged mad man would be entertained by this, and even then! I’m still having a hard time believing someone set this all up! This is so… monstrous!”

“Hubert, calm down. You’re making a bigger deal out of this game then necessary-”

“You kidnapped us, tempted someone to kill another stick, and then you tortured and killed him for doing exactly what you wanted! Plus, you are trying to do it again, with this awful motive! Causing people to suffer and slowly die! And you are saying it’s- NOT A BIG DEAL?!”

“Well, I… I can’t tell you why, but it really isn’t! It’s just a game, Hubert! A fun game with friends and Reginald. Once you survive to the end, you’ll see why it’s not as bad you think it is-”

“Not as bad?! I’m going to have to tell one of my closest friends that under my protection I let his son die!” Hubert stares at him with a wild angry look in his eye, and then takes a deep breath. The red that appeared on his face dissipates, but not completely, “Look, Terrance. I don’t know why you are doing this to us. But… please. Stop this. If we’re really friends like you say, you’ll… do the right thing for me? Like curing Rupert and Vicky, giving Geoffroy and Johnny proper burials, and letting us all out of here without any more death. Please… There’s no way you’re this evil…”

“…I… I can’t do that, Hubert. I’m playing the role of Monokuma, and I’m committed to it….”

“…Then you are no friend of mine,” Hubert says and storms out.

“…” Terrance stands there quietly before grabbing the medicine. He turns to the doctor and says, “Last chance.”

Dr. Vin looks at him and flips him off.

“…” Terrance’s face goes grim and then- he disappears.

“Huh, never seen the captain that angry before,” I overhear Charles say, as he returns to his seat. Agreed…

I look back at my table who is in stunned silence. I’ve seen Hubert annoyed by Terrance before, but wow, that… that was out of left field. I guess with how much Terrance has been annoying him more often than I thought and how he was doing the same thing to what is practically Hubert’s sister, must have made him finally snap.

“Should… should someone check on him?” Sven asks, “The captain I mean.”

“Nah, he’s not worth it,” Right says, “Plus, law enforcement got it.”

We finish eating our meals in silence. Afterwards, we decide to do some training again. After all, we shouldn’t get sloppy. When we exit the lunchroom, I catch the doctor wandering about, looking for someone. Probably Hubert.

“See, law enforcement got it,” Right suddenly says pointing to her.

POV Dr Vin:

After I finished my meal, I went looking for Hubert. He was pretty upset and as his best friend, it is my duty to check up on him.

I stumble around the factory, as it feels like I’ve lost my sea legs and am in the middle of a storm. Eventually, I find him huddling in a corner. He does not look good, and I should know- I am his best friend.

“HUBBBBBERRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!” I cry out.

“Ugh!” Hubert complains, “Leave me alone, Vicky.”

Instead of obliging I walk closer to him and then trip and fall right on top of him.

“Oh shoot, you okay?!” Hubert says.

“[I ammmmmmmmmmm finnnnnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeee,]” I tell him in Russian. Mostly because no one else is here, and it’s easier talking in my native language than English, especially when I’m feeling drunk.

“…Then get off!” Hubert says pushing me away.

“Do not… look goooood,” I say, as I sit up.

“…”

“[Want to… talk? Might make you feeeel better!]”

“…”

I pout at Hubert’s refusal to talk. How am I supposed to make him feel better if he will not talk! Maybe, a distraction could help! However, what should I do? I notice where we are sitting near the shark tank, which means…

“[Hey!] Hubert, [Can I… shooow you somethyng?????? It’s an area… nobody has been to before!]” I tell him.

“…What?” Hubert says, “You’ve been someone where nobody hasn’t been to?!”

“[Nooooooooooooo. I have… have not been there, yet. Buuuuuuuuut we can explore it together! Comve on, let’s go!!!!!!]” I tell him and grab his arm. I begin trying to pull him up.

“Okay, okay! Fine, I’ll go. *Pause* [Is it a way out?]” Hubert asks.

“[probably not…As] Terrance [gave me keeey a while ago to the area…]”

“Okay…Lead the way,” Hubert says.

I then lead him past the shark tank and up the stairs. We then reach the locked door. Seeing it, I sloppily pull out the key. Originally, I kept it on me so that it would be harder for anyone to steal it, which is great, cause I can use it right now.

“You want us to go- Vicky, are you sure about this? If someone sees us up there, then they may get ideas,” Hubert says.

“Ehhhhh [You worry… too much… comrade! No one EVER looks up,]”

“…Alright, if you say so.”

I then try putting the key in the slot, but I miss. I keep trying again and again to put the key in the slot, but I keep missing it. Eventually, Hubert gets fed up and steals the key from me.

“[Hey!]” I yell.

“I’ll give it back,” Hubert says, as he unlocks the door.

We then step inside of another room. It is a very boring room as it is very small and gray. The only thing of note is that there is a wall missing and it leads to a huge drop. In the open space, there is a small set of stairs that are made of a dark metal, and you can see through it. It leads to the main attraction: the catwalk.

Climbing up the stairs, I begin exploring the catwalk system, while Hubert yells in fear and follows close behind me. Fortunately, it supports both our weights. Only making a small creak when Hubert goes up it.

The catwalk system itself is well, a catwalk system. It is looking exactly the same as the stairs I climbed up to get to it, except… in the form a catwalk. There are railings on the side of it, but it only goes up to my waist in height. I could easily climb up the railings to get to the other, more dangerous and thinner, side.

“Don’t do that please,” Hubert says. Oops. Guess, I accidentally said that part out loud.

We walk around for a bit. It seems the catwalk is spread across the entire place. We soon find a locked door that is right above the large watertight door. Unlike the previous door, it requires a password to get in. I try kicking the door down, but I end up hurting my foot. To make matters worse, Hubert soon pulls me away as a gun fires were I once was. We decide to stay far away from that door.

At some point, we lean on a certain spot on the catwalk, and take in the scenery. It is above a hallway that is near the theater and where Hubert’s one true love is, the incinerator room. From it, we can see everyone walking around and talking to each other. They all look so scared and worry. That reminds me-

“[Sooooooooo, what happened back there? With] Terrance,” I ask as I climb on the railing and sit down on it, “[You absolutely EXPLODED!!!!]”

“Get down from there!” Hubert yells.

“[Just likeeee that! And out of nowhere too!]”

“Vicky…”

“[Come onnnnn I will be finnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeee! People sit on the edge of cliffs allllll the time, and I ammmm closer to the catwalk then the groundddddd. Also, answweer my question!]”

“Ugh, uh fine, but if you fall off-”

“[Answwwwweerrr the quesssstion, comrade!]”

“…” Hubert cringes, “That was… very immature of me, I shouldn’t have done it.”

“[Buuuut you did! Plus, everyone really enjoyed itt. I enjoyed it.] *Pause* [But that is not an answweeer, why did yoouuuuu doooo it?]”

“…It’s the same reason why you denied that medicine, isn’t it? I’m fed up with everything here! We’re all trapped and having our lives played with for some- sickos entertainment! Being treated like we’re toys and not real stick figures with hopes and dreams! Plus, Terrance having the gall to call me his friend after setting this all up! Ugh, honestly his bias pisses me off. It just shows how immature he is and doesn’t take other’s lives seriously! It’s all just a game to him! And that upsets me more than anything...”

“[Mayyyyyybeee, hiss biassss can work for ouuuuur favvor! I meannn it al reay has, as I got new parts to make ellllllectrionics frrroom him!]”

“…Ugh, no. I don’t want him to value our lives above everyone else’s. All of our lives are equally precious, and… I don’t want to watch anymore people die. Geoffroy’s death was already too horrible…and don’t get me started on what happened to Johnny…”

“Mr. Panzer [died like a dog!]”

“...No, he didn’t. He was as much of a victim as everyone else is. He got manipulated into killing. Sure, he shouldn’t have killed for his secret, but… he was clearly suffering. It wasn’t just a secret to him. He thought he would lose everything he had because of it.”

“[But he wouldn’t]”

“He didn’t know that until it was too late,” Hubert sighs, “…We could have saved him. Geoffroy too. I didn’t know him that well, but from what I’ve gathered, he seemed like a good man. Just… on the wrong side. I’m sure if I’d gotten my criminal reformed program up and running, Geoffroy would’ve been able to live a good life… And that’s only the ones who are dead. Everyone’s worried and paranoid. Like Charlie. He hasn’t been acting like himself lately, and that was before he got here! He’s suffering, and I’m worried about him.”

“[He seems fine to me]” I say.

“He hides what bothers him well,” Hubert says, “But I can tell. Heh, I’m basically his father after all.”

Hubert walks over to the edge of the catwalk and leans on it, “…My plan needs to work, or we’ll all die in here. And… I… I just can’t let that happen. So many innocent people are trapped here. People who don’t deserve this. People who can become better. People who should be allowed to see the sun again… two is already to many deaths. *Pause* I don’t want anyone else to die in here…”

Silence follows. I should have expected this. Hubert was always a compassionate person, so of course he’s worried about others. Fortunately, as his best friend, I know how to comfort him as I place my hand on his shoulder.

“…Comrade,” I say in English this time, “We are going to get out of here, along with everyone else, becauseeeee you are going toooo savvvve us all, as you arrre… Cappptain Hubert Galeforce!”

Hubert looks at me, “Heh, I certainly hope…”

“Yoouuu better! Pluss you dooooo nnooot have to goo in with thisss alone. Iff you evere neeed someone to taaaalke to, I am here! Weee aree going to get out of here, together!”

“Yeah, we will… thank you, Vicky,” Hubert smiles, “And… thanks for letting me vent.”

I smile as well. Mission accomplished. I’m about to reply, when suddenly, I feel my smile fade as I see dark stars in my view and my head begins feeling dangerously lightheaded and dizzy.

“Vicky? You okay?” Hubert says.

“…I… I see stars~” I say, as I try to move back down to the catwalk. However, I’m too late, and everything fades into darkness. The last thing I hear is Hubert screaming, “VICTORIA!” and attempting to grab my coat.

When I open my eyes, I feel weird and light, but not hurt. I also see two blurry stickfigures, one wearing dark clothing, and the other wearing blue clothing, hanging upside down like bats staring at me. I look ‘up’ and I see the ground, a good half a meter from my head. I also notice my glasses on the ground. One of the blurry stickfigures quickly picks it up.

I look ‘down’ and feel my stomach drop, or in this case rise, as the same claw that dragged Johnny to his death is now wrapped around my waste. I don’t care if it technically saved my life, I immediately try to get out of it, but to no avail.

Suddenly, I feel someone turn me around and I see- Terrance staring at me with anger. Also, I see another stickfigure, who’s gray, in the distance behind Terrance, but I couldn’t make out anything more before he shakes me.

“YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CARELESS! NOT RECKLESSLY STUPID! WHAT THE HECK HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU!!!” Terrance snaps.

I shrug, “Thhiss diseassee?”

“…YOU ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK! IF I CATCH YOU SITTING ON THE RAILING AGAIN, I SWEAR-” Terrance shouts.

“Buuuttt I was carefullll!” I tell him, “Unttilll, I was not!!”

“…”

He snaps his fingers, and the claw releases me. I fall to the ground with a thud, and I feel a little hurt from the action. However, it would have been a lot worse if that claw didn’t catch me in time.

Terrance then grabs me by the arm and pulls me up.

“Ugh, well, since I’m here, we’ll both go to the theater, as it’s almost time to announce the next motive victim. Come on, let’s go,” Terrance says pulling me away. He then suddenly looks up and shouts, “And that includes you, Hubert!”

“Uh…” Hubert says. From how far away he is, I couldn’t tell what expression he’s making, but if I had to guess… it’s probably relief.

Then Terrance proceeds to drag me away.

POV Reginald:

“Have you considered going easy on them?” I ask, as Burt and Thomas help Sven to his feet after Right destroyed him in a sparring match. Funny, it seems as if he has somehow gotten worse at fighting since last time.

“That was easy!” Right argues.

I groan in slight annoyance. Suddenly- Ding, Dong! “Everyone, you know the drill, go to the theater.”

“…Is it just me or did he sound frustrated?” Sven says as he gets his bearings after Right knocked the wind out of him.

“Probably because the captain told him off,” Burt says.

“Well, I guess it is perfect timing. Come on toppats, let’s go,” I say.

We all then head over there. As we wait for the theater to fill up, I notice a passing conversation.

“Come on, Rups. Give her back her glasses,” Dave says.

“…I’ll do it later. Besides, it’d be rude to interrupt Terrance with his announcement,” Rupert says.

Dave looks slightly annoyed by Rupert saying this, but I don’t think it’s only because his friend is refusing to give up the item. Actually, I wonder why Rupert wants to keep them?

I decide to look over to the only person I know who wears glasses and see Hubert hugging her, like she is about to disappear. Seems someone isn’t afraid of getting sick. Dmitri groans in annoyance at this. Soon, Hubert lets go and my suspicions are soon confirmed as the doctor is lacking her rose colored glasses.

“Oh, and here,” Hubert says to her and gives her a certain golden key, “I locked the door for you.”

“Pfff, you act like someone is goinnng to useee it to commit murder!!” the doctor says while pocketing it, “Haaaaveee some faaaaith!”

“After what happened last time, I’m not taking the chance,” Hubert says.

Soon, the theater fills up and Terrance appears on stage. Unlike other times, he looks extremely frustrated and not at all cheery.

“What’s the matter, Terry? You don’t look so good?” Rupert asks.

“Don’t… Don’t call that,” Terrance says.

“Why? You try to give us all nicknames all the time,” Thomas says.

“Well yeah, but I’m not in the mood for nicknames alright,” Terrance says, “Okay, let’s get straight to the point. Things have come up and I don’t really feel like playing the role of Monokuma right now. I know, such a terrible crime for a self-proclaimed actor, but I just… can’t muster up the energy right now. It’s been a day. So, let’s just make this quick-”

I tense up. I’m most certainly next, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. I wonder in horror what out-of-character actions I will start to preform against my will and how painful coughing up blood will be. Right notices my distress and grabs my hand. I squeeze it and it makes me feel better.

“-Bing, batta, boom: Sven, you’re next,” Terrance says and snaps his fingers.

“Va?!” Sven shouts, “But I…” he starts swaying, “I… did… every…thing… right…”

He then collapses on the ground. Burt and Thomas rush to his aid. I can only stare at him. He wasn’t in any of our predictions on who would be next, if you don’t count any toppats in general. However, he seemed to be on the side of least likely, especially since he’s right. He did everything right. Didn’t interact with any infected person and washed his hands. So why him, and more importantly, how the heck does this thing spread?!

“One of us! One of us!” Dr. Vin and Rupert start chanting, which their respective friends elbow them to stop as soon as Burt helps Sven to his feet.

“Y-You okay, Sven?” Burt says sounding completely unnerved.

“…” Sven opens his mouth, but nothing comes out.

“Sven?”

“...” Sven looks mortified. He continues opening and closing his mouth like he’s trying to say something, but is unable to say anything.

“Are… are you okay?” Burt says, with a hint of horror in his voice.

Terrance says, “Ladies and gentlesticks, Sven has now caught the, ‘SHUT THE @#$@ UP Disease’, or the ‘Quiet Disease’ for short, as he’s lost the ability to communicate!”

Henry scratches his chin before signing, “[But can still sign right? I mean, he could understand me before, so he has to know it]”

“Nope, if he attempts to, his body will refuse,” Terrance says.

“… [Can he still write?]” Henry asks.

“No, for that as well,” Terrance says.

“…” Henry thinks for a moment before raising his hands-

“He can’t communicate with others! END OF STORY!” Terrance shouts, “Ugh, I’m going to go now. Byeeeeee.” He then disappears.

“Uh… Rupert and Dr. Vin have you two… interacted with Sven at all? Even if you were in the same room?” Jacob asks.

“I thinnkkk I passed himmmm a feeeewww times,” Dr. Vin admits.

“Same. Really didn’t hang out with him,” Rupert says, “Not as much as I did with Dave.”

“Noooor Huberrto,”

“Huberto?” Hubert asks.

“You know what! This has gone on for far too long!” Dmitri shouts, “If we want to prevent more sickness, then we need to do it the Wall way. No more of this feeble way of doing it by washing our hands!”

“Dmitri, no,” Hubert says, “I’ve already told you-”

“Do not worry, my plan will benefit everyone!” Dmitri says.

“…Everyone?” Jacob asks, “Um…Well, I’m willing to hear you out! Any idea is welcome.”

“Not every idea-” Hubert says.

“Come on, we haven’t even heard his idea yet!” Jacob says, “I mean, how bad could it be-”

We are all now standing right outside the infirmary. There is now a couple of gym equipment, tables, and anything that is big and heavy blocking the door. Dmitri looks proud of himself.

“Problem solved!” Dmitri says.

“Um… how is… locking all the infected in a single room going to help us?” Thomas says, “It seems pretty… inhumane?”

“Simple. Quarantine!” Dmitri says, “Back at Wall, any time prisoner got sick, we put them in there, and it prevents it from spreading. Honestly, if Hubert was not so soft, I would have done it earlier!”

“That makes sense, but… what are we going to do with those still in there?” Ellie asks.

“…We have quarantined ze sick, so no more will be infected.” Dmitri says.

“That doesn’t answer my question. What will we do to save them? How are we even going to feed them with all that stuff in the way?” Ellie says.

“We won’t… that’s the plan,” Hubert suddenly says with anger, “The plan is literally locking up the sick and forgetting about them!”

“W-What?! Y-You can’t do that!” Dave shouts.

We all turn to Dmitri. Waiting for his rebuttal. However, instead of refuting the general’s claims he just says, “Details…”

“Wait, how does this benefit everyone?!” Jacob says.

“Simple, sick do not infect others and Dr. Vin has plenty of subjects and no distractions to help her come up with a cure,” Dmitri says.

“But won’t she have a hard time, as she isn’t exactly sober?” Burt says with a disguised rage. I don’t exactly blame him for being angry. His best friend is being left for dead in there.

“We can put someone not infected in there to help,” Dmitri says, “Maybe Dave-”

As soon as Dmitri says Dave’s name, the security guard makes a break for it. In a second, he’s completely gone.

“…”

“…Anyone else?” Dmitri says.

“Okay, let’s admit this was a bad idea and let them out of there,” Right says.

“Нет!” Dmitri shouts, “You do not understand. This fixes everything!”

“But we’re leaving three stick figures to die…” Jacob says.

“So? Then rest of us can live! Besides, the only real casualty is doctor, and even then she is insane. Plus, she can cure herself,” Dmitri says.

“…Does she even have the materials to do that?” Ellie says.

“You’re right! There may be a cure, but the ingredients might not be in there,” Thomas says.

“The ingredients might not be in this factory, period.” Burt says.

Everyone turns to Burt in shock.

“Come on dude… this isn’t a good time for joking,” Charles says, “I’m sure we can find a cure-”

“I’m serious. Terrance either wants us to give up and kill someone or wait 7 days to who knows what. Giving us a cure would undermine it,” Burt says, “Plus… with Sven sick, I’m starting to think we’ve been thinking about this sickness all wrong.”

“Then what do you think it is?!” Dmitri snaps.

Burt stares at him before shrugging, “Eh, it’s probably a countdown to all our deaths. About time too,”

I give Burt a suspicious look. He’s lying.

“D-don’t say that!” Jacob shouts.

“It’s only a possibility,” Burt says.

“FREEEEDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” the doctor suddenly shouts as she rushes out of the infirmary. While everyone was talking, Ellie and Henry removed the barricade trapping the sick in that room. The doctor runs out so fast, I barely notice that she has her glasses back on.

The next to exit the room, is Sven who looks worried. He walks up to Burt and- starts shaking him.

“Sven! Calm down!” I shout.

“…” Sven bares his teeth and tries saying something, but no words come out.

“Sven…” Burt says calmly.

“…” Sven let’s his friend go and then rubs his own arm.

“…Was it something I said?” Burt asks.

Sven gives no response, but his face gives off a confused look before turning into defeated annoyance.

“Aw, it really sucks you can’t communicate with anyone huh? Sorry about that,” Rupert says as he leaves. He looks pretty proud of himself.

Sven immediately animates and points a finger of accusation right at Rupert and “barks” at him.

“Ah, really must suck,” Rupert shrugs and walks up to him. Sven stops his “barking” and backs up, “Especially, since you are a really good talker.” He then pats him on the head.

Burt gets in between the two of them and says, “Stay away from him, mutt.”

“…Okay,” Rupert says and turns to the crowd, “Oi! Has anyone seen Dave?”

“…”

“He um… left,” Charles says.

“…oh,” Rupert says with a slight twinge of hurt in his voice, but quickly recovers with a smile, “Eh, it’s fine! He probably needs the space anyways. Especially, since he suffers from a lot of nightmares. Ones that involve Righty over here killing him, lol.”

Everyone stares at Rupert. No one knows how to react to that information.

“…W-What?” Right says.

“Oh, don’t worry, you only kill him in half of his dreams, if that’s the thing that’s bothering you,” Rupert says, “He usually dies the other half by being crushed.”

“…Um, why are you… telling us this?” Jacob says.

Rupert doesn’t respond, but instead walks off. Charles tries stopping him, but Henry pulls him back.

“…”

“What the heck was that?” Ellie asks.

“I dunno, but it wasn’t how Rupert usually acts, I’ll you that,” Charles says.

After that display, the massive group of us dissolves. Only Dmitri remains, complaining loudly about how his plan was ruined by two neutrals. As for the toppats, we decide to do our meeting early, so we head over to Classroom 3A. Once we get into place, I notice everyone, except Burt, keeps our distance away from Sven.

“Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that I have no idea what the heck is going to happen next,” Thomas says, “I thought for sure, the chief or the captain was going to be infected next! Why Sven?”

“Maybe he annoyed Terrance?” Burt guesses as he takes out a piece of paper and starts writing on it, “With his constant talking I mean.”

“I can get behind that,” Right says.

Sven attempts to angerly defend himself, but nothing comes out of his mouth. He’s like a movie on mute.

“I agree that is a likely possibility for why. I can see him prioritizing his own entertainment value over doing his job. He did the same thing when he was the leader,” I say.

“…So, what now?” Right asks, “Our previous theories have all been disproven, and the people we thought were next are still fine and dandy.”

“Not necessarily. We did predict a toppat was next and well- a toppat has now been infected.” I say.

“What are you writing about?” Thomas suddenly asks and looks over Burt’s shoulder.

“Nothing,” Burt says and pushes Thomas away with his right hand, while holding on to what he is writing with his left. Funny enough, it looks like he’s trying to hide the note from the camera.

“…Are you planning a murder?!” Thomas asks angerly, “If so, how disgraceful! You’re insulting Geoffroy’s name if you do that! Plus, we’ve already seen what happens to those who murder; our chief figures it out and sends them to the gallows!”

“…” Burt stares at him before saying, “Yes.”

“YOU FIEN-” Thomas shouts, before Burt wraps his arm around him and pulls him closer. He then shows Thomas the note. After what feels like an eternity, Burt releases Thomas and he goes back to his original position.

“…”

“…Good murder plan,” Thomas says and leans back. I give him a confused look.

Curious, Sven creeps over and tries looking at Burt’s work. Burt pushes him away as well.

“I haven’t finished my murder plan, yet” Burt says, “Wait till I’m done with it.”

Sven pouts but obliges.

“Who are you planning to murder?” I ask.

“Nermal,” Burt says.

“Nermal?”

“*Sigh* He’s a character from Garfield,”

“…”

“…Okay?” I say.

Suddenly, Burt stops writing the note and shows it to Sven. Again, out of view of the camera. He looks over it.

“Good plan?” Burt asks.

“…” Sven doesn’t answer. He ends up coughing blood instead. Unlike the other infected, he has the decency to cover his mouth when doing so, but it causes blood to appear all over his elbow.

“I wonder if the disease makes him illiterate?” Thomas says, “Since, he can no longer write.”

“That would be a problem,” Right says.

“But at least he won’t go the way of Geoffroy,” I say.

“…Too soon,” Thomas sighs, “Way too soon…”

“Here,” Burt says giving me the note, it’s folded up, “Make sure you don’t read it in view of a camera. I don’t want to spoil Terrance to it.”

I look at it, guess it’s my turn to find out what it says. Right peers over my shoulder to get a closer look. After making sure that the note is at an angle where the cameras can’t see it, I open it.

It reads: “Pretend this is a plan for murder. I don’t want Terrance or whoever is working with him to find out. Anyways, I think I’ve figured out the truth of the disease. It’s not deadly at all, or at the very least, it will be cured before anyone drops dead. Why? Because Terrance wants a murder, which will lead to a trial. If someone dies from the motive, it wouldn’t be fun for him. He did the same thing with Johnny by giving him medicine, so why shouldn’t it be the same here? This whole motive is a scare tactic, so the best course of action is to wait it out. Hope this helps.” There’s a little doodle of cat with a top hat on the bottom, saying, “Hang in there!”

Right and I look to each other, as a wave of relief washes over. I then fold it up.

“Welp, that is definitely a murder plan,” I say, and place it into my pocket.

“Y-Yeah,” Right says stumbling over his words to lie.

“Glad we all agree,” Burt says.

“…”

We all stare at each other. We no longer have anything more to talk about. Why should we? This motive is confusing, and we are nowhere closer to an escape than the first day. Well, at least one of us figured it out. Of course, this disease isn’t deadly! Why would it be?! Terrance may not value stickfigure life at all and prides himself on being unpredictable, but he only wants entertainment, and a trial is much more entertaining than watching everyone drop dead.

“So… what are we going to do with this murder plan?” Thomas finally says breaking the awkward silence of the room.

“I gave it to the chief,” Burt says, “He’ll decide on how he’ll get rid of the note. Don’t want anyone in a future trial figuring out how we did it.”

“Oi! You’re acting like this murder note is-” Right shouts, before I elbow Right to silence him.

“…We’re not going to murder anyone,” Right adjusts his statement.

“Only Nermal.”

“…”

“Anyways, chief. Make sure you get rid of it. Tear it up or put it in the incinerator. What not,” Burt says, “You should decide soon, cause it’s almost nighttime.”

With that statement, the meeting ends, and we all leave. As we walk, I realize something. Thanks to Burt, only the toppats know the truth of this motive, but everyone else? They are still in the dark. They still think it’s deadly. I look down at my pocket. Tomorrow, I could give this piece of paper to the law enforcement and neutral sides, or at the very least, ask Burt to make more notes to give to the rest of the factions. This could stop a future murder from happening, but do I want that?

“Reg? Are you coming?” Right asks.

I look at him and realize I stopped walking. I catch up to him and say, “Yes- I, was just… thinking about things,”

Right smiles and holds my hand, “We’re going to be fine. Don’t worry. Especially now with that uh ‘murder’ note,”

I smile back and that’s when I decide- I won’t throw it away. It’ll prove all the toppats’ innocence during the inevitable trial.

As soon as we enter our dorm I hear-Ding, Dong “It’s 10:00 everyone! Did you know that Geoffroy was killed almost three days after the motive? So, what’s taking you so long?! I know at least one of you is planning a murder. So, hop to it!”

“…”

“He’s lying,” Right reassures me, “No one is planning a murder. He’s just saying that to get us paranoid.”

I small smile creeps on my face. It’s one of glee. Right’s almost right. No toppat is planning a murder.

Notes:

1 chapter left before victim reveal...
Well, I'm sure nothing in this chapter is important and won't end up having dire consequences!

Chapter 16: DtS Daily Life #6

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Reginald:

Ding, Dong! “It’s now 6:00 am. The motive is almost halfway over! SO, STOP PROCRASTINATING!”

Once again, we do our morning rituals and head over to the lunchroom. Sven is (thankfully) unable to make us breakfast, because of how often he’s been coughing up blood and fainting just this morning. He doesn’t really look good and has the expression of, “I have no mouth and I must scream” written all over his face.

After Dave delivers our pancakes, we begin to reveal in its fluffy goodness. Especially, since we all thought we we’re going to be able to taste it again. Soon, I notice Rupert walking up to Dave as the security guard makes his way over to his own table. With what happened yesterday, my inner gossip forces me to pay attention.

“Oh, hi Rupert! Is there anything you need?” Dave asks.

“Yep,” Rupert says and pulls Dave closer to him. Then in one swift motion, they kiss. Dave’s face turns red hot, and a small blush appears on Rupert’s face. I jump up in surprise.

“Will ya be my boyfriend, Dave?” Rupert says, loud enough for everyone to hear. Everyone turns to watch.

“…I… uh… wha…t?” Dave says still recovering from what just happened. He then shakes his head in attempt to regain some autonomy, “Uh, Yes- A-Actually… not right now.”

“Huh? Why not? I’m probably going to die in half a week! That’s why I’m saying this now! So, we can be together during our final days-”

“You aren’t going to die!” Dave shouts as he grabs on to Rupert’s shoulders, “We’re going to finish that cure soon! I promise! You are going to be okay!”

“Sure…” Rupert says like he doesn’t believe him, “But still… why not now? Not to say I don’t believe you, but that was only an excuse to ask you out now…”

“Well… I” Dave sighs, “Um… the reason why I don’t want to be with you right now, is because… you’re not yourself right now. Don’t get me wrong! I feel the same way too, Rupert! I would love to be with you, and I’m glad you think the same but… you might only think you actually like me that way, but… the REAL you doesn’t, and… I would hate to take advantage of you for my own selfishness. So… once you get better, we’ll talk about this and then we can decide if both of us really feel this way. Okay?”

“…Al-Alright,” Rupert says.

Dave then gives him a small peck on the cheek. Then smiles at him. Now, Rupert’s the one who looks like a tomato. The two of them sit back down, awkwardly.

“…”

Sven bares his teeth in annoyance as he gets back to eating his pancakes. He has the look that he wants so badly to complain, but thanks to his illness can’t. Fortunately, Thomas comes to his rescue.

“Well, that was a red-flag,” Thomas says.

“How so?” Right says.

“I mean, did you see how he confessed? He made sure everyone was watching! He was weaponizing peer-pressure to get David into a relationship with him! How disgusting. Plus, he guilt-tripped the poor security guard, by saying he was dying soon! Ironic that David was so concerned about taking advantage of Rupert to the point he said no, when the other was doing the OPPOSITE! Though, credit where credit is due, the boldness of the kiss does earn some of my respect. Hmm, maybe I should try that with Henry, you know, minus all the red-flags that were shown. Unlike a certain law enforcement swine, I value a healthy relationship.”

“Thomas, if you do that, I will throw you into a trashcan,” Burt says.

“Please, you only say that because you don’t like romance!” Thomas says.

“What I’m wondering is, why? Yesterday, he revealed some private information to all of us, which I can only infer the reason to being spite. Why all this?” I ask.

“Tch, another red-flag. I should warn him about all of this. With rose-colored glasses, it’s impossible to see them!” Thomas says.

With that we finish our meal.

Soon, we separate, and I find myself not knowing what to do. Though an idea comes quick as I reach into my pockets and discover I’ve run fresh out of those bear coins, so Right and I decide to wander around looking for more.

We spend a lot of time searching, and yield little results. Though in hindsight it should’ve been expected, as it has been… a week maybe, since we got here. So, most coins may have been discovered and pocketed by others. Briefly, I wonder if Terrance ever hides more bear coins, but then I decide against it. That would be the smart thing to do.

“Oi, Reg?”

“Yes?”

“Maybe there’s some in the shark feeding room? I think only Sven and Burt go up there, so there might be a chance there’s some left.”

“Good idea,” I say, and we walk over there.

Once we make it up the stairs and into that room, we yield little results. Guess Sven and Burt do more than feed sharks all day after all. Though I do notice my right-hand man looking a little tired. Guess he did not have a good night’s sleep last night?

Soon, we exit out of the room and see- Burt and Sven exiting out of the other door. Quickly, we notice each other.

“Hi,” Burt says.

“E’llo… Thought that door was locked,” Right says pointing to the door Burt just exited out of.

“Not anymore. The doctor forgot to lock it,” Burt says. Sven makes an annoyed expression. Judging by it, if he was well, he probably would monologue about how careless that action is.

“Hm, makes sense considering her illness… Wait, how do you know she has the key to that room?!” I ask.

“Some rumors floating around. Apparently she went up there yesterday and almost split her head open,” Burt says.

“Huh,” I say.

“Anyways, Sven and I were done checking it out, so if you want- feel free to,” Burt says and the two walk downstairs.

“…”

“What are you waiting for? Let’s check it out!” I say as I walk through the door. Once we enter, we find a bare room and the entrance to the catwalk. Despite being unlocked for a small amount of time; I find a single bear coin in the room. I sigh in disappointment.

Then it’s on to the catwalks. Right and I walk around a bit on it, and by doing so I feel empowered. Everything looks so small, and I can see everyone (well, the ones who matter anyhow), from up here. They all seem who are all unaware of my presence. Except Burt and Sven, who wave to us. We wave back.

It’s nice up here, especially with Right. Unfortunately, we are unable to stay up there for too long as I suddenly hear- Ding, Dong! “THEATER TIMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

In disappointment, we leave and head downstairs to the aforementioned room. Once we get there, we wait for the room to fill up, and then-

“Alright, everybody! You guys are REALLY testing my patience!” Terrance shouts as he appears on stage, “It has been four days since this motive has started and no one has murdered yet!”

“Good,” Hubert says.

“So, I’ve come to the conclusion that this motive is not enough on its own to tempt you guys, which means, I need to spice things up with a bonus motive!” Terrance says which causes everyone to stare at him in terror.

“A…A b-bonus motive?” Jacob asks.

“Yep! If nobody kills BEFORE the next stick gets infected (after this one) then the sick’s illness will get worse! Like progressing to stage 2 or stage 3 or something. Maybe it’ll get so bad, the sick won’t be able to leave their beds!”

Panic looks appear on the infecteds’ faces.

“Come on, we can talk about this…” Rupert says.

“I haaate thisss alreadyyy do NOT make it worssse!” the doctor chimes in.

Sven argues his case in spirit.

“Anyways, we’re getting off topic. There is someone here that is going to join our little sick group. So, without further a-do:” Terrance raises his hand, and my heart skips a beat, as I wait for him to say, “Get @$@#ed, Bozo,” He then snaps his fingers, and a panic look appears on Right.

“R-Right?” I say and immediately rush to his aid.

“No… no… no…” Right soon begins repeating as his legs shake. He holds himself tightly and shakes violently. It seems he’s fighting with every single inch of his being to not scum to the virus. ~~It was honestly kind of hot.~~

“Ooo, that's interesting~” Terrance says, “Normally, you would’ve fainted by now. Wonder how long you can last.”

“…” Right’s face starts looking red. Despite his efforts, it seems like it’s a losing battle.

“You shoulllllllllld lay dowwwwwn!” Dr. Vin shouts a bit too loudly, “That… helps…with fainting. I should know… I am doctor…”

“And because it worked so well for you last time,” Burt says.

“R-Right…” I say to him once more.

Right looks at me, with most scared and despaired filled expression I’ve ever seen from him, and quietly says, “…I’m…sorry…Reg…” He then collapses to the floor. A horrific scream escapes my mouth, as I rush to Right’s aid.

“Oof,” Rupert says in disappointment.

Slowly, Right gets back up again. When he does, I could barely tell that it was him. Everything about him was different. Especially, when he looks at us, at me, and growls. He then proceeds to rip his own top hat off and stomp on it. Fortunately, Thomas steals it before he can do any more damage.

“…”

“Ugh, what @$#@ you’re looking at you filthy toppats!” Right snaps.

“Right…”

“Don’t right me, you @#$#ing @$$hole! Go die in a hole!”

Normally, that wouldn’t hurt me at all. I’ve been called way worse. However, hearing it from my right-hand man, feels like I was stabbed repeatedly in the chest.

“Well, I guess everyone falls eventually,” Terrance says with a hint of a tease, “Right-y, here now has the mutation I dub, the ‘Betrayal Disease’. Anyone he was loyal to he now despises and vice-versa!”

“…D-Despises?” I choke, “Right…?”

“Tch, didn’t you even listen?” Right snaps with malice, “Of @#$@ing course, I hate you! You’re the worst person I’ve ever met in my entire life, you Pringles’ mascot reject!”

I feel myself shatter at the comment, as despair wraps around me.

“Ha-ha! Aw, what’s the matter? The person you care about more than anything, except yourself, now despises you! Guess, Right finally sees the light and finally recognizes you as the arrogant coward you’ve always have been!” Terrance laughs completely enjoying himself.

“…”

“…Change him back,” I suddenly say.

“What?”

“Change him back.”

“Well only if you commit a murder-”

“I SAID CHANGE HIM BACK!” I scream and pull out my dagger. I then charge straight at him, consequences be damned! Only to be held back by my toppats and Hubert.

“Chief!” Burt warns.

“Calm down, it’ll be okay,” Thomas says.

“Stop, you’ll get yourself killed!” Hubert shouts.

“Oi! Don’t harm Terrance,” Right shouts as he helps. Between those words and Terrance’s smug face, it only makes me angrier. I manage to get Burt and Sven off of me, but the rest of them stubbornly stay put. Unfortunately, Charles, Ellie, and Henry come by as reinforcements to drag me away from that monster.

“I’LL MAKE YOU WISH YOU STAYED DEAD!” I scream as I am pulled further and further away from my goal.

“Aw, I’m so scared. Truly, shaking in my shoes,” Terrance teases, “Anyways for the rest of you, remember what I said. This illness will get worse if there isn’t someone dead before the next announcement. Tootles~” then the fiend disappears.

I don’t exactly remember what happened afterwards. Just that I am now back in my dorm and sitting on my bed, with a cup of tea in my hands, ~~the kind he likes~~, while Dave stares at me awkwardly. Apparently, everyone thought he was the best person to help me deal with my sudden outburst and sacrificed him to me. I take a sip of my drink and feel a bitterly numb anguish inside my soul.

“So… um… are you feeling a bit better?” Dave asks.

“…”

“Uh… So… um… I don’t know where to start… I dunno why I’m the one they choose to help you over someone who know you better… Guess, they figured I would understand what you’re going through?”

“But you don’t understand what it’s like!” I snap.

“...Y-Yeah… I don’t. I mean, Rupert never said he hated me because he isn’t acting like himself.”

I… don’t know if I’m able to correct him. I have no idea if this sick version of Rupert hates him or not. He’s sending mix messages. After some internal debating, I’ve decided that Rupert does love him but is just a toxic kind.

“But… that’s the thing though!” Dave says suddenly, “He… isn’t acting like himself! They’re all not acting like themselves! Like, Dr. Vin! She’s usually very careful and meticulous. But now she’s not… and… uh… almost fell to her…*Pause* death. *Pause*” a drop of sweat falls of the security guard, as he sees my blank expression, but he continues, “A-And Sven! I don’t know him well, but he’s usually super talkative right? So, him being silent is the opposite of how he acts. And Rupert…” Dave gives of an angry expression, before spiting “He’s acting like a disgusting mockery of himself,” he then calms himself down to say, “So, with your right-hand man hati- uh, sorry wrong word choice, with him being… like that… it only means his love for you is so great that it’s a big part of who he is! So much that his opposite is… like that…”

“…I guess,” I say.

“And besides, the captain is going to stop this! He’ll be cured and you’ll be back together with him in no time! With no deaths this time!”

“…” I roll my eyes.

“Which means, this isn’t permanent! You’ll be back to together in no time! I’m sure of it!” Dave says.

This gets a reaction out of me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still upset, and I refuse to be cheered up by a law enforcement agent. However, Right isn’t stuck like this forever. It makes too much sense for it to be temporary… right? Even so, in the worst-case scenario where Right stays sick, he at least won’t be dead.

A small glimmer of hope bubbles in my chest. Noticing it, Dave smiles.

“Yeah! We’re going to save the others, and then- we’ll all escape! And see the sun again!” Dave smiles and continues to talk. But it wasn’t really talking, as he doesn’t have anything more to say, so he just keeps restating things he already said, for the sake of to keep talking.

“Dave,” I suddenly say breaking his tangent, “I… think I want to be alone right now. Can you tell Thomas to tell the others that I don’t think I’ll make it to our meeting?”

“Oh okay! I’ll do that! I won’t mess it up, I promise!” Dave says and is about to leave, before he stops. He turns to me and says, “And also, don’t forget what I said, and everything is going to be okay! I’m sure of it! We’ll all get out of this nightmare. Just don’t give up, okay?”

“Alright,” I say half-heartedly.

Then, he’s gone.

I stay in my room for a while. Mostly out of fear. I don’t want to see Right like… that. I can deal with being arrested, I can deal with being usurped as the toppat chief, I can deal with this killing game, but there’s no universe where I can deal with my right-hand-man, my number two, my soulmate, hating me. So, if it means me hiding in my room, away from what just happened, then I’ll do it.

At some point in my self-induced isolation, the rest of my clan visits me. Right is not among them. Thomas and Burt share some gossip they heard about the captain fighting with one of his members, Charles. It was something about the pilot’s mental health and how he shouldn’t hide away his feelings, which sparked it. With this, and Hubert’s outburst yesterday, it can safely be assumed he’s slowly losing it.

Unfortunately, the gossip did not make me feel any better.

They soon leave to continue their meeting without me, and I continue to stay in my room Eventually, I hear- Ding, Dong “It’s 10:00 everyone! Friendly reminder. If no one kills before the next motive victim reveal, then the sickness will get worse!” Then the lights go out.

I lay down in my bed. The coldness of it is unbearable. Despite knowing it is only temporary, it still hurts not seeing him there. Knowing at right now, he hates me. I couldn’t fall asleep, because of it. I want to go home and be with him again.

I stare at the celling for who knows how long, before I hear footsteps. At first, I assumed it was Dave sleepwalking once again. Then I remembered how Geoffroy died.

Quickly, I get out of bed. Running outside, I see a figure walking towards the stairs. They seemed… upset by something. Slowly, I creep up to them, before shouting- “What are you doing?”

“Uh!” the figure says, and I couldn’t pin-point their voice. It’s static-y, like they’re wearing some sort of voice changer. Not only that, but it also sounds like they’re wearing a mask. Already, very suspicious.

“Well? I’m waiting?” I ask.

“Um… I’m the sand man, and uh… go back to sleep!”

“Really? You think I’d fall for that? How do I know, you’re not committing a murder? Especially against a toppat.”

“…I… I dunno,” then the figure books it.

“HEY!” I shout and run after them.

I chase them up the stairs and onto the main floor. At some point, I lunge forward and slam them into the ground.

“Hey! Stop! I’m not trying to kill anyone, I swear! I actually want the opposite! Promise!”

“Oh? If that’s the case, then tell me what is your name?”

“…” the figure then tries to escape my grasp, which soon devolves us tussling on the ground. Unfortunately, they seem to be stronger than me, but I wasn’t going to give up that easily. I attempt to pull out my dagger, but with how aggressive they were being, I wasn’t able to get an opportunity to do it. Fortunately, I am able to kick them, which causes something to fall out of their pocket. Curiously, I quickly grab it, before getting punched in the face.

Our fight goes to a complete stop as I feel something grab my waste and pull me off of them. Soon, I’m dangling a few feet off the ground, while the figure takes a sigh of relief. Then I hear another pair of footsteps.

“Wow, Reg. You’re quiet the troublemaker today. First breaking rule 10 and now breaking rule 7. Well… not exactly. I’m sure the traitor would’ve been able to kick your @$$ hard if I allowed them too,” Terrance says. The light glow of his light bolt eye illuminates his face and only it.

“W-What?!” I shout flabbergasted.

“Sorry about that, guess I was being too loud,” the figure- now traitor says.

“Yeah, you aren’t the sneakiest of people. Probably should set something up to prevent these things happening in the future,” Terrance says.

“Nyeh! Let me go!” I shout, trying to figure out a way out of my confinements.

“Ugh, Reginald. I know you just lost your beloved right-hand man, but can you please be respectable.” Terrance sighs, “We’re having a conversation.”

“Not to the likes of you,”

“…God, I hope you die next,” Terrance says and snaps his fingers. Suddenly, the thing around my waste pulls me away from the two, then flings me back into my room. As I get up and feel blood drip down my face, I try exiting my room again, only to be flung back in. I growl in annoyance.

Guess I’m stuck here for now. Seems he’s a little competent in hiding his secrets. However, as I pull out a certain item I stole, he is still not competent enough. Unfortunately, I can’t see what it is, as it is too dark, but judging by the texture and shape I think it’s a photo. Fortunately, however, every room comes with a lamp, which still turns on even during nighttime hours. ~~I mean, how else was Geoffroy able to read that note and write his?~~

So, I walk over to my lamp, excited to see what this thing is. It came from the traitor, so it must be good. It might even reveal who’s in charge of this game. However, as I grab the lamp’s chain, I hesitate. As a sense of dread crawls over my insides. Like the dead are telling me not to look at it. I stand there for a moment, before I yank the chain, and the lamp turns on.

Now I’m able to see- see… see…

…

…I was wrong.

“Seriously, Reginald? Why do you have to ruin everything!” Terrance complains, as he picks up the damned photo. Unaffected by its forbidden knowledge, “…Well, I hope you’re happy. Ruining my schemes again… Goodbye!”

Then he leaves. Leaving me completely alone in my room.

Notes:

0 chapters remain until victim reveal...
Which means the next chapter will have someone drop dead!
:)

Chapter 17: DtS Daily Life #7

Notes:

Small reminder: if something is underline like this in the fic, then most likely, it will lead to a video, that will enhance the experience.
Also, like how this BDA came out. It's definitely LEAGUES better than my first one, mostly because I know now what I'm doing lol.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Reginald:

Ding, Dong! “It’s now 6:00 am. Hope the bed bugs didn’t bite for you all, except Reginald. I hope they devoured you alive.”

I didn’t want to get up. No, I couldn’t. Terrance’s announcement solidified it. I didn’t care if I miss breakfast because of it or left my toppats alone. I’m not getting up. Not when my bed feels so cold, and I’m left with that… cursed knowledge.

For how long I stayed in bed, avoiding the world, I don’t know. Long enough to hear- Knock, knock.

“Don’t come in!” I shout.

“Chief! It’s us!” Thomas says.

“I said, don’t come in! I want to be left alone! That’s an order!”

“…”

The door opens, I’m about to snap at them to leave, I notice them pushing a plate of pancakes inside my room. They then close the door.

I stare at the plate, before lightly chuckling to myself and getting up. I grab the plate and walk to my bed. Then, I begin eating. I still didn’t feel any better, but… at least I had something in my stomach. After eating, I walk over to my shower and rinse myself off. The ache inside my heart and mind still retains, but I feel a little better.

Exiting, I put on my clothes, fix my mustache, and snap on my gloves. What am I doing throwing myself a pity-party?! My clan needs me! I need to do something. I walk out of my dorm; I am soon face to face with Hubert after opening my door. His hand is raised like he was about to knock.

“Huh, you seem to be looking better than I thought you would be,” Hubert says.

“…I take my appearance very seriously, Hubert,” I spit.

“I see… How are you feeling?”

“Like I just lost the love of my life,”

“Oof…” Hubert says as he begins to scratch the back of his head, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“…” I glare at him.

“I’ll take that as a no… *Sigh* Well, let’s get down to business, if you are up to it, I mean.”

“Got nothing better to do.”

“We need to have a talk about this motive, together. We have to come up with something- fast. We’re running out of time.”

“Are you asking if I have any ideas?”

“I’m asking for you to share those ideas and be willing to listen to mine,”

“Alright. The toppats believe that Terrance is trying to make this motive as unpredictable as possible, so we can all go into a panic and thus commit murder.”

“Makes sense. Anything more?”

“…Not really. What about you?”

“…Vicky is nowhere near to making a cure. She has theories and has tried her hardest, but with her being infected, it’s slow at best,” Hubert says, “And our other plan, Dmitri’s quarantine… We might end up having to do it after all. I wish we didn’t, but… we can’t get any more of us sick!”

“I don’t think that would work though,” I tell him, “Sven and… Right got sick and neither of them interacted much with the infected beforehand. Only in passing, but that was the same with all of us. Burt has the theory that we’ve greatly misunderstood this illness, especially since we don’t even know how it spreads. And… There is a chance that all of us are already infected, and we just haven’t felt the symptoms yet. If Dmitri sets up this quarantine, it would already be too late.”

“…I was afraid of that…” Hubert says. He pauses before hesitantly saying, “I… actually do have another plan, but I… haven’t told anyone yet and we’ll only do it… as a last resort.”

“…What’s the plan?” I ask intrigued.

“…” Hubert looks down in shame before saying, “…If we can’t find a way to stop the motive before the time limit, then… we’ll have to… *Gulp* stage a murder.”

“Stage?”

“Get two of us to kill each other, with their consent of course, in turn saving the rest of us,”

I blink before calling out his hypocrisy, “I thought you wanted to prevent more murders?”

“I do, but…” Hubert sighs, “I really don’t want to do this, but… sometimes we have to make tough decisions to save the factions we’re a part of. Ones that… are morally gray at best.”

My hands shake a little at that statement. Fortunately, I am able to ready myself to say, “I’m not willing or let any toppat take part in such a plan!”

Hubert looks disappointed but he has a look of understanding on his face, “*Sigh* I don’t want to do it either. I want to get out of here along with everyone else without any bloodshed! But… *Pause* It’s only a last resort. Hopefully, we’ll find a better plan before we get desperate enough to do it…”

I place my hand over my face to hide my mouth. “Well, if you ever decide to do it. Leave my toppats out of it.”

“…” Hubert looks at me with a pleading look, before sighing, “A-affirmative.”

“Oh! T-There you guys are!” a new voice suddenly says with fear. We both look over at the stairwell and see Dave and Sven running down it. They then get close to us and gasp for air. Both look terrified.

“Mr. Panpa and Mr. Svensson, what’s wrong?” Hubert asks.

“Yes, what’s wrong?” I ask.

“Uh… I don’t know, but… Sven started freaking out and waving his arms around. Like that-” Dave says as Sven jumps up and down with his mouth open. Desperately, trying to communicate something important but being unable to.

Dave continues, “And um… with how scared he looks, I think… I think someone’s planning a murder.”

Both of us straighten up, “A murder?!” we both ask. Sven gets even more frantic.

“I-I don’t know… Maybe? I don’t know what he’s trying to say, but… maybe you guys know! You can fix this right?”

“…” I grin my teeth together. I don’t know what to do. After what feels like an eternity, I ask, “Sven, where did you get this idea, and can you lead us there?”

“…” Sven runs off, only stopping at the stairwell. He looks back at us. Obviously, wanting us to follow him. We all look at each other and then run to catch up with him.

In a flash, we’re on the main floor running to who knows where. Tension is high and I can feel my blood pressure rising. For a moment, I forget my own worries as adrenaline takes over.

We get pretty far down the hallway, with Dave practically pulling Sven to their destination, because the latter is now experiencing the consequences of working at a desk all day, as he quickly runs out of energy. Suddenly, Hubert stops running, but only for a second- as he then charges right past me and proceeds to push Sven right into Dave. The poor man falls to the ground, while the security guard wobbles a few steps forward and barely stops himself from falling to the ground.

I’m about to yell at him for doing that to one of my toppats, especially now of all times. Then-

THUD

And Hubert Galeforce, ultimate general, is now laying on the floor, unmoving.

Notes:

Wow, nobody suspected Hubert to be the next victim. And here I thought I used him too much to the point people would see through me. I've seen someone get close with Dr. Vin, with one of the reasons being "It'll hurt Terrance".
Also, the BDA was inspired by another one I saw a while back where two characters are walking down a hallway and then all of a sudden- one of them drops dead.
I don't think this trial is going to be as good as PtS's trial one was, but with how it sets up character development for like a lot of characters, it hopefully makes up for it.

Chapter 18: DtS Deadly Life- Investigations

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The air is still. We all stare at each other in stunned silence for what feels like forever. I barely register the small metallic thump, thump, of someone sprinting on the catwalk.

After what feels like an eternity, Dave suddenly asks, “W-Why hasn’t the… the body announcement gone off yet?”

We all look at him.

“…Because…” I say before realizing, “He’s not dead yet.”

Both look to me in both shock and hope. Quickly, Dave grabs Sven by the arm and pulls him up.

“Then, we need to find Dr. Vin! She’ll know what to do!” Dave says. Sven tries making a retort to this, but once again no words come out. In a flash, both have sprinted away to get help. I go around Hubert, so I don’t step on him and make his injuries worse. I’m about to follow them, before I take one last look at Hubert. He so desperately wanted to try and be my friend, thinking that if we combined forces, everyone would be able to escape. Yet, it was the very thing that killed him. I decide to leave.

Fortunately, I’m able to catch up with Dave and Sven who are standing right outside the infirmary. Just in time to see Sven rip his arm out of Dave’s grasp. The security guard gives him a confused look, which seems to annoy Sven.

“What the heck are you doing?!” he shouts, causing me to come to a stop. Along with my heart for a little bit.

Dave stares at him horrified, and says, “What the @$#@ did you just say?”

“Um… What? I… Why are you dragging me and acting like that?! Especially right before Terrance… was going to… announce… *Pause*…oh” Sven says.

“…” Dave grabs his arms and almost looks like he’s about to cry, “We’re… we’re too late…”

“What the bloody hell just happened?!” Rupert asks as he exits the infirmary, along with Dr. Vin who’s adjusting her coat to its formal appearance. They both look incredibly confused.

“…”

“Dave, you okay?! What happened?!” Rupert asks as he walks over to his friend. Dave gives him a sad before wrapping him into a hug.

“Y... You’re… you’re back… *hic* you’re… back…” Dave cries.

“Uh…” Rupert looks at him before hugging him back, “…Sorry, for leaving you hanging,”

“…” Dr. Vin looks over at the two and back at the rest of us and says, “Someone is dead. Am I correct?”

“I… I think so?” Sven says.

“Well, almost,” I clarify, “We ran over to where you were at in hopes you would be able to save him… but, judging how you’re back to normal…”

“…” Dr. Vin grins her teeth, “Where is victim? Since someone is dead, we should start investigation.”

As soon as she said that Terrance’s voice comes on the intercom, though it sounds forced, “A body has been discovered. Head to… the stupid hallway where- ugh, this round gives no favors- the classrooms are. So, you all can start investigating.”

We all stand in horrified silence. Then quickly, we make our way to the body.

Soon enough, we’re back where Hubert’s body lays. Terrance is standing right above it with a shock and pained expression. Henry, Charles, and Ellie are standing above him, with fear and shock.

The doctor stands there stunned, before saying something in Russian with a panicked voice.

“…Wait, something’s different-” Dave says.

Suddenly, Dr. Vin dives right next to her fallen friend, while shouting “HUBERT!” She then desperately tries treating his wounds.

Suddenly, I hear rapid footsteps followed by-

“REG! Oh, thank God!”

“R-Right?” I say.

“W-What happened? I got infected and then… ugh, it’s all a blur,” Right says as he comes to a stop right in front of me, probably noticing the scar on my face from last night, “…Did I hurt you?”

“…” I stare at him before going teary eyed and hug him.

“Reg?”

“…You’re back,”

“…Yeah, I am back,” Right says hugging me back, “Sorry, I wasn’t strong enough.”

“…me too…” I tell him.

Soon, everyone else runs in. We stop hugging because of it. My arms feel cold due to his absence. Gasps of horror echo throughout the room.

“I… I knew you were soft, Hubert, but… not like this…” Dmitri somberly says.

“Mood,” Burt says.

“N-no. Not again,” Jacob says with horror.

We soon all somberly look at Terrance, waiting for a response. Except for Dr. Vin and Charles, who seems transfixed onto his captain’s corpse.

Terrance stares at us before taking a deep breath, turns away, and begins mumbling in a slightly angry tone, “I’m Monokuma. I don’t care who lives or who dies, as long as there is a murder. I like trials and executing people. BUT ONLY AFTER A VOTE! Even if the culprit killed my friends… I will obey that rule. Despair, despair, despair!”

“…”

“Um… are you okay?” Dave asks.

“Ugh, I am…” Terrance says as he takes a deep breath.

“Aren’t you going to say anything else?” I ask.

“What! Oh. Right! Ehem,” Terrance says then with a strained voice, “F-Fail, watch where you’re going. *Pause* Go and start investigations, @$$holes” He then leaves.

“[Charles? You alright?]” Henry signs, “[You have not said anything, yet]”

“Yeah, dude. You okay?” Ellie says as well.

Charles stares at his captain’s body in silence, before snickering. Then he giggles, and before long he’s laughing hysterically. Everyone stares at him in utter horror, confusion, and disgust.

“YOU,” Dmitri shouts grabbing Charles by his collar, “You did this! How could you?! He was your father!”

“HEY!” Henry shouts in horsed breath as he separates the two, and yet Charles keeps laughing. It’s actually gotten worse, as he now on his knees. He puts one of his hands on his mouth in a desperate attempt to stop laughing.

“Grrr. Well, at least this was easier than last time,” Dmitri spits.

“Um actually, this doesn’t prove his guilt,” Jacob interrupts.

“…How?” Thomas says, “He’s LITERALLY laughing about this!”

“Well, I haven’t done much research into it, but there’s a condition called the Pseudobulbar affect, which is where a person laughs at inappropriate times. Like here,” Jacob says. Charles is now rolling on the floor, there’s a slight look of horror on his face, but he can’t stop laughing.

“Huh,” Sven says.

“He is still not off hook,” Dmitri crosses his arms, but relents.

“How do you know that?” Burt asks.

“Well, I’ve been studying psychology,” Jacob says while scratching the back of his head, “I don’t want to be a security guard forever. I’m using the money to save up for college so I can become a therapist. Honestly, it’s my dream job.”

“Heh just goes to show how smart my bro is~” Ellie brags, “But regardless, you guys investigate without me and Hen. Someone… needs to calm Charles down.” She then turns to the pilot. The laughing has gotten to the point tears are dripping down his eyes. Henry is already there, patting Charles on the back, as Ellie helps him up. The three of them leave the hallway.

“…”

“Well, we um… better start investigating. Don’t want to end up like Johnny,” Burt says.

“I… I just can’t believe this happened again…” Sven says.

Me too Sven, me too. I grab my right-hand-man’s hand as despair crawls all over me.

I take a small glance at Hubert’s body, and sigh. It’s so unfair that my toppats have to be involved with this. Especially towards the leader of the law enforcement. However, as the leader of the Toppat Clan, I have to commit to it. For my clan!

<Investigation Start!>

First things first. The body. I walk closer and see that Hubert has a massive gaping hole in his head. How he managed to survive it, for at least a good minute, is honestly astonishing. There’s some blood that leaked onto his jacket and all over the floor as well.

Truth Bullet: Injuries

I soon glance over to the weapon which killed him. A sandbag that’s now innocently laying a few inches away from Hubert’s head. Its bottom half is covered in blood. Even though it is obvious, I should note this piece of evidence.

Truth Bullet: Sandbag

Speaking of the obvious, I should note who triggered the BDA, as it’s still a good way to get rid of suspects. Since I saw Ellie, Henry, and Charles there by the body, I think it’s safe to assume that they were the ones who triggered it. Though I don’t know for sure.

Truth Bullet: BDA Rules

“Ugh, useless!” Dr. Vin suddenly shouts, before picking up the body. She wraps Hubert’s hand around her neck, as he lays slack against her body. Even so, her legs shake due to the weight.

“Hey! That is evidence!” Dmitri shouts. The doctor glares at him causing him to shut up.

“Dr. Vin please… I know you two were friends but…” Dave says.

“I can save him. I have to!” Dr. Vin shouts as she staggers forward due to the weight, “I-I have to…”

“…”

“Okay. Well, in that case…” Dave grabs Hubert’s other arm and pulls it over his shoulder. He gives the doctor a warm smile.

“…Thanks,” she says.

The two then leave for the infirmary.

“Great! We lost evidence!” Dmitri yells.

“And gain more, look at that blood trail,” Burt says.

“Hypocrite…” Thomas bites, “She didn’t even try and save Geoffroy last time!”

“…Um, is anyone going to tell me what happened?” Rupert asks.

“Charles went into a laughing fit,” Burt says, “And the captain died.”

“I know that! But… I meant how the heck this… happened! Cause last thing I remember is that we were heading towards the theater for probably some stupid motive, then the next thing I know I’m the infirmary with Dr. Vin!” Rupert complains, “Who might I add, looked like she had a wild night!”

“…”

“You don’t remember anything while you were infected?” Thomas asks.

“Infected?”

“Yeah! With the despair disease!” Jacob says.

“…” Rupert looks at him before saying, “That’s the dumbest name I have ever heard in my entire life. And my name’s Rupert.”

“…”

“I think I now know why he was infected first,” Burt says.

“So? Is anyone going to tell me?” Rupert outwardly complains.

“Go find Dave,” Dmitri says, “He is going to be useless in trial again, so there is no need for him to investigate.”

“Oi! He’s plenty useful!” Rupert barks, but still obliges and leaves. Though something about what he said that catches my attention. It was where he said he was when he got cured. I wonder…

Truth Bullet: Rupert’s & Dr. Vin’s Location

If that’s the case, I should ask Right where he was when he got cured. So, I do.

“Um… I was in the gym. Lifting some weights,” Right says.

“…” I grimace looking at the sandbag. There’s only one place where you can get that.

“Reg?” Right asks.

“…Do you have anything else that can prove your innocence?” I ask.

Right grins his teeth, realizing what it means, “Not really, especially since…” he pulls me closer and whispers, “(Do you trust me?)”

“(With my life)”

“… (I remember some parts of my time infected, probably because I fought it so hard, heh, but…)”

“(But?)”

“(I remember bringing a sandbag into this hallway. However, I didn’t do it. I couldn’t have! Plus, what would my motive be?)”

Yeah… especially since what Burt told us. Thankfully, I still have it in my pocket. I knew it would be useful for the trial.

Truth Bullet: Burt’s Note

“(R-Reg?)” Right asks with a hint of fear.

“(…Keep to this yourself. Don’t say anything about this.)”

“(I… I didn’t do this, Reg)”

“(I know. But they don’t.)”

We then separate. Unfortunately, I should note this conversation.

Truth Bullet: Right’s Location

Next up, the catwalks. We walk over to the stairs and begin climbing it. I keep glancing over at Right to make sure he’s still there. Each time, I see Right smile back at me and there.

Eventually, we reach the catwalk and find the door to it, still unlocked. We enter and I already see two differences from last time.

One is an abandoned black facemask and black jacket. Guess who ever went up here wanted extra security if anyone looked up. I pick it up and feel two different textures. However, nothing seems to warrant it.

Truth Bullet: Disguise

I then walk over to the other anomaly in the room, some blood on the wall. I scan it over, and the way it’s shaped seems more of slightly sprayed then of someone bleeding on to it. An uncomfortable realization appears in my mind. If this case wasn’t hard already, it’s about to get harder.

Truth Bullet: Blood Spray

We then go onto the catwalks and walk around. Unfortunately, we don’t find any more evidence. Though, it is nice to be up here with Right.

“Oi, Reg,” the man says out of the blue.

“Yes?”

“…Do you think the killer threw that sandbag off the railing to get the kill?” Right asks.

“I don’t think so, I know so. I watched it go down with my own eyes. It was about to hit Sven, but Hubert tackled him causing it to hit him instead.”

“…” Right looks at me and then says, “Thank goodness. *Pause* Can’t believe I owe a law enforcement one for protecting a toppat, much less their leader.”

I shrug, “He probably didn’t do it on purpose, and thought it was going to hit Dave. They were pretty close to each other.”

“Wait, since you and Sven saw. That means there’s no way you two would’ve done it!” Right says.

“Hm, yes. There is no way,” I repeat, “Add Dave to the mix, since he was there as well, and well- we’ve just cleared three of us.”

Truth Bullet: Initial Killing Witnesses

“Heh. Glad we can easily prove your innocence!” Right laughs. I smile.

We then get down from the catwalk and now we’ve run out of places that I know for a fact were involved. Before we can theorize where to go next, I see Thomas walking towards us.

“Is the room to the catwalk is unlocked again?!” Thomas asks with excitement.

“Again?” I ask.

“Yeah! All of you guys were able to go on the catwalk, but by the time I was there, the door was already locked. It was annoying…” Thomas says, “Especially, since I was able to convince Henry to be with me! Guess Dr. Vin hates love… that’s a joke by the way…”

“…”

“Wait, so after Right and I explored the catwalks, it was locked up?” I ask.

“Yeah, it was!” Thomas says.

“Hmm…”

“Got something, Reg?” Right asks.

“Yes, but first, how do you know Dr. Vin has the key to the room?” I ask.

“Because she fell off the catwalk,” Thomas says.

“Hm, you know about that?”

“Yeah, I saw it from a distance. She was saved by Terrance at the last second though, thank goodness for that. Because of all that, it makes sense for her to be the one who had the key. I mean, how could she have gotten up there?”

“Huh… interesting,” I say.

Truth Bullet: Thomas’s Account

“I think there’s someone we need to talk to. Thanks Thomas,” I say.

“You’re welcome~” Thomas says.

We then split up. Right and I walk towards the infirmary, now with a goal in mind. Right before we get there, I see a random chair on the ground. Pondering where it came from, before I realize it was part of the quarantine barrier Dmitri put up. I then realize that three people, Rupert, Dr. Vin, and Sven were alone in that room. It’s unlikely it’s involved, but… better be safe than sorry.

Truth Bullet: Quarantine

We then enter the infirmary. It… it isn’t a pretty sight. Hubert’s laying in one of the beds, causing blood to pool all over it and on the ground. Dr. Vin herself, the one I wanted to talk to, is still trying to treat him, but has grown more and more desperate. Dave is helping and comforting her, like he did with Thomas, while Rupert stands there awkwardly. I sigh in disappointment. It seems I won’t be able to talk to the doctor or Dave at the moment.

“Oi! What are you doing in here?” Rupert snaps.

“…You know, you used to be a lot nicer when you were sick,” I say.

“Ugh… can’t believe he did that to me,” Rupert sighs.

“So, you’ve gotten caught up?” I ask.

“A little. Dave’s busy right now helping Dr. Vin. Wish I could help as well, but…” Rupert sighs, “I’m… terrible at comforting people.”

“Actually, maybe you can help her. If you answer some of our questions,”

“…Okay? Shoot.”

“Does… she still has the key?” I ask.

“What key?” Rupert asks in earnest.

“…Well, that was helpful,” Right says.

“Hm,”

“Oi, Reg. That reminds me. What happened while I was out? And uh… how long was it,” Right says.

I grin my teeth, “You… you acted not like yourself at all. But don’t worry, you were only out for around a day.”

“Ah,”

“Actually, I think we should mark that down,”

“How long he was sick?” Rupert asks.

“No, the disease itself, and who got which mutation. Might be useful for a motive.”

“Alright. But uh, can you say who had what out loud? Just as a reminder, cause I already know who’s who,” Rupert lies.

“You had the ‘Switch Disease’, Dr. Vin had the ‘Careless Disease’, Sven had the ‘Quiet Disease’, and Right…” I look at him, “Well, I don’t think that one matters.”

“…” Rupert gives me a look.

Truth Bullet: Disease Mutations

“Huh, actually. Saying it aloud, I remember something.”

“What’s that?” Rupert asks.

“Before the murder occurred, Sven and Dave ran up to me and the victim, believing a murder was about to occur.”

“Which means… Dave’s innocent!” Rupert smiles, “Because, there’s no way Dave would’ve warned anyone about a murder he would commit! *Pause* I think…”

“Sounds to me, those two already knew it was going to happen,” Right says.

“Um…what are you-” Dave says before flinching. He probably heard his name mentioned, before realizing Right is now in the room with him. The security guard looks at Right like how a rabbit would look at a wolf. He quickly hides behind the bed.

“Oi, Dave! Do you know who killed the captain?” Rupert shouts. Dr. Vin looks up at Dave with curiosity.

“Um… no. Sven was the one who knew. He kind of… ran up to me in a panic. I uh… didn’t understand what he was saying, because well… he was mute, and not Henry kind of mute, just… unable to communicate at all kind of mute. And because I couldn’t understand him, I brought him over to Reginald and the captain, hoping they would understand him.”

“Which means-” Right says.

“ZE ONLY PERSON WHO KNEW WHO KILLED HUBERT FORGOT!” Dr. Vin wails before facepalming into the bed.

“D-Don’t worry! I’m sure we’ll find the captain’s killer! We got so many smart people on our side!” Dave says.

“…”

I decide to take a note on that. That might be important.

Truth Bullet: Sven’s & Dave’s Warning

“Dr. Vin, there’s something I would like to ask you.” I say.

“…Do not bother.” She says as she slowly gets up.

“But-”

“I will answer during trial!” the doctor snaps, “…Just… let me work…p-please.”

“…Alright,” I say.

“Reg?”

“Come on, we don’t have much time left anyways. Let her use up the rest of the time for her friend,” I say.

“…Okay,” Right says.

“W-Wait! Before you go!” Dave shouts, “You solved the last trial, and uh… I think this piece of evidence is better in your hands than um… mine.”

“Dave! I wanted you to contribute to the trial this time!” Rupert sighs.

“Well… technically I am with this?” Dave says, pointing out a loop-hole.

“Ugh, Dave!” Rupert sighs in disappointment.

“Alright, what is it?” Right asks, causing Dave to flinch once more.

“O-Okay, so… um, once the capt- murder happened,” Dave says, “The victim was alive for around a minute or more afterwards.”

“I already noted that,” I sigh.

“Well! We… we left him alone for a bit to get help. So… I think it’s possible-”

“Not in the slightest.” I sigh, “Those wounds were fatal. It doesn’t matter if he lived a little afterwards, he still died.”

“Oh…”

“Oi! Dave’s trying his best!” Rupert says, “I’m sure it will come in handy!”

“Of course you’d think so,” I sigh.

Truth Bullet: Abandoned Body

We then both leave. I don’t know where we should go next, which is right on time, since I don’t think we have much time left. While thinking, I notice the incinerator. That’s when I get an idea.

“Hey, Right? You know how the captain kept checking the incinerator for a chance of catching any potential killers,” I say.

“Yeah?”

“How about we check it to honor his memory,” I say.

“…Sure,” Right says, “Might be something useful in there.”

We walk inside and check the incinerator. Sure enough, it’s cold and empty. Just like any other time Hubert checked it. We really did honor his memory well. I take a moment to go deeper into the incinerator, before still finding absolutely nothing. I then close the door.

“Reg?”

“Yes, Right?”

“This has been bothering, so I need to know… did I hurt you when I was infected?” Right asks.

“What! No! You would never-” I say.

“Reg, I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re lying. Tell me the truth,”

“…”

“…Reg?”

“You had the betrayal disease. It made you loyal to Terrance and…” I say hesitantly.

“A-And?” Right asks hesitantly.

“Y-You said that you hated me and told me to die,”

“WHAT! I would never!” Right shouts with shock.

“B-But you did…” I say. I feel myself tearing up again. I bite back my tears.

Despite my efforts, Right seems to notice and pulls me close to him.

“Reg, I want you to know that I’ll never hate you. No matter what. I love you too much to ever do that to you,” Right says.

“R-Right,” I say, feeling the waterworks coming.

“And if you don’t believe me, then I’ll show you-” Right says and then kisses me. It feels so wonderful. Tears flow down even faster, and now I’m a sobbing mess.

After he pulls away, words start falling out of my mouth, “I… I love you too. So much… I’m-”

“It’s okay, Reg. I’m back now. And everything is going to be fine,” Right says, “…Need a handkerchief?”

“S-Sure,” I say.

He reaches into his pocket and brings out his own. It’s black and has a tiny golden top hat sown towards the bottom of it. I gave it to him a while ago. It makes me tear up more.

As he whips away my tears I soon hear, Ding, Dong. “Attention! The investigation is now over. Make your way to the elevator, where we’ll start the next trial! Don’t make me wait, I’m not in the mood for it.”

“He sounds pissed,” Right says.

“Well, you heard the man. Let’s get going.” I say.

We soon all arrive at the elevator, except one. She is soon dragged over there by a beyond mad Terrance.

“Look, I hate the fact he’s dead too. But you don’t have to drag your feet kicking and screaming because you wanted more time to spend with him. We can morn for him, after the trial,” Terrance says annoyed and upset. He then hands over Dr. Vin to Dave. At that moment, the doors to the elevator swing open.

“I’ll meet you there,” Terrance says, “Goodbye!” He then disappears.

“You okay? Dr. Vin?” Dave asks.

“…”

“Don’t worry! I’m sure we’ll find whoever did it soon!”

The doctor looks at him and sighs.

We all then go into the elevator. Well, Dave and Dr. Vin were pushed into the elevator by Terrance, who reappeared, but nonetheless, we’re all in it. The doors close, and we go down the elevator at a faster speed now.

A feeling of dread fills my very core. I look over to my toppats who are standing in the elevator worried. I then look to Right specifically. He smiles at me.

I smile back and I reach out for his hand. He grabs it. Then we wait for the trial to begin.

Notes:

Sorry for randomly talking about the Pseudobulbar affect, but most people don’t know what that is, so taking a second to explain what is could help raise awareness for the condition.

Chapter 19: DtS Deadly Life- Trial

Notes:

It's finally here! And about time to! Also, despite what I said last trial, I've actually managed to write in a lie bullet! Oh, and... hangman's gambit, but... who cares about that!
Strap in, because this trial is going to be a doozy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Once again, I feel the need to go over all the evidence, before I go into the trial.

Truth Bullet: Abandoned Body: Since Hubert didn’t die immediately, everyone who was an initial witness to the crime, left his body to get some help. Sven and Dave left first, and I followed quickly after.

Truth Bullet: BDA Rules: It is safe to assume that Charles, Ellie, and Henry were the first to find the body after Hubert actually died. Thus, clearing them of suspicion.

Truth Bullet: Blood Spray: Blood was found in the catwalk room. It looks lightly sprayed on.

Truth Bullet: Burt’s Note: Burt discovered the secret of the motive and wrote it on a note. Only toppats have read it.

Truth Bullet: Disease Mutations: The motive was all about sticks getting sick and becoming the opposite of themselves. Rupert had the ‘Switch Disease’ (making him kind), Dr. Vin had the ‘Careless Disease’ (making her drunk), Sven had the ‘Quiet Disease’ (making him quiet), and Right had the unfortunate, ‘Betrayal Disease’ (making him aggressive to love ones).

Truth Bullet: Disguise: A black face mask and black jacket were found in the catwalk room. They have an odd texture, as it keeps changing.

Truth Bullet: Initial Killing Witnesses: Sven, Dave, and I all saw Hubert get murdered. However, since he didn’t die immediately, it didn’t count for the BDA.

Truth Bullet: Injuries: Hubert has a massive head wound on his head. He is also leaking a lot of blood everywhere, like his jacket.

Truth Bullet: Thomas’s Account: the door was open using a key. According to Thomas, Dr. Vin had it, and he knew because she fell off the catwalk. It would only be possible for her to do that, if she had the key.

Truth Bullet: Right’s Location: After their sickness was cured, Right found himself in the gym.

Truth Bullet: Rupert’s & Dr. Vin’s Location: After their sickness was cured, Rupert and Dr. Vin found themselves in the infirmary.

Truth Bullet: Sandbag: The item that killed Hubert. Was thrown down from the catwalk and hit his head.

Truth Bullet: Sven’s & Dave’s Warning: Before the murder, Sven ran over to Dave to try and warn him about a murder. However, since Dave didn’t understand him, he and Sven ran over to tell us, the victim and me.

Truth Bullet: Quarantine: Dr. Vin, Rupert, and Sven were locked up in a room together. Nobody knows what they did in there.

All I have to do is figure out who threw down that sandbag and then everything will be fine. For the Toppat Clan!

We enter the trial room once, and a somber feeling comes across all of us. No one wanted to ever step foot in this room again. Everyone hoped they wouldn’t again. Yet here we are.

Terrance is sitting on his throne, but unlike last time, when he looked ecstatic, he looks incredibly infuriated and annoyed. He’s lightly tapping the throne’s arm, as to prove my point.

“Get to your podiums,” Terrance says not even looking at the crowd. We soon oblige.

After we get to all our seats, Burt says, “Um, Terrance? Your bias is showing,” and proceeds to point at the two new portraits taking up Johnny’s and Hubert’s spots.

Picture of Johnny getting smacked in the face with a rock

A picture of Hubert. Honoring his memory.

And here I thought he couldn’t get even more biased.

“*Sigh* Don’t tell me how to live my life!” Terrance snaps, “I made those, so I get to choose what they look like! Anyways, it’s time for our second trial. Would’ve preferred almost anyone else as the victim, but here we are. Since it’s been a while, a brief introduction to the trial is in order. All of you are separated into two sides, innocents and the blackened. The innocents’ goal is to find Captain Hubert Galeforce’s, the ultimate general, killer, while the blackened’s goal is to ‘muddy the water’ and get away with it. After 7/8ths of the participants have reached a satisfying conclusion, a vote shall be cast on who the majority thinks is the blackened, which will determine which side won. If the blackened wins, they go free, unfortunately. If the innocents win, they get to continue the game. The losing side will be punished. ALL RISE FOR THE CLASS TRIAL!”

“So, um… where do we even start?” Charles asks. It seems he’s fully recovered from his laughing fit from earlier.

“We start with vote, as you killed Hubert!” Dmitri shouts.

“What!?”

“… [With what evidence?]” Henry signs.

“Because he laughed at corpse! If that does not prove guilt, I do not know what does!” Dmitri says.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: BDA Rules

Dmitri: I have never seen someone more guilty than today.

Dmitri: It is obvious he did it!

Charles: Come on, man.

Charles: I didn’t laugh on purpose!

Ellie: Yeah, didn’t Jacob said he might have the sudo-Bulbasaur affect?

Jacob: Pseudobulbar Affect.

Ellie: That.

Henry: [So, it clears him from suspicion]

Dmitri: Gah, that does not exclude possibility, he did it.

Ellie: But your evidence is non-existent!

Ellie: There’s no way he did it!

Henry: *nods*

Rupert: Oi, Dave! What do you think?

Dave: …

Rupert: Come on, Dave….

It hasn’t been a minute yet, and we already have a baseless accusation. Wonderful. Good thing it’s easy to shoot down.

< Ellie: There’s no way he did it!>

BANG!

“I AGREE!”

“Ellie, you’re right. There’s no way he could’ve done it, because he triggered the BDA along with you and Henry,” I say.

“Yeah, that’s right!” Charles says.

“[Can confirm]” Henry signs.

“How did you know that?” Ellie says with suspicion.

“I used logic and reason.” I say, “You were the first ones there, weren’t you?”

“…Okay, you win.” Ellie says.

“Um, why were you guys around there in the first place?” Sven asks.

“[Because Charles received a message from someone wanting to meet him in gym. He brought me and Ellie along in case it was a trap,]” Henry signs.

“Wait, so does that mean- there’s someone among us who wanted to kill, but wasn’t quick enough!” Jacob shouts scared.

“[Among Us]” Henry signs. Ellie elbows him in response.

“T-They could try again after this trial!” Jacob continues in a panic.

“Nah, they won’t. Cause, I was one the one who wrote that letter. Wanted to prank Charles,” Terrance says.

“…Why am I not surprised?” I sigh.

“Does it make you feel better that I immediately regretted it?” Terrance says.

“Now, that’s surprising,”

“[Regardless, C H A R L E S is innocent,]” Henry signs.

“And so is Henry~” Thomas cheers.

“And me…” Ellie says in a slight insecure voice.

“Ugh… Fine. Perhaps Charles is not murderer. However, I have eye on you!” Dmitri says.

“Alright?” Charles says.

“So, are we done talking about how Charles is definitely the murderer?” Rupert says sarcastically, “Or can we going to finally discuss how it actually happened and not get all of us executed?”

“I miss when you were nice,” Dmitri spits.

“?”

“Do you have any idea where to start then, Rups?” Charles asks.

“Yep! Dave, tell us what you think!”

“W-What! Rupert!” Dave says.

“Come on, nothing bad is going to happen if you speak up. It can be anything! I’ll be right here every step of the way!” Rupert says.

“Are you sure?”

“Dave, please. Can you at least do it once, for me?”

“O-Okay…” Dave says, “So um… h-here’s what I think:”

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Sandbag

Dave: So, um…

Dave: Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…

Rupert: If you don’t have any ideas…

Rupert: Say something about how the victim died.

Rupert: It can be anything! Even if it’s obvious.

Dave: Okay, um…

Dave: S-so, after getting hit, the victim didn’t die immediately.

Dave: Which means… there’s a chance that-

Dave: Someone else… could’ve come in, and…uh… killed him!

Dave: B-B-But I could be wrong… heh

Rupert: Good job, Dave!

Sven: And good job hyping up your boyfriend…

Rupert: W-What?

Didn’t know we were using debating time as a way to help your crush get confidence in himself. Even so, it’s still a weak argument, so it’ll be easy to shoot it down.

< Dave: Someone else… could’ve come in, and…uh… killed him>

BANG!

“For the Toppat Clan!”

“Dave…” I say.

“Y-Yeah?”

“You literally saw him get hit by the sandbag. It’s the murder weapon! I know he did live for a minute after; however, that sandbag is the only possible way he could’ve died.”

“O-Oh,” Dave says, not entirely convinced but seems to relent, “Okay…”

“Oi! He gathered up a lot of courage to say that! The least you can do, is to not be so harsh on him!” Rupert spits.

“Rupert. I get that you want to have Dave contribute,” Jacob says, “But if he’s not comfortable or doesn’t have any ideas, you shouldn’t force him to say anything.”

“I’m not force- …*Pause* O-okay, I’ll stop,” Rupert sighs, “But, Dave?”

“Yeah,”

“Don’t be scared if you want to say something. Again, I’m sure you have so many useful things you can say!” Rupert says, “You might even stop us from voting wrong!”

“God, you’re almost bad as Thomas when it comes with crushes,” Sven says.

“Hey, he’s not that bad…” Dave says.

“Oi! I-I don’t have a crush on, Dave!” Rupert says blushing hard, “W-We are just…friends…Nothing more!”

“Tell that to yesterday you,” Thomas says, “You confessed your love to him while everyone was watching!”

“I-I did WHAT?!” Rupert shouts blushing even harder than before, “Is that why- Uh… w-what happened?! What did you s-say!?”

“Um…well…uh, Rups?” Dave says.

“…Y-Yeah, D-Dave?”

“I’ll… I’ll talk to you about it after the trial…”

“…O-Okay,” Rupert says and takes a deep breath. He then attempts to regain any semblance of dignity after that.

“Alright, can we go back to the actual point of this trial?” Ellie sighs, “You know- the murder! Not Rupert’s love life.”

“Yeah, like how did that sandbag kill him?” Sven says, “It looks pretty heavy, and I don’t know how the culprit managed to hit him with it without falling over.”

“…Number one, you’re weak,” Right sighs, “Number two, there’s the catwalk above the area of the murder. If someone dragged a sandbag up onto the catwalk, killing anyone would be easy. You just got to aim right.”

“Oh,”

“How?!” Dr. Vin suddenly shouts, slightly shaking, “The catwalks should not have been available! They were locked! No one should have been able to get up there! I made sure of it!”

In my most condescending voice possible, I say, “Well, they did, because they had the key!”

“I know!” the doctor snaps, “I meant no one should have had key! I had it on me to prevent others from accessing area for murder! Why is it no longer in my possession?! And where is it?!”

“…”

“Nobody discovered it…” Jacob says.

“Wait, you don’t have it anymore?” Charles asks.

“Нет! I had it in pocket!” the doctor says, “No one should have…” she looks at me and Right, “You two! You knew prior I had key! Did you steal it!?”

“What!?” Right shouts.

“No. We didn’t,” I say.

“…Then prove it.” She hisses

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Thomas’s Account

Dr. Vin: I hid key on myself to prevent future murders.

Dr. Vin: I no longer have it, which means it was stolen.

Dmitri: And who better to steal it than toppat.

Dmitri: Especially, since getting Hubert out of picture,

Dmitri: Would be beneficial to them.

Dr. Vin: Exactly.

Dr. Vin: Plus, Reginald and Right were only toppats who knew I had key.

Burt: You sure you’re not saying that to cover up your own guilt?

Dr. Vin: I WOULD NEVER MURDER MY BEST FRIEND!

Ellie: I can see your point, but-

Ellie: I think anyone could have stolen your key and used it.

Dr Vin: Unlikely possibility.

Great, Right and I are being accused of murder. I don’t think I have a way to prove his innocence fully, but I think I can at least prove my own innocence.

< Ellie: I think anyone could have stolen your key and used it.>

BANG!

“I AGREE!”

“Ellie, you’re right. Anyone else could’ve used that key. Especially after rumors of her using it to go on to the catwalk-” I say.

“Ну вот! I… There is no way I would do something so careless-” Dr. Vin shouts.

“But that was your mutation,” Sven says, “You got the ‘Careless Disease’.”

“I… I…” Dr. Vin says.

“He’s telling the truth unfortunately,” Terrance suddenly pipes in, “As soon as you got sick, you went up onto the catwalk with Hubert, and then almost fell off. Good thing I was there to save you~” As he says this, the tv plays some camera footage of Dr. Vin falling off the catwalk. It’s as utterly embarrassing as I thought it would be, and even more so as Rupert, Dave, Thomas were there as witnesses. If it was me in that video, I simply wouldn’t know how to recover from that.

“…” Dr. Vin stares at it, “…I killed him…”

“You didn’t kill him!” Dave says, “It wasn’t your fault, it was just an accident!”

“But if I did not do that… no one would have known… Heh. I am so sorry, Hubert. What kind of comrade am I?”

“Dr. Vin…” Dave says with a sympathetic tone.

“With that out of the way, we have now lost our only lead,” Burt sighs, “Since it became a rumor, we don’t know who found out about it and who didn’t before the murder. Anyone can confirm or deny it.”

“Plus, I think everyone knew what happened by that point…” Thomas says, “So, everyone would be a suspect!”

I wouldn’t say that… There is a way to find out who ACTUALLY was up there.

<Select Evidence>

< Truth Bullet: Blood Spray>

“Heh. Simple as that!”

“There is a way to lower our suspects,” I say, “I found some blood spray in the catwalk room, that clearly gives us a list of suspects.”

“How?” Ellie asks.

“Blood… spray?” Sven asks.

The tv turns back on, and this time shows the blood spray I was talking about.

“[Blood spray]” Henry signs.

“Um, how does that help?” Ellie asks.

“Well, one of the symptoms of the despair disease was coughing up blood, and well- what would it look like if someone coughed up blood on a wall?” I ask.

“It would look- exactly like that!” Sven shouts.

“Which means the killer… had to be infected,” I say.

The room goes quiet as everyone stares at me.

“B-But that’s so cruel!” Jacob says, “Everyone who got sick doesn’t remember what happened! And if you are right, that means the killer… believes they’re i-innocent… *Pause* T-They’re going to die without knowing why they did it!”

“If we get it right, you mean.” Burt says, “It’s going to be harder for us to figure it out, as unlike Johnny, we can’t catch them in a lie.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s harder, just different,” Sven says, “After all, nobody is trying to hide the fact they’re guilty. So, we have 100% participation.”

“So… the culprit is unknowingly helping us?” Thomas says with a slight disgust.

“Guess so,” Burt shrugs.

“And that then brings us to our suspects, Rupert, Dr. Vin, Sven, and… R-Right,” I say.

“…G-Great. Fantastic,” Right mumbles.

“…No… I wouldn’t have. I’m innocent,” Rupert mumbles to himself.

“I… couldn’t have…” Sven mumbles, “I made a promise…”

The doctor mumbles something in Russian. She looks disgusted.

“H-Hold your horses, how do we know it isn’t from Dr. Vin going up there?” Ellie says, “Is it possible that the blood there, isn’t connected to the crime?”

“Well, Right and I were probably the last ones up there, besides the perpetrator, and I didn’t see any blood,” I say.

“Can confirm,” Right says, “Was there before I got infected...”

“I didn’t recall seeing it up there when I went,” Burt says, “Sven was there as well, but he wasn’t the cause of it.”

“…I left it unlocked?!?!” Dr. Vin shouts.

“No, you didn’t. When I tried going up there, which was after the chief and his right-hand man did, I found it locked!” Thomas says, “And that was yesterday, and those rumors started before yesterday.”

“So, without a doubt, we have four suspects,” Jacob says, “And… none of them know if they did it or not.”

“…”

I stare upon them, as they all panic and try to reassure themselves that despite losing their memory, they didn’t do it. Unlike Geoffroy’s trial, this isn’t going to be a case about how it was done, but who had the best opportunity. I… I don’t want to this, but… I can’t turn back now. Especially with my own life on the line.

“Before we go further in the trial, I just want to say,” Thomas says, “Whoever is the culprit, you have my mercy. May God go easy on you.”

“That’s a far cry on how you were acting last trial,” Burt says.

“Well… it’s different. We now know what’s going to happen afterwards and… we have to remember they weren’t acting like themselves. There’s a good chance whoever did it, would’ve never done it otherwise…”

“Alright, so with that out of the way,” Charles says, “How… How are we going to narrow it down?”

“[Well, there is one way],” Henry signs, “[We debate who is the most likely to be the killer and go from there]”

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Initial Killing Witnesses

Henry: [So, who among the four is the most likely suspect?].

Dr. Vin: Right.

Right: The doctor

Charles: I dunno about that.

Charles: I think it would make sense if a toppat was the killer.

Charles: I mean, two law enforcement killers in a row!

Charles: That’s crazy!

Ellie: If we’re going with the theory of a toppat killer.

Ellie: Then Right isn’t our only suspect.

Ellie: Sven could have done it as well.

Sven: Hey! I’m not the-

Sven: …

Sven: W-Well, a law enforcement killer is not out of the question.

Sven: Especially if one of them was friends with the previous killer.

Rupert: Oi!

Rupert: I was hurt by Johnny’s betrayal as well!

Rupert: Why would I do something I was so disgusted by?!

Despite being able to narrow it down to four suspects, it’s difficult to lower it any further. Though, I do have stable evidence that can prove at least one’s innocence.

< Ellie: Sven could have done it as well>

BANG!

“NO THAT’S WRONG!”

“Actually, Ellie. Out of the four of them, Sven is clear,” I say, “As, Hubert didn’t die alone. Sven, Dave, and I were all there to witness what happened. Therefore, Sven is innocent, on the count that it is impossible for him to be up on the catwalk, while also being on the ground at the same time.”

“Ha! Yeah! It’d be impossible for me to do it!” Sven shouts gleefully.

“Which means… we’re down to three,” Burt says.

“Still no evidence against or for any of them…” Thomas sighs.

“Honestly, I’m just glad I’m off the hook…” Sven sighs in relief, “That would’ve been a horrible way to die…”

“Alright, since we are stumped, I shall give everyone my theory,” Dr. Vin says, “Right did it.”

“What?! You have no proof!” Right shouts.

“I have plenty. Plus, you also have barely any proof against me. I have raised my concern, that you are culprit; however, nobody has yet refuted me,” Dr. Vin says.

Right growls at her.

“Well, then… explain away,” Ellie says, “Why do you think he did it?”

<Non-Stop Debate>

~~Truth Bullet:~~ ~~Right’s Location~~

Lie Bullet: Right’s Alibi

Dr. Vin: Right checks all boxesfor murder:

Dr. Vin: He was infected,

Dr. Vin: He is strong enough to lift sandbag,

Dr. Vin: He knew about key,

Dr. Vin: And he is thief,

Dr. Vin: So, stealing it would be breeze.

Dr. Vin: He is also toppat,

Dr. Vin: who are enemies of Hubert…

Dr. Vin: And finally, there is nothing to prove his innocence.

Right: Oi! You’re a suspect as well!

Dr. Vin: Not as much as you.

Sven: Wait, didn’t Dave check all the boxes as well during Geoffory’s case.

Sven: But it all ended up being one huge coincidence?!

Jacob: Yes, but the culprit also did as well.

Jacob: So, unless the culprit incriminates themselves again,

Jacob: Dr. Vin is right.

Shoot, I was hoping nobody would question his innocence. Ugh… this is bad. There’s no proof that proves Right’s innocence. The closest could easily be turned around and convict him. Actually… that gives me an idea.

< Dr. Vin: Finally, there is nothing to prove his innocence.>

BANG!

“For the Toppat Clan!”

“There is something that can prove Right’s innocence,” I say.

“Hm? And that is?” Dr. Vin says.

“When Right was cured, he found himself in the dorm room he was assigned. Nowhere near the crime, and since there’s only one way to get to and from the catwalks, which is coincidentally near the area of the murder, Sven, Dave, and I would have seen him while we were making our way to the infirmary. However, we didn’t. You can back me up on this, right Dave?”

“Um… sure? I uh can confirm I didn’t see him at all,” Dave says.

“There you go! He’s completely and utterly innocent!” I say.

“...” Right gives me a look before saying slightly awkwardly, “Y-Yeah, I was there. No doubt about it,”

As soon as no one is looking, he proceeds to give me a look which reads, ‘You sure about this?’ I nod in response.

“…Fine, Right may not… be culprit,” Dr. Vin sighs grabbing her arms, “That only leads… Rupert and I…” She looks deeply sadden by that fact.

“A betrayal kill…” Thomas hisses, “How un-toppat like. Fitting it comes from a law enforcement.”

“Or… a certain trio of friends…” Dmitri spits.

“Oi!” Rupert shouts offended, “Let me remind you! I was equally disgusted by Johnny’s actions as you were!”

“In any case, there’s no doubt about it. The killer had to be a law enforcement agent, again-”

“THIS IS THE GREATEST PLAAAAAAAAAAAAN!”

“!”

“Um, sorry Reginald, but I don’t think a law enforcement did it this time,” Charles says.

“What!? All the evidence-”

“Yeah, but… again?” Charles says, “Wouldn’t it make more sense for a toppat to have done it?”

Charles doesn’t seem keen on accepting that his fellow hound is the culprit. Guess, I’m going to have to prove it once and for all, law enforcement did it.

<Rebuttal Showdown>

Truth ~~Bullet~~ Sword: Burt’s Note

Charles: I can’t be the only one who thinks it’s weird,

Charles: For a law enforcement to do uh betrayal kill.

Charles: I mean, a law enforcement killed a toppat.

Charles: So, a toppat should kill a law enforcement!

Charles: Don’t know how neutrals would fall into it…

Charles: But even so!

Charles: It would make perfect narrative sense for this to happen!

ADVANCE

Me: Sometimes things don’t make any sense.

Me: Do you even have evidence to back this up?

Charles: Well… no…

Me: Then we’re done.

Charles: But who’s to say that infected stick wasn’t alone?

Charles: Maybe they had a friend that helped them.

Charles: One who was able to be there!

Charles: One on… the same side?

ADVANCE

Charles: Plus, with the stress of the motive.

Charles: Maybe the two set it up.

Charles: To avoid their friend’s death from the motive!

Charles: Toppats are loyal like that…

Me: You have no way to prove your theory!

Charles: But you don’t have any way to prove me wrong either!

Seriously? The teapot fallacy? Of course, a law enforcement doesn’t know anything about debating. Fortunately, I have a way to prove once and for all that the toppats didn’t do it.

<Charles: To avoid their friend’s death from the motive!>

SLICE!

“I’ll CUT UP THAT STATEMENT!”

“No. The toppats wouldn’t kill, because we knew better,” I say.

“Again, with talk of loyalty!” Dmitri sighs, “Do you not know promises are flimsy?”

“I’m not talking about that. I meant, we knew better, as in-” I bring out Burt’s note and unveil so everyone can read it, “We figured out what this motive’s about. We all reasoned that Terrance is too enthralled by these trials to actually kill us with this motive. So, we had nothing to fear from it, except inconvenience.”

“…” the room goes silent on the non-toppat end. My toppats look confuse by it. Terrance starts snickering.

“So, that was on your note?” Terrance says barely keeping his laughter to himself.

“What’s so funny about it?” Burt asks.

“You should be mad at us for foiling you once again, not laughing!” Sven spits.

“Well, you guys technically didn’t figure it out, but you were close. No one was going to die. The infected just would… stay infected. Even so, that’s not what’s funny here,”

“…You guys… figured it out?!” Rupert says with slight anger.

“Yeah, weren’t you listening?” Burt says.

“Well… Burt did,” Thomas says, “He’s the one who shared it with us during a toppat meeting.”

“Why are you all looking at us like that?” Right asks.

“It makes sense though!” Sven says, “I mean, that’s how Terrance behaves! I don’t understand why you guys look so mad?”

“Oh, it gets even better!” Terrance laughs, “Especially, with all your talk about how an awful person I am- HA! At least I’m honest with myself that I’m a bad person!”

“W-What?” Thomas says.

“You do not realize why this is big deal?” Dr. Vin says.

“No? Can you uh tell us?” Sven says.

“…We’re upset because you figured out the motive, and didn’t tell us. *Pause* We all thought… we were going to die soon. We were all scared out of our minds, and judging how the killer is most definitely one of the infected, who we thought was going to die…” Jacob says in horror and disgust, before pausing and saying, “If you guys told all of us instead of just your group… then this murder might have been prevented…”

“In other words,” Ellie says in a beyond angry tone, “You left us all to die,”

“Oh Jeeze…” Thomas says, “I didn’t… think that way… oh God…”

“Well, you could’ve joined the Toppat Clan at any time,” I say, “Then, we’d tell you.”

“But you’d leave, the law enforcement to die?!” Charles shouts.

“…” Yes, yes I would.

“Well… you were never in any real danger though-” Burt says.

Dmitri starts laughing which interrupts Burt. Everyone stares at him.

“Ha… Never would I have thought I would be so right that I exceed my own expectations,” Dmitri says, “Hubert wanted us to get along so we could all escape. Saying it was by being apart we sabotage our own chances of survival. I pointed out obvious, that toppats would betray us first chance they get, even if we have common goal… I expected betrayal, but… ha… not this… not this. Even so, this proves one thing. I was completely and utterly right. Toppats and Law Enforcement can never work together, and redemption is fairy tale we tell little children to help them sleep at night.”

The room goes silent for a minute. No one knows what to say to that.

Eventually, Henry breaks the silence by signing, “[We… We still have a murder to solve…]”

“Yeah, down to two suspects…” Ellie says, “Personally, I’m hoping Rupert’s the killer. Dr. Vin… that would be too cruel…”

“[Same]”

“Oi!” Rupert shouts, “I wouldn’t do something like this! I’m not the killer!”

“Are you sure? Dr. Vin is the next likely suspect,” Sven says, “After all, she had the key…”

“Tch, you blaming her, now?” Dmitri says, “Why should we trust any of you! Maybe one of you did it and all ze help you’ve been giving us has been inching us closer and closer to death!”

“Well, in Sven’s defense, he had the ‘Quiet Disease’ he couldn’t tell you even if he wanted to,” Burt says.

“But rest are not innocent,” Dr. Vin spits.

“…”

“Well… we need to work together on this trial. If we vote wrong, we’ll all suffer a slow and painful death!” Thomas says, “I know we made a mistake in not telling you, but I promise it wasn’t out of malicious intent! Just… stupidity.”

Speak for yourself…

“So, please! For all of our sakes… let us debate!” Thomas says.

“…Hubert said same thing about working together,” Dmitri says and then points to the captain’s portrait, “And we can all see how it ended for him.”

“Unfortunately, Thomas has a point,” Terrance says, “Everyone has to debate in this trial. It’d be less fun, if a good majority isn’t allowed to contribute. So- new rule everyone! All participants can’t throw out someone’s argument if and only if they do not like the stick saying it! Those who fail to comply, get a boot to the head!”

“Boot to head?” Dmitri asks, before Terrance chucks a boot right into Dmitri’s face. He howls in pain.

“Boot to the head!” Terrance yells happily.

“Unfortunately, I have to agree with Sven. Dr. Vin is a likely suspect,” Charles says.

“…” Dr. Vin looks at him with betrayal.

“Hey! Don’t worry! I’m sure we’ll prove your innocence!” Dave says, “I doubt you’d actually do that to your friend!”

“Dave…?” Rupert looks at him slightly hurt.

“What? Did… did I say something wrong?!” Dave says.

“…Dr. Vin has to be the murderer,”

“W-Why? She was best friends with the captain. I don’t think she’d ever-”

Rupert grimaces, “I don’t want to believe it either, Dave, but…if she’s not then… I’m the killer, and t-there’s no way I’m that!”

“O-Oh... uh,” Dave awkwardly scratches his head, “I’m sure it’ll soon come out that neither of you are the killer!”

“Dave, I know this is a tough situation for you, but that is impossible,” I tell him, “Either Rupert or the doctor has to be the killer. There is no other option.”

“But-”

“No other option.”

“…”

“It’s going to be okay, Dave,” Rupert says.

“… [Personally, I am hoping for donkey pit to be honest.]” Henry signs.

“Yeah, same. Dr. Vin would never do this,” Ellie says, “Especially to her own friend!”

“Sorry guys, but I prefer the doctor being the killer, I really like Rups,” Charles says, “And he wouldn’t do this either.”

“Yeah! I wouldn’t!” Rupert shouts, “Listen to Charles!”

“I would not do it either,” Dr. Vin says there’s an angry look in her eyes, “Even though I played hand in death, I refuse to believe I was ze one to take killing blow…”

“But… we don’t know which of you did it!” Sven says, “You guys don’t know it either!”

At the same time, the two accused say “Then listen to me, because-

I’M NOT THE CULPRIT!”

<Mass Panic Debate!>

Truth Bullet: Disease Mutations

Rupert/Dr.Vin

“ARE YOU SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING ME THE KILLER?!”/ “This is insulting.”

“‘Oh, poor Dr. Vin… she could never!”/ “As if I would ever do that-”

“Maybe that @!$hole Rupert did it!”/ “To my own best friend!”

“Like to see him gone!’”/ “We have been close since Terrance’s reign!”

“Well, news flash!”/ “And if I had proper materials-”

“I would NEVER stoop so low-” “I would bring him back in heartbeat!”

“As to kill another team member, especially HIM!”/ “I would never…”

“I don’t like it either, but she’s the only option!” / “Even if I was not acting like myself…”

Despite not remembering what happened, they do seem pretty convinced of their own innocence. One of them is right and the other… I just need to figure out who would be less willing to do this.

<Dr. Vin: Even if I was not acting like myself …>

BANG!

“I Agree!”

“You’re right, doctor,” I say, “You wouldn’t do that. Especially, since you WERE acting like yourself.”

“Ну вот?” Dr. Vin says, “Do not get me wrong, I am all for accepting my innocence, but… disease is all about making inflicted act opposite to how they act.”

“Well, you aren’t wrong about that; however,” I say, “Most of the time it didn’t affect personality. Like with Sven. He talks a lot, so when he got sick he just lost the ability to speak. Yet, his personality stayed in tack.”

“Actually, you are wrong, Reginald,” Terrance says, “It wasn’t ‘most’ sticks didn’t have their personality affected, it just happened to seem that way due to the order. If the motive was allowed to go on longer, Charles would’ve gotten the ‘Burt Disease’ which would make him act a whole lot like Burt.”

“…” I have never seen Burt look more offended here than in any other situation in my entire life.

“And Jacob would’ve gotten the ‘Gullible Disease.’”

“W-What! T-That could’ve gotten me killed!” Jacob shouts.

“Yeah, yeah, nobody cares. Anyways, both of them would affect their personalities,” Terrance says.

“But… that doesn’t destroy my argument?” I say.

“I know, just wanted to point out that you were wrong about that,”

“…” I stare at him before taking a deep breath to continue my point, “Doctor, you were one of these cases, as when you got the ‘Careless Disease’, you only acted like you were blackout drunk. Meaning, you still cared as much about Hubert back then as you did now. So, you wouldn’t have killed him.”

“…Thank you.” Dr. Vin sighs in relief, “I do not know if I could ever live with myself if I actually- *Pause* Perhaps, hiding note was really out of stupidity then malice.”

“Tch, doubt it,” Dmitri says.

“Regardless… I am never drinking alcohol ever again,”

“Aw man, that only means there’s only one person who could’ve done it,” Charles sighs in disappointment.

“[Honestly, thank goodness]” Henry signs.

“HENRY!” Charles and Ellie shout.

Yep. Four becomes three. Three becomes two. Two becomes one, and… one becomes zero. Well… it’s time. The culprit of course is-

<Select a Stick>

<Rupert>

“For the Toppat Clan!”

Before I can even say anything, Rupert shouts, “Bull@#$@! What kind of evidence was that! Dr. Vin was only drunk, so she didn’t do it! Please! I thought Johnny cared about being a good upstanding police office, but he still stabbed a toppat a bunch of times in the chest! She could be lying that she ever cared about the captain!”

“I do care about him!” Dr. Vin snaps, “And you are more likely. You had ‘Switch Disease’, which did change your personality!”

“But didn’t he act a whole lot nicer?” Sven asks, “Since, you know, being kind and a murderer don’t really go… hand and hand. I’m not saying he didn’t do it, just… wanted to ask because I’m confused,”

“Sven, have you ever heard about an angel of mercy killer, before?” Burt asks.

“No?”

“Burt, that doesn’t concern this case, as Rupert was most definitely not made nicer. The truth lies in the mutation’s name: ‘Switch Disease’. If it truly made him nicer than why not call it ‘Nice Disease’ or any other name that would promote kindness?” I say.

“Because he wasn’t nice!” Thomas says as he figures it out, “He tried to force Dave into a relationship and exposed his nightmares to us all without permission! And even if those two incidences weren’t a horrid offense… I can tell the difference between a nice person and someone pretending to be nice!”

“So… that’s… why…” Dave says horrified.

“…I… what?” Rupert says equally horrified, “No! I wouldn’t…I didn’t! Y-You’re lying about that, and your evidence is still sloppy! Even so. If I was truly… like that… it doesn’t mean I did it! Besides, you’re missing one crucial detail!”

“Which is?”

“Opportunity,”

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Sven’s & Dave’s Warning

Rupert: S-Sure, I could’ve been acting like a total douche bag.

Rupert: But I have an alibi!

Rupert: I’m always with Dave, so…

Rupert: He would’ve noticed I was committing murder,

Rupert: And then stopped me!

Dave: …

Rupert: Plus, Right ALSO had a disease that made him a terrible stick!

Rupert: I think…

Rupert: What did he have again?

Charles: Betrayal Disease.

Rupert: Yeah! He had that!

Rupert: Which is a lot worse than mine!

Rupert: If we’re going on personality swap.

Rupert: He’s a better suspect than me!

Right: Oi! I have an alibi.

Rupert: Sure, you do.

It seems Rupert’s not too eager to accept that he did it. Even going so far as to make up an alibi he doesn’t know if it’s true or not…

Good. I didn’t want the trial to end so soon.

< Rupert: I’m always with Dave>

BANG!

“NO THAT’S WRONG!”

“Actually, before the murdered occurred, Sven and Dave ran up to me and Hubert in order to warn us about what we correctly assumed was a murder,” I say, “I didn’t think it was odd at the time, but now… I’ve realized something. You weren’t there at all,”

“S-So? You probably didn’t see Dr. Vin or your right-hand man either before the murder!” Rupert spits, “And yet you claim they’re innocent!”

“True, but… you just said you’re always with Dave, so… why was it different this time?”

“I… I was probably in the bathroom! Dave, tell them where I was!”

“…”

“D-Dave?”

“…”

“C-Come on, dude! Say something! A-Anything!”

“…” Dave looks at Rupert with a guilty and upset expression before saying, “You didn’t do it.”

“…Yeah, I already knew that!” Rupert says, “Tell us why!”

“…” The security guard’s expression turns to that of guilt.

“D-Dave?” Rupert asks, “Come on! Tell us why! B-back me up here!”

“Dave, please,” Jacob says, “I know you’ve already lost Johnny and I’m sure you don’t want to lose Rupert too, especially like this, but… if you don’t say what happened, we… we can all die. I’m sure you don’t want that…”

“…” Dave stares at the floor before tears well up in his eyes, “I’m… I’m so sorry, Rupert. It was only supposed to be for an hour… I’m so sorry.”

“D-Dave?”

“I knew I shouldn’t have done it, but… I… I couldn’t stand being there with you. You were acting like a… twisted version of the man I love. A @$#@$y mockery of who you are. And I hated every second of it. I knew you were also suffering, and I’d be a terrible friend to abandon you because of it, but… I’m not Johnny. I tried so hard, but… I… I needed a break. A break from seeing you like that…” Tears flowed like a waterfall down Dave’s eyes, “And I’m so sorry. I keep messing everything up…”

“Dave…” Rupert says, “You don’t mess everything up! If I was acting so horrible that you needed a break, then… it wasn’t on you. It was my fault. Plus, I’m sure I didn’t do it! I c-couldn’t possibly have done it! And even if… I did… it wasn’t your fault,”

“B-But-”

“Dave,” Rupert says holding out his hand for Dave, “You don’t mess everything up. You’re a much more capable person than you realize. Please, don’t give up.”

“…” Dave silently grabs Rupert’s hand and holds it.

“…Yeah, you didn’t do it,” Dave says with a bit of confidence.

“You still believe in your own innocence?” Right asks.

“Oi! Of course, I do! Sure, I don’t have an alibi at all, but… there’s still no way I could’ve done it!”

“Oh? Then tell us your proof!” I say.

Rupert goes quiet for a minute, before smiling with a smug grin, “Heh. Simple! Since you’re so inclined not to listen to me on how it’s against everything I stand for, then I’ll give you some physical proof. How would I have gotten into that catwalk room?”

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Quarantine

Rupert: Okay, I might not have an alibi.

Rupert: But that still doesn’t mean I did it!

Rupert: After all, how would I have gotten access to the catwalk?

Charles: Maybe you found it unlocked?

Charles: Who’s to say the killer and the person who had the key…

Charles: Aren’t the same person?

Rupert: OI! WHO’S SIDE ARE YOU ON!

Rupert: My point is that I didn’t have the key!

Rupert: And you have no evidence to prove otherwise.

Thomas: As much as I hate to admit, he’s got you there.

Thomas: The killer was able to sneak an entire sandbag up there.

Thomas: And the catwalk was locked after you used it.

Thomas: So, Charles’s theory would be a little… too convenient, if you ask me.

Thomas: Especially, since no one has come forward about having the key.

Jacob: That is because no one knows where it is.

Rupert: There! See! I’m not the culprit!

Still fighting for his own innocence. How- pitiful. However, I do think there was an opportunity for him to get that key…

< Rupert: And you have no evidence to prove otherwise.>

BANG!

“For the Toppat Clan!”

“True, I do not have any evidence to prove otherwise; however, you did have an opportunity to gain that key,” I say.

“Which was?” Rupert asks.

“Dmitri put you, Dr. Vin, and Sven in quarantine. At the time, it was just a silly event; however, you three were all alone together. Sven had recently lost the ability to speak, and Dr. Vin wasn’t thinking straight. So, it would’ve been the perfect time to take that key.”

“Really? It would’ve?” Rupert says, “She may have been drunk, but I don’t see her giving me the key any time soon. Sure, no one was watching, but that doesn’t mean I could’ve done it. Plus, wouldn’t Dr. Vin tell people I stole the key from her? Sven might’ve been unable to say anything, but she was capable talking! That’s such weak @$$ evidence!”

He’s right. But… there’s something that happened that proves Rupert must’ve gotten the key from her… Something that she would have no reason to report… Maybe, something that changed about her afterwards…

<Hangstick’s Gambit>

G L A S S E S

“Heh. Simple as that!”

“Although I can’t prove you got the key from there, I can prove you did do something,” I say, “And it wasn’t stealing.”

“Pfff, you have nothing!”

“Well, right before you were all locked in quarantine, I noticed something interesting. Dr. Vin… was missing her glasses.”

“…Was I really that careless?” Dr. Vin sighs in disappointment.

“So?”

“And from a passing conversation, I heard that Dave wanted you to give her back her glasses, but you refused. Saying something on the lines of, ‘not right now.’”

“I don’t see how that proves your point?”

“It does when you consider, the next time I saw her have her glasses on- was immediately after she was released from quarantine!”

“!”

“[Charles!]” Henry quickly signs, and on que, Charles begins singing Pursuit.

“I told you it was good idea!” Dmitri says.

“…It literally helped cause this murder to happen…” Ellie sighs.

“T-That doesn’t prove anything!” Rupert says, “All it proves is that I gave her glasses back during quarantine!”

“Yes, but… You had something that she wanted, and she had something you wanted. Would it be such a stretch to say… you traded?”

“And it was on the same day Dr. Vin fell down the catwalk,” Charles says, “And judging from that video, Rupert would’ve found out about the key and been able to get her glasses to accomplish that!”

“STOP!” Rupert shouts, “I thought you were on my side!”

“Who said I was?” Charles shrugs, “I don’t want you to die man, but… I can’t ignore the facts. And I uh… don’t want to die here either, Rups,”

“So? Give up?” I ask.

“UGH! No of course, not ya, twat! You still have no evidence. All you have is a possibility. Sure, everything seemed to work out in my favor. I had a perfectly good opportunity to do the crime, but you haven’t proven, if I even took that opportunity.” Rupert snarls.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Disguise

Rupert: Yeah, I know.

Rupert: Everything was aligned perfectly for me to it.

Rupert: But you haven’t proven if I did do it!

Jacob: He does have a point.

Jacob: Last trial, most of us had the opportunity to kill Geoffroy.

Jacob: But… only one of us took it.

Jacob: Just because he could’ve done it.

Jacob: Doesn’t mean he did it.

Rupert: See?!

Rupert: There’s nothing that proves I did it!

Rupert: I AM INNOCENT!

Rupert: R-Right?

He’s right. There’s nothing that links him to the crime except the opportunity and the possibility. But he has to have done it, it makes too much sense! Hm… I wonder, if there’s anything physical that proves his guilt. Maybe, I just need to re-examine a piece of evidence.

< Rupert: There’s nothing that proves I did it!>

BANG!

“For the Toppat Clan!”

“If you want some evidence, then evidence is what you are going to get,” I say as I bring out the disguise.

“Huh, I was wondering where that went,” Ellie says.

“How does that prove my guilt?” Rupert spits.

“We found it in the catwalk room, and I noticed something when I picked it up. It had an odd texture. At first, I thought it was due to the fabric itself, but then I thought about it-” I say as I feel it again. I soon find the odd texture and regret not wearing gloves. Soon, I pull out- a strain of black hair, “It’s only natural for someone’s hair to stay left behind in costume like this. Especially, if the person who wore it, has quill like hair that can easily get caught up in it. The only reason I didn’t realize sooner is because it blended in way too well.”

“But…” Rupert struggles trying to think up a counter.

“How delicious, you probably wore this as extra security to make sure nobody figured it out; however, it’s the very thing that convicts you.”

“I… I… UGH! @$@# YOU!” Rupert screams and begins shouting a billion curse words that would make a sailor blush, eventually he calms down enough to say, “I DIDN’T @$#@ING DO IT! There is no way in HELL, I did something @$@#ed up like this!”

“Uh… Rupert?” Dave says with concern.

“Ugh!!! I wouldn’t @#$@ing do something like this! No matter what!” Rupert shouts.

“[You sure? Cause you are freaking out hard,]” Henry signs.

“BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE ACCUSING ME OF BLOODY MURDER!” Rupert screams, “And that’s excluding the fact, that all of our lives our on the line if you vote me off! Cause I. DIDN’T. DO. IT!”

“Yeah! You didn’t kill the captain, because-” Dave says.

“Well, if you are so insistent, that you didn’t do it,” I say, “Then why don’t you tell us yourself?”

“You know what! @#$@ it! I’ll tell you once and for all: I. DIDN’T. @$#@ING. DO. IT!” Rupert screams.

<Argument Armament>

“YOU

HAVE

NO

@#$#ING

CLUE

WHAT

YOU

ARE

TALKING ABOUT!

IT IS

AGAINST ALL

THAT

I

STAND

FOR

TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS!

THAT DOCTOR

HAD THE

KEY!

SURE,

SHE COULD

HAVE

LOST

IT

BUT

THAT

DOESN’T MEAN

I DID IT!

@#$@ OFF! YOU TRIED TO KILL US ALL!

MAYBE YOU’RE

LYING ABOUT

THIS, SO

THE LAW ENFORCEMENT

LOSES ANOTHER

MEMBER!

WELL,

JOKES ON

YOU CRIMINAL!

I AM @#$@ING INNOCENT!!!

<Final Blow!>

“You told everyone, that I had the key, but you failed to show us actual proof. Just a possibility. SO, TELL ME YOUR PROOF THAT I HAD THE @$@#ING KEY?!”

IT’S IN YOUR POCKET

“F-For the Toppat Clan!”

“…W-What?” Rupert says.

“Well, we never found it during our investigation, and since you lost your memories, it makes it safe to assume… you might still have it on your person,” I say.

“Tch, really? That’s your reasoning?” Rupert says.

“Well, if it’s so hard to believe, it’ll be easy to prove me wrong,” I say, “You wouldn’t have it in your pocket if you are innocent.”

“Ha!” Rupert says putting his hand in his pocket, “You’re going to feel real stupid in- huh?”

Confused, he takes something out of his pocket and looks at it. The way his hand is angled no one can see it, except for him. However, his eyes quickly turn to shock then terror, then… despair. Rupert stares in silence at the item, before chuckling nervously.

“Ha… ha… funny joke guys, but seriously,” Rupert says showing off- the golden key in his hand, “W-Which one of you put this in my p-pocket? Come on! Out with it! I know half of you are criminals, so you’re not fooling me! So, tell me which one of you did this! Cause… I wouldn’t do this! I wouldn’t! I wouldn’t! I wouldn’t! I wouldn’t! I wouldn’t! I wouldn’t! I WOULDN’T! I WOULDN’T! I WOULDN’T! I WOULDN’T! I WOULDN’T! I WOULDN’T! I WOULDN’T! I WOULDN’T! I WOULDN’T!” Rupert screams, before chucking the key across the room like it was on fire. A loud clank is heard throughout the room, followed by silence.

“…” Rupert looks around the crowd with despair, before quietly saying while trembling in terror, “W-What… What happened in the last… f-five days?”

The room goes deathly quiet with sadness. Sure, not everyone liked Rupert, but… unlike Johnny, Rupert didn’t know he was guilty. My stomach turns. It’s over, isn’t it? Without a doubt Rupert will be voted out and I’ll have to say goodbye. I take a deep breath. Everything will be okay.

“Um… chief?” Thomas asks.

“Y-Yes?”

“Can… you go over the case? Not because I’m confused, but… I think…I think it’ll give Rupert some closure…”

I smile at him, “Don’t worry, I was already planning on doing it.”

<Closing Argu-

“UHHH I GOTTA WARN SOMEONE!”

“!” I jump in surprise at the sudden voice. I look over at- Dave, who staring at me with a determined yet terrified look. He still has Rupert’s hand in his, but from the looks of things, they’ve swapped roles.

“What do you want? The trial’s over!” I ask.

“Well… I” Dave stumbles over his words before gulping, “I think… it’s too early to vote for someone. We uh don’t have all the facts.”

“Really? It sounds to me you haven’t accepted the fact your boyfriend is guilty and are just grasping at straws,”

“W-Well… Y-You’d do the same for Right!”

Ugh, it seems Dave isn’t willing to let this go. However, getting him to back down will be easy. After all, he probably spent a good few minutes gathering the courage just to call out this rebuttal.

<Rebuttal Showdown>

~~Lie Bullet~~ Sword: Injuries

Truth ~~Bullet~~ Sword: Injuries (Updated)

Dave: I don’t think we have enough of the case, yet.

Dave: To actually vote someone off…

Dave: I mean, we barely went over how the captain died…

Me: Is that really what you are hung up on?

Me: The sandbag is the cause of death!

Dave: Well, he didn’t die immediately…

Dave: Maybe he died from something else?

ADVANCE

Me: Are you still loyal to that theory!?

Dave: Well, t-there was an opportunity-

Me: That wound was fatal.

Me: It doesn’t matter if he lived a little bit afterwards.

Me: The ending is still the same!

Me: GIVE IT UP!

ADVANCE

Dave: I-I have more evidence-

Me: Really?

Me: Sounds to me you can’t accept Rupert’s guilty.

Me: Face it.

Me: Another of your closest friends is a murderer.

Me: And you’ll have to say goodbye.

Me: So, just give up on this and let it go!

ADVANCE

Dave: H-Hey,

Dave: Why a-are so insistent to not hear what I have to say?

Dave: It’s almost if…

Dave: if…

Dave: …

Dave: …oh.

ADVANCE

Me: I-It’s because you’re an idiot!

Me: You mess up everything you do and say.

Me: You’re just mistaken as per usual.

Me: How about you sit back down, and let the more competent sticks, handle things.

Me: Besides…

Me: You have nothing to prove your theory!

< Reginald: You have nothing to prove your theory!>

SLICE!

“I-I’LL CUT UP THAT STATEMENT!”

POV Dave Panpa:

…

I can feel my anxiety wrapping around me like a snake, I can feel my head growing light, and I can feel my heart trying to burst out of my chest. I don’t blame it. I don’t want to be in this situation more than it. There’s a good chance I’ll say something wrong and get us all executed. Plus, although I don’t want to admit it, Rupert definitely was the one who threw that sandbag down, but… he’s not the true killer. I know that. Especially now.

Why am I the only one to notice this detail? I’m… not good at this at all, and… shouldn’t be the one doing this. I want to pull out. Say I’m wrong and let someone else take care of it, but… Rupert’s counting on me to save him! And if I’m right about this, then everyone else is counting on me to...

I can’t let them down, not after I let down Johnny and Geoffroy… Fortunately for all of us, not giving up is the only thing I’m good at.

BANG!

The whole room looks at me, waiting for my response. All I’ve said so far is that Reginald is wrong about the evidence, and I have yet to say why.

After giving myself some encouragement and gathering up all my courage, I say, “Um… No, I do have evidence! There’s… There’s a wound on the captain’s chest, that… looks like a stab wound. And um… I’m pretty sure if you were only hit on the head with a sandbag… it um wouldn’t exist. And stabs to the chest will um kill you faster than a sandbag would, so… the captain must’ve died from that!”

“…”

“[Wow, I did not know D A V E of all people was going to give us an updated autopsy report,]” Henry signs, “[Would Pursuit work in this context?]

“…Seriously? That’s all you got?” Right asks, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Well, I see you’ve been forced to lie just to get Rupert out of this mess,” Reginald says twirling his mustache.

I gulp, “B-But that’s the truth…”

“Really? Then why didn’t anyone else see it? I’m sure the doctor would’ve seen and spoken up about it earlier-”

“Actually, Dave’s telling the truth. There is what looks to be a stab wound on Hubert’s chest. Right at his heart too,” Terrance says, looking excited. A visual soon plays on the television. Dr. Vin flinches.

“W-What?!” Reginald shouts.

“Why are you so surprised?” Terrance sighs, “Rule #15 clearly states, ‘if investigations are over and participants haven’t found all the evidence, any lost evidence can be reclaimed if you can tell me what it is and where it is!’ Dave told us Hubert has a stab wound, the what, and it is on his chest, the where! And since I don’t want to get up, I’ll just confirm it right here!”

“Wait, weren’t there… 12 rules?” Burt asks.

“…Wow, you guys are awful at checking the rules,” Terrance sighs, “I’ve updated it multiple times! There’s 18 of them now!”

“Which are…?” Charles asks sheepishly.

“…” Terrance groans in utter disappointment, “Rule #13, ‘if I catch you sleeping outside of your dorm alone, I WILL draw all over your face’, Rule #14, ‘participants can refuse medicine if I offer it to them.’ Rule #16, ‘I can’t confirm alibies.’ Rule #17, ‘don’t spoil yourself!’, and finally, Rule #18, ‘do not shut down another’s argument in a trial, because you don’t like them. Save the soap opera AFTER TRIAL!’”

I take sigh of relief. Glad, I wasn’t imagining things.

“Why did you not say anything about this, Dr. Vin?” Dmitri asks coldly.

“…” Dr. Vin rubs her arm, “…Intoxication may make you bad at job, but… when you do not have clear mind, like if person you love has recently died…, it is just as bad if not more so than being under influence.”

“…”

“Remind me why you are ‘Ultimate Doctor’ again?” Dmitri hisses.

Dr. Vin then angrily spits back something in Russian, which then Dmitri replies in Russian. The two go into what sounds like a heated argument, before Terrance says something in Russian which gets them both to stop from the shock.

“…”

“How do you know Russian?!” Dmitri shouts.

“We all do things for our friends,” Terrance sighs, “And sometimes that’s learning another language.”

“I… I did not know you were capable of learning another language…” Reginald says.

“Okay, the slander was funny at first, but- I can be competent when I want to be!” Terrance yells.

“[Doubt it]” Henry signs.

“…” Terrance looks red in the face before taking a deep breath and saying, “Let’s just continue the trial.”

“So, if what you’re saying is correct,” Ellie says, “That means, everything involving the sandbag… was a massive waste of time?”

“I would not say that. We know of attempted killer.” Dmitri says.

“…” Rupert doesn’t seem to be fully here right now. His breathing is uneven and he’s trembling feverishly. I whisper to him, to do those breathing exercises. The ones he told me to do on our first day here. He slowly obliges. I wish I could do more to help than hold his hand and give him a little comfort, but… I have to defend him. At least, I’m doing what he wanted.

“Actually, that begs the question,” Jacob says, “Regardless of if someone else stabbed the captain, Rupert was still the one who set this all up, so… shouldn’t he be the blackened?”

“Ugh, you are all illiterate!” Terrance groans, “The blackened is the stick who does the final blow to the victim. It doesn’t matter if someone beats them up to an inch of their life; if someone else comes along and stabs them while they’re down, that someone else will be the blackened. There’s no ‘bigger’ blackened in this game. Only a final blackened.”

“Uh! J-Just making sure,” Jacob says.

“Then… who did it?” Burt asks hesitantly.

“…Who else?” Ellie says, “One of the three sticks who saw the captain get hit in the head with a sandbag, Dave, Reginald, and Sven. Those are our suspects.”

“Just when I thought I was clear!” Sven complains.

“[I would remove D A V E from the list,]” Henry signs, “[He is the one who brought it up]”

“But Johnny did the same thing,” Reginald says, “He gave us information that was previously unknown. All to save his best friend. Dave could be returning the favor for Rupert.”

“…” I feel a shiver go down my spine. Am I… going to be accused again? Johnny may have saved me from getting voted off, but… I don’t think I can save myself and Rupert’s in no condition to come to my rescue, besides would they even believe him or me?

Reginald is about to continue his point before Henry throws a wet sponge at him.

“NYEH!”

“OI! WHAT THE HELL!” Right shouts.

“[I want to speak before he does!]” Henry signs.

“Then why don’t you use your own voice- oh…” Right says, “Uh… sorry. I uh… that’s probably really hard for you to get a word in, huh.”

Henry nods.

“Um…”

“He can go ahead,” Reginald sighs as he rubs his head.

“[D A V E]” Henry signs, “[I have a question for you]”

I gulp. Is he about to accuse me-

“[Who do you think is the killer?]”

“W-What?!” I say in surprise, “Um… why are you asking me?”

“[I do not know,]” Henry signs, “[It was your theory, so you may have more of an idea. So, do you?]”

“Um… yeah. I have an idea… But it’s-”

“Before he says his point, I want to ask the sticks of this trial, are we really going to go down this path?” Reginald says, “Do we really trust Dave to find our killer? Let me remind you all, that Dave is a disgraced police officer. And even then! I find it hard to believe he even became a police officer at all! Are we really going to listen to a word he says?”

“…”

“[Yes,]” Henry signs.

“Besides, isn’t it against the rules to not let him speak?” Thomas says.

“Thomas…” Right snaps.

The fancy toppat flinches in surprise at his superior’s tone.

“[Well, D A V E. Who do you think it is?]” Henry signs, “[The floor is yours.]”

“A-Are you sure?”

“[Positive. Believe me. I know you are more than capable of doing this! I have seen you in action before.]”

“O-Okay. Well, I think… the killer is…is…”

<Select a Stick>

<Reginald>

“I-I Think It’s Y-You!”

“…”

Reginald doesn’t say anything just twirls his mustache. He doesn’t look at me at all. Meanwhile, Right looks… pissed. I feel my heartbeat go up and my head get even lighter.

“Ugh… I knew you’d tried to get revenge against him,” Right snaps.

“R-Revenge? Revenge for what?” I ask.

“Revenge for sending Johnny to the gallows, and attempting to do the same for Rupert,” Right spits, “Isn’t that all a little convenient?”

“Well, he was right about the captain’s injury,” Charles points out, “So, he isn’t just lying to save Rups.”

“That could’ve been a lucky guess!” Right spits.

“…”

“Isn’t he the ‘Ultimate Unlucky Stick’?” Jacob says.

“Plus, I did seem him examine body,” Dr. Vin says.

“That still doesn’t prove anything!” Reginald says, “Sure, he may have been right about Hubert’s injuries; however, he can still be wrong about the killer. Rupert is still a very likely suspect for it all.”

“But… he wasn’t there?” Ellie says, “His attempt of murder proves his innocence!”

“That’s a sentence,” Burt says.

“Well, I’ll just have to tell you, why your theory about who the suspects are… is false,” Reginald says.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Abandoned Body

Reginald: As we all know,

Reginald: When Rupert attempted to kill Hubert.

Reginald: There were three witness.

Reginald: Me, Dave, and Sven.

Reginald: Dave here claims that I killed him.

Reginald: Which is impossible of course.

Ellie: Why’s that?

Reginald: Because the other two would’ve seen it.

Jacob: But Sven would’ve forgotten after the captain’s death.

Reginald: No one knew at the time they would forget.

Reginald: We didn’t even know they would be cured immediately afterwards.

Charles: Then why didn’t Dave say anything about this sooner?

Reginald: Because I didn’t do it.

Henry: [Or maybe, he just needs to gather his courage]

Is… Henry trying to get me to contribute? I… really shouldn’t, but… no one said anything that disproves Reginald’s arguments. If no one says anything soon, then Rupert might be…

I can’t give up on him now! You got this, Dave!

< Reginald: Because the other two would’ve seen it.>

BANG!

“I-I UM DISAGREE!”

“Actually, no…” I say, “B-Because, when we saw the body, we all… left him to go get help.”

“Correct,” Reginald says, “Don’t see how that proves your point,”

“Well… we didn’t leave… all together.”

“…”

“Sven and I ran off first, and I thought you were behind us, but… when I saw you again, you were… way behind us,” I say.

“So, that’s how you were able to do it!” Ellie says.

“[I knew I saw someone’s shoe around the corner, and it looked exactly like R E G I N A L D’s]” Henry signs aggressively.

“First you try killing us with ignorance now kill us with actual murder,” Dmitri spits.

“That’s only Dave’s word against mine,” Reginald argues, “I was right behind them.”

“Actually, I can confirm. Reginald was far behind when I first saw them,” Dr. Vin says.

“And if you remember that, that means the captain was already dead!” Charles shouts. The doctor flinches at Charles’s words.

“…”

“Well… I guess I was mistaken. Thought I was faster than that,” Reginald huffs, twirling his mustache, “How about I move on to my next point?”

“You have more???” Dmitri snaps.

“Yes, I do,” Reginald says.

“But-”

“OI! Let him speak!” Right shouts.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Rupert’s & Dr. Vin’s Location

Reginald: Yes, it may be true that I was a little late.

Reginald: I’m not the best runner after all.

Reginald: However, we’re missing a key fact.

Ellie: Which is?

Reginald: Rupert was also on the prowl.

Reginald: Think about it.

Reginald: He would soon discover that his murder plan didn’t work.

Reginald: So, he does what any depraved individual would do.

Reginald: Run over there as soon as I’m gone, and-

Reginald: Finish the job.

Rupert: …

Reginald: See? I’m not the culprit.

Right: Heh, right as always~

Henry: [I do not know. What do you think, D A V E?]

Why is no one saying anything against him! Rupert is innocent! I know Rupert has a hard time connecting with people but… Why am I the one who has to do this… Ugh! Dave, snap out of it! Everyone’s counting on you! Don’t give up.

<Reginald: Run over there as soon as I’m gone>

BANG!

“I-I UM DISAGREE!”

“Um… I’m sorry, but that doesn’t make any sense,” I say.

“How,” Right snaps.

I flinch, but gathering the last bits of my courage I respond, “B-Because Rupert went into the infirmary afterwards. Isn’t that right, Dr. Vin?”

“…Да,” she says, “Rupert was with me inside infirmary. *Pause* And… I now realize, also out of breath.”

“We could’ve been done an hour ago-” Ellie complains.

“However, he was already inside room when I came too,” Dr. Vin says.

“Um… wouldn’t have Dave, Sven, and the chief seen him? The map’s layout suggests this,” Burt says.

“Um…We were… in shock,” I say, “I think we spent a good amount of time just staring at the body trying to process what just happened…At least I did,”

“Also, the map is inaccurate. The stairs are on the other side of the shark room,” Ellie points out.

“Hey, I just realized something,” Sven says, “He might’ve been in there so he could frame Dr. Vin! Leaving the key in there would make us all guess she was the culprit, letting Rupert leave Scott-free!”

“…” I think I’ve officially lost any hope blood will reach my fingers with the way Rupert’s grip tighten.

“Which means, it would make more sense if he went to the infirmary first instead of checking if the captain was still alive!” Charles says.

“Ugh! Rupert could’ve gone over there-” Right snaps.

“T-The timeline doesn’t add up though,” I say hesitantly, “If… Reginald was correct that Rups waited until we were gone then… he wouldn’t have already been in the infirmary by the time we got there… right? Especially since if he did stab the captain he would’ve known from the very beginning he did it… because um, standing over a body with a bloody knife in your hands… kind of implies you’re the murderer.”

“Yeah! He was already there! And last I check, if Rupert had magic and used it, he would’ve been shot!” Charles says.

“Shot? What are you talking about?” Ellie says, “You just can’t use magic. Literally.” She raises her hand and concentrates hard. Nothing happens, “See?”

“ELLIE!” Jacob yells.

“So? If it did work, I would’ve save us all with no casualties, so I’d be using it for good and they can’t hurt me for that!” Ellie says, “And well, right now, all they have is my word for it if I have powers.”

“B-But if you still had it, you would’ve gotten hurt, right?” I ask.

“No,” Terrance says, “If I caught any of you using magic, I’d stick you with an anti-chaos probe inside of your body, so you won’t use it again in the future. It’s really the tamest punishment for breaking the rules here, since I’ve already done it to our sole magic user.”

“…You did what to me?!” Ellie says.

In that case, he doesn’t know I have- I should really keep that in mind. Might save my life…

“Back to trial at hand, I think it is safe to say that Reginald is guilty,” Dmitri says.

“HOLD ON!” Right shouts.

“!”

“You may have proven the possibility, but you haven’t proven if he did it!” Right snaps.

“Right…” Reginald says with a smile.

“What else do you need proven?” Dmitri asks.

“Well, the obvious,” Right says, “This was not a plan murder, so how would have Reg been able to do commit it?”

The room goes silent. I wait for someone to answer, but nobody says a word. Because he’s right, he couldn’t have possibly been prepared for this, right? Oh great… I was wrong again- No! I can’t give up! Maybe… Maybe I can think up an explanation...

<Logic Dive>

How did Reginald kill the captain?

-He’s not the killer

-He used the dagger he always carries around

-He already knew the murder was going to happen

> He used the dagger he always carries around. <

“I-I Think I Got It!”

“He… he used his own dagger,” I say, “You know the one he carries around.”

“…” Reginald’s poker face breaks for a split second before he goes back to twirling his mustache and looking as stone face as ever.

“How do you know about it?” Right hisses, “And plus, it’s only for self-defense. I have a gun on me for the same purpose.”

I flinch but I’m able to force out, “Well I know because he tried stabbing Terrance with it yesterday…”

“…That was… an emotional outburst” Reginald says, “I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“But you would still have it, wouldn’t you?!” Ellie says.

“No, I don’t.” Reginald says.

“W-What!?” everyone, including the toppats shout.

“Reg, where is it? What happened to it?” Right says in a panic.

“Dave took it away from me after that stunt,” Reginald says.

“HE DID WHAT!” Right shouts.

“I… I didn’t do that!” I shout as I feel my legs go weak. Fortunately, not weak enough that I collapse… again.

“Can confirm. I saw him afterwards,” Charles says, “No dagger on him.”

“He could have hidden it on his person,” Reginald says.

“But we can’t confirm either or,” Thomas says, “So, this piece might have to go unsolved. Unless if someone tells us where the dagger is”

“Thomas, who’s side are you on?!” Reginald shouts.

“Wha- I’m- …Yours, chief,” Thomas wilts.

“You know, rule #15 is still in place. I can bring you the dagger to confirm or not,” Terrance suddenly says, “But you’re going to have to tell me where it is.”

“…”

“Dave! Can you tell us where it is!” Charles asks excitedly.

“M-Me?! Why? I don’t know where it is!” I say.

“Please, dude. You’ve been a huge help so far. You got to know!” Charles says.

“Besides, even if you are wrong, we can always guess again,” Jacob says.

“Are you literally going to get me to search the entire school, for this dagger?!” Terrance complains.

“It is not against rules…” Dr. Vin says.

“Besides, you deserve it,” Dmitri snaps.

“Ugh… Fair point. I’ll need to adjust the rule after this,” Terrance mumbles.

“[So, D A V E. Where is the dagger?]” Henry signs.

I don’t have an answer for him. It’s a giant factory and it could be anywhere! *Pause* Actually… maybe not, anywhere.

<Logic Dive>

Where is the dagger?

-In a trash can

-In Reginald’s dorm room

-In the incinerator

> In the incinerator <

“I-I Think I Got It!”

“Um… did anyone check the incinerator?” I ask, “The captain usually does, so-”

“Me and Reg did,” Right says, “Found nothing.”

“…”

“Um… is it possible, that he hid it while your back was turned?” Jacob says.

“Say that again, Jay!” Terrance says, “What item did Reginald have and where did he hide it!”

Jacob cringes at the nickname, but soon says, “Can you check the incinerator for the dagger? Please.”

“Can do!” Terrance says and runs off. He soon comes back with… a dagger, covered in dry blood.

“…”

“So um, guess that means, without a doubt, Reginald did it!” Charles says.

“No! You can’t prove it was there earlier or not!” Reginald says.

“That’s not a good point…” Ellie says, “It’s your dagger and it’s covered in blood?”

“Well, someone else could’ve used it!” Reginald says, “In attempt to frame me!”

“[You cannot prove that]” Henry signs.

“And you can’t disprove it either,”

“But it does not matter,” Dmitri says, “It is too much of coincidence, and he had opportunity. He is guilty-”

“TIME FOR A LITTLE PAYBACK!”

“Oi! You think we’d let you claim Reginald’s guilty without a fight!?” Right snaps.

“Right?” Reginald says.

“Yeah! He’s our chief! If you think you can accuse him of that without us having a say in it. Than you are WRONG!” Sven says.

“What he said,” Burt says.

“…”

“Thomas…” Right warns.

“Y-Yeah, I’m with the them!” Thomas says hesitantly.

“[Then what is your evidence?]” Henry signs.

“We’ll explain it to you dogs, right now!” Right shouts.

“YEAH!” Sven, Burt, and Thomas shout with enthusiasm.

“Guys…” Reginald says with a soft smile. He looks grateful.

“But you are wrong,” Dmitri says.

“Because he definitely did it,” Ellie says.

“Yep! Can’t be any more guilty!” Charles says.

“I could not think of better killer,” Dr. Vin says.

“Plus, Dave’s theory makes complete sense,” Jacob says.

“Heh… I could be wrong though…” I say.

“…” Rupert looks away from the crowd.

“…Huh, weird looking scum debate, but a scum debate nonetheless!” Terrance says, “Everyone to your positions- oh. *Pause* I’m all for the downfall of the Toppat Clan, but… this is a little unfair, don’t you think? Five against Eight? One of you should change sides.”

“…”

“Нет!” Dmitri snaps, “This is correct opinion! No one should change sides, for ‘fairness’”

“Plus, wouldn’t whoever change side not be completely genuine?” Jacob says, “And we would lose the reason why we even did this in the first place!”

“I can sit out-” I say.

“Nah, you’ve lost your sitting on the sidelines privilege,” Terrance says, “Your theory, your defense. Also, sitting out wouldn’t change anything. Five against Seven is still bad. Hm… if one of you changes your side to help the toppats, I’ll give you… $10.”

“…Do you seriously think that would work-” Dr. Vin asks.

“[Sold]” Henry signs.

“Dang,” Ellie says snapping her fingers.

“Seriously, you two?” Charles sighs, “Our lives on the line!”

“Alright, now that’s settled. Go to your side, and start debating!”

<Scum Debate>

Reginald is Innocent Reginald is Guilty

-Right -Dmitri

-Reginald -Dr. Vin

-Sven -Charles

-Burt -Ellie

-Thomas -Jacob

-Henry -Dave

-Rupert

<BEGIN!>

Burt: Rupert was the one who set up that trap.

>Me: B-But the trap didn’t kill him immediately…

Sven: Anyone could have stabbed the captain!

>Charles: I didn’t see anyone else besides him when we found the body. And I’m clear.

Reginald: You can’t prove I had my dagger on me.

>Dr. Vin: You cannot prove you did not have it on you either.

Right: Reginald has no motive for this! He would not have done it!

>Ellie: He would, because he hid valuable information from us! TWICE!

Henry: [It could have been out of stupidity not malice]

>Jacob: He kept trying to silence Dave. That’s not stupidity…

Thomas: T-The chief promised not to kill.

>Dmitri: He may have promised, but promises can easily be broken…

“THIS IS OUR ANSWER!”

“Great job guys! I think that was your best scum debate yet!” Terrance shouts.

Henry stares at Terrance and coughs.

“…Oh, right. Here’s your payment,” Terrance says and throws Henry a red wallet with gold highlights and a top hat on it. Henry catches and opens it up to double check if the correct amount is there. Judging by his smile, it is.

“Wait a minute- THAT’S MY WALLET!” Reginald shouts.

“GIVE IT BACK!” Right snaps.

“[Finder’s keepers losers’ weepers]” Henry signs, as he pockets it.

“There! Are you satisfied?” Dmitri spits towards the toppats, “Will you admit, your chief killed him?”

“No,” Right hisses back, “Even if you had video proof he did it, you’ll never hear me say the words, ‘Reginald is guilty.’” The toppats seem to nod in agreement with that statement, though Thomas does his with hesitation.

“But you just did-” Ellie says.

“Aw, so we did all that for nothing?” Charles complains.

“[I would not say nothing]” Henry signs.

“…Dude, those $10 don’t count!” Ellie says.

“[You would not be saying that if you were the one who got it]”

“…Touché,”

“I would not say that,” Dr. Vin says, “Our argument is stronger now, and we also have realized one single fact. Law enforcements and neutrals combine, out vote toppats.”

“So, you’re saying we should just vote out Reginald, now?” Charles asks.

“There is no reason not too, at this point,” Dr. Vin shrugs.

“No! No! NO! I’m not the culprit, here!” Reginald shouts as he loses his cool. His poker face completely discarded, “Rupert is!”

“[Give it up,]” Henry signs.

“No! I can’t! You don’t even understand what’s at stake here! No! All this is, is just a desperate attempt to take revenge against me and save someone, who only one person would be sad to see go! And you know what- I’m not dying because a @$#@ing security guard who’s afraid of his own shadow, didn’t want to say goodbye to his God-awful boyfriend!”

“…Ow,” I whisper. Rupert looks hurt.

“So, shut up all of you! And I’ll tell you, why I can’t be the culprit!”

“Um…”

“[Sorry, D A V E. You got yourself into this mess, you get to finish it.]” Henry signs, “[Good luck]”

<Argument Armament>

IS

THIS

WHAT

WE

ARE

DOING?

LISTENING TO

A BLABBERING

SPINELESS

COWARD!

NOT TO

MENTION

HE’S FRIENDS WITH TWO CONFIRMED KILLLERS!

PLUS, WHAT

WOULD YOU

RATHER HAVE?

A SELFISH

@#$HOLE WHO

DOESN’T KNOW

WHAT

A

COMB IS?

OR

THE PRESTIGIOUS

LEADER

OF A

WEALTHY

ORGANIZATION!

WHO

WOULD SEEM

THE MORE LIKELY

TO

KILL

IN SUCH

A

BRUTAL

FASION?!

ALSO, I MADE A PROMISE TO NOT KILL!”

I

WOULDN’T

BREAK

IT

THAT

EASILY

FOR NO

GOOD

REASON!

<Final Blow>

“There’s a crucial flaw to your theory, David, so can you explain to the court,

WHY IS THERE NO BLOOD ON ME?!”

YOU USED YOUR GLOVES TO COVER IT UP

“I-I hope I’m right…”

“!” Reginald jumps back in surprise.

“A-Am I right?” I ask.

“Of course not! He didn’t put them on today,” Right says, “Told me himself.”

“Can confirm,” Reginald says.

“But… he did,” I say, “I saw him with gloves on earlier. Right before the murder.”

“[Is this going to be another case of you cannot prove either or?]” Henry signs.

“Actually, when I grabbed the dagger,” Terrance says, “Reginald’s gloves where with him,” He pulls them out. They are covered in blood, “Really did take a page out of Johnny’s play book, huh?”

“Wait, that’s against the rules! You can’t do that-” Sven says.

“I can choose to ignore my own rules!” Terrance spits, “So, it very much so is in the rules.”

“…”

“…R-Reg?” Right asks.

“…” Reginald stares at all of us. Suddenly, tears begin to well up in his eyes and break down into a sob.

“REG!?” Right shouts, immediately rushing to his chief’s aid. He pulls him into a hug.

“…I should’ve just left him there!” Reginald sobs.

“…It’s okay, I forgive ya,”

“Finally, it’s over. Then we can move on to voting-” Terrance says.

“Um, before that!” Sven interrupts, “Shouldn’t we go over the case? J-Just in case if we miss anything? Don’t want to accidently vote for the wrong person?”

“…Fine,” Terrance says.

“Oh, Dave you should do it!” Charles says.

“W-Why me?” I ask.

“Because you’re the one who solved the case, so you should be the one to wrap it all up!” Charles says.

“A-Are you sure?”

“Just do it,” Ellie sighs, “It’ll give… them… their moment.”

“…Okay, just- correct me if I get anything wrong,”

<Closing Argument>

“It um… all started with the motive: Despair Disease. Where if one got infected, they would act the opposite on how they would act, among other symptoms… The one’s who got it were, the f-first killer, who got the ‘Switch Disease’, Dr. Vin, who got the ‘Careless Disease’, Sven, who got the ‘Quiet Disease’, and Right, who got the ‘Betrayal Disease’. However, there was also the added bonus of everyone believing the sick were going to die… and… I can’t think of a better motive the killer could’ve had…

“Then Dr. Vin fell off the catwalk, which gave the first killer two things: an idea for a murder plan and her glasses, which they used to get Dr. Vin’s key to formulate their plan. Sven most likely noticed this and grew suspicious.”

“Later on, the killer decided to scope the catwalk out to see how they can use it to their advantage. They did this multiple times, but I uh… don’t know how many… Eventually, they went to their next stage of their plan of setting it up. They grabbed a sandbag to use as the murder weapon and a disguise as extra security, but they messed up thrice with it. First, they coughed on the side of the wall and neglected to clean it back up, causing us to know someone infected was up there. Second, their disguise did the opposite of what they wanted as some of the killer’s hair stuck to it and finally: Sven. He uh… saw what the killer was doing at some point and realized their plan.”

“So, he did what I would do… warn someone. And funny enough, out of everyone here, he went to… me. Of course, he um was still sick so he couldn’t actually tell me what he saw, but… I realized the important part of a murder occurring. Though, I-I didn’t know what to do, so I went to our leaders: the victim Captain Hubert Galeforce and… our actual killer.

“I… I told them what I suspected, and we decided to follow Sven to find out where he got this information to hopefully stop the murder from happening. But… in reality, we were accidently leading them all to the first killer’s trap…”

“So, the killer soon notices us and because we all in a group, they would have a uh higher chance of killing one of us, so- they dropped the sandbag. The captain quickly noticed this and instead of running, he pushed Sven out of the way, because it was about to hit him. However, this action caused the sandbag to hit him instead... Knocking him unconscious.”

“The killer then run away to the infirmary. Most likely to uh frame Dr. Vin for the crime. Meanwhile, back with us, we soon realize the victim… didn’t die immediately. So, with that knowledge, I… foolishly ran off with Sven to find Dr. Vin so she could save him. Giving the actual killer the opportunity to… finish the victim off with his dagger… (It’s all my fault…)”

“Then the real killer joined back up with us, and at some point hid the murder weapon and their now bloodstained gloves. However, upon the victim’s death, something… surprising happened. Everyone who was infected, was suddenly… cured, which as a side effect, made the inflicted forget what occurred while they were sick. Meaning most of our witnesses forgot what they saw, and more importantly, our first killer… forgot they did the crime at all….”

“And… regrettably, the first killer, the one who won’t have done this if he was healthy, and the actual killer, who took advantage of the crime, are…

“R-Rupert Price… the Ultimate Soldier, and the Reginald Copperbottom, the Ultimate Toppat Clan Leader...”

<COMPLETE!>

“D-Did I get that right?” I ask.

“You are absolutely wrong!” Right snaps.

“…” Reginald looks to the floor. Regret is all over his face.

“Okay, can we now vote?” Terrance says annoyed.

“U-Um One more thing!” Sven says, “How would we know for sure; the chief killed the captain while he was still alive?!”

“…”

“Pardon?” Ellie asks.

“That head wound was fatal,” Sven says, “It doesn’t matter if he lived afterwards or not. He was a dead man regardless. So… there’s a chance, that maybe just maybe the chief was too late, and the victim was already dead?”

“…”

“G-Guess it’s a leap of faith, then,” Jacob says, “Because there is no way to possibly know if that’s true or not.”

“Ugh! You guys are taking too long over things you can’t prove! That’s it! Trial over! Vote NOW,” Terrance snaps, “And you better vote correctly or I swear to all things holy-”

Like last time, paper and pencils are passed around. We all write down who we think it is. I feel like I’m going to faint. What if I’m wrong? What if Sven’s right, and… Reginald was too late? Or even worse, Reginald didn’t even do anything. What if… I’m sending all of us to our deaths?

I look over at Rupert. He’s no longer panicking but… he doesn’t look to good. He’s staring at the floor with a somber expression. I take a deep breath and write “Reginald” on the piece of paper.

Soon, the notes are passed back over to Terrance, and I… think I lost the ability to breath. I’m so nervous.

“Alright, finally! Let’s get this stupid round over with- huh?” Terrance says.

Uneasiness fills the room.

“W-What’s wrong?!” Jacob asks.

“Nothing, it’s just… surprising. I mean, it really shouldn’t be. It’s almost 50/50,” Terrance says, “I don’t think that’s… ever happened before in any version of the game we’re playing. I mean, two people voting for the guy who got the killer convicted, sure, but… wow.”

“So, then… who… had the majority?” Jacob asks.

“…Between the two candidates, Rupert and Reginald, the one who is declared the winner by one vote is-” Terrance smiles and shuffles his deck. He soon pulls out the card of- “Reginald!!!! Which lucky for all of you, is the correct option!”

Confetti is soon blasted in the room, and I gasp for breath. I grab my podium’s railing as my legs give out. I… I didn’t screw it up! I didn’t get everyone killed! I’m okay, and so is Rupert!

“It’s oooooovvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrr!” Terrance yells, “UGH! Wow! This entire round was a never-ending nightmare! Horrid motive, it took WAY TOO long, and it had a bad victim! But it’s over! And I get to execute the worst participant here as my prize for sticking out for so long!!!!!!!!!!!”

“No you won’t!” Right snaps, “I won’t let you! I won’t…”

“Uh-huh, can you wait 5 minutes?” Terrance says, “He still has some time to explain himself. Then you can try and stop me,”

“…” Reginald looks pale and is gripping his arm hard. Fear and despair are seen all over his body.

“…C-Chief. Aren’t you going to say anything?” Sven says.

“…I’m sorry,” Reginald says, “I shouldn’t have done that…”

“Um, I have a question,” Jacob says.

“What is it?”

“If you were always the murderer, then… why did you help us during the trial. You could’ve easily gotten any other person to be the killer?” Jacob says, “Why risk getting yourself caught?”

“...Do you think I want to see my clanmates die? Especially the ones closest to me, in a horrible fashion?” Reginald spits, “I could’ve made the trial end earlier, but… truth be told, I was stalling. After all, finding the truth takes a lot longer than creating a lie...And is more stable,”

“Then w-why did you do it?! You… You promised!” Thomas shouts, offended.

“I… I can’t tell you the real reason, unfortunately,” Reginald says.

“W-Why?”

“Trust me okay?! I-It’s better if you guys don’t know. But… I will say this,” Reginald says, “I was on the fence if I should murder or not. The question was bothering me this morning, and it didn’t help… that Right was gone.”

“…” Right stares at Reginald.

“It wasn’t your fault, honey! It was never your fault… Please, don’t blame yourself for my mistake…P-Please.”

“…I-I’ll try,” Right says.

“Anyways, then… Rupert’s attempted at murder happened, and I soon realized- I had an opportunity. My worst enemy, on the ground, barely alive, by someone else who I could easily frame… Heh, and well, I made my decision to leave this dump there,”

“So, it was and always has been that law enforcement dog’s fault,” Right growls.

“…So, you’re not going to give us your motive?” Terrance asks.

“Of course not!” Reginald barks.

“Hm… well that’s not narratively satisfying-” Terrance says, “And even more so, because Rupert doesn’t even remember his!”

“Oi! This isn’t a story, Terrance!” Right snaps, “This is real life! We’re real people! So, screw your narrative!”

“…Ha. HAHA! Do you really think I care about that? Don’t you forget, I’m the headmaster and I make the rules! You have no say in what I do,” Terrance says, “So, how about I reveal their motives.”

“Y-You can’t do that…” Reginald says horrified.

“I can and will. First off, Rupert’s motive!”

Suddenly, the tv turns on and it soon plays yesterday’s camera footage. We all watch with bated breath. Especially Rupert, who is the most curious about his own motive.

The footage shows the stairwell, the one which leads to the catwalk. Rupert is waiting outside of the entrance. He coughs up a bit of blood but other than that, he doesn’t move. Almost like he’s keeping watch. Suddenly, Right exits the room.

“It’s done,” Right says.

“Thank you so much!” Rupert says.

“You better do this right. Another second of the clan’s existence is a second ruined,”

“Don’t worry! I’m sure as soon as Reginald and everyone else is gone, the clan will crumble soon afterwards,” Rupert says.

“Heh. That’s all I ask,” Right says before walking away. Both are smiling.

The camera footage soon switches into the stairwell. Rupert is now putting on the jacket. Suddenly, he turns around and says, “Sven? Aren’t you supposed to be with Burt?”

The blonde toppat soon goes into view. He looks upset. He gets even more upset when he sees what Rupert’s wearing.

“I’m assuming you’re wondering what I’m doing now, huh?” Rupert says in a playful manor.

Sven stares at him.

“Well- I guess I can tell you. After all, there’s no risk in you telling anyone my plan. My murder plan, that is.”

Sven jumps back in shock. He gives Rupert an angry glare while the sick soldier just smiles smugly back.

The toppat soon recovers and gives him an angry expression, while baring his teeth at him.

“Hm? I guess you want to know why, huh?” Rupert says, “I don’t know if that’s what you want, but honestly, I want at least one person to know before I tell everyone after they vote off Dr. Vin.”

“…” Sven calms down and looks at Rupert.

Rupert smiles but it fades away, “It’s because if I don’t do this, I’m going to die in here.”

Sven blinks. He opens his mouth, but no words come out.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ve heard it from Dave plenty of times before. ‘We’re going to make a cure! Don’t worry! Just stay patient and hopeful, ya-da.’ But Dave’s an idiot. I love him, but he’s still an idiot. There has been little to no progress on this supposed ‘cure’ and everyone is fine with that! They’re only worried about getting infected, not caring for those who are infected. I mean, they almost locked us up in a room to leave us to die! Also, this sickness… it’s unbearable! And that’s excluding the fact Terrance is planning to make it worse this afternoon! And nobody cares, because it won’t affect them! Only the sick! AND WHO CARES ABOUT THE SICK! THEY CERTAINLY DON’T!” Rupert stares at Sven with a look of despair, before sighing, “…So… if they’re leaving me to die… then I might as well return the favor.”

“…” Sven blinks and walks closer to Rupert. He tries telling him something but once again nothing comes out of his mouth.

“…Are you trying to tell me that Dave cares?” Rupert spits, “Cause he doesn’t. He ran away as soon as he had to sacrifice something to help me. And I know- it’s who he is. A coward. But it still hurt…”

Sven gives Rupert a confused glance.

“…Is this about my confession from yesterday? Heh, despite everything I can’t hate him. He’s too sweet and lovable for me to stay mad at…” Rupert smiles, but soon his face turns grim, “That’s why he’s my target.”

“!” Sven jumps back once again, and this time gets farther away from Rupert.

“Oi, don’t look at me like that!” Rupert says, “He’s going to die anyways! Might as well make it quick. And… he’ll die not knowing what a terrible person I am.”

“…” Sven bares his teeth at him again and runs right at him. Rupert easily grabs him and throws him to the ground. Fortunately, he doesn’t fall down the stairs.

“Really? I love practicing martial arts! But good attempt. Maybe you should try to warn someone. Go ahead; do it. It’s not like you can’t speak or anything…”

Sven looks at him with an angry expression, before it dissipates. He then runs down the stairs. Rupert laughs as he leaves.

I… I…I was the target?! At first I couldn’t believe it but… it slowly started to click. Rupert only had one shot of killing one of us, and it be super easy to miss, especially since we were running. Honestly, it was very lucky for him that he hit someone. But… the person he almost hit, Sven, was close behind me, and… Sven went to me first after finding this out, instead of his leader or anyone else… Anxiety crawls back up around me.

“…”

“That’s… That’s not… That’s not me,” Rupert says horrified and takes a step back. He looks sick to his stomach, “That… T-That can’t be me! I wouldn’t do t-that! Especially, towards Dave!”

“Sorry, Rupert. That’s 100% you!” Terrance says.

“I… helped?” Right says with disgust and horror.

“Well, you did have the betrayal disease. Helping a law enforcement’s murder attempt, just so the clan loses Reginald and other high officials, is well a betrayal,” Terrance explains.

“…I think I’m going to be sick…” Right says covering his mouth with his hand.

“…” Reginald gives an expression of terror. I don’t know if it’s from the video, his motive is next, or… because the video was longer than 5 minutes.

“Alright! Now let’s move on to our next killer’s motive!” Terrance says.

“Terrance… if you have any semblance of virtue in that blackhole you call a soul, then you won’t… won’t reveal it,” Reginald pleas. He looks deathly serious.

“...Why? Afraid we’ll think less of you?” Ellie says, “I think you’ve already passed the point of no return, dude.”

“This isn’t about me,” Reginald hisses, “Trust me, when I say you don’t want to know.”

“C-Chief?” Sven asks, almost like he has a feeling for what Terrance is going to show.

“Ha… Oh, Reggie,” Terrance laughs, “This was always going to be revealed! The only difference is that I’ve decided to do it early!”

“…What is it?” Dr. Vin asks sharply.

“I’m sorry, but it was so unfair to you all, for Reginald to see the next motive early, so to make up for it- I’ll show it to you all now!” Terrance says before flinging a bunch of photos up in the air.

“DON’T LOOK AT THEM!” Reginald screams, but it was too late. The photos neatly fall to the ground revealing their contents. What is on them… was despair.

A toppat airship crashed into what I think is a rocket. A destroyed military camp. A frozen complex being destroyed by its prisoners’ desperate escape attempt. A hollow crater of where a museum once proudly stood. A weird building labeled CCC, reduced to ruins. Fire and bodies lace all over the photographs. Everyone stares at them in shock, horror, and despair.

“…C-Chief?” Sven asks as he looks over at Reginald, “…This… This was your motive?! B-But you said- you said…”

“…” Reginald looks regretful, “…I-I was wrong, Sven. I’m sorry. I’m sure you can all see why it was such a hard decision, and why… I gave in to temptation. The clan is my home, and I couldn’t… just let it die off like that!”

“(…But having us die off would be fine)” Dr. Vin mumbles.

“So… w-we’re the last ones left?” Burt says.

“Hey! There could’ve been survivors… there has to be!” Thomas says, “Toppats don’t die that easily!”

“(Unfortunately),” Charles coughs.

“But even still, what’s left there? We’re all going to die here too,” Sven says.

“No, you are not!” Reginald shouts, “It’s going to be okay… Besides, I’ve killed the traitor!”

“…”

“…Ну вот?” the doctor asks.

“The traitor’s goal is to get us to murder, and who better than a captain aligned with the government. We already know the government is corrupt and would manipulate sticks for their dirty work.”

“[I agree with that]” Henry signs.

“Plus, wasn’t our first murderer a law enforcement? So, who’s to say he was manipulated into doing it? After all, killing to keep your disability a secret… isn’t it too little of a motive?”

“Henry admitted to almost killing a man because he owed him $3…” Charles says, “And the guy still ended being killed cause he owed another person $5.”

“And it was more than just a disability to him…” I add.

“Then there’s the whole machinery here. They were made by the doctor,” Reginald says, “And I won’t be surprised if she played a role in making this disease,”

“H-How- I did no such thing!” Dr. Vin snaps.

“Oh, don’t worry, I know you’re innocent. After all- why would the traitor infect themselves?”

“…”

“With your connection to Hubert, it’d be easy for him to steal from and manipulate you to make this game,” Reginald says, “Or even… you’re the mastermind of this whole trial.”

“…” Dr. Vin bites her lip, “Do you think I would willingly put strangers in here to die, for my own selfish desires? I may be not best person in the world, but I am not monster…”

“Yeah! She wouldn’t do that!” Charles says.

“Oh, I’m not saying she’s the mastermind, I’m saying Hubert’s the traitor. Also, even if I was all wrong about your involvement, he does know a few things about how to create technology, he finished your voice changer device after all. Plus, with Terrance’s reaction to his death; I’m fairly certain I’m right. After all, he clearly didn’t want him to die.”

“…” Terrance stares at him.

I don’t know if I agree with Reginald or not. The captain seemed like a nice person, but I didn’t know him that well. However, the captain manipulating Johnny? I can sort of see it, as he would have the means, since I think Johnny’s dad and the captain were friends, but… I don’t think he was manipulated into killing…

It seems I’m not alone with my mix thoughts, as everyone turns to look at Terrance. Wondering if he can confirm or deny Reginald’s accusation. Terrance just stares at all of us.

Then he slowly says, “…I… I cannot confirm or deny the traitor’s identity. I can’t even say if they’re dead or not, but I will say this- the traitor was forced to help. So, even if you decide to believe Hubert is the traitor, just know, it wasn’t out of malice. Anyways- it’s been 10 minutes! You should’ve left this mortal coil by now!”

“N-No! You can’t! Why don’t you execute Rupert instead!” Right shouts desperation in his voice, “He’s the one-”

“Don’t care!” Terrance shouts, as he races to his throne.

“R-Right… I’ll be okay!” Reginald says, his voice shaking, “Besides, w-what’s he going to do? Throw out a cardboard cutout of you and make me shoot it? I already know it’s not really you!”

“So, without further ado-” Terrance says.

“…” Right looks Reginald, before pulling him into a kiss, “I love you,”

“…I love you too!” Reginald says as tears drip from his eyes.

“IT’S PUNISHMENT TIME!!!!!”

Notes:

You like my red herring? I named him, Rupert Price.
Also- NOBODY EXPECTS A PROTAGONIST SWITCH! Everyone who wanted RHM to be the culprit + the one person who compared this fic to the first trial of Danganronpa v3, the dramatic irony was hilarious.
Now, I guess I should provide an explanation on to why. Well, you see, I had the idea of Dave being a switch protagonist. I loved the idea, but... I had no way to use it. I did have an idea for another fanronpa sitting in the back of my mind; however, the problem was 1. I like the protagonist of it and more importantly 2. Dave wasn't even in it (it was a multiverse ronpa thing, might still do it eventually). So, then- this fic came about! Just so I can use the idea. Which means, the entire story is built around this concept. (It's also why Henry isn't the protagonist, even if does make perfect sense for him to be)
Then does that mean Reginald is and always has been a decoy protagonist? Unfortunately, yes. He was. But hey, at least I didn't kill him off in chapter 1 and he was able to get his time to shine as a protagonist. (Also, Geoffroy's and Johnny's trial wouldn't work as anything but a chapter 1 trial, and Johnny would have definitely killed to save Rupert from the motive before Sven even got sick).
Hopefully, I foreshadowed this twist well, as with the previous chapters I tried to focus on Dave as much as I could while showing how Reginald wasn't a really good fit to be one.

Chapter 20: DtS Deadly Life- Epilogue

Notes:

So um... twist right? Hopefully, you guys will enjoy Dave as the protagonist afterwards.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“I-Is it… over? Did… the chief escape? Where’s his right-hand man?” Sven asks as he slowly removes his hands from his face. Nobody answers him. Nobody dares to. Well, nobody until Terrance shows back up.

“FAIL! Kill thieves never prosper!” Terrance shouts happily with his newly acquired hat, as he pulls out a bottle of champagne, “And- WAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE’S @$@@ING DEAD! LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy… I knew it would be good, but IT WAS SO GOOD! I’m so glad I had it recorded!” He then pops the bottle.

“SHUT THE @#$@ UP!” Burt screams, “YOU ARE HORRIBLE!!”

“Ha!” Terrance laughs, before it dies somewhat down, “Well… credit where credit is due, thank you so much Dave! I was scared he was about to win, but then you came in like a superhero- calling him out on his lies! And redeeming this whole round! I really owe you one! If you need anything, (within reason), I’ll give you to ya!”

“…” I don’t know how to respond to that.

“W-Where’s Right?” Thomas asks, “Is h-he really-”

“Nope! Unless it’s a group execution, only one person dies in an execution!” Terrance smiles, “He’s right here! Safe and sound!”

Soon, the metal doors open, and Right slowly walks out.

He doesn’t look good, as a trail of blood follows him. Somehow, he seems less scary to me.

“…”

I swallow my fear and ask “A-Are you okay?”

He stares at me before walking right in front of me. I feel my heartbeat race. Suddenly, he grabs my shirt and pulls me close to him. All the blood in face flees. Everyone turns to look at us.

“…”

Right breaks the silence by saying, “Ya, know… you’re lucky. If I hadn’t made that promise not to kill anyone here… there wouldn’t be a single inch of this place that won’t be covered in your blood and guts.”

His grip loosens, as he collapses to the ground, and I almost join him.

“Hm… well, I thought he was fine. Guess I did go a little far with that explosion after all,” Terrance says, “Oh well. Vicky, you can fix him up?” He then throws her a med kit.

“…After what he and his team pulled. I do not want to,” Dr. Vin says. Everyone, except Dmitri, looks at her in shock.

“W-What? *Pause* Come on, Vicky, it’s a part of the Hippocratic Oath! You can’t just leave someone to die!” Terrance says.

“You have never read it,”

“Does it matter if I read it or not?” Terrance says, “It’s a doctor’s duty to help those in need? Look, if I’m the one having to tell you to do this- then what does that say about your character?”

“…Fine,” Dr. Vin says and goes to treat Right.

“H-Hey! She shouldn’t help him!” Sven shouts, “She could take revenge and kill him!”

“True, but I’m sure she’s smart enough to realize she’ll have 11 witness if she attempts it… Speaking of murder, one other thing,” Terrance says, before chucking a shoe right at Rupert’s face.

“Oi! @#$@! Ow!” Rupert shouts.

“That’s for killing Hubert, you @$$hole,” Terrance says, “You’re lucky that killing you for it would mess up the whole game. But just so you know- I’ll upgrade what your execution, so you’ll suffer even more than you would’ve when/if you get executed. And- it’s not likely you’re going be as lucky you were here again.”

“…”

“Question,” Dmitri says out of the blue.

“?”

“You told Reginald something before dropping him, but the camera cut. What was it?” Dmitri says.

“Spoilers. Nothing to it,” Terrance shrugs, “Anyways, you all, except for Dr. Vin, can leave now, and do… whatever you want. Tootles~” He then leaves.

We slowly walk to the elevator. Minus, Dr. Vin and the remaining toppats, as she is still treating Right, while the toppats make sure she is going to try anything. The doctor looks absolutely miserable.

I have a hard time entering the elevator again, as it’s still too small for me, but Rupert helps me once again go inside it. Though… he refuses to look at me. The elevator ride was probably the longest it has ever been. Nobody said anything, which made it all worse.

Soon, we all exit the elevator, and we were about to go our separate ways before- Dmitri turns to his faction.

“Before we sperate, I have a few new policies I will add,” he says, “Since Hubert is dead, I will now be in charge. Although I do not want to insult dead, it was long time coming. Ze U.S military structure is too soft for situations like this. It is time to do things ze Wall, way.”

“Um, why not Dr. Vin instead?” Charles asks, “She was the closest to the captain. Almost his right-hand lady?”

“Please. I know she would not want it. Now, next order of business: Rupert Price, get over here.”

Rupert gives an expression of fear as he walks over to Dmitri, “Y-Yes sir?”

“…” Dmitri looks at him with anger. It’s so strong that I take a few steps away from him, “This faction was made for ze purpose of protecting each other from death. Yet, you broke off from purpose, and killed your fellow member. *Pause* I do not care if Reginald technically was one who killed him. You were one who set it up and went through with it. So, you are no doubt guilty, and you should know- this act is not without consequences,”

“B-But Rupert wasn’t acting like himself-” I counter. Dmitri glares at me, which causes my mouth to shut on its own.

“Let us get to point. Price,” Dmitri hisses, and raises his arm. Then in one fell swoop, he swipes against Rupert’s shirt, ripping his police officer badge off his shirt. Bits of blue fabric holds on to the golden badge for dear life.

“You are no longer welcome in Law Enforcement faction. If I find you near us again, you will swiftly find out how ze Wall takes care of misbehaving prisoners.”

“…” Rupert stares at Dmitri with an expression of fear and despair. I don’t like seeing him like this. I try to go near Rupert to comfort him, but Charles stops me.

“Now scram.”

Rupert obliges. I’m about to follow after him, before Dmitri gets in front of me.

“Lastly, you.”

“M-Me?” I say backing away from the warden.

“There is saying, which goes like this, ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.’ Fool me thrice… If you were not one who saved us during trial, I would have thrown you out as well. You are on thin ice, Panpa. If I suspect you at any point you are planning murder, you will be fending for yourself. I am sure you would not like to be defenseless against toppats now that you have killed their leader. Do you understand?”

“…” I wince. I glance over at Charles. Surely, he will say something about how unfair Dmitri is being, to me and Rupert. However, he does nothing.

“Do you understand?!” Dmitri repeats.

“…Y-Yes, s-sir,” I quickly stammer out.

The warden smiles, “Good. Rest of day is yours, you two. I will tell doctor of my decision, as soon as she is done patching up hound.”

We then all spilt up. Immediately, I go to my dorm. I haven’t been in here in a while, since I’ve been in Rupert’s dorm after Right slammed me into a wall. It was nice being there with him, as it made me feel safe. However, I don’t think I should go into his room right now. Mostly because, I don’t think Rupert wants to see me right now and it might count as suspicious behavior…

Laying down onto my bed, I stare at the celling. Tears begin to drip down my eyes from the day’s events. I’m such a crybaby…

Suddenly, I feel dread creeping up on me. Like the true killing game has finally begun.

And I’m the one who has to face it…

POV Terrance Suave

As I start digging outside, I notice how lovely it is outside. The crickets chirping, the twinkling of the stars, and the gentle breeze. Truly something beautiful.

However, despite this, I feel frustrated and upset. Upset that my best friend is dead and died hating me, and frustrated with the fact the mastermind could’ve saved him. But they refuse to! Hypocrite. They’re just as biased as me with these kinds of stuff.

Soon the hole is deep enough, so I throw the body bag down it. It’s not the quality he deserves, but it’s better than being eaten by sharks. I couldn’t let him suffer that fate. Even if I could get in massive trouble for this. I begin covering it up with dirt, as the realization dawns on me. I’m never going to see Hubert again.

I feel tears drip down my face from the realization, but I blink them away and stay sturdy. I’m the Ultimate Disguiser for a reason.

Eventually, I’m done with my work, and a small grave for Hubert Galeforce lays in front of me. I feel my tears drip down faster and my body shakes, but I refuse to let it ground me. I salute the grave, before hesitantly walking away. Not back to the school, but to a town close by. The mastermind will get suspicious if there’s only one stick worth of meat for the sharks tomorrow. So, I need to find a replacement, fast.

As I walk, Hubert’s words suddenly echo through my mind, “If we’re really friends like you say, you’ll… do the right thing for me?”. My breath hitches but I force myself to stay strong. I can cry and mope later. Probably will take the next day off. Back to that quote, I begin thinking about it. If I finish this game, then maybe I’ll be allowed the chance to apologize to Hubert and it wouldn’t be never anymore. However, would he even forgive me? And if he did, would it even be genuine?

I see a port town in the distance. The light pollution coming from it contrasts with the night’s darkness, which gives it a beautiful look. Causing me to feel sick to my stomach.

12 remain...

Notes:

AND IT IS OVER!!!!
Just like last time, I'm going to go on a break from this fic. Which is good, cause this one really tired me out. This fic will return, as I've been looking forward to writing chapter 3!
Thank you for reading and happy Easter!

Chapter 21: CtD Daily Life #1

Notes:

It's back, and about time too!
Sorry this took so long, my break lasted longer due to me being stricken with ✨anxiety✨. Which kind of killed any motivation to continue for a while (don't worry, I got it back, this fic ain't getting canceled, especially since I'm having too much fun!)
Also, is it just me or do the pictures occasionally just... disappear. It's really annoying for me cause I have to re-upload them. If this is happening to you, can you guys offer any alternative ways other than throwing them all the pictures on Discord? (No, I'm telling you guys my Discord account, if you want to talk to me outside ao3, go to my Tumblr. It has the same name as my username here. But don't expect much, I just like looking at all the cool artist on there).
(Ps. I totally didn't upload this chapter to the wrong fic. Totally).

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Dave Panpa

“AHHHH!” I scream as I wake up. Heavy uneven breathing follows, as I sit up straight. I take a moment to refocus my breath and wait for my heart to stop pounding so hard. It feels like I’m dying, but prior experience has taught me it’s just panic.

At this point, I shouldn’t even be frightened anymore, as I usually have vivid nightmares almost every night. Repetition and all, but… no matter what, I still wake up screaming and feeling like I was about to die. I really am pathetic.

The dream wasn’t even one of my worser ones, as in it, I caused everyone to vote wrong last trial, and my execution was me being killed by Right. Normally, Rupert would’ve woken up before it got too bad and then proceed to hold me tight. Letting me ramble about my dream and reassuring me it wasn’t real but…

I feel a twinge of pain in my chest and the room feels a lot colder and smaller.

After my heart rate returns to normal, I get out of my bed and feel my legs ache in pain. Funny, I thought my body was over sleepwalking. Guess not… I go over to my desk, where I mark down another tally mark inside of my notebook. Changing the total number of marks to fourteen. Fourteen?

I stare at my notebook in a mix of horror. According to it, we’ve all been stuck here for two weeks since we all got trapped here, and in that time, four of us died… My stomach ties itself into a knot. Forcing myself to turn away, I remind myself that it’s good that I know how much time has passed, less that the days begin to merge together and this game starts feeling like purgatory. It’s better knowing then not knowing.

Leaving the notebook behind, I go to my bathroom to get ready. I take a quick shower, brush my hair, and then put on my security uniform. To be honest, I don’t need to put it on, but at this point it’s a piece of me, and I’d feel…despair without it. After getting ready, I take a quick glance at my mirror and tell my reflection, “You got this, Dave!”

Soon, I exit my room.

It’s still dark out in the factory, which I find slightly odd. Guess I woke up early again, which means- everyone will get breakfast a lot sooner! Stumbling all the way to the kitchen, I soon discover I’m not the only one up, as I see a dark silhouette standing there. Never mind, I’m going back to the safety of my bed.

“…” I try walking away before the figure notices me.

“Dave. Is that you?” the figure growls in a Russian accent.

“Y-Yes?”

“Good. Is Charles there with you?”

I take a moment to look around before saying, “I… I don’t think he is.”

The figure, which I think is Dmitri, sighs in disappointment before muttering something in Russian. Though I do catch the part of his speech where he says, Hubert.

I begin to walk away again, before he shouts, “Do not leave! I have an order for you! You and Charles, are no longer allowed to create breakfast for anyone other than law enforcement!”

“W-Why?”

“They have leeched off of our generosity for too long! Especially, since they have proven they want us all dead. They don’t deserve anything we gave them, so we need to cut them off.”

“Um, what… what about the neutrals? I get why you want to cut off the toppats, but the neutrals… they didn’t do anything bad to us?”

“Heh. It is a good recruitment strategy. They are already hooked on our pancakes. So, they will beg to join us, so they can regain quality food. This is especially good as we need new recruits now more than ever, as our faction has been halved. Plus, some of them are enemies as well and deserve the same treatment as the Toppat Clan.”

“O-Okay...”

“Go tell Charles the same, and… if I catch you breaking the rule. You will soon enjoy Rupert’s fate as well.” He then leaves.

After a moment, I sigh and get to work. I feel a bit bad, but… then again, it was a lot of work feeding everyone, and it’s not impossible for them to feed themselves. Everyone randomly comes by to the kitchen to eat lunch and dinner, and Charles and I don’t cook for those hours! So, this will just be a minor inconvenience for them, as there’s plenty of food in here that requires no cooking nor baking! Like donuts!

Donuts… Rupert loved donuts, to the point me and…a friend joked about how he was addicted to them. Memories of what happened yesterday begin to flood my brain. I hope he’s doing okay.

Quickly, I gather the ingredients, and begin making waffles with scrambled eggs. Charles isn’t here to stop me from making anything other than pancakes, so I might as well take the opportunity. Though, that might result in him not helping me clean up afterwards, but I’m fine with that. I need the distraction. Plus, with only four plates it won’t be that bad.

I soon get lost in the flow of creating breakfast that for a moment I forget where I am, who I’ve lost, and the despair of what’s going on. It’s nice. Until I ruin one of the batches because I am cooking in the dark. Still, I start over and try to be extra careful. In the end, I successfully make the- four batches. Kind of… underwhelming to the fourteen I grown used to.

“Wow uh…,” I say to myself, “Hope they turned out alright. Can’t really tell cause the lights are all off… Huh, shouldn’t the lights turn on by now?”

I stand there for a minute before shouting, “W-Wait! Did… Did I wake up at midnight?!” I try to argue with myself that didn’t happen, since Dmitri was up, but… he can be a bit strange at times, so it wasn’t impossible for him to be up at that hour.

I glance over at the batch and sigh in defeat. They’ll all become too cold in time for breakfast. Though, I can at least eat mine now. Grabbing my dish, I exit the kitchen and go into the lunchroom. It’s eerie walking through the lunchroom in the dark. Suddenly, I trip on an unseen seat, and I fall flat on my face. My meal splattered across the floor.

“W-Well, I can always eat one of the others-” I say to myself, before: Ding, Dong! In a flash, all the lights turn on, and I can clearly see the horrible corpse of my meal.

“Finally, they are on” Dmitri says, causing me to jump. He is currently sitting at his spot at the table. Guess he didn’t go back to bed.

“…”

“That meal better have not been mine,” Dmitri hisses.

“O-Of course not! I’ll grab yours real quick,” I say and rush back into the kitchen. I then return with all the meals and place them in their respective spots.

“Thank you.”

I sit down, feeling it would be too awkward to leave and make myself another batch. Soon, a crowd of people enter the room. The atmosphere is tense and an uncomfortable quiet fills the air.

Spotting Right as he enters, I breathe a sigh of relief that he’s alright. Though-

he doesn’t look good. I catch him glaring hatefully at me, and I quickly hide underneath the table for a minute before getting back up. Dmitri gives me a funny look, but he thankfully doesn’t comment on it. Or at least, that’s what I hope as he mumbles something in Russian.

As soon as my fear’s gone, a twinge of guilt hits me. It’s my fault this happened to him. I should have been watching Rupert more carefully and shouldn’t have left the captain’s body all alone. If I did my job correctly, Reginald would still be by his side, and he’d be still full of hope and life. (Plus, the captain and Rupert would be eating pancakes right beside me without a care in the world).

Eventually, Charles and Dr. Vin arrive and sit down. Neither of them looks as put together as they did yesterday, especially the doctor. Her hair is a mess and eyebags lay underneath her eyes, making her seem older than she is. Charles, on the other hand, has his hair a little bit more of a mess than usual and his smile seems smaller.

“You are late,” Dmitri warns.

“Had rough night,” the doctor sighs, “And had to force Charles out of bed.”

“No, you didn’t! I was just sleeping in!” Charles says.

“If you define sleeping in, as laying in your bed all day and refusing to leave, instead of a symptom of major depression, then yes, you were sleeping in,”

“Well, the lights turning back on was late, so you can’t blame me for not realizing sooner.”

“You had your blanket over your head to block out light,” Dr. Vin snaps.

“…I was going to get up eventually…” Charles huffs. He then looks at his plate, “Seriously, Dave? Again, with this heresy!”

“Well, I wanted to make something new today,” I defend.

The pilot huffs, “I’m too tired to argue with you right now,” and takes a bite.

As they eat, I can’t help but notice how empty our table is. In the back of my mind, I’m still expecting the captain and Rupert to show up. Late because Rupert yelled at Henry for getting too close to Charles again, so the captain pulled him aside to give him a talk… again. I’m even expecting Reginald to show up to his table, with a confident look on his face, late because from what I heard, he’s a gossip at heart and saw something interesting happening. However, if I’m being honest, I’m still mentally waiting for Johnny and Geoffroy to walk into the lunchroom. Of course, none of them come in. Actually, now that I think about it, it is kind of worrying as unlike the others, Rupert is still alive. Why hasn’t he-

My train of thought is broken by- Slam!

“Alright, what is taking so long!” Ellie snaps with a pouty Henry right behind her.

“Huh?” Charles asks.

“Oh, don’t ‘huh’ me! Where’s our meals?!”

“Your meals? Dave, why didn’t you not give them their share?” Charles asks.

“W-Well-” I try to answer, as I wilt into my seat.

“It is a new rule, I have instilled,” Dmitri answers, “Dave and Charles will no longer make food for non-faction members. You and the rest have leeched off of us for far too long!”

“But that’s not fair! I get why you cut off the toppats, but us?!” Ellie shouts and motions her hand between herself and Henry.

“You are either friend or foe,” Dmitri states in hiss, “If you do not like it, then join law enforcement.”

“…Oh. OH. So, this is how you’re playing it?” Ellie snaps, “Well, fine then. But just to let you know, we’ll get our meal, without joining your crummy faction. Right, Henry?”

Henry nods.

“Good luck,” Dmitri snaps, “After what toppats did, I doubt any of my cooks are willing to go against my orders. It would be wise for them not to end up like Rupert.”

“…”

“[What did you do to him?]” Henry signs.

“Kicked him out,” Dmitri says.

Henry laughs “[Deserved]” I barely stop myself from wincing at that.

“Now, leave.” Dmitri spits.

“Tch,” Ellie says before marching off. Henry soon follows afterwards.

After a moment of silence, Dr. Vin asks, “…Who made you leader?”

“There was spot open after Hubert decided enemy’s life was more valuable than his,” Dmitri answers, “I took it.”

The doctor winces.
“So um… what happened with Right?” Charles asks, “He uh looks… how do I say this… seen better days?”

“I treated him as best I could,” Dr. Vin says, “Arm was full of shrapnel. It was almost so bad I would have been forced to amputate. Eye was no better, and I doubt it will get better. Rest of body suffered bruises and cuts but will be okay. Though… I did specifically say, he should rest for the next few days to make full recovery, and yet…” she glares at Right who is definitely not resting and is giving out orders to his clan, she then looks back to us and says, “But it is out of my hands now.”

“Awful how Terrance forced you to treat the jerk,” Dmitri snaps.

“And awful how you immediately took charge,” Dr. Vin says, “And it has only been day, and you have already changed so much.”

“Tch, Hubert was leading us to ruin-”

“Do not insult my comrade,” the doctor hisses.

“…” Dmitri stares at her before going back to his meal, “Since you are all here now, we will have meeting in few hours to discuss motive. Do not be late.”

With that, they soon finished their meals and leave to do their own thing. I clean up the mess I made earlier and after that I walk to the kitchen to finish cleaning up. Once I arrive, I see Charles already having a head start with the cleaning.

“Hi-ya Dave!” Charles cheers.

“Um… Hi!” I say, “Why are you here?”

“Well, I wanted to help you clean up!”

“But I didn’t make pancakes? Aren’t you mad about that?”

“…Pfff. Why would I be mad about that?! Besides, I already know how it feels to clean up all by yourself!”

“Uh… alright! Thanks for the help!” I say and I join in cleaning up the kitchen. While we are cleaning, Thomas comes in.

“Oh! You two!” Thomas snaps, as he walks closer to us, “What the heck! Where were our meals?! We had to rely on Sven’s cooking. SVEN’S COOKING! Do you know how awful his it is?!”

“Sorry, but Dmitri isn’t allowing us to make meals for other factions anymore,” Charles explains, “Uh, something to do with not feeding the ‘enemy’?”

“…Oh,” Thomas says like he understands, “*Sigh* I guess after the stunt we pulled, we did deserve to be cut off… On behalf of the clan, I’m… so sorry,”

“It’s okay! I know you didn’t mean it!” I say.

“…” Thomas looks at me with somber expression. Before he sighs and starts grabbing snacks and helpings of lettuce.

“What are you doing?” Charles asks.

“Preparing for the chief’s funeral. We may all be trapped here, and he may have almost gotten us all killed, but we aren’t savages!” Thomas says, “Plus, Right really needs this. Sven too, since Reginald was practically his mentor.”

“Oh, that reminds me. Sorry for what happened back at the trial… I know Reginald was beloved to you guys, and… you might be wishing it was Rupert instead-” I tell him.

“Don’t apologize!” Thomas says, “I… I understand. It was either all of us or him, unfortunately. I don’t hold you accountable for what happened. Even if certain others disagree…” the fancy toppat hisses his last statement before quickly adding, “Uh! Forget what I just said! The clan doesn’t need to know my traitorous thoughts… Um… I have to go now, bye!”

“Hope it goes well!” I shout.

“If it’s anything like Geoffroy’s, then it will!” Thomas says and leaves.

“Hey! We should totally do the same thing but for the captain!” Charles says excitedly.

“You sure? I tried to do one for Johnny, but everyone said no to it…” I say.

“Well, that’s because he was a murderer! I’m sure the others will be on board if we do it for the captain!” Charles says.

“Alright…” I say.

We soon finish up cleaning, and I snag a few muffins to act as my breakfast. I eat one while I pocket the rest just in case the supply runs out. After that’s sorted, Charles and I go our separate ways, and I… don’t know what to do now.

Normally, I would hang out with Rupert ~~and Johnny~~, and we would usually go to the gym to spare, unless toppats were using it. I didn’t want to get involved with their antics. Rare occasions, I’d hang out with Thomas if no one from our respective factions were near. However, I doubt Dmitri would let me. It may count as suspicious behavior. I could just do my own thing alone, but… I-I need to hang out with someone.

Eventually, I decide to go over to the infirmary and find Dr. Vin tinkering with some machinery.

“Hi, Dr. Vin! If it’s not too much for you, do you want to hang out?” I ask.

“…” Dr. Vin looks at me before sighing, “Promise you will not break anything.”

“Uh… Promise!” I say and I soon sit down next to her. For the next hour, I watch her create a machine. Curiosity soon gets the better of me and I touch her machine, causing me to get zapped by it. The doctor yells at me for my carelessness and quickly grabs me an ice pack. After I have it, she immediately goes back to work while I treat my wound.

Eventually, she finishes her invention. It’s a machine that can turn itself off. Kind of… underwhelming.

“Um… is that it?” I ask.

“Да”

“Sorry, if this is incentive, but why did you make that? It’s kind of… useless?”

“…It keeps me busy and my mind distracted,” the doctor says as she grabs some more parts and begins making a new machine, “Do not worry. I will make some machines to aid in our escape. Problem is I do not know what to make yet that will not gain Terrance’s attention, thus causing him to confiscate it. He has already done it five times to me, already.”

“Ah, make sense. *Pause* Um, how did you get into robotics?”

“How things work always fascinated me,” the doctor says, “How things move, how they interact with other parts, and how they all come together to make something greater than each part individually. The stickfigure body is the most fascinating example of this to me. How microscopic cells, with basic instructions, form together to create tissues, which then create organs, which then end up creating a beautiful organism. And all of it made of meat, water, electricity, and chemicals!”

“That doesn’t answer my question…”

“Patience. The reason why I said all this, is because I want to replicate it. Improve it. That is why I got into cybernetics. It is a way for me to create my own beautiful organism. Heh. Becoming cybernetic doctor is only excuse to be able to do my hobby full-time.”

“So, you’re not a doctor cause… you like helping people?”

“Да” the doctor admits, “But do not get me wrong; I do enjoy helping others. You do not know how much it annoys me; Right ignoring his rest.”

“Then… then why don’t you stop him!” I suggest, “If it bothers you, you can force him to take some rest! I’m sure the toppats will let you after explaining your reasoning.”

“…” the doctor gives me a look before saying, “It only annoys me. I can live with him ignoring my instructions, as I am not going to help someone who’s lover killed my comrade, and that ignores the part he played in murder. I am not rewarding my enemies. If it were up to me, I would have let him join his chief.”

“…” I give Dr. Vin a fearful glance at her hostility. She doesn’t seem to care and goes back to working on her machine. I sit in silence trying to register what she just said to me.

Eventually, Dmitri and Charles walk into the infirmary to save me from the silence and start the meeting.

“Hm, good. You are all not late,” Dmitri smiles, “We can begin. First order of business, motive.”

“Yeah, the motive! Uh… what was it again?” Charles says, “Something about pictures.”

“IT WAS NOT JUST ABOUT PICTURES!” Dmitri snaps, “It was our factions, our homes, being destroyed! And I say it is the worst motive yet! So- David. What do you think of it?”

“Uh, please don’t call me that,” I say.

“I said, what do you think of the motive. And if you are not honest, I swear-” Dmitri shouts.

“Um! Not much really!” I quickly stammer out, “The museum I worked at was just uh job to me. I wasn’t really… attached to it or the people there. I just hope they all got out safely and no one was hurt…”

“Hm, you sure? How do I know you are not planning a murder as we speak!”

“Um… um… I-I’m not?! I wouldn’t do that-”

“Tch. You absolutely could! You being weak and helpless, may just be an act to get our guard down! Plus, you might have picked up things, from the bloodthirsty killers you call your ‘best friends’.”

Dmitri stares me down and I wilt at his gaze.

“Hey-a, Dmitri. Dave’s not going to commit murder,” Charles says coming to my rescue, “He uh doesn’t really have a motive,”

“You have no right to judge, as you are also highly likely to murder!” Dmitri spits.

“Um, what?”

“Dave may not be lying when he says museum was just job to him, but I know for fact that you care about the military. Especially, since the captain, your surrogate father, cared so deeply about it. Plus, with how you are acting, you may even have a murder plan set up and are just waiting for an opportunity to spring it! I am on to you. You may have everyone else fooled with your- grieving pilot act, but I am not!”

“Uh… Hey. I know I’ve been… not feeling great all things considered, but- I’m not planning a murder! Especially, right after the last execution… Plus, wouldn’t I wait a day before committing murder? To um… plan it?”

“With your track record?”

“…Yeah, your right, I wouldn’t wait,” Charles laughs.

Suddenly, Dmitri grabs him by his shirt collar, then says, “You murderous fiend!”

“I-I think you’re taking this way too far-” I say.

“YOU ARE STILL ON THE SUSPECT LIST, DAVE!” Dmitri spits.

“Or you are just projecting, and you are the one planning murder,” Dr. Vin suddenly says.

“…You!” Dmitri shouts, “How dare you imply that! I should kick you out for that-”

“You would not even dare to it,” the doctor calmly says.

“Why would I not!?”

“Because” the doctor nonchalantly says, “All factions have been equalized. There are four members each on all sides.”

“You sure?” Charles butts in, “Cause, I don’t know which side Rupert went.”

“I doubt he’d go toppat,” I say, “He… he hates their guts.”

“Which leads only neutral,” Dr. Vin says, “So, everyone has the same amount of people. Meaning, if you kick any more of us out, you would be at disadvantage to others as their numbers will be greater than ours. Is that not the reason why you kicked Rupert out? Because we could be at disadvantage, if we did not punish behavior like that? Cause I know for a fact, you did not think Johnny did anything wrong, and if he did not die, you would have offered him a job.”

Dmitri steps back in slight horror, like she said something she shouldn’t have known.

Dr. Vin smiles evilly at his flinching, “You need us more than we need you.”

“…W-Well, numbers are not everything. I can still kick you out!” Dmitri yells.

“Then do,” the doctor says, getting up, “Kick me out. It will not hurt me, as I am neutral at heart. I have spent many months and even years on my own with only my boat and the ocean to keep my company. I only join this crummy faction because Hubert was in it, and I agreed with him we should work together. I can survive fine on my own, can you?”

“…Fine. You can stay.”

The doctor smiles as she sits back down, “You act like you have choice.”

“…I hate you.”

“I hate you, as well.”

“So, um… with that out of the way,” Charles says, “Can we set up a funeral for the captain? You know! To honor his memory!”

“Absolutely not!” Dmitri spits.

“Huh! Come on, man. He didn’t do anything wrong. And it’s um the right thing to do! I mean, even the toppats-”

“That is exactly why we should not!” Dmitri spits, “We do not copy toppat behavior. We are above them. Plus, Hubert should not be honored in a place like this. It is disgraceful to do so! As even though he was soft and stupid, he deserves a proper funeral. So as soon as I- we are out of here, we can do a funeral.”

“I agree… unfortunately,” Dr. Vin says.

“Ah… that makes sense,” Charles says rubbing his head.

Silence falls onto us. As we don’t have anything to say at the moment, I begin to recall when the captain was alive, he would keep us on track. We were really bad at doing meetings, as there were only two pairs of us who were coworkers previously. So, fights like this were (and still) happened a lot, but Captain Galeforce was always there to get us all on the same page and not break apart. However, he’s gone, and we so might-

I jump in fear at that thought. We can’t break apart! If we did, then Right would be able to- to- to… A horrible chill goes down my spine and I feel lightheaded.

Deciding to get us back on track (and to ignore my own fears), I say, “So… how are we going to combat the motive?”

“…”

“Ignore it,” the doctor says.

“WHAT! THE WALL IS IN DANGER!” Dmitri shouts.

“It was in danger,” Dr. Vin corrects, “Even if those photos were taken yesterday, then we are already too late. The damage has already been done. Nothing we can do if we escape.”

“But we can pick up the pieces!”

“No, we should not. It is what Terrance wants. It is hopeless,” the doctor says.

“No, it is not! I can still do something-”

“If someone drops dead, you will be my first suspect,” the doctor plainly states.

“!” Dmitri looks at her in shock and anger. He soon collects himself to say, “You would blame me first over someone who had killed before!?”

“Most of us have killed before,” the doctor says, “And yes, I would. You have motive and Rupert is more likely to be a victim.”

“What!?” all of us say at the same time.

“I cannot be the only one who noticed Rupert not attending breakfast? Something is wrong. Plus, I…*Pause* I helped cause last murder, and the guilt weighing on me… is awful.” She looks down and starts tinkering with her machine again. Soon, she continues her thought without looking back up at us, “I cannot imagine the guilt he must be going through since he was the ‘mastermind’ behind the whole thing.”

“Please. How much of his personality changed when he got sick?” Dmitri says, “How much of him was still himself in that state. You were the same person, just drunk out of your mind. Maybe he would have committed the murder regardless, and his sickness was only an excuse.”

“Or it just lessened his compassion,” Charles says, “Letting him do the crime, when he would’ve otherwise stopped himself.”

“That to!” Dmitri says, “He is same cold-blooded killer, just with cowardness to prevent him from doing the deed.”

“Um, I thought Charles said compassion-” I say but goes ignored.

“As someone who was infected, I know for a fact that he had no control over his actions. Honestly, this proves he is not cold-blooded murder, as if his opposite is one, then he himself normally is the direct opposite of a cold-blooded killer,” the doctor states.

“So, you are saying that we should just invite him back in!” Dmitri spits, “Saying kicking him out was the wrong call! Letting our enemy know you can kill us all and face no consequences!”

“I am not saying we should let him back in. I am saying he is not responsible for his actions.”

“Oh, he was responsible! You are just saying that, because you do not want to feel responsible for giving the key to him!”

The two get into a heated argument, and I silently leave, as I’m feeling uncomfortable with the topic.

As I wander through the halls, the words, “Rupert is more likely to be victim”, echo in my head. I-I should check on him. Though, it could cause me to get kicked out- No! What Dr. Vin said makes sense. Dmitri won’t kick me out… r-right? Plus, Rupert’s my best friend and… crush. I would never forgive myself if he met the same fate as Geoffroy and the captain. It’s a risk I have to take. For him. So, I gather my courage, make sure nobody is watching, and head towards the dorms.

I walk up to Rupert’s room and knock.

“…”

I knock again.

“…”

“Rups? Hey! It’s me, Dave. Can you please open the door?” I knock once again.

“…”

“Are you even in there?” I ask. Of course, he’s not. He’s probably roaming around. However, just to make sure. I grab the knob and twist it. Just as I’m about to open the door, it swiftly closes. After a second, it slowly reopens, but only ajar. I can barely see Rupert behind it.

“Oi! What are you doing here?” he asks in a drained voice. The smell of blood hits me like a truck.

“Are you okay!?” I ask trying to go into his room, “Are you bleeding?!”

“I- I’m fine!” Rupert defends and slightly closes the door to stop me from entering but soon sets it ajar again after I relent, “You didn’t answer my question though.”

“I came to check up on you. You… you doing alright? After what happened, I was worried about your mental health and Dr. Vin suggested that you might be endanger!”

“…I’m doing fine, Dave. Don’t worry.”

“…Rups… You think I don’t know you well enough to not know when you’re lying to me?”

“Oi! I- *Pause* Dave, just leave.”

“No! You’re clearly suffering! I can’t just-”

“Leave!”

“No! Why won’t you let me help-”

“BECAUSE I TRIED TO KILL YOU!” Rupert suddenly shouts, “A-And knowing Dmitri, you’re probably on thin ice! It’s not safe for you to be even near me. J-just go, before I hurt you again…”

“Come on, Rups. We both know it wasn’t you-”

“Then who was it?! Who set up that entire murder and caused the death of someone who was only trying to help us all escape this nightmare!” Rupert shouts, his voice sounding desperate.

“Um, Reginald. He did it. You’re innocent of murder at least…”

“AT LEAST?!?! Reginald took an opportunity! He didn’t do anything except- except… *Pause* Dave, be honest. If Reginald didn’t stab the captain and left, would the captain still be walking around? W-Would he have survived his injuries?”

I stand in silence before finally saying, “…It wasn’t you. You weren’t acting like yourself.”

Silence. After what feels like centuries, Rupert finally says, “T-That’s what I thought. Dave, please. For your sake, just leave me alone. I want you to survive and escape. Not die in here…”

“But what about you? Don’t you want to escape?”

“…”

“Rups?”

“Just forgot about me, okay? You’re… You’re too nice for your own good. You deserve to live.” Rupert says and closes the door. I’m about to try again, but I decide against it. He clearly wants me gone.

“I love you,” I tell the door and walk away even more concerned and worried about him.

As I walk back up the stairs, a sense of loneliness creeps back in. Causing the area around me to feel small and tight. I can feel my breathing go unsteady. I… I have to be with someone right now.

Ignoring my increasing panic, I wander the halls looking for anyone. Anyone at all. Unfortunately, I don’t see anyone, and the area feels claustrophobic. I start running.

“Hey! Does anyone wanna hang out!” I shout, trying my hardest not to sound desperate. Maybe I should check the infirmary. Maybe the meeting is still going on-

Suddenly, I feel someone grab the back of my collar. Before I can do anything, someone slams me into a wall. Their hand position changes now, they are holding the front of my collar and pushing me against the wall. As I look at the aggressor, I feel the blood rush out of my face and fingers. Right is glaring at me with teeth bared.

“Lookie what I have here,” he snarls, “A runt hound that still has blood in his teeth.”

I gulp and say while gathering my courage, “H-Hey! I… *Sigh* I’m sorry how things turned out. I know shouldn’t have left Rupert alone-”

He lowers me down, only to smack me against the wall harder, “I don’t want your @#$#ing excuses! My Reg is gone thanks to you!”

“P-Please d-don’t kill me,” I whisper, as my voice starts to fail me.

“Kill ya? Tch. I wish. Believe me, nothing will give me more joy than wiping your sad existence off the face of the Earth or at the very least locking you a dark cell to be forgotten to time.”

My body immediately tenses as I can feel myself going into shock. It’s difficult to breathe. Before I realize it, I feel myself ruthlessly kicking and scratching Right. My aggression increases as my attacks to do nothing.

“Really bothered by being locked away, huh? But unfortunately-” he moves his hand straight to my neck and squeezes tightly, “Beating you to an inch of your life, has got to do.”

I don’t register what happens next. I probably fainted again. All I remember is bright red everyone and an uncaring look, but I don’t think that happened. Once I regain my senses, I’m on the ground, with Dmitri standing in between me and Right.

“Attempt to target the weakest of us?” Dmitri snaps.

“Oi! Stay out of this!” Right shouts.

“This is my faction, toppat. I am already in this. Upset your lover-boy died?”

“…” Right growls at him, and for a second, I thought he’s about to jump Dmitri.

“Get lost, because unlike you, I am brave enough to attempt to go back to the Wall.” Dmitri hisses.

“…” Right turns his gaze to me, before growling, “This isn’t over. I’ll make you rue the day you were born.” I flinch. He then retreats.

Sighing, Dmitri turns to grab me by the back of my collar to get me back on my feet. Despite him looking at me with angry annoyance, I couldn’t be happier to be a part of the Law Enforcement faction.

“So, with that dealt with- WHERE DID YOU GO!?!” Dmitri shouts.

“Uh- w-what?!” I shout shaking.

“You left during meeting! Why did you do that?!”

“Um well…” I gulp attempting to regain my composure after all that, “T-the conversation started to make me uncomfortable, so I left. I’m not good at contributing anyways with conversations, so it’s not that big of a deal-”

“Not big of a- NOT BIG OF A DEAL!” Dmitri snaps, “You need to be there, not just to help, but so you can be part of the group physically and know what the plan is. *Sigh* Back at Wall, no one would ever think to leave meeting half-way through. They would stay even if we were discussing which shade of gray, we should paint Wall with!”

“I’m sorry! I won’t do it again!” I quickly say.

“Ugh…” Dmitri sighs before mumbling something in Russian. He then puts me down and leaves me alone.

A familiar chill runs up my spine, but at least I know the factions do work. Yet, that doesn’t seem to calm my worries. I consider running after Dmitri to ask if he wants to hang out, (his company is better than no company), before I realize the time. Quickly, I sprint over to my dorm just in time to hear, Ding Dong. “Attention. I’m being oppressed! My boss won’t let me take a day off. They’re ignoring labor laws. Please, send help!”

“@#$@ YOU!” Right shouts from afar in response. Despite being nowhere near me, I flinch.

I snap back into reality and enter my room. Leaving, the door slightly ajar as I enter, as having it shut makes me feel trapped. Then, I change and go to bed.

Once again, like every night prior, I have a hard time falling asleep. But I at least reassure myself that, tomorrow is another day.

Notes:

Yeah, Rupert and Right are doing fine. Especially Rupert.
Hey, I'm thinking about making a separate fic all about other character's POV's, like missing scenes, victim POV, killer POV, alternate reactions to situations, and pre-game stuff. I think it would be a fun way to expand on the characters and give you guys lore that I wasn't able to give you in the fic. I especially want to write this chapter's killer and victim POV lol. The only problem would be that people who haven't read this fic might find it and get spoiled.
Also, that reminds me: 4 chapters until body discovery.

Chapter 22: CtD Daily Life #2

Notes:

Random fun fact: I've nicknamed this chapter arc 'The Ellie Rose Chapter'. For reasons that will become apparent in this chapter.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Dave Panpa

Ding, Dong. “…I miss Hubert.”

As I sit straight up from another nightmare, I feel my legs ache painfully. Guess I sleepwalked again.

Reciting my morning rituals, I end up noticing sharpie marks all over my face and proceed to wash it off. After all that, I walk over to the kitchen and see Sven and Burt already there. Both of them give me a hateful glance, especially from Sven, causing me to jump. Quickly, I back off and start making meals. Today, I decide to be nice to Charles and begin making pancakes.

After I finish mixing, Charles enters the kitchen to help.

“Hi, Charles! Did you sleep well?” I ask.

“Ah… Could’ve slept better,” he yawns as he begins pouring the batter.

“Um, you okay?”

“Been better,”

“Oh *Pause*…Hey,” I say placing my hand on his shoulder, “If you need someone to talk to, I’m here for you, okay? Just say the words, and I’ll be here! Even if it’s just so you can have someone to cry to.”

“I dunno, I’d probably just laugh again,” Charles half-jokes. It doesn’t seem like he found it funny.

“W-Well, even if you do end up laughing… I won’t judge. It’s good to vent out your emotions!”

“Heh. Yeah, I guess… *Pause* I’ll… think about it.”

“Alright,” I smile.

Silence falls on us, even though the kitchen itself doesn’t become quiet as Sven and Burt get into an argument about how to properly cook food. They’ve just burned one of their meals and have resorted to blaming each other for it.

After chickening out on attempting to break it up, Charles suddenly says, “Dave, do you think I’m a bad person?"

“W-What?” I ask.

“D-do you think I’m a bad person?"

“Um… no?” I say, “I mean, you haven’t done anything bad, right?”

“…” Charles stares at the pancakes he just made with a grim look on his face. I gulp in worry.

“Uh, where did this come from? Was it because you laughed?”

“That’s not the only thing I did…”

“Oh, yeah. You two got into a massive argument,” I say trying to recall it. I wasn’t there for it, but word got around. Especially, since thanks to the previous motive, Rupert turned into a massive gossiper, “What was it about again?”

“He was just worried about my mental health. But the way he was doing it, got onto my nerves and…” Charles pauses before admitting, “Well, because of that, I kind of felt relieved when he died…”

“W-What?”

The pilot soon backpaddles, “I-I know it sounds bad but uh… well, like Reginald I started to suspect he was the traitor, and well- when we had that argument, it felt like he was trying to dig into some pretty personal matters. So, I thought he was trying to manipulate me like he did with Johnny! So, when he died, I kinda felt relieved because if he was the traitor, he won’t be able to manipulate me into killing! And well, he was so, uh, I’m find now! Haha…” Charles laughs. It isn’t funny.

“Charles?” I ask with concern.

“…I still feel bad though… for feeling this way I mean. Especially, since prior to all this, he was basically my dad…”

“Well, I don’t know what to respond to that with…” I admit, “But uh… if that’s how you feel then I guess that’s how you feel. You can’t really change it, huh? I guess as long as you don’t act upon those feelings, you’re good.”

“…” Charles looks slightly guilty. A chill falls down my spine.

Quickly I continue with, “And even if you did, you could apologize! Make things right, you know? We all make mistakes. I mean, I’m the biggest screw up in this game!”

“Eh, Terrance is a bigger screw up than you,” Burt suddenly says.

Charles and I glance at him in confusion, before realizing Sven stole two plates of pancakes and is running off.

“HEY! STOP!” Charles yells and tries to chase after him, only for Burt to trip him. The pilot faceplants on to the floor.

“THIS IS FOR CHIEF REGINALD AND THE CLAN!” Sven shouts before exiting the kitchen. Presumably, to give to his faction.

“…What he said,” Burt sighs and walks of.

“Jerks,” Charles says as I help him back to his feet.

“Hey, it’s okay! We can always make a new batch!” I say.

“Yeah! Let’s do it!”

Eventually, we finish making our pancakes and give them to our table. Dr. Vin looks even worse with bags forming under her eyes, while Dmitri demands why we gave the enemy meals.

After explaining what happened, Dmitri huffs and says, “Can not believe I am stuck with such incompetent fools.”

Nothing of note really happens during the rest of breakfast, save from the toppats and law enforcement giving each other dirty looks from across the room, as we eat. With the hostility and the empty seats, it creates a not friendly environment, causing me to feel an ache in my chest due to the stress.

Soon, we finish, and Charles and I go back to the kitchen to clean up. As I was cleaning, I decided to check something. I go into the pantry and find where Terrance stores the donuts.

“…” I back away from the pantry in horror.

“Huh? Dave what’s wrong?” Charles asks.

“We have donuts.”

“Uh… we do? How’s that a uh bad thing?”

“Because Rupert eats all of them immediately every time Terrance restocks, so if he’s not eating them, then he’s probably not eating!” I say in worry.

“Oh… Jeeze. I’m sure he’s okay,” Charles says, “He uh might not be in the mood for donuts?”

“HE HAS A DONUT ADDICTION!” I shout, “Well… I don’t think it’s that bad, but still! Plus, wasn’t he found innocent in the first trial because he smells of donuts?”

“Uh, maybe it’s a good thing he’s not eating them. I don’t think donuts are good for his health. I’m sure he’s eating something else.”

“…I still don’t like what it implies…” I say.

“Hey, he’s going to be okay. Rups’s tough. I’m sure he’ll be back soon,” Charles says and pats me on the back.

“A-Alright,” I lie and ignore my gut screaming that I need to check on him. It’s not like I can do anything anyways. Rupert made it clear he didn’t want to see me, and I might get in trouble with Dmitri if I continue to check up on him. With Right wanting to take his vengeance upon me, I should avoid making Dmitri mad.

We soon finish cleaning up and go our separate ways. No meeting today, fortunately. However, every second I’m not doing something, the walls feel like they creep closer and closer to me.

I walk around searching for someone to hang out with and I see Henry in the distance. Quickly, I go over to him.

“H-Hey, Henry. Um, do you want to hang out?” I ask.

He blinks at me, before giving me the thumbs up. Soon, we go into the prize room together.

“Oh, um…” I say staring at the machine.

Henry tilts his head.

“I’m… I’m out of coins.”

“[Are there not coins all around?]”

“Yeah, but they’re all gone…”

“[…T E R R A N C E, not restock them?]”

“He’s supposed to?”

“… [It would make sense if he did]” Henry shrugs.

“Huh, yeah. It should…” I say, “But what can you do?”

“…” Henry soon grabs my hand and puts five coins into it.

“!”

“[For the machine. I have plenty already.]”

“…Thank you so much!” I tell him.

We soon put in a few coins into the machine, and then compare our loot.

Henry receives a picture of three giant gems, playdough, and a giant shark plushy. While I get, a hedgehog plushy, a lock picking kit, and a golden four-leaf clover pin.

“[Out of coins…]” Henry sighs as he signs.

“Oh! You can have mine! I didn’t use them all and I don’t come here often. Well, as much as I used to...” I repress the memory of Johnny sinking coins into the machine as soon as it appears.

“[No, thanks. You can keep them. I actually wanted to get you something from the prize machine. Something you would enjoy.]”

“Oh really? Don’t worry, I don’t really need much. I’m already grateful about the coins you gave me!”

“[Grateful enough to cook or bake me something?!?]” Henry signs in excitement.

I feel my shoulders drop, “Ah. No… Dmitri’s already mad at me for leaving early on a meeting. I really shouldn’t… Maybe you can ask Charles to make you something! Aren’t you two close friends?”

“[Yeah, but he only knows how to make pancakes and hot chocolate. Nothing else.]”

“…” I blink. That explains a lot.

“[And with us all being cut off, I… I NEED some quality food! PLEASE D A V E, do you not have a heart!?!?]” Henry signs.

“…Sorry, Henry. I’d love to. But… I can’t risk it.”

“… [Is there anything I can do to change your mind?! I will do it!]” Henry signs quickly, then grabs my shoulders.

“Uh… you’re sounding like an addict, Henry,” I say breaking out of his grasp and backing away.

Henry notices my discomfort and takes a deep breath, “[Sorry]”

“It’s fine!”

“[But still, is there anything? Anything at all?]”

My hands tighten, before I say, “Not really…”

Henry sighs. Suddenly, he glances at my hedgehog plushy, which causes his eyes to widen like an idea pops inside of his head.

“… [What about checking up on donkey- I mean, R U P E R T?]”

“What, you’d… you’d do that for me?!” I ask with surprise and excitement.

“[Oh, no. I would never, ever, cheer up that @$$hole. You could not pay me to say something nice to him. Well- you can, but I do not think you have a giant diamond, ruby, and emerald readily available to you, and even then...]”

“O-Oh…” I say in defeat.

“[But- I will get E L L I E to it for me. She wants your cooking as much as I do and hates R U P E R T less, so she will help you in a heartbeat!]”

“Uh… okay?” I say.

“[However, I will only get her to do it, if and only if, you make us something!]” Henry signs.

I grit my teeth. What would I rather do? Keep worrying about Rupert or getting into more trouble with Dmitri. I don’t want to be kicked out! Especially with Right around! But… I can’t leave Rupert alone. He’s not doing well. And I can’t lose another one of my friends due to my carelessness. Not again. But Right…

Henry seems to notice my worrying, so he adds, “[I can… distract D M I T R I while you make it. Maybe get Charles to help, so we can get the whole trio on this mission! What do you say to that?!]”

The thief pulls out his hand in front of me, expecting a handshake. I stare at it. After weighing the pros and cons, then remembering the full donut pantry, I- shake it, “Deal.”

Henry smiles, and before I can let go of his hand, he drags me out of the room. I shout in surprised terror, as he brings me all the way over to Ellie and Jacob, who is anxiously glancing all around the room and is hovering next to Ellie for safety.

Quickly, Henry waves her over.

“Oh, hi Hen! What do you need?” Ellie asks as she walks closer with Jacob in tow.

Henry soon explains the plan.

“…I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Jacob says, “Rupert killed someone! You could get hurt if you go near!”

“He was sick!” I explain, hiding my offense, “He’s not going to hurt anyone! I know he won’t!”

“…How can you be so sure?” Jacob says, “If he wanted to escape then, then he would want to escape now!”

“[Well, I am not asking you to help. I am asking for your sister’s]” Henry signs, “[So, E L L I E? Want to help?]”

“…” Ellie bites her lip before saying, “I… I don’t know. I mean, I really want to eat something of quality, but… Really? Rupert? Out of everyone, you could care about? It’s not like we’re starving…”

“…” I cringe.

“[E L L I E, PLEASE]” Henry begs as he falls to his knees.

Ellie gives Henry an awkward glance, “I’ll… think about it.”

“Um, you can only go check up on him, to see how’s he doing,” I say, “You don’t need to do anything else. Just see what’s happening with him, and then leave. I just want to know what’s going on. And if it’s bad, I-I’ll be the one to take care of it, okay?”

With that, Ellie slowly says, “Okay. Fine. I’ll do it. But don’t expect me to do anything more.”

“Thank you so much!” I say and then hug her. She flinches in surprise, and I quickly separate from her, as I realize I went too far. She didn’t seem to mind the hug though.

Henry gives me a thumbs up.

“Ellie-” Jacob says with worry.

“Don’t worry, Jacob. You don’t have to come with me. Maybe you can help out Dave make our meal!”

“Um… what do you want me to make?” I ask, “Since it’s uh… deal.”

Silence fills the room. Nobody thought far ahead.

“…Um… I’ve been craving chocolate cake for a while,” Jacob suggests.

“Okay, I can make that.”

“[Alright. Mission start!]” Henry signs, and we all go our separate ways. I hope I made the right choice…

POV Ellie Rose:

The things I do for cake.

As I walk over to the dorms, I notice Dmitri in the hallway with a dark green bag. Of course, he’s here. Maybe I can sneak around him-

“Ellie!?” Dmitri shouts taken off guard. @$#@.

“Look, I’m just passing through. So, if you don’t mind,” I say as I try to walk past, before the warden animates and grabs my arm.

“HEY!” I shout, freeing myself from his grip, “What the hell!”

“…” Dmitri stares at me before saying, “It would not be smart to try it. You now have witness.” Then he leaves.

I blink in confusion, before continuing on my quest. That was weird. Hopefully, Henry will find him soon and I won’t have to deal with him again.

Soon, I get to Rupert’s room and open the door.

“Oi!” Rupert shouts, from underneath the covers of his bed, seems he decided he didn’t want to get up this morning (I don’t blame him), “Did you ever heard of a knock? Get out!”

“I won’t be long,” I yell him.

I scan the room and there’s nothing too out of the ordinary. At least on the surface, as I soon step on a pile of notes on the ground. Curious, I pick one up and read it- Instinctively, I rip it in two. Quickly, I check all the notes, and they all have the same theme. Someone is really mad about the captain and/or Reginald dying, and Rupert getting off Scott-free. Or… no. No one in here is that desperate or that cowardly to convince someone to resort to… it. Even if everyone has been on edge because of the new motive and an assisted suicide counts as a kill.

I pick up all the notes and pocket them so I can dispose of them later. Preferably, in the incinerator. Next thing I notice is the broken glass leading into the bathroom. I decide not to investigate.

I reach Rupert’s bed, where he’s moved the covers so he can give me a glare. Though, it causes me to notice-

“Why do you have a black eye?” I ask.

Rupert’s glare melts away and he quickly responds in slight fear, “It’s none of your business!” He then tries to escape under the blankets, but I end up seeing his hand, which is covered in scars, which may or may not be infected.

“What the heck? What happened?!” I shout, grabbing the blankets and throwing them off. Revealing Rupert, in days old clothes, and with numerous bruises and cuts on his body. It almost makes the notes look tame by comparison. Almost.

“…H-How-”

“Just leave.” Rupert says, as he sits up.

“Did someone-”

“Leave!”

“Does this have something to do with the broken glass-”

“GO AWAY!” Rupert snaps, “I WANT TO BE ALONE! WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE, ANYWAYS? YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT ME AT ALL! ARE YOU HERE TO LAUGH AT ME? THEN GO AHEAD LAUGH! LAUGH AT THE SMUG @$$HOLE GETTING WHAT HE DESERVES! DO IT! I @$@#ING… dare… you…” He then collapses back on to the bed due to lack of energy. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him at all leave his room. Did he even eat yesterday, or today?

“Jeeze, no wonder Dave is so worried about you. You’re falling apart!”

“He shouldn’t be…” Rupert pants. It sounds like he’s fighting his own tiredness so he can respond.

“Why?”

Rupert gives me a glance.

“Got it,” I say, “But it seems he still cares a lot about you. Despite everything.”

“…He’s a good person,” Rupert says trying to gather his strength, “…Which is why he should just forget about me…”

I stare at him before saying, “You do know pushing him away isn’t going to solve anything, right?”

“…” Rupert stares at me.

“*Sigh* Alright. It’s been two days. Pity party’s over. Get up, we’re doing something.”

“What! No!” Rupert says, attempting to sit up again, but it causes him to look dazed.

“Come on. It’ll be good for you,”

“Nope, I’m not leaving,” Rupert says, grabbing his blankets from off the floor and throwing them back on to himself. He then proceeds to lay back down, “And you can’t make me.”

I stare at him.

POV Burt Curtis

Currently, I am ignoring an annoying headache as I follow Sven, who insists I should do something else. However, right now, Sven needs company right now, no matter how much he insists he’s fine, and how cold the factory is. (Funny, Sven doesn’t look cold. Then again, he’s really resilient against cold temperatures).

“Sven.” I say.

“No, Burt! I want to do something alone! You’ve respected my privacy before why not now.”

“Because you’re clearly not in your right mind and I know that look,” I tell him, “You’re thinking about doing something stupid. So, I need to be by your side to stop you from doing something stupid.”

“I’m not going to do something stupid!” Sven shouts.

“That’s what someone about to do something stupid would say.”

“Ugh! Come on, please? Shouldn’t you be with Right or Thomas right now? Right’s grieving hard and Thomas is acting shady. They need someone by their side, more than me!”

“No, because you’re also grieving hard and acting shady as well. Plus, you’re my best friend. I’d be a terrible friend if I left you alone while you were suffering.”

“…”

“Sven, I’m not going to sugar coat it. The chief’s death hit all of us hard. Especially, you. Since the moment you joined the clan, you’ve always looked up to him. Saw him as the father figure you never had. So as your best friend, I need to make sure you’re okay. So, where are we heading, Sven?”

“…I…” Sven looks at me, “*Sigh* I want to try and recruit some more people. All factions have been… equalized so, getting someone on our side could give us the advantage.”

I glance at him. He’s lying, but I decide not to call him out, “Why do we need an advantage?”

“Because the law enforcement is going to kill us! Two of them are killers who attempted to take toppat blood, and one of those killers is still alive!” Sven says, “Right now, we need protection more than ever!”

“I thought Rupert got kicked out?”

“He did, but who’s to say he’s not going to try again!”

“Doubt it,”

“You can’t say that for certain!”

“…”

“In conclusion, we need more people,” Sven continues.

“But who do we want, cause there’s no good options.”

“Hey! There’s at least… one good option! I mean, Reginald really liked Ellie and wanted to recruit her! I’m sure she’ll be a perfect-”

Sven is interrupted by the girl in question dragging Rupert, kicking and screaming, towards assumingly the dressing room.

“WE ARE GOING TO HANG OUT AND YOU ARE GOING TO LIKE IT!” Ellie screams, as the two then disappear behind one of the rooms.

“…”

“You were saying?” I ask Sven.

“[Shut up.]” Sven says in Swedish.

POV Ellie Rose

After reaching my desired area, I drop Rupert down onto the dressing room’s stage.

“@#$@ you,” Rupert hisses, as he slowly gets up.

“It would’ve been a lot less painful if you just agreed to come with me in the first place.”

“…” Rupert growls at me

I sigh and look around the room. Today, Henry brought a cupcake to this room, and never ended up eating it. Hopefully, he hasn’t come back for it yet. Fortunately, he hasn’t, and I give it to Rupert. I’ll pay Henry back for it later.

“Eat up, you’ll need it.” I say.

“Tch. I’m not hungry,” Rupert responds.

“Yes, you are. Take it, or I’ll shove it down your throat.”

“…Fine,” Rupert says and takes it. Despite not being ‘hungry’, after taking a bite, he practically inhales the entire snack.

“There! Feeling better?” I ask.

“You’re an @$$hole, you know that?”

“I’d be nicer, if I didn’t think you were one as well,”

“…”

“Now. Let’s see what we have in here~” I sing as I begin to investigate a coat rack nearby.

“What? What are you-”

“We’re going to try on different clothes! Now, which suit do you want to try on first~” I smile with two distinct suits. Rupert gulps.

We spend the next hour or so trying on different suits, dresses, shirts, pants, and hats, or more accurately I’m trying on new stuff while using my victim as a dress up doll. Admittedly, I had more fun than I thought I would, and I think he did as well. A highlight of mine was his horrified reaction to when I discovered the makeup drawer. (We didn’t end up using it, unfortunately).

Eventually, Rupert snaps and asks, “Why are you torturing me, like this?”

“One, you need get out of your room,” I tell him nonchalantly, “Second, nobody else wants to try on different clothes and do other girly stuff with me.”

“Seriously? Nobody?”

“All my friends either dislike it or down right hate it. Even Dr. Vin.”

“Oh…” Rupert says.

“…But um, thanks for letting me put you into these clothes.”

“Eh, you’d probably force me into these clothes anyways. Not much I could do.”

“True. But you didn’t fight against it. And there we go! Huh. Dark green seems to be your color,” I say.

“…That’s it?”

“Well, I should take you to the infirmary. Probably should’ve done it sooner…”

Rupert cringes at the idea, “No thanks…”

“Why? It’s clearly unhealthy having all those injuries go untreated.”

“The infirmary is the law enforcement’s base,” Rupert says flatly.

Silence fills the room. For a moment, I thought I heard whispering, but when I turn to look at the entrance to the dressing room, nobody is there. Still, that raises a very uncomfortable thought. Are sticks not aligned with the law enforcement faction able to get medical supplies? Dmitri has already cut us off from receiving breakfast made by them, so how much of a stretch is it to say that’s not the only thing he’s cut us off from. Plus, Dr. Vin had to be guilt tripped by Terrance of all people to even help Right when he desperately needed medical attention. Would they stand idly by, while someone bleeds to death right outside their doors?

A chill goes down my spine by the possibility, but I shake it off. No, Rupert’s obviously embarrassed and guilt stricken. He can still go over there, just chooses not to. Plus, even if that is true-

“Oh, don’t worry,” I tell him and myself, “I’m on good terms with Dr. Vin. I’m sure if I asked, she’d give me some supplies to give to you!”

“…You’d do that?”

“Of course. I can’t leave someone to die in here, if I can help it!”

“…” Rupert growls, “Why?”

“Why? Because it’s the right thing to do-”

“No, why?! Why me? I betrayed and killed someone! Why… why are you being so nice to me? Shouldn’t you be with your actual friends?”

“…You almost killed someone,” I correct.

“That doesn’t matter! The captain was a dead man anyways.”

“…So, you’re saying you don’t deserve anything nice because of it?”

“I don’t deserve to be here.” Rupert spits, as he grabs his shirt. Specifically, the side where his heart is.

Silence falls on us again. Another chill falls down my spine. There was something about the previous trial that bothered me. I tried to ignore it, but with Rupert’s reaction, it’s now come back in full force.

Before I even register my thoughts, I blurt out, “Did you vote for yourself last trial?”

Rupert jumps in surprise, “H-How did you… it was anonymous wasn’t it?!”

Well, that confirms it.

“It was,” I tell him, “But if all the toppats voted for you, and we all voted against Reginald, it wouldn’t be 50/50. The neutrals and law enforcement combine out vote toppats in numbers. So, someone who wasn’t a toppat must have voted for you as well. And uh… that question on who it was, was bothering me to no end. Thanks for confirming it.”

“Ah… well @$@@”

Before I could register what I was saying, the words, “…You wanted to be executed didn’t you? Why?” fall out of my mouth. Uneasy silence fills the room.

“…I spent my whole life wanting to be a police officer so I could make a positive difference in the world. Be a hero, you know…” Rupert says quietly, “But what does it say about me, when on some level, I was willing to take a life for a selfish reason. Plus, my target was someone who I love more than anything! *Pause* I’m no better than the criminals I wanted to put behind bars. Maybe even worse, since Reginald killed to save his clan. I only killed to save my own hide.”

“…Do you regret what you did?”

“What? Of course, I do but-”

“Would you take it back in a heartbeat?”

“Yeah, but I can’t-”

“Then I don’t see the problem.”

“What! But I clearly-”

“Yeah, I know you did do it, but you obviously regret it, so you’re not a bad person and from how you are acting, you’re not going to do it again. I mean, Johnny and Reginald only regretted what they did because they got caught. You seem to regret it, because it was immoral, and people got hurt.”

“What? You are expecting me to stop stressing about what happened, because I made a ‘dumb mistake’. Dumb mistakes don’t cause two sticks’ deaths!”

“Please, most people here have taken a life prior, and/or done some other pretty messed up things. You’re the only person who seems to be haunted by it.”

“…It doesn’t excuse it. It doesn’t matter whether I regret it or not. I still did it, and now two people are dead… and instead of facing any sort of justice myself, I get to live knowing that I’m a horrible person.”

“…” I’m about to make a snide comment about how he finally realized that, but I decide not to. I like to think I’m above kicking a man while he’s down. Yet, as I look at him sulking right next to me, I realize I don’t know what to say. I’m not really good at comforting someone, especially in this kind of situation. After this hang out, I should probably keep checking up on him. With the motive, and how everyone’s moral is going down the drain, he could easily become a target for a murder.

If he isn’t already, I think, as my mind drifts back to the notes in my pocket.

Worse, he’s not the only one suffering. Jacob is incredibly paranoid that someone is going to kill again, and the fact Rupert is still alive, isn’t helping much. I barely manage to convince him to leave his room this time, by saying that the factions would most likely go after each other when planning a murder. Then there’s my friends. Charles won’t admit it, but he’s spiraling. His smile gets faker and faker every day. Meanwhile Dr. Vin is practically on her way to keep working on random machinery until she drops dead to avoid her emotions. Not that I don’t blame her… I wouldn’t want to think about my basically a sibling’s death either. And Henry- well, he seems fine, but I’ve seen glimpses of him being annoyed or frustrated. I think the game is weighing on him, and it won’t be long before he finally snaps and does something stupid. Not to mention, the two factions’ relationship gets worse by the second. It’s becoming increasingly obvious that it isn’t a question of if a murder will occur, but when. Someone needs to do something to boost morale. But what?

Suddenly, an idea pops into my head. Oh, I know exactly what to do.

“You better not be thinking of another dress to put me into,” Rupert warns me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Nah, I had my fun. We should get you to the infirmary, though,” I tell him, “Probably should’ve done it sooner.”

“…” Rupert doesn’t say anything but crosses his arms, “No. Just… grab some supplies and I’ll apply it onto myself. I’m not going anywhere near the infirmary.”

“…Okay,” I say in slight defeat. It was probably the safest option, anyways.

As we walk off, I ask him, “…Aren’t you going to change?”

He turns to look at me. He’s wearing the last thing I put him in. A dark green shirt, with an equally dark green hat, along with some blue jeans. His police outfit lays on the ground, discarded.

“…I won’t be needing my uniform, anymore,” Rupert says before leaving.

“See you soon,” I tell him, before heading up to get some medical supplies. I then realize that I did way more than what was asked of me.

POV Dave Panpa

“You okay, Dave?” Jacob asks me as we wait for the oven to finish baking the cake.

“Y-Yeah, just… worried about Rupert.”

Jacob tenses.

I glance over to him, “Sorry, but I can’t help but worry! Despite everything, Rupert’s my best friend and… knowing he’s suffering right now, hurts. I’m sure you’d be worried too if Ellie was suffering.”

“…” Jacob looks me. He stays quiet for a long time before saying, “I guess I would too…”

“I’m glad Ellie agreed to check up on him. So, then I know how worried I should be!” I laugh, it isn’t funny.

“Hope she’s okay, though. She’s playing with fire, by helping you.”

“Rups isn’t going to kill her,” I firmly tell him.

“…Who says Rupert is the only person she should be fearing,”

I tilt my head.

“With the motive out, someone is planning a murder. I know it.”

“Maybe?” I say, “But we all saw what happened to… the previous killers. Honestly, it’s getting me to not murder anyone! Cause that looks like a horrible way to die. And I’m sure I’m not alone with that settlement.”

“And yet after the first time, someone murdered again.” Jacob sighs.

“…”

Silence falls down upon us.

“I guess… all we can do is… try our best to prevent future murders.” I tell him.

“Yeah.”

Silence falls upon us.

“…Dave?” Jacob says suddenly.

“Yeah?”

“Can I tell you something?”

“Sure!”

“…*Pause* I’m scared of dying in here,” Jacob says this in a hush whisper.

I blink, “Same, but I think that goes for all of us.”

“…Yeah, but most people can defend themselves or have someone strong by their side. So, when someone is tempted enough, they could see me as an easy target…”

“…But you have Ellie to protect you!” I tell him.

“I don’t know, she can be pretty selfish at times...”

“Jacob, I may not know Ellie well, but I’m sure that as soon as she knows you are in trouble, she’ll come to save you in a heartbeat! You’ll be okay.” I tell him with certainty, “Plus, wasn’t she by your side when you needed her the most? Like when Geoffroy died.”

“…Yeah, she was… barely. She immediately left my side when she thought she heard something.”

“…W-well, neither of you could’ve predicted a murder was occurring.”

“I guess, but still… I know she cares about me and tells me that she’ll be by my side no matter what, but… sometimes I feel like… she’ll put me in danger, even if she doesn’t mean too.”

Silence falls upon us.

“…Hey, if it matters, I’m your friend and I care about you too. So, if you get in any trouble, I’ll… I’ll try to help you out!”

“Y-You will?” Jacob asks surprised.

“Y-Yeah, but I’m not as strong as your sister, so I doubt I’ll ever be much help if you’re in danger. However, if it ever comes down to it, I’ll try my best!”

Jacob blinks before smiling genuinely, “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

I smile back. Interrupting our moment, Jacob’s face widens in surprise, and he gets up.

“Jacob?” I call to him.

The security guard doesn’t listen and walks over to a corner of the room. He then reaches into one of the cabinets and pulls out- a safe. I didn’t know that was there before.

“So, that’s what is was.” He mumbles to himself.

I soon get up and investigate it, “What’s that?”

“…I don’t know. *Pause* Dave, do you have some paper clips? Two will do. I want to see what’s inside of this thing.”

“I don’t… but I do have this,” I say as I give him the lock picking kit.

“…Thanks,” Jacob says as he takes the kit and opens it up. After grabbing some tools, he begins working on the lock. Soon enough, it opens. Guess he has experience with lock picking.

“Heh, jackpot,” Jacob laughs as he reaches inside and takes out-

A very tiny robot, the size of a pill, which has the initials, “JR” on it.

We both stare at it for a while, before- Terrance stanches it from Jacob’s hands.

“Seriously, guys? First, Reginald, now you two!? At least this time it was for a previous motive. Ugh, give me that!” Terrance says and snatches the safe from Jacob. He then throws the robot back inside the safe. Uncaring whether or not it got destroyed.

“Wait, there was more stuff inside there!” Jacob yells, “Like some sort of pill bottle!”

“Well, I guess you have to try to live long enough to see what’s inside,” Terrance snaps. Clearly not in a good mood, “Also-”

He proceeds to throw a bag right into my face. I fall to the ground due to the impact. The bag then splits open, revealing its full of those coins.

“There! I’ve restocked them! Happy?!” Terrance yells, “Ugh, tootles~” He then leaves.

“You, okay?” Jacob asks, as he helps me back up.

“Yeah…”

“…What do you think that was?”

“A spoiler, I guess,” I shrug.

“Hm… I wonder…” Jacob says.

BEEP! BEEP! The oven interrupts us, and we quickly run to get the cake out. After checking if it’s been cooked enough, we soon forget our conversation and begin to decorate it.

By the time we finish, it looks extremely appetizing. Unfortunately, it’s almost 10:00.

“Hey, if it’s no problem with you. How about I put it in plastic wrap, and we can all eat it tomorrow,” Jacob says.

“Oh, it’s no problem at all! I’ll go get the wrapper!” I tell him.

In no time at all, we begin heading back to the dorms, with cake in hand. Though, I couldn’t help but glance behind me. Worrying if Dmitri sees me with this cake. He might realize that I’m feeding the ‘enemy.’

Fortunately, Dmitri doesn’t show up, and we soon go our separate ways.

Then, just in time, I hear Ding Dong. “Alright, time to go to sleep everyone! And in the morning, you’ll find that all the monocoins will be restocked!”

I proceed to get my pajamas on, and lay down in my bed. Hopefully, Rupert’s doing okay.

Notes:

Platonic RosePrice for the win!
And here's where some of the suicide tags come in, well... not really. But still, if you're trapped in a game like this, you're going begin feeling like giving up or paranoid.
3 chapters till body discovery.

Chapter 23: CtD Daily Life #3

Notes:

I debated whether or not if I should post this chapter today or wait till next week (mostly because I've hit a major artist block with the Closing Argument and haven't even started the execution yet), but I decided to post this anyways.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Dave Panpa

Ding, Dong. “You know… it’s funny. If I hadn’t revealed the motive at that trial, this would be the day I would’ve done it. You all remember what it is, don’t ya? It’s pictures of all your factions reduce to ash on the outside! *Pause* Have a good day~”

The reminder of the motive causes me to take even longer to calm down from my nightmares. Once again, I repeat my morning rituals and head over to the kitchen. Nothing really of interest happens, except for Burt seemingly being a little out of it, and Sven is a lot more tense than usual. I don’t blame either of them. At least they didn’t steal any of our plates again.

At some point, Ellie walks in and makes herself two meals.

“Jacob hiding in his room again?” Sven says.

“No, it’s for someone else. I’ve already solved that problem,” Ellie says.

“Hey Ellie. I need to talk to you-” I begin, but it’s too late as she has already left. I sigh in disappointment.

Soon after, we leave with our meals and give them to our faction. Dr. Vin looks even worse, while Dmitri looks annoyed.

“Um… is something the matter, Dmitri?” I ask hesitantly.

“He is the matter,” Dmitri hisses and points at Charles.

“Aw, what did I do?” Charles asks in a tired voice.

“YOU CONSPIRED WITH THE ENEMY AND RUINED MY DAY, YESTERDAY!”

“Come on, Henry’s not the enemy. Plus, it was just a prank,” Charles smiles while giving me a wink. I sigh in relief.

“Henry is toppat without top hat.” Dmitri growls.

“…He has yet to do anything as atrocious as them,” Dr. Vin spits tiredly, “Ever heard of innocent until proven guilty?”

“Please, he was a criminal before all of this, just like them! Probably even worse-”

All of sudden, Rupert shouts, “NO! NO! NO! NO!” repeatedly.

“You chose the hard way buddy. You only have yourself to blame,” Ellie sighs.

Everyone stops what they are doing and stares at the scene in front of them; Rupert scratching the floor in a vain attempt to get a way, as Ellie drags him deeper into the lunchroom. Once she reaches her destination, where the neutral sit, she then proceeds to practically throw Rupert onto one of the chairs. He wobbles a bit but doesn’t fall out. I then notice he’s wearing different clothing and has… an icepack eyepatch on one of his eye’s. He doesn’t look well.

Jacob and Henry, who both sit at the same table as Ellie, look directly at each other, then silently move seats away from Rupert. If he noticed this, he pays it no mind. Probably, because he’s too embarrassed to register it, as he is actively hiding his red face with his hat.

Soon, Ellie sits down next to Rupert calmly, emphasis on the calmly, and begins eating her meal. Acting like nobody is starting at her and Rupert right now.

“…Why did you do this?” Rupert suddenly asks.

“Because I’m a decent stick figure,” Ellie says as she takes a bite out of her food.

Rupert goes silent. Internally debating if he should respond. Eventually, he continues with, “…You can’t just do that. Everyone’s judging us!”

“Oh, don’t worry! Nobody noticed!” Ellie says and looks over at the rest of the lunchroom. On que, we all immediately go back to our meals to avoid getting caught.

As my attention drifts back to my table, I barely am able to hear Ellie says, “See?”

We eat in silence for the next few minutes, but I couldn’t stop thinking of what just happened. Did she seriously force Rupert here against his will? I told her to check up on him, not drag him around like a doll! That’s the last time I’m asking her for help!

Interrupting my angry thoughts, Dmitri says, “We need to do another meeting today.”

“Why?” Charles asks.

“Because there is lack of respect for the rules.”

“Oh, come on, dude. We respect you!” Charles says.

Suddenly, Henry walks to our table and signs, “[Charles, after you clean up. Can you meet with me and E L L I E?]”

“Sure! I’m not doing anything important!”

“You are going to meeting!” Dmitri shouts.

“Like he said, nothing important,” the doctor says.

“…You just do not want meeting because it stops you from creating more useless machineries!” Dmitri snaps.

“[Great! See you there! Love you!]” Henry signs and then blows Charles a kiss.

The pilot makes an awkward expression, like he is unsure if he wants accepts Henry’s affection but still says, “Love ya, too!”

The thief then leaves satisfied, while Dmitri gives him a disgusted expression.

“This is why we need meeting. To stop disrespect like that.”

“Oh sorry, can’t make it. I’m doing something with Henry and Ellie,” Charles says.

Dmitri stares at Charles for a few seconds before slamming his face onto the table. A muffled scream escapes his lips soon afterwards.

Soon, breakfast concludes, and Charles and I go back to the kitchen to clean up. Admittedly, Charles seems completely out of it when cleaning up. Seems his grief and regret are getting worse. Despite this, he is still smiling. Come to think of it, I don’t think I have ever seen him not smiling. Honestly it weirds me out a little, but I don’t dwell on it. It’s just something that Charles does- Drip. Plop!

Immediately, I stop what I am doing, as I feel something wet hitting my hat. I blink, before going back to cleaning. Suddenly, drip, plop! I feel it again.

“Huh?” I say to myself as I look up. Just in time to see the leaky pipe way above me break and a rush of water pour directly on top of me. Pushing me to the ground.

“Dave!” Charles yells as I try fighting back against the water, until it suddenly stops.

After waiting a few seconds to make it does not come back, I open my eyes to see my completely soaked body and Terrance staring at me.

“You okay, man?!” Charles says and helps me back up.

“Oops. Sorry about that,” Terrance says.

“What was that?!” I ask a bit too loudly.

“Sooooooo, remember when I said most of the budget went into the executions?” Terrance says.

“Um, yeah?”

“Because of that, we had to buy a very old, abandoned factory to host this game in. It works really well for this, don’t get me wrong! But some aspects of it are…” Terrance glances upwards, “Falling apart.”

“I’m surprised you even have pipes up there,” Charles says.

“I need them for the sprinklers, in case a fire happens. If I don’t, I run the risk of the entire place being burned down, which is… not fun.”

“…Didn’t know you thought about a situation like that…” I say.

Terrance’s face grows slightly a red and he shouts, “The slander can stop now, okay! I have killed Reginald! I CAN BE COMPETENT WHEN I WANT TO BE!!!!”

Silence then falls as we both stare at Terrance with a fearful expression.

Slowly the red disappears on his face, and he says, “…Since it’s going to take a while for me to fix the pipes and make sure the others don’t break as well. I’ll be shutting off the water. Ooo! I can make that an additional motive! Until someone kills, all the water, not just ones tied to the sprinkler, will be shut off! It’ll be great since all our potential killers are stalling!”

“Wait! We need water to survive! You can’t just make that an additional-” I argue but it falls on deaf ears, as soon Terrance disappears.

Ding, Dong, “Everyone head to the theater! I have a special announcement!”

“…”

“Dang, guess I’ll have to hang out with Henry and Ellie later,” Charles says with disappointment.

We then walk over to the theater. Once we get there, it feels emptier than it was last time. Probably because Captain Galeforce and Reginald are no longer here, and everyone is clumping into our own factions. Previously, we were all close together, even if we were still huddled close to our own factions. Now, there are three groups spaced far away from each other, as even the neutrals were huddled up together, when previously they didn’t care as much. The only exception is Rupert, who seems to be in his own solo group, as he, like all the factions, is staying away from the others.

“This better be important, as I swear” Dmitri spits. Clearly upset his meeting was delayed.

Soon, Terrance appears on stage, “Hello everyone! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen you all! How’s the motive so far? Feel the despair of your family’s, friend’s, and yourselves’ homes and lives have been turned to ash?”

“Burn in Hell,” Right spits, while I notice Dmitri grins his teeth while Sven looks so deflated.

“Aw upset, that your hubby died?” Terrance teases, “He had it coming!”

Right growls before pulling out his gun and shooting Terrance in the face. From the sound, most of us drop to the ground.

“Ow! Seriously?!” Terrance howls in pain as he winces from the pain. Once his face reforms, he shouts, “We’ve already established this! I’m dead! I can’t die! Attacking me does literally nothing!”

“It gives me happiness,” he grows as he gets ready to take another shot. Fortunately, the other toppats grab his arm and force it down.

“Oi!” He shouts angrily.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” Sven hisses and points towards the machine gun facing him.

“…Might as well. If Reg’s gone and his home’s gone as well. Then there’s no point to staying alive.” Right snaps.

“…” the toppats gives him a surprised look. Right cringes like he regrets what he said.

“Uh- I’ll… I’ll yield for now.” He quickly says and puts the gun away, “Was planning on doing it anyways. Someone needs to make sure Reg is avenged.” Right glares at me once he says that, as we all get up. Instinctively, I huddle closer to Dmitri.

“We are definitely talking about this in our next meeting…” Thomas says.

“…Anyways,” Terrance continues, “Since you are all taking your sweet marry time to kill someone, I’ve decided to add a little something to this motive. So, until someone kills, the water will be completely shut off!”

“…”

“[That is, it?]” Henry signs.

“Yep!”

“You called us in here for that?!” Dmitri shouts.

“I can see why you’re the worst toppat leader in history,” Burt flatly states.

“Oh, come off it! It’s a good side motive!” Terrance says.

“Doubt it.” Dr. Vin states.

“…Um, don’t want to alarm anyone but… we need that water to drink.” I say.

“…”

“Water can come from other sources. Like fruit,” Dr. Vin says, “I would not worry too much.”

“Oh great, I won’t be able to drink tea for a while,” Right sighs.

“Wait what will happen to the sharks? They need that water!” Sven says.

“They’ll be fine! The water just won’t be filtered.” Terrance smiles.

“Oh no…” Sven says with great worry.

“Are you seriously going to kill for some sharks, Sven?” Burt asks. I can’t tell if he’s being playful or serious.

“Of course not! I am a loyal toppat… (even if there isn’t a Toppat Clan anymore)” Sven says.

“Alright, that concludes this announcement! Tootles~” Terrance says and then disappears.

“What a waste of time,” Dmitri huffs.

We proceed to all leave. Quickly, I go over to my dorm to change into non-wet clothes, and then head over to the meeting. Before I get to the infirmary, Charles stops me.

“Heya, Dave. I need to tell you something!” Charles says.

“Okay? What is it?”

“At 8, can you go to the dressing room?”

“What for?” I ask, tilting my head.

“For something fun!” Charles says, “Uh… don’t worry. Ellie assures me this isn’t an attempt for murder.”

“That doesn’t really… put me at ease,”

“Hey, nothing bad will happen! Dr. Vin and I are going to be there!”

“What about Dmitri?”

“…He would be um opposed to this. Best he doesn’t show up… So, you coming?”

“…I don’t know. I don’t want to be kicked out. And… *Sigh* I’m a little… mad at Ellie right now.”

“Huh? Why?! She’s pretty cool! And she helped you, man! Why would you be mad?”

“Well, that’s the thing. I told her to just check up on Rups, and what she did this morning wasn’t just checking up…”

“So, you’re saying you’re jealous?”

“W-What! I am not jealous!!!” I shout feeling my face get warm.

“Don’t worry man, Ellie has no intentions of stealing Rups from you.”

I ignore how relieved that makes me feel and continue, “I-I am not jealous. I’m just concerned. I think she is pushing way past Rups’s boundaries! Unless he’s fine with that. And she got him to eat something… Also got to treat his wounds a bit, wait- how did he get injured?! How long was he injured? Did Ellie cause it? Did someone else cause it?! DID HE DO IT TO HIMSELF!?!?!? Oh… I am such a bad friend!” I grab my hat and yank it closer to my head. Why am I so upset about Ellie’s actions, when I’m no better! I’m even worse-

Suddenly, Charles breaks me out of my destructive thoughts by saying, “Hey, don’t worry! You’re a great friend. If you’re worried about him, just ask Rups yourself. He’s coming too!”

“He is?”

“Yeah!”

I grin my teeth. I shouldn’t go, but- I need to talk to Rupert again. He’s my friend and we haven’t gotten a chance to talk after… all that happened. And if Ellie is getting to open up more, he might not shut me out this time. So, I sigh and say, “I’ll… try.”

“Alright! …Um, Where are you going?” Charles asks.

“I have a meeting to get to,” I tell him, as I walk away. We wave goodbye and I go to the infirmary.

As soon as I get to the infirmary, I see Dmitri standing outside of it.

“You are late.”

“Sorry, Charles stopped me on the way here.”

“…He is not with you, is he?”

“…N-no,” I hesitantly admit.

“Ugh. Today is disaster!” Dmitri complains, “First, Charles admits he would rather spend time with a criminal than his own faction. Second, Terrance released the stupidest motive known to stick kind, which delayed our meeting. And finally, thirdly, Dr. Vin is refusing to let me enter the infirmary as she wants to be alone to make bunch of USELESS ROBOTS!” the warden then kicks the door to prove a point. From inside the infirmary, Dr. Vin yells something in Russian at the warden. He then yells back in Russian as well.

“So... uh…”

“Meeting is canceled, unfortunately,” Dmitri sighs, “Thank you for showing up though.”

“Um… you’re welcome.”

We stand there in awkward silence. I still have a few hours before to go to whatever Ellie’s planning, and… I have nothing to do. I glance up at Dmitri and sigh. Well, he’s better than nothing.

“Hey, um… since the meeting has been cancelled, do you want to… hang out?” I ask him.

“Hm,” Dmitri responds, before saying, “Eh. Sure. Nothing better to do. Plus, since Hubert’s dead, I do not have anyone to hang out with.”

“Oh. Okay!”

So, our hangout starts. For it, we go over to the gym and start working out. Both of us got some pretty good reps in. Though, I can’t shake the feeling, Dmitri isn’t doing this just because he wants to stay strong or has a genuine passion for it, but as a distraction.

“Huh. You did… better than I expected with work out,” he tells me afterwards, in genuine amazement.

“Well, I have to be! I used to be a cop and now I’m a security guard. So, I need to stay fit in case of emergencies! Plus… Rup-” I stop myself, “-I had a friend who was really into that kind of stuff. Used to drag me and another friend to join him.”

“Hm. Just weak willed then,” Dmitri says. He then pauses. Almost like he’s thinking of something.

“Um… what’s it um like to run the Wall?” I ask.

Dmitri smiles, “Ha! It is a very difficult and rigorous process to run, but all the more rewarding. Especially, since I am best warden there ever was, as under my liege there has never been a successful escape attempt in 50 years!”

“Um, how did you do that, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“The secret to my success is that I do not bother much with the physical aspect, though we do have great weaponry and staff to prevent escapes. Ha, it fills me with such joy seeing an escaping convict being blasted to smithereens by a tank’s missile!”

I cringe.

“However, it mostly comes down to the mental.”

“Mental?”

“…Have you ever heard of this one experiment where they put shock collars on dogs and electrocuted them every time, they ring a bell?”

“W-What!” I shout, “Why w-would someone do that!”

“For science of course! Even, the doctor would agree that it was necessary.”

“But… why? What result would you gain from that? That just seems… cruel for the sake of being cruel…”

“Well, this was only the first stage of experiment. The second stage put those dogs and other dogs who were not shocked in a room which was split by a leap able wall. Every time the bell rang, half the floor would become electric and shock the side of room where dog is. What do you think happened next?”

“Um… I don’t know? The dogs jumped to the other side of the room every time the bell rung to escape? I mean, that’s what I’d do…”

“Almost correct. The dogs who were not shocked previously would do exactly what you said, however, the dogs who were shocked, did not. Because with the shock collars they learned when bell rung, they would feel unavoidable pain. So, they lose hope to escape pain, and just take it. The term is called accepted helplessness. And this is what the Wall is built on. There is no hope for escape, so why bother? It even helps with our reputation.”

“…”

“We also make sure all our prisoners are always on the verge of starving and freezing to death. Never enough to actually kill them (though that does happen sometimes), but enough so they are suffering too much to think of plan of escape! And that is how you run complex with no successful escapes. Of course, there is the downside that most prisoners do not make it to see their sentence finish, but they’re convicts. If it were up to me, they would never leave.”

“…” What the actual @$#@.

Despite my concern, Dmitri looks pretty happy. I try to smile back, but it’s fake. However, his smile soon disappears.

“…I spent my entire life, perfecting how I run the Wall. To the point, running the Wall is my life and legacy but now… it may be completely gone. And although I do not want to admit it, the doctor is right. Everything I worked so hard for, my life’s signature goal, may be a pile of ash right now,” Dmitri says, “…and it hurts. It hurts so much, knowing that everything I have done in my life was all for naught.”

“Hey, I’m sure it isn’t that bleak! Sure, some prisoners might have escaped, but… didn’t you say the Wall is strong? They might be in the process of rebuilding!” I tell him.

“But, without my leadership a prisoner revolt happened.”

“Well, everyone makes mistakes,” I say, “I’m sure they’ve already picked themselves up and are trying to fix things! I’m sure the Wall is fine! Weren’t they taught how to run it by the ‘ultimate warden?’” Admittedly that line feels very cheese, but if it made Johnny feel better about himself then…

“…Hm… You raise good point, Panpa,” Dmitri says, “…I will… consider it.”

“Happy to help!” I say.

Silence falls upon us, and I soon realize the time.

“Uh, sorry. Got to go. I…” my voice quiets. He can’t know about where I’m going.

Before I can continue my thought, Dmitri answers, “It is fine. I want to be alone right now. I have something… to consider.”

Thank goodness, “Alright! Bye now!” I turn to leave before hearing.

“Panpa.”

“?”

“You are much more competent than I first realized. Glad to have you in my faction,” Dmitri says then walks past me and leaves.

I stand frozen in silence. I’m not really good at handling compliments. Eventually, I snap out of my trance. Quickly, I run over to the dressing room. There I see Dr. Vin standing outside the room.

“Dave? You were invited as well?” the doctor asks.

“Yeah, I was. Hopefully, I’m not late!”

“Hm. Let us see what those three made.” She then opens the door and-

-We see a party. Cloth as streamers hang from the walls. Colored paper with string attached on the bottom, which are tapped to the walls, acts as balloons. In the center, there’s the cake Jacob and I made. Around the room, I see Thomas flirting with Henry who looks slightly annoyed, Charles singing a small tune, Jacob and Ellie having an argument, and… Rupert sitting in the corner eating a bit of cake alone. Suddenly, Ellie spots us and walks over to us midway through her argument with Jacob. He yells at her with annoyance.

“Glad you guys could make it!” Ellie says like she wasn’t in argument previously.

“Thanks for having us!” I tell her.

“I had too, or you’ll go on to your hands and knees, repeatedly saying ‘Please’, again” Dr. Vin states.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Ellie says with a tint of pink on her face, like she’s embarrassed. She shakes through it and says, “Hey! How about you go talk to Jacob, Dr. Vin. Help me prove this party is a good idea!”

“He doesn’t think this is a good idea?” I ask.

“*Sigh* He’s just being paranoid. Thinking that having this party will cause a murder to happen. Plus, he’s worried about Thomas and Rupert being here.”

“W-Why?” I ask.

“Rupert for obvious reasons, and Thomas because he’s a member of the Toppat Clan. You know, the ones who tried to kill us all with ignorance last trial?”

“That was out of stupidity…” I tell her.

“I doubt it. Plus, we both had a very bad… ‘run in’ with the clan when we were very young.”

“I do not think he is being paranoid,” Dr. Vin says, “He is practicing logical caution. We are all trapped in killing game after all. And although I did not hear his argument, I feel he is correct in the assumption that having a party is a good set up for murder. Very good distraction for potential witness.”

“Ugh! No one is getting murdered tonight! At least not because of this party! I made sure not to tell anyone not invited there was a party going on and got the others to do the same! No one can use it as a distraction, if they don’t know it’s happening!” Ellie snaps.

“But you have toppat here. He is a wild card and may use this party as an opportunity to avenge his chief. Right has already attempted this with Dave and judging from what I can see… he may have done the same with Rupert.”

“Wait, how do you know about Right-” I ask.

“Dmitri told me.”

“Ah.”

“Okay. I’ll admit he wasn’t invited. BUT- he only found out about this, while coming into the dressing room to grab some fabrics, as we were doing the party. He then was going to leave but Henry convinced him to stay,” Ellie says.

“Convinced?” I ask.

“Blew a kiss at him.”

“…Wow. He actually has chance?” Dr. Vin says in surprise.

“No, he doesn’t. At least I don’t think so. Because Thomas wanted to stay cause it looked fun, but- something, something meeting something, something toppat loyalty. Eh, the point is he felt like he needed to leave. Henry just did him a favor.” Ellie says, “Come on! Let’s unwind and forget our troubles!” She then proceeds to grab Dr. Vin’s arm and drags her over to Jacob. After that, she goes over to where Charles is and starts talking to him.

I stand there in silence. A part of me wants to grab some cake and have a much-needed talk with Ellie, another part of me wants to talk to Charles instead of doing anything significant, but I need to have a conversation with Rupert, and this may be my only chance to do so. A sense of anxious dread fills my stomach at the thought. However, seeing him alone and remembering all the good times we had prior, I’m able to gather my courage and make a decision. Taking a deep breath and telling myself, “You got Dave this”, I walk over to Rupert.

“Hi,” I say.

“AFDKJALRFJD!!!!!” Rupert freaks out and drops his cake slice. His face is red, “Uh… what are you- what are you d-doing here?!”

And here I thought I was supposed to be the anxious one, “Um, Ellie invited me. I was the one who made the cake.”

“Oh. So that’s why it was good. Cause I doubt her, and Henry can actually make something without burning down the kitchen.”

My face grows warm from the compliment. Quickly, I shake my head to get rid of the blush. After recovering I tell him, “We need to talk.”

“…No, we don’t.”

“No, we do!” I insist, “We need to talk about our relationship and want happened last trial.”

“Well, I tried to kill you, and you should cut ties with me while you still have the chance to.”

“That wasn’t yo-” I pause. Last time I insisted that, Rupert shut me out. I can’t make the same mistake again, so quickly I change it to, “You… you weren’t thinking straight.”

“That doesn’t excuse anything! I’m still a danger to you!”

“…”

“…Just, leave. I don’t want you to die in here.”

“…I don’t want you to die in here, either though…”

“You should. You should hate me after the stunt I pulled. Why are you so instant to keep helping me?!”

“Cause you’re my best friend and I forgive you.”

“…I-” Rupert goes quiet before chuckling softly, “You’re way too good for me.”

“Of course! If I don’t treat you right, then you won’t do it for yourself,” I snap.

“…I’m doing fine.”

“You have an eye-patch.”

“I tripped.”

I give him a look. Sighing, I sit down next to him.

“How… How did it feel when all of that happened?”

“…I don’t remember any of it. You know this.”

“I know, but… you should at least talk about what happened. It might make you feel better?”

“I don’t need to talk about it. I’m fine. What happened, happened. There’s nothing to it.”

“Please. For me. It can be something little.”

“…” Rupert looks at me before finally relenting, “Fine. When that sickness wore off, I felt… confused and disoriented. The last thing I recall was being in the theater and now I’m suddenly in the infirmary with an equally confused Dr. Vin. Then you come running in, and apparently, it’s been five days since I was in the theater, but I don’t remember any of it. I’ve tried to recall it but came up with nothing. Though-”

“Though?”

Rupert twiddles with his fingers, “I think a part of me always knew I was guilty. I didn’t want it to be true, so I kept telling myself I wasn’t, but… I was. When Reginald was accusing me, I felt… angry. Angrier then I should’ve been if I was innocent. I didn’t want him to be right. I wanted him to shut up. But he kept talking, and it made more sense as he talked, and I wanted him to be quiet,” Rupert grins his teeth as his tone becomes more hostile, “and I was trying to defend myself, but he kept bringing up things that apparently happened and that I was there for, but I have no memory of, and everyone started agreeing like this happened in some secret club they were all in, that I wasn’t apart of!” Rupert then hisses, “Then it stopped feeling like he was debating who killed the captain and was just toying with me! WHICH HE WAS! And… and…”

“And?”

Rupert’s voice goes somber as the energy he was building from his rant dies down, “…When he said that I had the key to the catwalk in my pocket, I thought ‘finally this is my chance to prove my innocence, and we can move on’. But… I saw the key. *Pause* My anger left me, and I… felt nothing. Not anger, not sadness, not fear… just nothing, like there was gaping hole in my soul.”

We both go silent.

“…It’s funny, in a way,” Rupert slowly states, “Ellie said that since I regret what happened, then I should be fine. But… I’m not fine. I… I killed someone. No, not someone. I killed my captain! Someone who was helping all of us. Someone who I thought would get us all out here. Someone… I wanted to be my leader. I don’t know if I told you this, but…, because of him, I decided that if, no… when, we escaped, then I’ll quit my job as police officer, and join the military. Heh, make my ‘ultimate’ make sense. Heh. *Pause* He and Charles seemed nice, and if I thought if joined them, I could do some good in the world. Be a heroic soldier…

“But instead, I’m just filthy criminal, aren’t I?”

“No, you’re not!”

“Tch. No matter what you say or what she says, I’m as bad as Johnny and Reginald. No amount of saying, ‘it wasn’t me’ will change it,” Rupert spits.

There’s got to be something I can do to cheer him up. I can’t stand seeing him like this. Suddenly, I get an idea. I take out the golden four-leaf clover pin and place it right on Rupert’s hat.

“…”

“Well… it’s true you did do all that stuff, but… there’s something you have that they don’t.”

“Which is?” Rupert spits.

“They weren’t given a chance to redeem themselves, but- you do! You can make things better! You don’t have to stay being bad! You’re still alive! And as long as you’re alive you can still do things!”

“How? I can’t just undo what I did! Galeforce is dead and gone.”

“Maybe you can do it in another way? Like, helping any escape attempts, trying to make sure no one kills, kiss me-”

“What was that last part?” Rupert chuckles.

“I…I…” my face grows warm. I didn’t mean to say that. Before I could apologize, Rupert pulls me forward and we kiss.

Afterwards, I just stare at him with my face feeling hot.

“…I-I didn’t miss read what you said, right?!” Rupert says in a panicked voice, his face is completely red, “You wanted that? Right?!”

“N-No, you interrupted it correctly. I’m just surprised and… happy! Plus, we never got to talk about our relationship after the trial, because… you know.”

“Y-Yeah…*Pause* S-S-So, do you actually want to become a thing? Even after…*Pause* everything?”

“Of course! Just um say sorry first?”

“Sorry.”

“I accept!” I say cheerfully.

“Jeeze. Get a room you two!” Ellie yells.

Both of our faces fluster, as we turn to see everyone looking at us.

“Oi! What the @#$@! We were having a moment!” Rupert yells, his face a mix of pink and red.

“[Your ‘moment’ is killing the vibe.]” Henry signs.

“Like how this party will cause another murdered…” Jacob says.

“If I knew you were going to be so against the idea, I wouldn’t have invited you!” Ellie yells back. As Ellie and Jacob argue, it causes the mass of people looking at us to go back to what they’re doing. Both of us wait for our embarrassment to go away.

After that whole incident, the party continues as normal. At some point, I grab some cake and continue talking to Rupert as normal. It’s so great to hang out with him again, even if I know it’s only temporary.

However, I notice Charles not talking to anyone. Normally, this wouldn’t be anything to call for an alarm, but… he seems out of it and tired. I’m about to check if he’s alright, when all of a sudden-

“Ellie, you are the best sister ever!” Jacob says, “You are always right! Aw, thanks, Jacob!”

Confuse, I look over and see a very annoyed Jacob, a smug Ellie, a concerned Dr. Vin, and a laughing Henry.

“H-How?” Dr. Vin asks.

“When you were sick, me, you, the captain, and Reginald all made these voice changers,” Ellie says, but with Jacob’s voice, “They’re pretty sick, aren’t they?”

“I… I was not aware you were a part of it. Even more so, since I did not know you liked inventing.”

“Oh, I do. It’s pretty fun. You should put on yours! It’s pretty fun to mess around with.”

“No, I will not. It is practically made with toothpicks and gum. It barely works, and desperately needs an upgrade.”

“Oh, I thought the captain fixed it.”

“He did, but he is not good with technology.”

“So, are you going to fix it?”

“…Нет. I should not touch Hubert’s work. It is one of the few things I have of his…”

“…Fair,” Ellie, still with Jacob’s voice, quietly says.

I roll my eyes. Guess everyone is having fun, except for Charles. Alright, no more stalling.

“Hey, Rups?”

“Yeah, Dave?”

“I’m going to check up on Charles.” I begin before suddenly-

“THOMAS! There you are!” Right shouts as he enters the dressing room along with Sven and Burt by his side. The room goes deathly quiet. Quickly, I hide behind Rupert.

“…”

“W-What’s all of this?!” Sven asks.

“[A party]” Henry signs.

“Really? In the middle of a killing game?” Burt sighs. He looks exhausted. Especially since he’s leaning against the door frame.

“Unfortunately,” Jacob sighs while glaring at Ellie.

“Oh, come on! We’re all having fun here!” she says, while still sounding like Jacob. Guess she hasn’t turned it off yet. Sven gives her a strange look.

“Thomas, why are you here? There’re multiple law enforcements in this party.” Right snaps.

“W-well,” Thomas says, “They have cake, and good company.”

“…You worthless simp!” Sven says, “Don’t you realize you could’ve been killed in here?”

“You act like I would allow that…” Ellie says, as she takes the voice changer off.

“Hey! No one’s killing each other-” Thomas says.

“We thought no one was going to kill a toppat the last two times. And yet…” Right sighs, “I’m not failing my fellow toppats again. We’re leaving.”

“You’re not my dad-” Thomas sighs, before grabs him by the collar and throws him over his shoulder. Thomas’s face grows bright pink and attempts to break free, but Right ignores him. Meanwhile, Right spots Rupert and I, and glares at us. I wilt behind Rupert more, while he goes into a more protective stance.

“Let’s go. *Pause* Sven?” Right says, as he notices his friend looking at one of the coat racks while he looks lost in thought.

“SVEN!” Right shouts.

“Ah! Coming!” Sven says, and soon the toppats leave the room.

“…”

“Okay, now people know about the party.” Jacob says.

“Fine. Sorry, guys, but I think we need to wrap it up. Especially since it’s almost 10.” Ellie says, “Take as much slices as you can, thank Dave for making it for us, and head back.”

We all oblige and take more cake slices. While we do this, I notice Ellie checking up on Charles, guess I didn’t need to do anything after all.

We head back, and Rupert separates from me.

“Where are you going?” I ask.

“Back to my room?” Rupert asks confused.

“Oh… Can I come?” I ask as my face grows warm, “Since we’re a thing now and… we had those sleepovers beforehand and…”

“Love to, but…” Rupert says before his face grows grim, “If Dmitri sees you with me, you might get in trouble. And I don’t want you to be kicked out, if I can help it. Especially with Right around.”

“Oh… right…” I say feeling deflated.

“…Yeah. *Pause* Love you,” Rupert says.

“Love you too!” I say.

We then go our separate ways. Though I wonder if I’ll be ever have another chance to hang out with him again. I shake my head, no I will! I just need to be patient.

As soon as I enter my room, I hear: Ding Dong. “You know… sometimes I wonder, what Geoffroy would’ve said about the following events of this game, if he wasn’t, you know, stabbed 7 times in the chest. Guess for at least this game, we’ll never know.”

Despite how things are still bad, I go to bed feeling hopeful. Ellie was right, that party was a good idea.

Notes:

Hopefully if I point out the trope of having a party just before the murder, then I'll be forgiven for not doing that. (Though, someone was inspired by it...)
Anyways, Rupert and Dave finally kissed and made up! Hurray!

2 chapters left until the body discovery.

Chapter 24: CtD Daily Life #4

Notes:

Hurray! This fic now has 2,000 hits! Let's go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Dave Panpa

Ding Dong. “You know… it feels weird being revived. There’s a deep coldness I feel no matter what, my body feels weird and off, and there’s a tiredness I can’t seem to shake... Don’t settle for the cheap revive spells, kids!”

Once again, I get up and repeat my morning rituals.

I head over to the kitchen and see Charles there. However, I don’t see Sven nor Burt.

“Um, Charles? Have you seen Sven and Burt?” I ask.

“Hm? No. I did see Sven leave early with something, but no sign of Burt.”

“…Do you think they’re alright?”

Charles shrugs, “Probably. I mean, Right is hellbent on making sure no more toppats die.”

“Fair.”

We begin working on our factions’ meals. Soon, we discover we can’t make pancakes or most meals, as they have water as a key ingredient. Charles sighs in disappointment, while I try to think of any alternatives I know of, to water, or any meals that don’t require it. As we both try to figure out what we’re making, Ellie heads in and I hear her gasp in surprise.

“Els? What is it?” Charles asks.

“Someone left me a plate of food!” Ellie says.

“How do you know it’s yours?”

“Because someone wrote me a note!” she says and holds it up. It clearly says, “For Ellie Rose.”

“Oh cool! Who’s it from?”

“I don’t know, but it’s free food that I don’t have to make!” Ellie says and walks away with the plate in hand.

“Well, can’t argue with that,” Charles shrugs.

Uneasiness of her decision flows through me, but I shake it off. I shouldn’t worry too much. After all, there’s no poison, except if you count the bleach in one of the cabinets in the kitchen, but who would target her?

Eventually, we come up with a solution and head back to our table to hand out our meals. I notice Dr. Vin isn’t here, and a quick glance over at the toppat table shows Sven and Burt aren’t there either. Worry trickles down my spine. Fortunately, I spot Rupert sitting in the corner of the room, far away from everyone else, eating a donut. At least he’s okay, but still…

“Um, has anyone seen Dr. Vin?” I ask.

“She is working in the infirmary.” Dmitri sighs.

“Oh, has she eaten?”

“Do not know, and do not care.”

“…”

“I’ll give Dr. Vin her meal,” Charles suddenly says and grabs one of the plates and heads off. Leaving me and Dmitri alone together. We eat for couple of minutes before-

“WHAT DID YOU HOUNDS DO TO SVEN AND BURT?!” Right snaps, as he pounds his fist on the table. Quickly, I sprint to hide behind Dmitri. He gives me an annoyed look before dragging me by the arm away from him.

“Be a man,” Dmitri huffs.

“Well?” Thomas says as he walks behind Right.

“I-I-I d-don’t know w-where they a-are. T-they weren’t in the kitchen, but Charles said… he saw Sven earlier-” I try to explain, while avoiding eye-contact.

“LIES!” Right snaps and pounds his fist again. I jump.

“Calm down.” Thomas says.

“YOU CALM DOWN!”

“Alright. Get lost!” Dmitri snaps, “We have no idea where your thugs are. All we know is that they could be dead in their rooms.”

Right growls at him and it looks like he’s about to pounce on him before-

*COUGH* *COUGH*

All of us turn our gaze to the neutral’s table, as we all see Henry patting Ellie’s back while Jacob and Rupert, who have moved closer to see if they can help, watch in complete horror. At first, I thought Ellie swallowed her food down the wrong pipe, until I see the blood dripping out of her mouth. I feel my face grow cold by that realization.

Soon, something sharp falls out of Ellie’s mouth, as she gags in pain. It hits the ground with a small thud. The room goes silent.

“…”

“You okay?” Henry asks in a hoarse voice.

“You…can…talk?” Ellie asks.

“…Selective mutism…” Henry says in even hoarser voice.

“…that’s… that’s nice to know,” Ellie sighs as she lays her head on her hand. She looks dazed.

“I’m going to go get some ice. It should help,” Rupert says, “Stay right there.” He then runs off into the kitchen.

As soon as Rupert’s gone, I rush over to her, “Oh my gosh, are you okay?!”

“…I think… so?” Ellie says weakly.

“I’m so sorry! I should’ve known better to let you take that meal!”

“… [What meal?]” Henry signs. Looks like he’s back to signing.

“Um, there was a meal that had a note saying it was for her.”

“…”

“[E L L I E, you are an idiot]” Henry signs.

“…I felt…like it was…a reward…for doing…the party,” Ellie admits, “Because… I thought… it raised… our spirts… to prevent…a murder…”

“…”

“Well… it tasted awful… anyways, heh. I felt like… I was going to…vomit it out… even if there was nothing in there…” Ellie laughs.

“Ah, Jeeze,” Thomas says from my side, scaring me, “This doesn’t look good.”

“Targeting a neutral, huh?” Dmitri says, “Wonder what the purpose would be?”

“Maybe someone thought they would be an easy target?” Right says ignoring how Jacob whimpers at his idea, “Something that a certain warden who wants to leave would think up.”

“Or a certain toppat who cannot face the fact his lover is dead,” Dmitri snaps back.

“Oi! @$@# YOU!”

“WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!” Dmitri snaps.

The two get into a pretty heated argument, and Thomas runs over to them in an attempt to break it up.

Soon, Rupert runs back with a tub of icecream. He gives it to Ellie, and she immediately scoops some with a spoon and puts it in her mouth.

“Thanks,” she mumbles.

“What the heck happened?!” Rupert snaps.

“[E L L I E took a free meal that was for her]” Henry signs.

“Did she know who it’s from?”

“No,” I tell him.

“…” Rupert turns to look at Ellie and says, “You’re an idiot!”

“I…know…” Ellie says, “Huh… it’s working.”

“Of course it is!” Rupert says.

“How did you know it would help?” I ask.

“I…” Rupert says hesitantly before sighing and explaining awkwardly, “I may or may not have asked Terrance to tell me some facts about hemophilia. Apparently, if you’re bleeding you should apply an ice pack to the wound to treat it. I assumed that it would still work even if you don’t have the condition.”

“Huh.” I say.

“You rang~” Terrance says appearing, before seeing Ellie and yelling, “OH GOD DAMN IT! FIRST BURT, AND THEN YOU! Who’s next? Someone breaking their leg by tripping?!”

“Burt?” Right and Thomas asks, stopping their argument.

“I am not done-” Dmitri snaps but goes ignored.

“What did you do to him?!” Right snaps as he runs up to Terrance.

“I did nothing! He’s fine. Don’t believe me? Go to his room. I’ll be heading back in there anyways to grab Dr. Vin to see if she can help this moron.” Terrance says.

“…” Ellie gives him a look.

Right and Thomas look at each other and run off. Soon, followed by Terrance.

“This might be another addition to the motive. We should follow,” Dmitri says and runs after them.

I glance back at Ellie, who still looks miserable.

“We’ll be fine,” Rupert says, “Go check it out.”

“[Yeah. Go tell us what is going on!]” Henry signs.

With that I follow Dmitri. On my way, I pass Dr. Vin grumbling as Terrance leads her to Ellie.

“Look, I don’t like it any more than you do, but someone has got to do it.” I hear Terrance say to her, before both go out view.

Soon, I head into Burt’s room. It’s the exact same as all the other rooms, except Burt’s lying in bed with ice cream on his head, while Sven looks over him. Also in the room are Charles, Dmitri, Thomas, and Right.

“Um, what’s going on?” I ask.

“Burt got the Charles Disease!” Charles says.

“Sven… can you kick that pilot for me?” Burt says weakly.

“With Dmitri in the room?!” Sven says.

“You’re my best friend. And best friends… defend each other’s honor…” Burt says.

Sven looks up at Charles and then looks at Dmitri. He sighs without doing anything.

“…Coward.” Burt sighs.

“But uh seriously, Burt actually caught a fever,” Charles answers.

“Oh, poor guy.” I say.

“Do not pity toppat!” Dmitri snaps, “He played critical role in almost getting us all killed! He was the one who made note and swore the rest to secrecy!”

“…”

“…What’s with the ice cream?” Thomas asks.

“Terrance’s stupid motive.” Sven answers, “Had to work with what we had. Gosh, it’s so annoying! I couldn’t take a shower yesterday. So, I feel all gross today. Also, the sharks look sick and not in a good way. Worse, I can’t make Burt noodle soup because that requires WATER! UGH! It’s so annoying!”

“Annoying enough to murder?” Dmitri warns.

“…” Sven blinks, “Uh… no. It’s j-just annoying. I’d hope none of us would murder for such a petty reason.”

“Besides, the whole- our factions might be destroyed is kind of already our motive,” Charles says, “It’s just a weird add-on that came out of nowhere.”

The toppats flinch at the reminder. However, Dmitri just looks sad.

“…Not a single toppat is going to be murdered. Not again,” Right suddenly states, “Which means, we’re going to take turns watching over Burt. And we’ll have a meeting in this room every two hours to see where we all are.”

“What, why?” Thomas asks, “I don’t want to catch what he has!”

“SVEN.” Burt yells.

“On it,” Sven says and proceeds to hit Thomas on the back of his head. In retaliation, Thomas hits Sven back, causing- his wig to fall off, which includes his top hat. Revealing a very bald head.

Everyone goes quiet, as Sven’s face grows a very vibrant shade of pink.

“…Alright, everyone out!” Right snaps and pushes all non-toppats out of the room. Even pushing me over so fall flat on my face on the way out. The door then slams shut. Though muffled, I hear Right say, “(Thomas, for that you’re going first.)”

“…”

“Rude,” Charles says.

We walk back, but soon Dmitri separates from us, leaving Charles and I to clean up the kitchen. Once we arrive, we notice everyone is gone. Probably for the best. Then we enter the kitchen and realize we can’t clean up without water.

“Um… that’s not good,” Charles says looking at our dirty dishes.

“…Maybe we could… just put them in the sink and clean them when the water turns back on,” I say.

“Wow.”

“What?”

“Are you expecting a murder to happen?!”

“What no! I didn’t mean it like that! I… I…” I try to defend myself before admitting, “I don’t know, anymore. I mean, the captain did a pretty good job of reassuring us no one was going to die. Especially after… the first time it happened. He created a plan and everything to stop future murders… but it didn’t work in the end. And now he’s gone and… Dmitri believes another one is going to happen soon. I want to believe there won’t be another murder. I want to believe we’ll all find a way to get out of here without any more deaths but… It’s getting harder to believe that... I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be saying stuff like this.”

“Hey, it’s okay to be a little negative sometimes,” Charles says, “Sometimes you just gotta go- ‘Man, my life sucks!’”

“But that’s self-destructive…”

“Is it though? Cause if you keep lying to yourself that everything is okay, then you’ll end up driving yourself nuts!”

“…I-I guess.”

“If it helps, I think another murder is definitely going to happen,” Charles admits, “With everyone hating each other, Rupert getting death threats, and Ellie getting attacked this morning. Someone’s luck is going to run out. We just got to prepare for it.”

My body tenses at the thought. However, I soon ask, “Wait, Rupert’s getting death threats?!”

“Uh… I thought Ellie um told you. When she went over to um check on Rupert, she uh found some messages telling him to um… kill himself.”

“what.”

“Actually, saying it out loud, they weren’t death threats. More like someone bullying him.” Charles says, “Bullying him into killing himself.”

I couldn’t contain myself, as I soon grab Charles by the shoulders, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN RUPERT WAS GETTING THAT KIND OF STUFF, AND SHE TOLD YOU INSTEAD OF ME!?”

Charles blinks surprised, before saying, “She told Jacob too.”

I stare at him before letting go, “…UGH! I told her to check up on him, and what does she do? Not that! And she didn’t even tell me anything that happened when she was over there!”

“…”

“…I’m sorry,” I quickly say, “It’s probably my fault for not asking her what happened sooner and just being mad. Plus, Rupert seems to be doing better, so maybe I’m just jealous.”

“…” Charles gives me a look. A look that indicates he doesn’t know what to say. Before he has a chance to think of a response, Henry runs into the kitchen.

“Henry?!”

“E-Ellie!” Henry shouts horsed.

“Lead the way,” Charles says.

Henry runs off and Charles and I follow him. Admittedly, I have no reason to follow him, but I don’t want to be alone.

We soon arrive at the dressing room, I’m about to step in before Henry stops me.

“[Careful, there is a trap here.]” Henry signs.

“Trap?”

He points down. Right at my feet is some rope suspended an inch off the ground right at the entrance. Right after it, a bunch of pins lying all over the floor, some of them have their pointy end facing up. Other pins have blood on their tips.

Carefully, we walk around it to get closer inside the room. I almost trip but Charles catches me. Once we get deeper inside the room, we see Ellie who has multiple tiny circular cuts all over her face and body. She looks angry and… slightly scared.

“Ah, Jeeze! What happened, Els?!” Charles says.

“THAT TRAP IS WHAT HAPPENED! WAS THAT RAZOR NOT ENOUGH?!” Ellie shouts.

“[E L L I E, take a deep breath]” Henry signs.

“EASY FOR YOU TO SAY! YOU HAVEN’T BEEN TARGETED FOR MURDER!”

“Ellie, please. What happened?” Charles says.

“[We cannot help, if you will not tell us what happened.]” Henry signs.

“…” Ellie takes a deep breath and says, “After Terrance gave me this weird… red potion that somehow healed up my mouth and reassuring Jacob I was fine, I decided I was going to do some dress up to calm myself down. However, once I entered, I saw someone leaving through the theater door. Before I had a chance to see who it was, I tripped on some wire and fell on those @$#@ING PINS! AND IT HURT REALLY @#$@ING BAD!”

“Oh, that sucks,” I say, “You alright?”

“…I’m… fine. It just hurts.”

“[Did you see who it was?]” Henry signs.

“*Sigh* No. I only saw their shoe before the door closed, and even then, I don’t even remember the color.” Ellie says.

“Then let’s go after them! Duh-duh-da!” Charles sings before running right out of the dressing room and into the theater. After a minute, he comes back in, saying, “Um… they’re gone.”

“Fan-@$@#ing-tastic,” Ellie snaps.

“You um seem very mad about this,” I say.

“Yeah! Cause someone is clearly out for me! First the food that was labeled for me, next a trap in the room I like going into the most! What did I do?! I just hosted a party to improve morale! I understand why someone would be after Rupert, but me?!”

“You do?” I spit.

“…” Ellie gives me a confused look, before I see her face shift to realization.

Quickly, I panic and say, “I didn’t do this! I’m just upset you didn’t tell me what’s going on with Rupert and have instead started doing your own thing.”

“Oh. Um… oops. Guess I forget to tell you,” Ellie says, “I’ll tell you what happened later. I need to clean this up first. Don’t want to trip and fall on these again.”

“Um, you should patch yourself up first,” I tell her, “I’ll get started cleaning it up.”

“…How do I know you’re not going to set another trap?”

“Hey! I didn’t do this!”

“[Then I will help clean up with D A V E]” Henry signs, “[You know. To make sure there is no foul play.]”

“…Thanks, Hen. That really means a lot to me.” Ellie says.

“Let’s go get you patched up,” Charles says.

As the two leave, Henry and I begin picking up the pins off the ground. Wonder how they got this done in such a short time? Or more importantly, why Ellie of all people? Is it because she is seemly unprotected? I glance at Henry then go back to work. She isn’t unprotected, she has friends and she’s pretty strong in her own right. So then, why? Why her?

Eventually, we clean it all up including the rope and put it into one drawer.

“[There. By the way, do you know what was happening with B U R T?]” Henry signs.

“Oh? He just got sick. Poor guy is bedridden. Though, the toppats have decided to watch over him, so that nobody tries to take advantage of his health.”

“[That is good]” Henry signs.

“Yeah… Hey, um do you know why someone’s after Ellie?” I say to Henry.

He puts his hand on his chin before signing, “[Who knows. But I at least know one thing.]”

“What?”

“[You are not the culprit.]”

“Aw. Thanks. I don’t think you did it either.”

Henry smiles at that.

“Though, I hope whoever is going after her gives up soon-”

“HENRY~” Thomas sings.

“[Oh God.]”

“Took me a while to find you! Here have this!” Thomas says and gives Henry a bouquet of flowers.

“…” Henry takes it.

“I got it from the prize machine. Took a few hours, but they came out beautifully! Sorry if they wilted a little, I was planning on giving to you straight away, but then I had to guard Burt for an hour. What do you think?”

Hesitantly, Henry gives Thomas a thumbs up. The toppat then blushes with a smile.

“Glad you like them!” Thomas says before walking away.

As soon as Thomas is gone, Henry signs, “[Do you think Charles will like them?]”

“Um. Those were a gift from Tommy, you shouldn’t be giving them away. Especially, since he has a crush on you… *Pause* Wait, you know he has a crush on you, right?”

“[I know.]”

“Oh! Good…” I sigh in relief, glad I didn’t accidentally out Thomas.

“…”

“Do you actually like him or-”

“[He is not my type.]” Henry signs.

“Oh, then why don’t you tell him? It’s not fair to him if you lead him on.”

Henry gives me a look, “[Really, D A V E? You of all people telling me to reject him? It is not that simple. Honestly, rejecting him seems more trouble than it is worth]”

“But he’s giving you trouble right now?”

“…” Henry sighs, “[Guess he will live on.]”

I tilt my head.

“[Fine. You win. I will tell him that I am not interested. However, you and Charles needs to be with me.]”

“Um… okay?”

I have no idea how I got wrapped up in this.

Currently, Henry and I are waiting in the theater, as Charles brings in Thomas.

“Hi, Henry!” Thomas cheers, “What did you need me for! Um… why’s David here?”

“…”

“Um, are you guys going to say something or-” Thomas says.

“Well, um. Henry has something he needs to tell you.” I tell him.

“Oh?” Thomas says with a happy and hopeful tone. I’m starting to realize why it isn’t so simple for Henry to reject him.

“[Charles, can you come over.]” Henry signs. Thomas and I give him a confused look while Charles obliges.

Once the pilot is right next to him, Henry sweeps him off his feet, like they’re dancing, and lowers his head while his right foot hangs over Henry’s head in the sky. Charles grips onto Henry in slight confusion, but not too hard. Henry then kisses him. Standing on the sideline, any happiness and hope Thomas had up to this moment, has drained from his face.

After letting Charles go, Henry then turns to Thomas and signs, “[I choose Charles. Not you. You are not my type.]”

“O-oh.” Thomas says in a heartbroken tone, “I… um… *Gulp* I wish you the b-best. I hope you find happiness with Charles. It’s what you deserve, after all. You’re so amazing and deserve the b-best. *Pause*” tears start dipping down his face, “I… I need to go-” he then runs off.

“…” I feel upset. There was definitely a better way to reject him.

“Did you really have to kiss me to get him to stop simping?” Charles asks.

“[You are too cute not to.]” Henry teases.

“Ha…” Charles laughs awkwardly.

“Um, Charles is right though,” I say, “That felt like a little too much. A simple ‘I don’t see you that way’, would’ve been better…”

“[Well. I wanted to kill two birds with one stone]” Henry signs, “[Charles is the one who I love.]”

“Oh, um… so Charles does that mean you and Henry are a thing?” I ask him, “I didn’t think I heard you um… say you liked him back.”

Henry turns to him with an excited look on his face.

“…” Charles gives me a look and then Henry one as well. Suddenly, he sighs, “I… I don’t know yet. You,” Charles looks at me, then back at Henry and continues, “You are a thief, and I’m not sure if I want that in a relationship.”

Henry seems to deflate, “[Really? After everything?]”

“That’s why I’m unsure, Hen. I want to be with you, but… *Pause* I’ll still be your friend, and maybe once this is all over, all over, something more. Just… can you give me some time to think?”

“…” Henry looks somber before nodding.

“Thanks,” Charles says and then leaves.

Henry looks upset, and I don’t know what to say. I walk over to him and give him a pat on his shoulder.

“Hey, I’m sure there’s more fish in the sea. Maybe you’ll find some other thief that likes you as much as you like them!” I try to comfort him.

“[…Charles is the one for me. He is just hesitant. He will come around.]” Henry signs. A small chill goes down my spine.

“Come on, he said he wasn’t interested.”

“[He said he will think about it]” Henry signs, “[There is still hope. I just have to be patient, and he will realize who he wants.]”

“Um… I… I got to go.” I say before running off. That conversation was starting to make me uncomfortable. Maybe it’s a good thing Henry is not interested in Thomas. Actually, I should find him. He probably needs a friend right now-

Because I wasn’t looking where I was going, I soon bump into Jacob. I fall onto the ground with a thump.

“HEY!” Jacob shouts, “O-oh, it’s just you.”

Slowly, I get up. I soon notice him holding a dark green bag, “What’s that?”

“Oh, um…” Jacob says, “Something Ellie told me about when she went to check up on Rupert. Wanted to look into it myself.”

Of course. I think to myself in annoyance. Guess that’s another thing she told her friends about and not me. No, I’m being too hard on her. Whatever that bag holds, might not have any relevance to what I asked her to do. After snapping out of my jealous spiral, I notice Jacob looking, disturbed.

“You okay?” I ask.

“Um…” Jacob says before suddenly, “It’s getting late. We should probably head back. Don’t want to be caught in the dark.”

“Oh, yeah. You didn’t answer my question, though-”

However, instead of answering Jacob leaves. I sigh and begin walking to my dorm. Soon, I reach my destination, and I spot a few others already in the hallway. Not surprising, as nobody likes being out and about when the lights go out. Especially, after… what happened to Geoffroy. ~~I still feel guilty about it.~~

I’m about to enter my room, before I suddenly hear rapid footsteps. Quickly, I turn around to see Rupert frantically pushing Ellie out of the way and- and-

Suddenly, Sven crashed into me with a thud. Barely, I was able to regain my footing without falling down. I turn around to see what happened, and I see the captain with his arms stretched out, and a relieved yet scared smile. I see it only for a second, before a sandbag cracks his skull open with a sickly thud.

“ELLIE!” Jacob shouts, snapping me back to reality.

I look over and both Ellie and Rupert are fine. However, there’s a bucket spilling the rest of its contents, bleach, on the ground.

Sprinting over there, I grab Rupert by the shoulders after he gets up, “Are you okay!? What happened?!”

“Uh…I’m fine. It only hit my clothes,” Rupert says, “Thought the door looked weird, and had a gut feeling. Good thing for it too…”

“…” Ellie is sitting on the ground staring with horror at the bucket. Henry, Charles, and Jacob help her up.

“Ellie, you okay?” Charles asks.

“…I want to be alone,” she responds.

“Ellie?”

“I WANT TO BE ALONE!” Ellie snaps, before pushing everyone out of her room, and slamming the door shut.

“Dang, not even a ‘thank you’,” Charles says.

Before we even have a chance to ponder what just happened, we all hear, Ding, Dong, “You are all annoying cowards, you know that?”

The lights turn off, and we soon head to bed.

Notes:

I'll write a Thomas x Henry fic as an apology to all Chestick fans.
Also, with the love triangle joke over, it's not looking good for the characters inside of it. (To be honest, I actually wanted to end it during the 4th trial, but that trial has been rewritten numerous times to the point it was no longer possible. If I ever write that side-story fic or get the courage to post something on Tumblr, I'll probably just go through all the scrapped plans I had for that trial once it's finished).
1 chapter left till body discovery...

Chapter 25: CtD Daily Life #5

Notes:

TW: Dave has a small panic attack towards the end.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Dave Panpa

Ding, Dong. “Give it up for day 5 of the motive being passed! I want to @$@#ing strangle you all.”

It takes me a longer time to recover from my nightmare today than most other days, but it doesn’t stop me from getting up and reciting my morning rituals. Exiting my room, I see Rupert waiting outside for me. I smile at the pleasant surprise, but it quickly disappears seeing his worried look.

“Oi! Dave, you feeling alright?” Rupert asks.

“Um, yeah I am,” I tell him.

“That’s good…” Rupert says awkwardly and distantly.

“A-are you okay?” I ask.

“I’m fine,” Rupert sighs.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m fine. It was just a bad dream. Only thing that matters is that you’re okay.”

“Should it not be your life?” Dmitri interrupts with a hiss.

Rupert jumps looking at him, before swiftly looking at me and saying, “Bye.” He then sprints off.

“Tch. I gave him clear instructions, and yet after a few days forgets it,” Dmitri huffs, “Typical for criminal.”

We then walk over to the lunchroom. Before I enter the kitchen, I spot Ellie and Jacob looking… paranoid. Ellie keeps looking over her shoulder and inspecting every little thing, while Jacob seems to huddle closer to her like a baby duckling. Guess those attempts at Ellie are affecting Jacob as well. Hope whoever is doing this to them gives up on it soon.

Also I spot Thomas sulking at his table, poor guy. It was for the best, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel bad.

Once I split off from Dmitri and enter the kitchen I hear- “WHAT IS THAT!” Sven shouts as he points to yesterday’s dishes. Flies now circle the dishes, and it smells awful.

“Yeah, since the water is turned off, we couldn’t wash ‘em,” Charles says.

“Ew. This motive sucks,” Sven says.

“Not Terrance’s best,” Charles says.

“Well, I prefer it over the other ones. Unlike the others, it’s just annoying. Nobody is in danger,” I say.

“My nose and skin are in danger, e-ugh,” Sven gags with his tongue sticking out, “How’s Ellie by the way?”

“Not doing good,” Charles says as we all start making breakfast, “Someone keeps trying to kill her, and she’s spooked.”

“Hm.” Sven says.

“Oh, how’s Burt doing?” I ask.

“Why do you want to know?” Sven snaps.

“Ah! I’m sorry! I was just curious!”

“…” Sven stares at me and goes back to working on breakfast. When I think he’s not going to answer, he suddenly says, “He’s doing fine. Hopefully, if his health keeps up, he’ll be up and walking tomorrow. Though, don’t ever use ice cream as a substitute for an icepack. He’s now all sticky and gross. Really wish we could use showers, but someone thought it would be a good idea to shut them all off! Honestly, as soon as I’m able, I’m taking one. I can hardly tolerate feeling this greasy and gross!”

“Man, Terrance sucks,” Charles says.

“Agreed,” Sven spits.

After that, we finish up breakfast and give it to our respective factions. Nothing really interesting happens during breakfast, except the usual glares. Afterwards, I decide to do what I was going to do yesterday, check up on Thomas. However, since he’s near Right it’s going to be hard to talk to him. Maybe it’s not worth it, but he’s, my friend! I should at least try to be there for him. Rupert and Johnny would’ve done the same for me, and I should do the same for him. But Right…

Fortunately, I have to clean as much as I can with Charles before I can do anything, so I decide to ask him for advice when doing the chore. Though, I only do it when Sven’s out of the kitchen. Strange, he didn’t even try to clean, just placed the dishes in the sink and ran off like he’s in a hurry. Eh, he’s probably worried about Burt and wants to check on him.

“Hey, Charles?” I ask.

“Hm?” Charles responds.

“If you wanted to talk to someone who’s on the opposite side, uh… how would you do it? Um… a-asking for a friend.”

“I dunno. I guess wait until they’re alone? Who’s the guy?”

“Um… well…”

“Come on, you can tell me. Is it Rupert?”

“We’ve already talked! It’s someone else...”

“…Dave, I didn’t know you were that kind of person!”

My face grows hot, “I-I’m n-not c-cheating!” I stutter taken completely off guard, “He’s just a friend. I mean, your friends with Rupert and Ellie, right? If one of them was upset, you would want to talk to them to make them feel better. It’s nothing romantic,”

“Oh. Sorry,” Charles says, “But uh, you still haven’t answered my question.”

“…It’s Thomas,” I admit, “I want to see if he’s alright after Henry rejected him.”

“Huh. I guess go for it!”

“But what if Right sees me?”

“Then sneak into one of their meetings and ask Thomas to meet you outside!”

“What! No! That’s too risky!”

“Ooo. Maybe catch him when he’s alone. He’s uh… probably guarding Burt right now. Actually, that’s a great plan! Let’s go over there!”

Suddenly, Charles grabs my arm and drags me over to Burt’s room. Before I can even tell him I’m not ready, he throws me into the room and runs off. Thomas, who looks upset, and Burt are now looking at me.

“…Um, hi?”

“Get out.” Burt says.

“Getting out-” I say, as I attempt to walk out, before I quickly say, “Hey, Thomas. Can I talk to you later?”

“Why not right now?” Thomas says, “You’re better company than this jerk.”

“No, don’t listen to him.” Burt sighs.

“A-Are you sure?”

“Positive,” Thomas says. I soon walk back in, hesitantly.

“Sven, where are you?!” Burt complains weakly.

“Ignore him, he’s grumpy that Sven made his food,” Thomas says, “So, what do you need to talk about?”

We soon sit down right in front of Burt’s bed. In annoyance, Burt grabs his pillow and lays his head underneath it, to block out our conversation.

“How are you feeling?” I ask.

“…Could be better if I’m being honest,” Thomas sighs.

“I’m sorry for what happened with Henry.”

“Don’t be. I mean, I kind of knew it was coming. Nothing I was doing was working, and he seemed to be getting annoyed. Still stings though.” Thomas huffs back some tears.

“…You sure you’re okay?”

“I’ve cried enough yesterday. I’ll… get over it.”

“…” Despite saying he’ll be fine, Thomas still looks off in the distance, so I say, “Hey, it’s going to be okay. I’m sure you’ll find someone else who appreciates you for you.”

“Thanks, but… can we stop talking about this whole thing? Please,” Thomas says, “I want to stop thinking about it for at least a minute.”

“Sorry, uh what else… have you sown anything recently?”

“I’ve fixed up Right’s hat after he broke it. Not much else unfortunately. All the sowing supplies are in the dressing room, and Ellie’s usually there.”

“You have a problem with her?”

“…A little,” Thomas admits, “Okay. A lot. Her presences… bothers me, and I have no idea why. It’s been something that’s growing through the past couple of days. I’m able to hide it well, I think. *Pause* I’m not the one behind the traps, I’m not that petty.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t think you are,” I tell him, “And well, if it helps, she’s been kind of getting on my nerves lately as well.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I told her to check up on Rupert and then tell me how he’s feeling, but instead she’s befriended him and won’t tell me anything! I know it’s stupid and I’m just jealous, but I wish she’d tell me what happened! Worse, it seems she told her friends before me about it, as Charles had to be the one to tell me about Rupert getting death threats.”

“Finally! A good reason to hate her guts!”

“Wait! No! She hasn’t done anything bad, just been annoying.”

“Tch. Alright, you have a point. But still, it’s still a bit scummy she didn’t tell you about what happened, when her goal was literally to tell you what’s happening. You should confront her about it.”

“You sure?”

“Come on, I’d do it if I was in your situation! It’ll make you feel better at the very least.”

“…Okay, I’ll try.”

“Good! Though… that reminds me of something I need to talk to you about.”

“What is it?”

“Are you sure you want Rupert to be your boyfriend? Even… after everything?”

I blink, “Yes! I love him!”

“David, he tried to kill you.”

“He wasn’t acting like himself,” I tell him, “Besides, he apologized.”

“David, I- Ugh, despite knowing you for uh…”
“18 days,”

“Despite knowing you for 18 days, I love you like a brother. And… I want you to be happy and safe. So, let me ask you again, are you sure?” he looks serious.

I nod, “Positive.”

“…” Thomas sighs and says, “Well if you’re so set on it, I’d be hypocrite to stop love. But, if things do blow up, just know I’m here.”

“Thanks.”

“Um, hi? I’m here to guard Burt, now.” Sven suddenly and awkwardly says as he enters the room.

“Svennnnnnnnnn, they won’t stop talking about their crushessssss, and I can’t even suffocate myself to escape this Hell.” Burt complains from his bed. Forgot he was even here.

“I guess I should go now,” I say.

“Probably, but hey! I don’t have to watch over Burt anymore! Thanks Sven,”

“Don’t mention it,” Sven says, “Oh and uh… Dave,”

“Yeah?”

“I just saw Rupert holding a crowbar and a desk near the gym. You should uh… probably make sure he’s not about to do something dumb. I would stop him, but… I have to look after this grump.”

“What? What’s going on-” Burt says weakly, as he sits up to see his friend.

“Uh, nothing much! Don’t worry about it!” Sven says, “…I think your fever is acting up.”

Burt says nothing, but glares at Sven like he’s seeing through him. Sven’s face in turns into an uneasy expression.

“Ah! Thanks, Sven!” I say and run off.

I run over to the gym as fast as I can, going through the theater, but instead of seeing him, I see Ellie, who gives me a startled look. Soon, I apologize for starling her, and I exit out of there. Fortunatately, I see Rupert off in the distance and he’s- Oh my God, what are you doing, Price?!

Sprinting over there, I’m just in time to see the machine gun turning towards Rupert. My heart skips a beat and my body freezes in place. Quickly, Rupert raises the desk to act like a shield, and then- the gun doesn’t go off. He blinks and decides to continue his plan.

“WHAT THE @$#@ ARE YOU DOING?!” Ellie shouts. I turn around and it appears that Thomas and Ellie have followed me.

“GETTING US ALL OUT OF HERE! THAT’S WHAT!” Rupert shouts back and attacks the door with the crowbar in his hand.

“He’s going get himself killed!” Thomas says, before sprinting passed me.

It seems as if the gun ran out of bullets as it doesn’t fire again as Rupert continuously attacks the door with the crowbar at an angle. Suddenly, the door moves- forward towards the ground like a falling bookshelf. Fortunately, Thomas is able to grab in time Rupert and pull him out of the way, so he doesn’t get crushed. The door falls to the ground with a loud thud, and- there’s nothing but the wall behind it.

“…”

Ellie stares at the scene in disbelief, before turning around and leaving with her hands in the air. Shouting something about ‘how unbelievable’ and something about poor use of Chekov’s Gun.

“Well, that was anti-climactic,” Thomas sighs.

“@$@#, I really thought that was going to work…” Rupert sighs.

Once I regain feeling in my legs, I run over to Rupert and shake him hard, “WHY DID YOU DO THAT! I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO DIE!”

Rupert tries to explain himself, but I was too busy shaking the life out of him for him to get a word in.

“Alright, that’s enough. Let the moron explain,” Thomas says as he separates us.

It takes a moment for Rupert to readjust himself, before saying, “I was trying to help us all escape, as a way to clean up my act after the last trial. Thought that door was the way out of here and if I opened it… Well, it was useless anyhow just pile of junk” Rupert proceeds to kick the door and then howls in pain because of it.

“Oh, I was hoping nobody would find out about this…” Terrance suddenly says as he appears.

“What is this!” Thomas asks.

“So- in the original game, there was this really imposing watertight door like this one, that serves as the way out of the facility,” Terrance explains, “And I wanted the same here. But, due to some… creative differences… I was forced to scrap the idea; however, I’ve already bought the door. So, I just used it for decoration and theming! I guess I did a really good job of fooling you that it was plot important.”

After finishing his explanation, Terrance dodges a shoe being thrown at him.

“WHAT THE @$#@ MAN!” Rupert shouts.

“Aw~ Did I crush your hopes that you would have an easy escape?” Terrance says.

“More like crush our hopes that you know what a good story progression is,” Thomas says.

“I’ve read more books than you!” Terrance snaps, and then leaves.

“…”

“Please, never do something like that again,” I beg Rupert.

“…” he looks away and sighs, “Okay. Sorry for scaring you.”

I sigh in disappointment and relief, but then I notice something on the wall that the door was previously blocking. I pick it up and it’s a note that reads, “4112010.” Then it changes to different but familiar handwriting, “Why didn’t you choose 11037?” then it goes back to the original again, “@#@@.”

Confused but intrigued, I pocket the note. Might be useful later.

Unfortunately, I can’t be seen with those two, so we soon split up. Now, I’m alone. Suddenly, I become painfully aware of the air around me. It rubs against my skin roughly. I need to find someone. Wait, I saw Ellie leave towards the gym, maybe I can finally confront her about her not doing what I asked.

I walk, a bit too quickly, over to the gym and mumble to myself a “You got this, Dave.” Soon, I enter the gym and call out to Ellie.
“What? What do you want?” she snaps.

“Um, I need to talk to you about something.”

“Alright, go ahead. Just make it quick. I’m busy.”

“Busy?”

“Going to exercise. Need to keep up my muscles to protect me from that attacker.”

“Yeah…”

“…”

“Isn’t there something you need to tell me?” I ask.

“Like what?”

I could feel my eye twitch, “Um. I asked you to tell me how Rupert’s doing?”

“He’s going insane… you know this? You were just there.”

“No! I don’t mean that, I meant… that thing you did a few days ago.”

Ellie’s eyes widen in realization, “Oh, that. We played dress up. Heh. He was such a mess that he didn’t even fight back.”

I don’t find that very funny, but I don’t call her out on it. Instead, I say, “Is there anything else? Anything? Like something involving his safety?”

“He’s only a danger to himself,” Ellie sighs, “Or anyone he tries to kill. I’m surprise you even care so much.”

“Well, he’s, my boyfriend! I care a lot about him. And I know he didn’t mean it. But I forgive-”

Suddenly, Ellie snaps, “Seriously? You’ve forgiven him? Forgiving him for all he did wrong because you care so deeply about him? That no matter what logic tells you, you can’t hate him, because he is such an important peace in your life. So, even if he commits murder, you can’t find yourself to be mad at him? Instead, you don’t know what to do, because he was such an integral part of your life, that you have no idea… how to act afterwards? You’re so confused… and upset. That maybe you attempt to make them happy, or at least what you think would’ve made them happy… Especially since you have nothing else left?”

Ellie looks like she’s about to cry. I blink, where did the come from, and… I don’t think she’s talking about Rupert. Soon, she snaps out of whatever that was.

“Get out,” Ellie says, “And don’t ever talk to me again, hound.”

“…” Confused and honestly quite scared, I leave. That was a bust. Guess, whoever is attacking her, is causing her a lot of anguish. Once again, I hope this gets solved soon.

I wander the halls, looking for someone to hang out with. The walls are closing in. I see Jacob walking past me and I call out to him, “Hey! Do you want to hang out?”

He flinches, “Um… sure. Though, Ellie wants to see me, along with Charles. Do you want to join us?”

Remembering what Ellie said a few minutes earlier, I say, “Um. I would, but she doesn’t want to see me. Have fun!”

He walks off, and I sigh in disappointment. Alright, keep looking.

Wandering the halls, I keep looking for anyone I can talk to, but I find no one. My panic grows higher. The walls feel like they’re closing in on me. And can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe! I can’t BREATHE- I force myself into the prize room. No one is there. My clothes itch into my skin, as a feeling of dread dives into my bones.
“Nothing’s happening, Dave…” I tell myself, “You’re fine. It’s just a small room. You’re not going to die in here.” Where did that come from?

Regardless of where it came from, I can’t help but repeat it, “I’m not going to die in here” over and over, like it’s old promise I need to remember. Hopefully, something in there will calm me down, as my heart is pounding so much that I’m scared I might die from a heart attack.

I look around and see my old hedgehog plushy. Must have forgotten it in here. I grab it, and I huddle against the machine. Closing my eyes, I hug the plushy deeply while taking deep breaths. I don’t know how long I’m there before suddenly hearing-

“D-dave?”

I look up and see Jacob entering the room. He looks frazzled.

“You okay?” he asks.

“I could say the same to you,” I say as I breath a sigh of relief. I’m not alone anymore.

“Heh. Well, I got spooked. When I went to hang out with Ellie, she… got hit with another trap. Almost hit me as well, heh. She’s okay, but… spooked as well. It’s getting dangerous for us to leave our dorms. You?”

“Just… don’t like being alone. Hey, um, do you want to hang out?”

“S-Sure. I need the distraction… Huh. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen you alone.”

“Well, I’m just very extroverted!”

“…You sure? The few times I spot you completely alone, you always seem… panicked. Like something bad is going to happen to you.”

“Heh. Ihavenoideawhatyoumean.” I say way too quickly.

“Dave,” Jacob sternly says, “I’m your friend. You can tell me.”

“…”

“I just don’t like being alone. Every time I am, I… I want to find someone as soon as possible,” I slowly say, “I have no idea where these feelings are coming from. I just woke up one day and had them,”

“You mentioned something about that…”

“Yeah, have no idea where it came from. Ru- My friends have been attempting to come up with a reason why it developed. Leading theory is when I got fired, it was actually really traumatic to me. However, I don’t think it’s it.”

“Do you think you simply forgot?”

“I don’t think I could just forget a traumatic event.”

“Actually, you can. Sometimes, when you experience something traumatic, your brain decides it’s not worth having and you forget it. However, you still have PTSD, and so if your subconscious is ever reminded of the event, it will freak out. Which might be what’s happening to you.”

“Huh. Never thought about that possibly. I wonder what the event was?”

“Eh, it’s probably best you don’t remember. I mean, there’s plenty of things from this killing game I would love to forget.”

“I dunno. I don’t want to forget something important.”

“…Maybe it’s better that way,” Jacob mumbles.

We hang out in the prize area for a while, chatting about anything. It seems he’s doing better now. I put a coin into the machine and get a platypus plushy that I soon give to him. Soon, we both decide it’s late and go to bed.

I’m able to reach my dorm’s door, when I hear, Ding Dong. “Alright, guys! Don’t disappoint me this time!”

I decide I’m too tired to attempt to figure out what he means.

“Dave.”

“Dave!”

“DAVE!”

“EH!” I scream and attempt to hit whoever startled me awake, but he dodges. I blink and realize I’m outside my dorm room. At this point, I should tie myself to my bed…

“Hey, uh thanks for waking me up, Jacob” I say to the shadowy figure in front of me.

“Henry,” he says hoarsely.

“Ah. Oh. Sorry! Jacob’s usually the one, who… you know?”

“I know. He’s just too spooked to do it. You know the whole… Ellie being attack thing,” Henry says. His voice is sounding fainter and fainter. He’s really trying his best to talk to me, since I wouldn’t be able to see him signing.

“Poor guy. Hope they catch however are doing it. I’m going to go back to bed. Uh, thank you for waking me up, though.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“…Aren’t you coming?” I ask.

“I was up here to get a midnight snack. In the mood for an orange.”

“Oh, cool. I don’t want anything.”

“I wasn’t going to give you anything.”

“O-Oh. Um, well, good night!” I say and I soon walk away. Before I get far, I feel him grab my shirt. It startles me, but I manage to not hit him this time.

“Before I forget. I recently got this gaming console along with a game to go with it from the prize machine. However, I’ve been having a real hard time fighting this boss… I’ve tried to get Charles and Ellie to help, but Charles can’t seem to beat it, and Ellie doesn’t want to help. Could you try to beat him, for me?” Henry says.

“…Um sure? I’m not too good at video games.”

“Thanks. I owe you one.”

Then, he lets go of my shirt and after saying good night again, I’m able to go back to my room.

For some reason, I feel like I dodge a bullet.

Notes:

0 chapters remain before Body Discovery.

Chapter 26: CtD Daily Life #6

Notes:

Now, it's the chapter ya'll been waiting for!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Dave Panpa

Ding, Dong. “Don’t you ever hate it, when you’re playing a video game, and have to reset because you got soft locked. There’s nothing more despair inducing then that, I can tell you that much!”

Once again, after calming down from another nightmare, I get out of bed and recite my morning rituals.

Then I walk over to the kitchen. While making breakfast with Charles, I notice Burt coming in along with a very worried, but trying to mask it, Sven. Nice to see Burt’s okay, but I wonder what’s bothering Sven. However, I don’t think he would appreciate me asking, so I ignore it for now. Plus, he has Burt by his side, he’ll take care of him.

Sven gives a look at disgust at the lack of clean trays and even says, “Gross.” Before helping Burt make breakfast for the toppats. Things go normal until- I hear Burt shouting, “SVEN!”

Charles and I stop what we are doing and turn around to see Sven holding a pan that has caught on fire. Not the small kind, no. THE BIG KIND. He’s watching it with terror.

Quickly, Charles takes off his jacket and starts trying to smother the fire. Fortunately, it works.

“How did you get even worse at cooking, while I was gone?!” Burt says.

“…I’m catching what you had?” Sven says as a suggestion.

Burt gives him a look and sighs.

“Thanks for your help, I guess. I didn’t want to get wet,” Burt says to Charles.

“Don’t mention it!”

With that, Sven and Burt make a new batch, where Burt more carefully watches over Sven cooking. Soon, we all finish and go to our tables. We eat and nothing really of interest happens, except for the same old glares, the toppats yelling at Sven for almost burning down the kitchen, and Rupert, the entire neutral table, and Dr. Vin missing. I eat my food, but I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong. However, it’s probably fine, as it’s not the first-time people missed breakfast.

Eventually, Charles and I head back into the kitchen, followed by Sven and Burt, to clean up. We begin trying the best we can, but without water it’s still a major challenge. Worse, the sink is really gross, and the flies have become more abundant. At least I know there has to be an exit somewhere if flies can come in. Even if it’s a small one.

Suddenly, Burt turns on the sink, and water comes out. Everyone else freezes, as he begins cleaning up the dishes.

“Um…”

“What?” Burt says, not at all concerned about what is happening.

“…Oh… oh no,” Sven says as horror grows on his face.

“No…” I whine, “No… not again…”

“I don’t see why you’re all freaking out?” Burt says, “It’s just water?”

“…”

“Um, Burt.”

“Yeah?”

“…Terrance shut off the water as our motive.”

Burt blinks, before saying, “Oh, right. He did. It was such a stupid motive I forgot all about it. *Pause* Oh, so that’s why you guys are horrified. Someone’s dead.”

“I… I have to go. I need to go find them,” Sven says and runs off.

“I have to make sure Rupert is alright,” I say as well and run out.

I run straight to the dorm rooms, Dmitri’s orders be damned, I need to make sure he’s okay. I get to his dorm room, and- I can’t bring myself to knock. What if he’s dead in there? I… I don’t think I could handle it. I was barely able to handle Johnny’s death! Maybe, if I don’t go inside, then I can pretend Rupert is back at Red Mesa, living out his life to the fullest. But what if he isn’t in there, and he’s dead somewhere else?

Uselessly, I stare at the door as I feel tears drip down my face, too scared to open the door. Then all of a sudden- Rupert exits out. Rapidly, I hug him in relief.

“Oi! Dave? What’s gotten into you?!”

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” I tell him before remembering he doesn’t like being hugged. I back off and ask, “Why weren’t you at breakfast?”

He looks at me in surprise, before sighing, “I… I didn’t want to wake up this morning. Felt like something bad happened, and I… didn’t want to know. I was finally able to convince myself to get up and get ready fortunately.”

I sigh in relief.

“…D-did something happened?”

“The water has been turned on,”

“…W-well, it was @$@$ty motive anyways. Maybe Terrance grew a brain cell and dropped it?”

“OH @#$@ YOU! IT WAS A GREAT ADDITION!” Terrance shouts as he suddenly appears, causing me to jump. Instinctively, I run behind Rupert.

“Oi! Warn a person next time!” Rupert shouts.

“No~”

“Um. Is it true? Someone’s dead?” I ask as I walk out of Rupert’s shadow.

“Well, I’m sure you’ve already figured that out, haven’t you?” Terrance says.

“Then where are they? Who’s dead?” Rupert hisses.

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out! Tootles~” he then disappears.

“…@#$@” Rupert sighs, “I guess we got to go find them.”

“Maybe we can just ignore it?” I suggest, “If we find the body then a trial will start and… *Pause* Can’t we just pretend it never happened?”

Rupert glares at me, “We can’t do that! That body will be found eventually, and if we wait, then the evidence will start getting cold because people will forget their alibis and the killer has more opportunities to destroy evidence. Plus, isn’t ignoring someone’s death not a nice thing to do? Their corpse is just going to rot, while nobody tries to avenge them!”

“…You’re right,” I sigh, “As much as I don’t want to do another trial, I would hate for my body to be abandoned,”

“D-don’t ever say that again,” Rupert winces.

“What again?”

“About you’re… body. You’re not going to die here!” Rupert says, “Don’t ever imply you might. *Pause* Please.”

“…”

“Are you okay, Rups?”

“I’m fine! It was just a bad dream!”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“...It’s stupid,”

“Didn’t talking about what happened last trial help you at all?”

“…” Rupert looks a way, before finally admitting, “a little…”

“So, maybe it can help you this time!” I say, “If you want too of course…”

“…” Rupert looks at me before sighing, “I had a dream you were murdered, and then at the trial I got executed for your murder.”

“D-did you do it?”

“I probably did. Wouldn’t be the first time I went into a trial not knowing I did,” Rupert half-jokes.

Awkward silence falls on us.

“See, it was stupid. You’re not dead, so I don’t understand why you think it’s a big deal!”

“Well, it’s clearly bothering you…”

“I had that dream a day ago, it shouldn’t be!”

“We should um… probably find the body,” Rupert says.

“Y-Yeah.”

“You want to search near the dorms, while I search around the dressing room, or vice-versa?”

“Why can’t we do it together?”

“I don’t want you to get in trouble with Dmitri,”

“Oh, right. Uh, I’ll do around the dorms, while you investigate the around the kitchen. I don’t think you’ve eaten yet, right? Maybe you should do it right now while you still have time.”

“I haven’t, but I don’t think this isn’t the time to be eating.”

“But you shouldn’t go to the trial with an empty stomach? Please…”

“I’ll eat afterwards. See you at the investigation,” Rupert says bit too casually and walks off. I sigh in defeat.

As soon as he’s gone, I start searching the dorm rooms for them. Hopefully, I can find someone alive to help me search or… I try not to think about what I’m doing too hard. Though, I don’t think I’m as panicked as I should be. Like I’m starting to get used to the people I’m with dying. I shake that thought away. Right now, I need to do my job.

Fortunately, I don’t find anyone dead in the rooms, but I don’t find anyone alive either. Guess Rupert was the only one who slept in. Though I do find something interesting. I find a bunch of pins on the floor of Charles’s room, not even bothering to sweep them away to prevent being stepped on. While in Dr. Vin’s room, I find a single pin near her cabinet in the room and also a book about how to throw ninja stars. However, I’m not sure if this is relevant or who sleeps in those rooms, as all of us ignore the assigned ones. Though… better safe than sorry.

Truth Bullet: Pin Locations

Hey! I’m a head of schedule! Glad I found those when I did!

That… that shouldn’t be a good thing…

Regardless, I soon move on to my searching. I find Thomas in the prize room putting his coins in, blissfully unaware of what’s going on. I decide to leave him be. I look in the dressing room, but fortunately it’s empty. I soon move on to the theater, and I catch Sven, Burt, and Jacob also searching the area. Once again, I leave them be. Next, I head to the classrooms and C4 and C1 is empty, C3 has Right sitting right next to two graves with a mournful expression, so I swiftly leave the area, and C2… it takes me a while to gather my courage, but fortunately, nobody is in there.

I check the guy’s bathroom, and immediately regret stepping foot in there. Fortunately, nobody has died in that really gross place. I debate checking the girl’s bathroom but decide against it. I’ll check that area last and get Dr. Vin to do it.

I’m about to continue, before Dmitri stops me.

“Dave? What are you doing?”

“Um…” I stare at him before saying, “I think… I think there’s been a murder. The water’s back on.”

“…I will warn the doctor,” Dmitri says, “Thank you for telling me.”

“You’re welcome. Oh, and-”

“Hm?”

“Can you tell her to check the woman’s bathroom, please?”

“…Sure.” he then leaves.

What if he doesn’t get her, and he’s the murderer? A voice says at back of my mind. I shake it off. No, the killer has no reason to not have the body discovered. They won’t be able to leave if that’s the case.

I’m about to continue, before Rupert sees me.

“Did you find them?” he asks.

“No. Did you?”

“Nah.”

“…Do you think we missed something?” I ask.

“Probably, did you check the dorm rooms?”

I nod, “First thing I did.”

Rupert hums, “What about the dressing room?”

“Did that.”

“…Did you really check it?”

I give him a confused look.

“There’s a bunch of clothes in there, that it’s perfect to hide a body inside! Plus, Ellie loves that room, and she was a target.” Rupert says, “Come on, let’s go over there.”

He runs off, and I soon follow him. Soon we go inside. Immediately, Rupert starts searching all over like a police dog who smelled some contraband.

“Alright, where are they?” Rupert says looking through the clothes. Almost convinced that the body is in here. Actually, I think he’s convinced there is.

“Maybe we got it wrong? Maybe Terrance really did turn the water on, all on his own. Maybe there’s no one dead!” I say with hope. Suddenly, I feel a drop of water hit me on my hat. I groan in annoyance. Guess Terrance didn’t manage to fix the pipe system after all.

“Dave, I love you, but there’s…” Rupert says before he stops himself. I give him a confused look, before he looks up. All of a sudden, his face widens.

“Holy @#$#!” He shouts.

Scared but also curious, I look up as well and… and… well…

It wasn’t water that fell on me.

But instead, it was the blood from Ellie Rose hanging up there.

Notes:

ELLIE ROSE DYING IN THE ELLIE ROSE CHAPTER?!?!?!??!!?!?!1??!!?!?!!?!! UNBELIEVABLE! HORRIBLE! UNSUBSCRIBE! DISLIKE! L + RATIO + THIS FIC FELL OFF!!!!!!
Anyways, if I had a nickel for any time in a fanronpa where Ellie Rose died in the third chapter, I would have three nickels, which isn't a lot but it's weird it happened thrice. (I'm counting my own fic). I didn't do this on purpose, because originally, this victim and killer were originally chapter 4's victim and killer. (It's why I didn't want to add a second body) So, the will of good writing forced me to have her die in this chapter.
Also, I wanted the BDA be creepy where it looks like she's looking down with the camera pointing upwards, but... I couldn't get it to look right. So, that's why it looks a bit weird.
Wait! I hear you asking! There's only one body! Shouldn't there be two? Well- wait till tomorrow, my dear reader :D

Chapter 27: CtD Deadly Life- Investigations

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Both of us stare at the corpse above us. It’s hard to believe that she was killed. Ellie was so strong. So confident. So… charismatic. She was one of the last people who I’d assume wouldn’t make it.

Maybe I should’ve done something when Ellie kept getting attacked. Something that could’ve prevented this… I’m so sorry, Ellie.

After a while of staring in horror, I break out of it to say, “Wait… shouldn’t the BDA have gone off by now?”

It takes a moment for Rupert to respond, and eventually he says, “Well um, There’s only two of us-”

“A body has been discovered! Head to the dressing room to begin investigations! Don’t forget to look up~” Terrance says.

We both blink in confusion.

“Nevermind then,” Rupert says.

“Yeah,” I respond. Soon, everyone else runs in.

“Oh… that is unfortunate,” Dr. Vin sighs in sorrow.

“Tch. Of course, the only redeemable neutral is dead,” Dmitri sighs.

“…At least it wasn’t a toppat…” Right sighs.

“…E-Ellie.” Jacob cries.

“Heh,” Charles laughs as he looks away from his friend’s body. Covering his mouth in vain attempt to not disrespect Ellie’s corpse.

“Mood,” Burt says.

Everyone gasps in horror and sadness, but it isn’t as powerful as last time’s. I don’t like that implication. Though, I do notice in the crowd, Sven staring at the body. The look on his face is of pure horror. I think it rivals Rupert’s face last trial. It takes him a few elbows by Burt, who grew concern that his friend didn’t respond to his dark joke, for him to snap out of it, and even then, he doesn’t look completely there.

“FAIL! Overconfidence is a real killer, ain’t it?” Terrance suddenly says, as he pops in, “Welp, you guys know what to do by now! Tootles~” he then leaves.

I look back at the body. Sure, I didn’t really like her all that much, but she didn’t deserve this. I’m so sorry, Ellie. I just have to hope I’ll make it up to you by helping find your killer!

<Investigation Start!>

As soon as I’m able, I decide to make a mental note about who saw the body. It was Rupert and I, which means we have an unknown third party.

However, something in my gut is telling that there’s something off… It’s probably because it was delayed, but it’s Terrance, so I doubt it means anything… right?

Truth Bullet: BDA Rules

“Dave!” Jacob yells as he runs over to me.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry for your loss. Do you need a moment?” I ask.

“I…I’ll be fine. I’ll morn for her afterwards… Right now, I need to focus on surviving the trial first. I can’t ever be fine if I… if I…” Jacob gulps before continuing, “Which is why… I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?” I ask with concern.

“…I think I was the last person to saw Ellie alive. Yesterday, she invited me, Charles, and Henry to hang out in the gym. However, Ellie and I arrived earlier than those two, and when we stepped foot in there… a trap sprung on us. I managed to dodge it, but Ellie… she got hurt. So, we decided to cancel the hang out so she could go rest up back at her dorm. I then stayed there until Charles and Henry showed up and told them the bad news. And then I went to hang out with you. I didn’t see Ellie for the rest of the day.”

“Oh,”

“I know it sounds suspicious, but… I didn’t kill her! I d-didn’t kill anyone! Please, believe me! It’s the truth!”

“I will!” I reassure him.

“Thanks,” Jacob says.

“That’s what friends are for!” I tell him.

Truth Bullet: Jacob’s Account

BANG! THUD!

I jump then turn around, where I see Ellie now on the floor looking like the title screen for Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective.

“WHY DID YOU DO THAT!” Dr. Vin shouts at Right who’s holding a smoking gun.

“You wanted her down!” Right snaps.

“I did, but not aggressively!” the doctor snaps, “Now, she is covered in bruises, and I cannot tell if they were made prior or because of your idiocy!”

“…” Right huffs.

Well, that sucks… I should try to remember that.

Truth Bullet: Tampering

“Ugh, criminals,” Dr. Vin sighs, and starts investigating the body. I walk up to her to help. She gives me an annoyed look, but let’s me help. I swallow any disgust I feel and look over the body. Reminding myself this was how I saved Rupert last time.

Besides all the new bruises caused by Right, I see a large stab wound in a weird shape on Ellie’s left hand. It looks dried and pretty bad; however, it doesn’t look lethal, just gross. Almost vomited because of it, especially when I realized the wound goes through her hand. In a vain attempt to get away from it, I try looking at the rest of the body, and I soon spot some sort of… punction wound? There’s two of them and they are very close together on Ellie’s side. They’ve also ripped off her clothing a little. Despite this, they don’t look deep and non-lethal. Actually, I think I’ve seen something like this before.

Truth Bullet: Injuries

I soon notice Dr. Vin untying the rope from Ellie’s neck. Once it opens, her neck looks… awful to be honest. It’s obviously broken. Though, I do see another one of those punction wound pairs around where her neck meets her shoulder. Nothing else seems important. However, just to check-

“Hey, Dr. Vin?”

“Mhm?”

“Did you find anything of interest?” I ask.

“Besides obvious cause of death, strange punction wounds, AND SOME BRUISES!” she says this line directly at Right, “There is not much here. Though…”

“Though?”

“The injuries are strange. The neck is broken, but it seems she died from strangulation. Plus, sometimes when being hung, the victim does not die immediately and instead slowly dies. However, the way her neck broke seems to suggest that it would have been immediate. No sign of accidentally living for a few minutes afterwards. Plus, no rashes on her hands to suggest she tried to rip it off after it went wrong. It is like she experienced both outcomes of being hanged or… her being hanged was done postmortem.”

“Huh…”

“Huh, indeed,” Dr. Vin says.

Truth Bullet: Injuries (Broken Neck)

Seeing how I can’t find anything more and I couldn’t handle looking at her body anymore, I get up and look around more. I notice the rope laying on the ground and look up to see the rest of it hanging above. I think it’s tied to the catwalk. My skin crawls looking at it.

“Huh, didn’t know we had rope like that,” Rupert says, looking at it as well.

“Um, yeah, we do. It can be found in the gym’s closest…” Jacob says, “Thought everyone knew about that.”

“O-of course I knew about the rope!” Rupert lies, “I’m not an idiot!”

I chuckled at his antics. Wait, the catwalk was used again, and you can find rope in the gym. Those are two places that could be connected to the murder! I should check both of those rooms! Though, I should at least note the rope first before I continue investigating.

Truth Bullet: Rope

“Hey, um. Dr. Vin?”

“Да?”

“Did you give anyone the key?”

“…” she glares at the ground, before sighing, “No. I have not. However, it is possible it has been stolen,” she gets up, “I will check the place where I hid it.” She looks down at the body, and somberly says, “Fairwell, Miss Rose. You were a good comrade while you were still here…”

We walk out of the room, and I start following Dr. Vin to where she hid the key. As we go over there, Dmitri spots us and walks over to us.

“Эй! Where are you two going?” Dmitri says.

“We are going to girl’s bathroom to find key,” Dr. Vin says.

“I am coming along,” Dmitri says.

“…Fine,” she says.

Soon, we make it to the girl’s bathroom. She goes inside and after a few minutes comes out confused.

“W-Well?” I ask.

“…” She shows us the key, “It has not been stolen.”

“Um, maybe someone took it and put it back?”

She shakes her head, “Not possible. I put an eyelash on top of it. Something insignificant to most people. So, if someone steals it and puts it back, I will know because the eyelash would no longer be there. Yet, I found it, exactly where it was. Eyelash included”

“Weird…”

Truth Bullet: Non-Stolen Key

“Shame really. Since only a few people are able to go into the girl’s bathroom, it would greatly decrease the number of suspects,” Dr. Vin morns.

“GUYS!!!!” Thomas yells as he runs up to us. He looks like he’s been crying. Despite this, there’s an angry yet determined look in his eyes.

“Um, yes?” I ask.

“YOU AND SOMEONE ELSE NEEDS TO COME WITH ME, RIGHT NOW!” He shouts and grabs me by my arm.

“Ну!” the doctor and Dmitri shout, as Thomas drags me away to the shark tank, up the stairs, and then… into the unlocked catwalk room. He soon lets me go, and it takes me a moment to adjust.

“Urk! It’s… it’s even worse finding him the second time!” Thomas cries, “The poor thing!”

I look out in front of me and…

And… and… and…

I see Henry Stickmin, ultimate achiever, dead on the floor.

“WHERE THE HECK DID YOU- do,” Dmitri snaps before seeing the body. He then somberly chuckles, “…Heh. So, our killer strikes again.”

In that moment, Terrance says over the intercoms “A body has been discovered! Head to the catwalks so your investigation time can increase!”

“…A-Another one?” Dr. Vin says as she enters. Seems she was a little late for it.

Soon after she enters, everyone else finds the room. They all look horrified that another body has been discovered. Terrance soon shows up as well.

“Fail! Get softlocked idiot,” Terrance says, “Welp, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you twice. But I’ll let you all know, the time for investigations has been increased to account for the extra murder. By how much? Won’t tell~ Tootles!”

“Wow. Double mood,” Burt says.

“HAHAHA!” Charles laughs. I know he doesn’t mean, but I still cringe at it.

“W-What… WHAT THE HELL IS THIS! You only needed to kill one! Why…” Rupert says.

“I thought you hated his guts?” Charles asks.

“Well, yeah. I thought he was an @$$hole, but that doesn’t mean that this is okay! Especially, after killing Ellie. Whoever this killer is, is a monster,” Rupert says.

“Agreed,” Thomas says.

“Well-” Jacob says, “We… We still need to find them, first.”

“Yeah. We will find them!” Thomas says, “Because I swear on my Toppat Clan Honor, I will FIND who ever took Henry from this world!” he sniffles, but wipes it away with a handkerchief, “And that’s a Toppat Clan certified promise!”

“Really, hammering on the ‘toppat clan’ stuff,” Burt sighs. He then looks at Sven, “Too gruesome for you?”

“…” Sven stares at the body, before saying, “I… I need minute.” He then quickly goes back downstairs. Burt doesn’t follow. Actually, I think he glares at Sven.

Well… that’s certainly something. Poor Henry. Despite him being the cause of me getting fired, I almost consider him a friend. He didn’t deserve this. I’m so sorry, Henry. I’ll help solve both you and Ellie’s murders.

Quickly, Dr. Vin starts investigating the body. Since I’m still reeling from Ellie’s, I don’t help. I feel bad about it, but… I doubt she would want me to vomit on the corpse. Though, I should at least note the ninja star in his head. (Didn’t know we had those.)

It looks like it’s the cause of death, but… why is there blood on one of the blades that isn’t lodged in his head. Maybe I’m being an idiot though…

Truth Bullet: Ninja Star.

After I note that down, I decide to check up on Thomas to see if he’s doing okay. I walk over to Thomas, who I’m surprised is handling it well.

“You okay?” I ask.

“…” Thomas gives me a look, “I’m trying to channel all my feelings into investigating so I can avenge him properly. If I don’t, I’ll just blindly accuse again like the first trial. I… I don’t want to make myself a fool again,”

“Yeah…”

“Though… I’m not as sad as I was when Geoffroy died. Going to be honest, I’m… worried I’m starting to get use to death…” Thomas says.

A chill runs down my spine. I think that’s happening to me as well. In attempt to sway the conversation to literally anything else, I say, “I do have some information that could help you.”

“Oh? Like what?”

“…I think I was the last person who saw Henry alive.”

“!”

“He woke me up from sleepwalking yesterday. Said he was out for a midnight snack, and also wanted me to help defeat this boss in a video game today… Guess, I can’t do that anymore. And it’s probably my fault he’s dead and Oh- this makes me real suspicious, doesn’t it? I promise I didn’t kill him, promise!”

Truth Bullet: My Account

Before I could spiral, Thomas grabs my shoulders, “David, calm down. I believe you; don’t you worry. Besides, you found Henry’s body, didn’t you? So, that means you’re clear, along with Dr. Vin and me.”

“Oh… that’s a relief,” I say, having completely forgetting the rules, because of my panic.

Truth Bullet: Henry’s BDA.

“Thanks for the evidence!” Thomas says, “I’m sure I’ll be able to avenge Henry with this!”

“Hey one more thing,”

“?”

“W-Where would someone get a ninja star?”

“Ah. That. Probably the armory or something,” Thomas says.

“Oh, right! Thanks for that!”

I smile and move on. Next, I should check if Sven’s okay and check out the armory if there’s anything of use.

I’m about to leave, before I notice Burt.

“Hey, uh… why aren’t you checking on Sven?” I ask.

“He’s fine. Told me he needs a minute,” Burt says. Despite his normal monotone look, I could hear a bit of hostility in his voice.

“…”

“If you’re alright with answering, how did you know the water was running?” I ask.

“…*Sigh* I know it sounds suspicious, but my fever broke last night, and I felt gross. I could practically hear Sven yelling at me to take a bath, even if he wasn’t there. So, I walked over to the shower and turned it on. And it worked.”

“And you didn’t think of it until we told you, because…”

Burt shrugs, “I only tried to shower because I brain farted and it was a terrible motive anyways. I didn’t even think of it, just happy that I felt clean and better.”

“Um, what time did you try the shower?”

“Eh. Around 8 or 9. Terrance’s night announcement went off shortly after I was done.”

That would mean either Ellie or Henry was dead by then…

Truth Bullet: Burt’s Account

“I do have an alibi, if that’s what you were wondering,” Burt says, “I was sick for the past two days, and unable to get out of bed. Any toppat can confirm. And the only time I was alone was when nighttime happened, and when I took my shower.”

“Oh. Wait, he was keeping track of you guys?”

Burt nods, “Yep. Told us that after every two hours, we’d meet up in my room, just so we could report where we were and where were going. It was honestly pretty annoying. Thomas was late twice, but only by a couple of minutes, and we had to go get Sven, yesterday.”

“Huh.”

Truth Bullet: Sven’s Absence

“Do you know why he wasn’t there?” I ask.

“I’m not the one to ask,” Burt says.

“Okay… Thanks!” I say.

I begin walking down the stairs, before someone grabs my shoulder. I yelp in surprise.

“Calm down! It is me,” Dmitri says.

“Oh, hi…” I say to him, “What do you need?”

“I saw you exchanging evidence with toppat scum and getting their accounts in return,”

“W-Well, Terrance says we need to allow everyone to speak during trial, and if we don’t get all the evidence, we might… we might…”

“Tch. Unfortunately, I know that. Just make sure you doubt their testimonies. We do not want them to lie to us so they can easily escape.”

“…Right,” I sigh.

“Besides, you said something about seeing Henry?”

I nod, I soon tell him my account.

“Hm. That is certainly useful. For that, I will give you my evidence.”

“?”

“I found this in the prize room,” Dmitri says as he gives me a taser, “Seems someone tried to hide this. Heh. Criminals… thinking they are so clever, when in reality they are imbeciles.”

I grab it, and I must’ve pressed a button, as electricity shoots out of the two barbed wires. Fortunately, it doesn’t hit anyone.

Truth Bullet: Taser

I turn it off and walk down to the main floor. I don’t see Sven anywhere, so I hope I find him while I check the armory for more clues. I know everyone else probably already has, but I want to double check for myself.

I walk over to the armory and find- nothing. Nothing except Charles.

“Hi-ya, Dave!” Charles cheers.

“Hi, Charles.” I say.

“You should check out the gym!” Charles says, “Got some pretty neat stuff back there! Going to check on the incinerator next.”

“Cool. Hope you find something!” I say, “And sorry about Ellie and Henry.”

“It’s fine!” Charles says.

“Well, um I shouldn’t keep you,”

“Yep!” Charles says but stays put.

“Uh-” I say confused.

“…You know… there’s dangerous people in here. Someone could’ve easily lied to you about their testimonies, so you don’t suspect them. Just take anything they say with a grain of salt, even if it hurts.” Charles says and then walks off.

“O-Okay?” I say. Does he also think the toppats were lying to me?

I stand there confused, before deciding to follow Charles’s advice, and head to the gym. It’s pretty much the same gym as it usually is, all things considered, though for some reason it rubs me the wrong way. I can’t tell why though.

Walking around, I soon noticed something. There’s a rack to hold up some metal rods. It’s there for if you ever want to lift some weights. However, that’s not what’s strange about it. No, it’s the fact that one of the metal rods, is lying on the floor near it. I walked over to put it back, but then I notice- the dried blood on its left side.

Truth Bullet: Metal Rod

After putting it back, I soon check the closet where I see Sven pocketing some sort of device. His eyes are red from crying.

“Hi, Sven. Are you alright?” I ask.

“AH! I’m… I’m fine,” he states.

“Um, what did you find?” I ask.

“…This bag,” Sven says pointing to it. It looks really big. I go over to inspect it, as he continues, “I found a small pool of blood inside of it.”

Sure enough, I find a dried pool of blood inside of it. Wonder how it got there…

Truth Bullet: Big Bag

“Huh, but um…”

“Yeah?”

“What did you put in your pocket? I’m assuming it’s evidence, right?”

“…Y-Yes, it is,” Sven says.

“So, um what’s is it? If you don’t mind me asking?”

“…” Sven looks away from me, before sighing, “Look… there’s something I need to tell you and the rest of the group. I have no idea how to, but-”

Suddenly, he gets interrupted by, “Attention! Your hour and a minute are up! Make your way to the elevator, and there we can start the trial!” Terrance suddenly shouts over the intercoms.

“IS THAT LITERALLY THE EXTENT TO YOUR EXTENTION!?” Thomas yells from the other side of the factory, “A WHOLE @$#@ING MINITUE?!”

We both look at each other, before Sven walks away, “Um… See you in the trial.”

Quickly, I follow him.

We soon make it to the elevator, and unlike the last two times, I don’t have a problem going in there. Not to say it’s pleasant, it’s more tolerable, as it isn’t as cramped. My stomach tightens at that thought.

As the door closes and the elevator goes down, I can’t help but feel guilty about Ellie’s and Henry’s deaths. I know could’ve done something to prevent them! Especially Henry’s. I just know it!

However, I’ll just have to do my best in trial to make it up for them.

Notes:

Okay, I'm going to be completely honest here- Originally, there wasn't going to be a second victim in this chapter. However, Henry is pretty useless in the grand scheme of thing to the point I've forgotten he's supposed to be there in later chapters. So, for the sake of the story, I had to kill him off. (It's why the love triangle ended abruptly, needed to get that sub-plot wrapped up).
His death was a last minute addition to this chapter, as his fate was decided while I was writing it. Which came at a cost that his death isn't looked into that much. This is mainly Ellie's case, not Henry's. Sorry Henry fans. Hopefully once I finish this fic, this part won't seem too out of place, especially since there is something interesting I did with it.

Chapter 28: CtD Deadly Life- Trial

Notes:

I'm so hyped for this.
Sorry this was late... I wanted to play a table-top rpg.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

I think I should review all my evidence, just to make sure I got everything.

Truth Bullet: Big Bag: In the gym’s closet, there’s a big bag. A small pool of dried blood is inside of it.

Truth Bullet: Burt’s Account: Burt claims that around 8 to 9 last night, he was able to take a shower, as his fever finally broke and he felt gross. After he finished, Terrance announced nighttime.

Truth Bullet: BDA Rules: Me and Rupert both found Ellie’s body, but the BDA was delayed.

Truth Bullet: Henry’s BDA: Thomas discovered the body and got me and Dmitri over.

Truth Bullet: Injuries (Broken Neck): Ellie seems to have died from strangulation and not immediately; however, her neck is broken in a way that suggest she would have died immediately. It’s like she had two different deaths.

Truth Bullet: Injuries (Regular): Ellie’s body has two pairs of punction wounds. One on her side, and another around her neck. They aren’t that big or deep, so I doubt they are lethal. There’s also some sort of stab wound on her left hand, which is in an odd shape. Definitely deeper than the punction wounds, but still… not lethal.

Truth Bullet: Jacob’s Account: Yesterday, Ellie, Jacob, Charles, and Henry wanted to meet up for a hang out. However, Ellie and Jacob were both attacked by a trap, canceling the hang out and causing her to go to bed early. Jacob stayed behind in the gym. Charles and Henry showed up late.

Truth Bullet: Metal Rod: I found a metal rod on the floor; it has dried blood on the left side of it.

Truth Bullet: My Account: Last night, Henry woke me up around an unknown time, as I was sleepwalking again. This was probably the last time anyone seen him alive.

Truth Bullet: Ninja Star: There’s a ninja star lodged in Henry’s head. It’s probably the cause of death. Strangely, one of the blades not in Henry’s head is covered in blood.

Truth Bullet: Non-Stolen Key: According to Dr. Vin, the key to the catwalks has not been stolen.

Truth Bullet: Pin Locations: I found a bunch of pins in Charles’s room, and one in Dr. Vin’s room.

Truth Bullet: Rope: The rope used to hang Ellie. It’s tied to the catwalk and originates from the gym. Rupert apparently didn’t know about its existence prior to it.

Truth Bullet: Sven’s Absence: According to Burt, yesterday, Sven didn’t come to a meeting and had to be found.

Truth Bullet: Tampering: When getting Ellie down, Right shot the rope, causing her to gain many bruises unrelated to the murder.

Truth Bullet: Taser: Dmitri found the taser in the prize room. Might be important.

Instead of killing one person, someone went crazy and killed two. Hopefully, I can help everyone else solve who did it, to avenge the ones who had fallen and to live another day…

We enter the trial room again, with a sense of dread and despair. No one really wanted to be back here, and yet here we are. Plus, there’s the case with the double murder, because someone in this room, is not only a killer, but one who might be blood thirsty as only one kill is required. I’ve never felt safe in this room, but the looming sense of danger is suffocating.

Slowly, we step on to our respective podiums.

“…” Right glares at the portrait beside him.

Terrance really hated him, didn’t he? Fortunately, the other ones,

Seem a little more respectful. Maybe he’s getting better?

“…”
“Um, Terrance?” Sven says.

“Yeah?”

“Hate to say this, but aren’t you going to um… give us the go ahead?” Sven asks.

“Oh right! Thought you guys already knew what to do!” Terrance laughs as he sits on his throne, “But I guess since it’s technically been a hot minute, a brief introduction to the trial is in order. All of you are separated into two sides, innocents and the blackened. The innocents’ goal is to find Ellie Rose’s and Henry Stickmin’s killer, while the blackened’s goal is to ‘muddy the water’ and get away with it. After 7/8ths of the participants have reached a satisfying conclusion, a vote shall be cast on who the majority thinks is the blackened, which will determine which side who won. If the blackened wins, they will go free. If the innocents win, they get to continue the game! The losing side will be punished. ALL RISE FOR THE CLASS TRIAL!”

“Wait! Before we start! Um… what are the rules with double murders?” Charles asks. Everyone looks at Terrance.

“…” Terrance stares at the crowd, and sighs, “You are all illiterate.” He then takes a deep breath and continues, “A killer can kill a maximum of two people. Any over, and I’ll either punish them immediately or stop them in their tracks. So, no. Noone is able to go on a murdering spree. However, it is possible for there to be multiple killers. Just like previously, only the stick that deals final blow on the final victim counts as the blackened. Hope that eases your mind,”

“So, there is chance Henry’s and Ellie’s murders are unrelated?” Dr. Vin says, “Or more accurately, two people wanted to kill and succeeded, instead of one person who wanted to kill.”

“Why are you looking at me?” Dmitri scoffs.

“No reason,” Dr. Vin says sarcastically.

“I hope it’s only one. Rupert still being around is bad enough!” Jacob says.

“…” Rupert looks hurt by that.

“Regardless of if there’s two killers or not… where do we even start?” Sven says.

“Hopefully, not blindly accusing someone again-” Burt says.

“Rupert did it,” Dmitri snaps.

“God damn it,” Burt says.

“Um… why?” Charles asks.

“Because he among us is the only other person who has killed before!” Dmitri snaps.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: BDA Rules

Dmitri: It cannot be even more obvious.

Dmitri: Rupert is the only one who has prior experience.

Dmitri: Who is to say he tried again?

Sven: Didn’t we already establish, that most of us killed before?

Sven: I mean, Reginald has admitted to killing Terrance in the past.

Dmitri: And he was one of the culprits.

Burt: Um, whose murder are we talking about?

Dmitri: It does not matter.

Dmitri: He is a blood thirsty killer.

Dmitri: And there is nothing to prove otherwise!

Rupert: Oi! Shut up!

Rupert: You have no proof or evidence!

Dmitri: Your opinion does not matter, Price.

Dmitri: OW!

Terrance: BOOT TO THE HEAD!

Charles: Dave, what do you think?

Why are we accusing Rupert again? The only evidence against him is prior experience that links him to the murder! And why is no one defending him?!

Charles is giving me a thumbs up and a smile. I think he wants me to voice my opinion... If he trusts me enough to help, then… I’ll guess help. I mean, I was able to get Reginald… You got this, Dave!

< Dmitri: And there is nothing to prove otherwise!>

BANG!

“I DISAGREE!”

“Um… Rupert and I both found Ellie’s body, which uh triggered the BDA,” I tell him, “(Though it was admittedly delayed…)”

Charles gives me a thumbs up, I smile in response.

“Well… it only proves Rupert was not guilty of one of them,” Dmitri says.

“Actually, that raises a good question. If there are two killers, would they be counted as ‘innocent’ if they discovered the other’s kill?” Thomas asks.

“Yes, they will count as innocent.” Terrance says, “It has to be their own murder to not count. Unless we get down to a low enough amount of people, where the announcement rule will become void.”

“V-void?!” Thomas says with a slight fear.

“Don’t worry! It’ll be activated around… probably after the fourth trial,” Terrance says.

“Dang, we’re already thinking of the next ones, aren’t we?” Burt says.

“EHEM,” Dmitri coughs, “Back to what I was saying, since Rupert was not there for Henry’s body discovery, that just proves my point. He may not have killed both, but he definitely killed Henry. Make sense since those two hated each other.”

“Oh, please! You hated him as well!” Rupert snaps.

“But I am not a killer,” Dmitri says.

“No. He has a point,” Dr. Vin says, “You hated Henry as well. Plus, unlike him you have motivation. The Wall is gone, and I know you want to escape in an attempt to save what’s left of it.”

“Urk!” Dmitri snaps. He then gives me a pleading look.

Why is he looking at me? Does he think I can help? Um… I think… I have something…

<Select Evidence>

< Truth Bullet: Henry’s BDA >

“I hope I’m correct!”

“Um… Actually. Dmitri is cleared for Henry’s killer. He ran faster than you, so he triggered the announcement,” I say, “Thomas and I triggered the announcement.”

“…And there goes my main suspect,” Dr. Vin sighs, “…For Henry at least.”

“Okay, can we actually start solving this?” Burt says, “Instead of accusing others with no evidence.”

“Unfortunately, you are right,” Dr Vin says.

“Unfortunately?”

“This discussion has gotten nowhere so far. We know nothing about the case. We do not even know who died first,” Dr. Vin says.

“Um, I think we should pick one to focus on then go to the next one,” Sven says, “That way we don’t get overwhelmed with both cases.”

“Then who do we start with?” Right asks.

“Henry,” Thomas says.

“Simp,” Burt says.

“I vote Ellie,” Sven says.

“Me too,” Charles says.

“Same,” Rupert says.

“It might be easier to go try to figure out Ellie’s murder first,” Dr. Vin says, “Since someone was trying to kill her for the past couple of days.”

“Fine, we’ll figure out Ellie’s first,” Thomas sighs, “But where do we even start?”

“How about asking the question of if she killed herself?” Burt says.

“WHAT!” Sven, Rupert, and I shout.

“I mean, it’s likely,” Burt says.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Non-Stolen Key

Burt: I can’t be the only one who thinks this.

Burt: She died from a noose.

Burt: And we all know how nooses are related to suicide.

Burt: Plus, I think it be hard to kill someone in that fashion.

Burt: Wrapping it around her neck, and then pushing her off a high platform.

Burt: How would someone get around to doing that,

Burt: Without their victim breaking free in the attempt?

Burt: Especially someone like Ellie.

Dmitri: Unfortunately, I have to support this idea.

Dmitri: Since she was hanged from the catwalks.

Dmitri: She would need key.

Dmitri: And our foolish doctor hid it in the girl’s bathroom.

Dmitri: So, Ellie had the perfect opportunity to steal the key,

Dmitri: And take herself out.

Sven: I don’t like this idea…

I don’t know why, but I agree with Sven. This theory feels wrong. Ellie wouldn’t… I need them to stop talking about this. She didn’t kill herself.

< Dmitri: So, Ellie had the perfect opportunity to steal the key>

BANG!

“I DISAGREE!”

“NO!” I scream a bit too loudly, causing everyone to look at me. Charles, Rupert, and Thomas, all give me a concerned look.

“I… I…” I try to regain my composure, though my leg begins to tap repeatedly despite this, “I don’t think that’s true. Ellie couldn’t have stolen the key nor anyone else, because… the key wasn’t stolen at any point.”

“It wasn’t?” Sven asks.

“Да, it was not,” Dr. Vin says, “I have learned from last time, and made precautions to make sure I would know if key has been stolen. You should have known this Dmitri…” She says his name like it’s an insult.

“…Not my fault you are so boring to listen to, that I forgot,” Dmitri states.

“!” Dr. Vin looks offended by that.

“How do we know you’re not lying to us?” Right snaps.

“Can confirm,” Terrance suddenly says, “The key was never stolen.”

“And how do we know you’re telling the truth?” Right says.

“I have video evidence,” Terrance says.

“EW! Do you watch us go to the bathroom?!” Sven shouts.

“I’m never going to the bathroom again if that’s the case…” Thomas says.

“Good luck with that,” Burt says.

“Unfortunately,” Terrance says, “I have to so I can make sure in case someone kills in there or tries to leave. But for all of our sanities, the camera is positioned where the camera can’t see inside the stalls. But fortunately, the key is in the video and was never stolen, so which means Vicky is cleared!”

“… (I am starting to understand how Hubert felt…)” Dr. Vin says.

“Then… if the key wasn’t stolen… how did Ellie and by proxy Henry get in there?” Jacob asks, “The door was locked back up after the second trial.”

“Dave, you’re smart! Do you have an answer?” Charles asks.

He looks at me expecting an answer. I… I think I have an idea. I hope not wrong though…

<Hangstick’s Gambit>

L O C K P I C K E D

“I hope I’m correct!”

“Well… um… if you don’t have a key, there is another way to get into locked rooms,” I say, “And that’s lockpicking. C-Could it be possible that’s what happened here?”

“That would explain the mystery of how they got up there without a key,” Dr. Vin says.

“Ooo! I can support this!” Thomas says and shows us a tiny metal rod; it’s half of a lock pick, “Found this close by to where Henry died. Guess the killer got sloppy!”

“Thomas…” Right snaps.

“What? I’m helping find Henry’s (and Ellie’s) killer!” Thomas says.

“Which means, it has to be a toppat who killed them.” Dmitri spits.

“NO!” Right snaps, causing everyone to go quiet, “I made a promise to myself that not a single toppat will die under my watch ever again! And that includes executions.”

“Oh?” Dmitri taunts. Right growls in response.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Injuries (Broken Neck)

Right: I’ve been keeping a close eye on my toppats.

Right: And from watching them,

Right: I made sure I knew what they were doing throughout the day.

Sven: …

Right: So, there’s no chance any of them killed without me stopping them!

Rupert: Then how do you explain lock picking?

Rupert: Only criminals would know how to do that.

Right: Well, Henry was a criminal.

Right: Who’s to say he helped Ellie commit suicide?

Right: After all, you can only commit it, if you have help.

Terrance: Oh my gosh. Someone finally read the rules.

Right: OI! SHUT IT!

Right: Or more accurately, a certain pilot was the one who helped

Right: After learning how to do it from his little boyfriend.

Right: Then afterwards he silenced his only witness.

Charles: Oh, come on, man. I didn’t do it.

Charles: Dave, back me up here!

Charles: …Dave?

I hate this idea. I hate this idea. I hate this idea. I hate this idea. I hate this idea. I hate this idea. I hate this idea. I hate this idea. I hate this idea. I hate this idea. I hate this idea-

Snap out of it, Dave! I just need to prove the reason why Ellie didn’t commit suicide. Then everyone can shut up about this idea!

< Right: Who’s to say he helped Ellie commit suicide?>

BANG!

“I-I DISAGREE!”

“SHE DIDN’T DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!” I snap.

“Dave… are you okay?” Rupert asks, as I take a deep breath. My heart’s pounding.

“I…” I look at him before sighing, “I-I’m fine. I just don’t like the topic.”

“What? The topic she committed suicide?” Right sneers, “That she was facing such a hard time that she couldn’t face it anymore?”

“Stop it!” I yell.

“Leaving this moral coil, just so she didn’t have to suffer anymore- OW!” Right says before interrupting by-

“A BOOT TO THE HEAD!” Terrance cheers.

“Oi! I wasn’t doing anything wrong!” Right snaps.

“Well, technically you were silencing another person through triggering them just because you didn’t like him,” Terrance says, “That’s an automatic rule break right there, even if it’s unconventional. Dave, you may continue.”

“…Thanks. Um… back to the point, I don’t think Ellie was killed by hanging, rather strangulation. B-B-But I could be wrong!” I say.

“Huh? What makes you say that?” Charles asks.

“Um… Dr. Vin, can you explain?”

“Certainly. When I was checking up on Ellie’s body, I discovered her injuries were weird. It was like she died from two different methods.” Dr. Vin says, “One was immediate, while the other method would have allowed her to live a bit before death. It looks like she was strangled to death.”

“So, are you suggesting, that the hanging… was a cover up for the real cause of death?” Rupert asks me.

“Y-Yeah! It was-”

“TIME FOR A LITTLE PAYBACK!”

“!” Immediately, jump behind Rupert.

“Really now? You think that’s how she died?” Right snaps, “I find that unlikely.”

“…”

“Oi! It’s a solid theory!” Rupert defends.

“It’s as solid as ice on a summer day,” Right says.

“(Oi, Dave?)” Rupert whispers to me, “(Do you mind if I take the blunt of this, while you figure out a way to defend your point? Cause I got nothing)”

“(Are you sure? I may be wrong?)”

“(Absolutely)”

<Rebuttal Showdown>

Truth ~~Bullet~~ Sword: Injuries (Regular)

Right: I find it hard to believe

Right: That Ellie of all people-

Right: Would die so easily in that fashion!

Right: Wouldn’t she have broken free?

ADVANCE

Rupert: What do you mean by that?

Rupert: Anyone can be strangled with the right opportunity!

Right: But she wasn’t anyone.

Right: We all saw she did to you a few days ago.

Right: Dragged into the lunchroom, with you kicking and screaming.

Rupert: …you saw that…?

Right: Everyone did.

Rupert: …

Right: Point is, she’s strong enough that she could easily fight off her attacker.

I don’t really know how to respond to this, but Rupert has faith in me.

Actually, I think I can prove Ellie couldn’t fight back… Just need to remember something from my police training.

< Right: Wouldn’t she have broken free?>

SLICE!

“I THINK THAT’S INCORRECT!”

Right glares at me, causing me to lose my voice. Suddenly, I feel Rupert grab my hand and give me a smile. I smile back and walk back to my podium. Avoiding eye-contact with Right, (though I can feel his eye burring into my soul).

“Um… Well… when Dr. Vin and I were investigating the body, I noticed some puncture wounds on her body.” I say.

“Wait, she was taking drugs?” Charles says.

“That’s impossible! I hid all of that stuff,” Right says.

“Um… no. They were in pairs and there was one on her side and one around her neck. I’ve just realized where I’ve seen this injury before.”

“WHERE” Right snaps.

I flinch and freeze. Rupert grabs my hand again, and I’m able to calm down enough to say, “…It’s from a taser.”

“T-taser?” Jacob asks.

“Yeah. When you get hit by one, the barbs go into you and well… zap you. As a result, you become temporarily paralyzed,” I say, “If the killer managed to hit her with it, she’d be mostly powerless to stop them from strangling her. They probably did it twice just so she stayed down. And- Oh, man… as someone who has accidentally tased himself in the past, that must have hurt a lot… Poor, Ellie.”

“She must have been tortured before she died.” Jacob says.

“…” Sven gives Jacob a look of horror.

“Okay, we’ve focused a lot on Ellie, but what about Henry? What were his injuries?” Thomas asks.

“I checked. What you saw was the extent of Henry’s injuries,” Dr. Vin says, “The ninja star killed him instantly.”

“Ah… how dreadfully simple,” Thomas sighs.

“Hm. Guess she didn’t commit suicide after all,” Burt says, “But that doesn’t change who the main suspect is.” He looks over at Charles.

“Oh, man… I thought I was in the clear!” Charles says.

“You weren’t ever in the clear,” Right spits, “We’ve only established that Ellie didn’t kill herself. That doesn’t mean, you didn’t strangle her, then lock picked your way into the catwalk, hanged her to confused us, and then killed Henry as he would’ve been a witness.”

“Or, Henry was the one who did all of that, and one of your toppats caught him and killed him!” Dmitri says.

“Oi! I know for a fact that none of them killed!” Right says.

“Um, actually,” Charles says, “How do you know that for sure?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, you have multiple members, and I know you aren’t guarding them 24/7, since I’ve seen them without you nearby. How did you keep track?”

“Held a short meeting in Burt’s room every two hours, where everyone told me what they are doing and where they are going.”

“Had anyone broken that rule?” Charles says.

“Well… I had a few times,” Thomas says, “One of those times was because I was crying my eyes out, because I got my heart broken and forgot the time. And the other time, was because I had to yell at someone for being stupid and reckless with his life!”

“I said I was sorry…” Rupert says.

“And Sven missed it yesterday,” Burt says, “And unlike with Thomas, we had to go get him.”

“That’s because I was waiting for someone.” Sven says.

“Well… this morning, Burt had already known the water turned back on and didn’t think someone was dead,” Charles says, “If that’s not a confession, I don’t know what is!”

“I brain farted…” Burt says.

“Really? Then why is that so hard to believe?” Charles says.

“Because you did it,” Burt spits.

“Nuh-uh,”

“The @#$# do you mean, nuh-uh?”

“Um…” Sven says.

“Guys?” Thomas says.

“How about you just stop accusing me, for something I didn’t do? When you were the one who did it?” Burt says.

“Oh, yeah? What evidence?” Charles says, “Anti-me!”

Burt’s eye twitches, “Please… you are not good enough to be my anti.”

“Ooo, the headphone boys are fighting-” Terrance says.

“You know what fine! If you want a fight then you’re going to get one!” Burt snaps.

“Bring it on! Toppat me.”

“ERR-”

“YOU ARE THE CULPRIT!”

<Mass Panic Debate!>

Truth Bullet: Burt’s Account

Burt/Charles

“You were close to the victims” / “Come on, dude,”

“You could have easily gained their trust…” / “Did you think we’d buy your alibi?”

“To get Henry teach you how to lockpick,” / “Brainfarted???”

“And to lure Ellie into your trap.” / “I’d believe sleep murdering over that.”

“You then killed Henry to lose your only witness” / “You’re definitely covering up the fact you killed her!”

“(And maybe you did something to Sven as well…)” / “The evidence points to you!”

“Regardless, you’re guilty,” / “Unless someone proves otherwise...”

Neither of them don’t really have good evidence against each other’s claims. Just relied on up because they’re being accused. I don’t necessarily blame either of them for it though… Especially the consequences if they do get voted out.

Charles looks like he’s expecting me to answer again… I’m sorry, but right now… I can only think of one thing that can prove one of them isn’t guilty.

<Charles: The evidence points to you!>

BANG!

“I DISAGREE!”

“Um… Charles, I think you’re jumping the gun a bit too early…” I tell him.

“Eh? Why do you think that?” Charles asks.

“Well… he has an alibi. According to him, he took a shower the night before, after breaking his fever, which is how he discovered the water had been turned back on. After he was done, Terrance made the nighttime announcement. Meaning, that um one of the victims was already dead…” I say.

“He could’ve killed before hand?” Charles says.

“That’s impossible,” Thomas says, “Burt was so sick he was bedridden for two days.”

“Well, how long was he left alone?” Charles says.

“Well, we left at 8, so…” Thomas says.

“My fever broke at 8:10. And I took a shower a minute after.” Burt says, “And before you say anything, I’m the among the few of us who doesn’t smell bad. I can prove it too, sniff my arm.”

“Um… no thanks…” Jacob says, “We’ll… take your word on it.”

“What if he was faking being sick?” Charles says.

“…” everyone goes silent. They all look at Burt. Then back to Charles.

“Okay, yeah maybe he didn’t kill beforehand,” Charles says.

“Yeah, he’s a barely functioning workaholic,” Thomas says.

“But, maybe… he killed the other victim?” Charles says.

“UGH! This is going nowhere!” Rupert shouts, “We keep accusing each other instead of looking at actual evidence! ‘Burt did it because he knew about the water’, or ‘Charles did it because he was friends with the victims.’ At least the former had some semblance of evidence. How about we put who killed them on hold and ask the question on how it was done in the first place so we can actually have a good argument. We don’t even know who died first!”

“Your opinion does not-” Dmitri begins, before spotting Terrance holding a boot ready to throw, “Fine.”

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: My Account

Rupert: So, who died first?

Dr. Vin: Assuming Burt did not lie about shower,

Dr. Vin: We are working with a large time frame.

Dr. Vin: As it is currently tomorrow afternoon, and

Dr. Vin: One of them at least was dead, yesterday.

Thomas: That implies both of them have been rotting for a whole day!

Burt: Stick to the argument.

Sven: With how Ellie’s case seems a lot more complicated…

Sven: I would assume that he died first.

Sven: As SHE was the main target.

Burt: But just because one of their murders was more complicated.

Burt: Doesn’t mean it happened first.

Burt: We might be looking at this completely wrong.

Burt: And Henry was the one who died first.

I thought I gave evidence that proved who died first. But I guess no one else has put it together. Or they’ve realized it’s useless as I am… Snap out of it, Dave! Charles and Rupert have put their faith in you!

< Sven: I would assume that he died first>

BANG!

“I Agree!”

“Um… Actually, I saw Henry out and about last night,” I say.

“You what?!” Right snaps.

I flinch.

“Oh, you talked about that… said you were sleepwalking, and he woke you up,” Thomas says.

“He shouldn’t have done that. Dave could’ve gotten hurt,” Jacob says.

“And after that, I went back to bed, and he… he…” I swallow, “Must have been killed shortly afterwards… I’m so sorry…”

“…”

“And since I was able to take a shower before nighttime,” Burt says, “That means Ellie was definitely killed first.”

“And Henry was killed during the night!” Charles says, “Because I didn’t see him at all this morning. Or any neutral for that matter…”

“How could I be such an idiot…” Thomas says.

“See? Now there’s less confusion,” Rupert says.

“That doesn’t help by much. It doesn’t matter whether Ellie or… Henry was killed first,” Sven says.

“Unless there’s two killers,” Thomas says, “Then it’d be good to know who died first so we know who to execute.”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking. What if there’s only one killer?” Rupert says.

“Pardon?” Thomas says.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Ninja Star

Rupert: Alright, so-

Rupert: Ellie was most likely brought up to catwalks during the night.

Sven: It would explain why no one saw her body prior…

Sven: Because it would’ve been too dark.

Rupert: Oi! I’m talking!

Rupert: Anyways, what if during this time, Henry accidentally came across the killer.

Rupert: And in a panic, they killed him?

Thomas: But that would imply Henry’s death was an AFTERTHOUGHT!

Thomas: How insulting!

Jacob: I also doubt it because of the choice of weapon.

Jacob: A ninja star doesn’t seem to be something someone would carry around.

Dr. Vin: And is not a very suitable weapon to use at night.

Burt: But it was used… at night…

Charles: Makes me think the only reason Henry’s dead, is because of his bad luck.

Thomas: THAT’S EVEN WORSE!

Rupert: Oi! Are you guys even listening to me?!

Rupert seems to believe his theory, but it lacks evidence. There’s got to be way to prove it.

< Rupert: Anyways, what if during this time, Henry accidentally came across the killer>

BANG!

“I Agree!”

“Rups, I think you’re right…” I say, “Ellie’s and Henry’s murderer have to be the same. Because the ninja star is connected to Ellie’s death.”

“How so?” Charles asks.

“Well… the ninja star has blood on it.”

“No @$@# sherlock,” Burt says.

“I-I mean on the side of the blade where it isn’t in Henry! It’s covered in blood, and since Dr. Vin says Henry has no other injuries… where did it come from?” I say.

Everyone pauses.

“Well, um… you were the one who brought it up?” Charles says, “Do you have an explanation?”

Do I have an explanation? I think I do, as that was the reason why I brought the ninja star up… I’m starting to have second thoughts… Let me re-think it…

<Logic Dive>

How is the ninja star related to Ellie’s murder?

-It isn’t related at all and I’m a moron.

-It could’ve been the true cause of death.

-One of Ellie’s injuries could’ve been caused by it.

> One of Ellie’s injuries could’ve been caused by it <

“I hope I’m right!”

“Um… Ellie had a deep cut on her hand, and… so far I don’t think we have any other explanation for it…” I speak.

“It could have been caused by someone shooting the rope down,” Dr. Vin snaps.

“Oi! How else were we supposed to get her down?!” Right says.

“By going up to the catwalk and bringing her down from there like a civilized person!” she snaps back.

“Doubt it, cause how Dave and I discovered the body was because blood dripped off of her and on to Dave. You can still see the blood on his hat,” Rupert says.

“Oh, so that’s what it is,” Thomas says.

“Well, I have the ninja star right here,” Dr. Vin says as she shows it to us.

“WHAT! EW! DID YOU REALLY TAKE IT OUT OF HIM?!” Thomas yells.

“Да.”

“So, are we going to check Ellie’s injuries now?” Terrance says, as the tv turns on showing Ellie’s hand, (I almost gag and Sven does), “Because I got it up.”

Dr. Vin gets off her podium and examines the cut while looking at the ninja star’s blade. Soon, she walks back and says, “It is a match.”

“So, that means… Ellie was tortured more than we thought before her death…” Sven says with a shutter.

“Not exactly. The killer could have stabbed her postmortem. There is no evidence to confirm either or,” Dr. Vin says.

“But it makes more sense if she was stabbed before death,” Dmitri says, “After all, why would you stab a body?”

“To um… hide the cause of death?” I say.

“The hanging was already a way to hide cause of death and even so, the stab is not in any lethal area. Heh. It does not matter much. Though I do find it hilarious to be the case.” Dmitri says.

“Why? That someone got tortured?” Rupert snaps.

“No. Because in committing an evil act for no apparent reason except villainy, the killer has left us a convenient ‘footprint’ to track their movements.” Dmitri says.

“Are we entirely sure their murders are connected, though?” Jacob says, “Maybe the second killer found the same ninja star?”

“Who in their right mind in here would use a ninja star to commit murder?” Dr. Vin says, “None of us come lived in an area where it was used as a regular weapon. So, I have a hard time believing it is involved at all.”

“WELL- that’s because I made the killer use it,” Terrance says.

“…What,” Dr. Vin states.

“You see, without spoiling too much, the killer wanted to use a knife to kill, but when I found out about this, I took it away from them and gave them the ninja star,” Terrance says, “Even gave them a book on how to use one to help.”

Wait… I think I’ve seen that book before-

“W-Why?” Sven says.

“Because Geoffroy was killed by knife, and Hubert was finished off with a dagger, which is just a knife designed to murder. You guys need to get more creative with your method of killing! I just saved us from another murder via a knife. You’re welcome.”

“…”

“Well… that confirms it,” Dr. Vin says, “If the killer was forced to use the ninja star instead of a much easier to use knife, then this hypothetical second killer could have used something different, since Terrance does not like repetition. However, since the ninja star was used on both, we could safely say they are the same killer.”

“Plus,” Charles says, “If you were to see a blood-stained ninja star, planning a murder or not, you would have questions and probably assume someone was injured or dead. Or unless you brain farted again.”

Burt rolls his eyes.

“Since now we have confirmed Ellie’s murderer and Henry’s murderer are one in the same, we can cross out people who have been confirmed to be innocent for either or, as suspects for the other one. Leaving us only with; Right, Sven, and Charles.” Dr. Vin says.

“Hey… why am I still a suspect?” Charles asks.

“Because you could have learned about how to lock pick from Henry,” Dmitri snaps.

“Seriously?” Charles sighs.

“What about Thomas?” Rupert says, “He probably knows how to lock pick.”

“No, he couldn’t have done it,” Burt says, “He is too much of a simp to have killed Henry.”

“Thank you?” Thomas says.

“Don’t mention it,”

“I don’t know about that,” Rupert says, “If Henry was killed in the nighttime by the same guy, it was probably for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He might’ve walked in while the killer was setting things up. So, the killer had to silence them. Plus, it was dark, so the killer might’ve not even known who they killed, until it was too late.”

“Ew! Is that what we’re going with! Henry deserved a much better death than one of an afterthought!” Thomas snaps, “He was courageous, strong, amazing, cunning, handsome, and evasive! He should’ve gone out with style or from old age! Not like this… not like this at all…*Pause* Why did he have to d-die?”

“See? Couldn’t have done it,” Burt says, “He probably would’ve admitted to it as soon as he discovered Henry was dead.”

“I guess…” Rupert says not fully convinced.

“A-And he helped trigger Henry’s BDA,” I finally say.

“…” Rupert blushes and hides under his hat, “Alright… I relent.”

“You can also cross the rest of us toppats off that list!” Right snaps, “Because no toppat killed!”

“It is nigh impossible to watch the movements of three people all at once,” Dr. Vin says, “Your system assumed honesty among thieves.”

“…I still refuse to believe another toppat killed,” Right snaps back.

“Regardless, how are we supposed to lower our suspects?” Burt says.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Sven says, “For the past few days, someone was trying to kill Ellie! The person, who had set up those traps, should be our killer!”

“Then I guess we are finally solving that,” Dr. Vin says.

“But where do we even start?” Charles says.

“Actually, I think you already know who did it.” Burt says.

“?”

“Because you are the only one who could have done it,” Burt says.

“Hey! Wait!” Charles says.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Pin Locations

Burt: It’s simple if you think about it.

Burt: If we go back to the first trap, with the razor.

Burt: And the third one with the bleach.

Burt: You can only set it up by getting the items you need from the kitchen,

Burt: And if you were a part of the kitchen staff,

Burt: You can get those items without drawing suspicion to yourself.

Charles: Dang, is this your revenge for me accusing you of murder?

Sven: But why, Charles?

Sven: There’s four of us who are a part of that staff!

Sven: Who’s to say it could’ve been Dave or you or even me!

Sven: Or maybe someone NOT from the kitchen staff!

Burt: Because Dave and I have already been cleared.

Burt: And you are the one who brought this up.

Burt: So, unless you are hiding something-

Burt: Then Charles is the killer,

Burt: As he was the only one not cleared who has access to the supplies.

This feels confusing… and there seems to be a lot of leaps… I don’t think Charles did it. He’s giving me a pleading glance. I… I need to do something!

< Burt: Then Charles is the killer,>

BANG!

“I DISAGREE!”

“Um… I don’t think Charles did it…” I tell him, “Because, when we were searching for the victims, I went into our rooms to see if someone was murdered inside there. And… I found a bunch of pins in the room that was designed for Charles.”

All of a sudden, the tv then shows Charles’s room. The pins are even messier than I remember.
“I don’t see how that confirms his innocence?” Burt says, “It honestly proves it, as one of the traps was falling onto pins.”

“Yep,” Charles confirms, “The pins were, I mean.”

“And Charles is one of the few people who actually sleep in his assigned room,” Dr. Vin says, “Good job defending him-”

“OI! He’s getting to there!” Rupert shouts.

“Thanks… So, um… however, the pins in that room look like they were dumped there. Like someone was trying to frame him. I actually then discovered a pin in the room for Dr. Vin and uh… book about how to throw ninja stars.” I say.

The tv then shifts to that room, and the pin is much harder to find; however, the book isn’t.

“Um… look at the location where the pins are… is it too much of a stretch to say, whoever was behind the traps… wanted to frame Charles?” I say.

“Yeah, who leaves pins right outside your door?” Rupert says, “That’s just asking to be stepped on. That is such an obvious attempt to frame someone,”

“More obvious than having their name written in blood?” Charles says.

“We do not talk about what Johnny did.” Rupert spits.

“Doctor, I expected better from you,” Dmitri hisses.

“Please. I sleep in Thomas’s assigned room,” Dr. Vin says, “Whoever actually sleeps in mine is the culprit.”

“…”

“But… that’s Sven’s room,” Thomas says.

“OI! Whose side are you on!” Right snaps.

“W-What?” Sven says, “But I… I…”

“…” Burt looks away. He looks upset. Does he really believe his friend did it?

“I-I’m not the culprit!” Sven says.

“But it checks out,” Rupert says, “You also have access to the kitchen to get supplies.”

“EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO THAT ROOM, PRICE!” Sven shouts, “Someone could’ve easily come on up, and taken those supplies!”

“Uh… Sven?” Charles says, “Sven!”

“W-What?”

“I saw you leave really early after making breakfast on the day the traps started happening… with a bucket,” Charles says.

“S-So? I could’ve used that for my sharks. You guys all know how much I love them!” Sven says.

“You had also complained heavily about the motive…” Thomas says.

“Thomas, stop helping the ene-” Right snaps, before- “OW!”

“Boot to the head!” Terrance cheers.

“I’m allowed to complain about a @$#@ty motive!” Sven says, “Doesn’t mean I killed them!”

“You had a really good opportunity for all that. You woke up early enough to make all those traps,” Charles says.

“What about the one from the middle of the night?!” Sven snaps, “You know, when whoever was doing it, knocked on her door and then proceeded to throw something inside of her room? Scared her really badly.”

“…”

“Um, Sven,” Jacob says, “Ellie only told me that happened…”

“…”

“@$@#” Sven curses.

“I-I’m sorry, Sven, but… I think-” I say.

“Uh-you completely missed.”

“!” Once again, I jump behind Rupert.

“Sven didn’t do it. He’s too stupid to do something like that,” Burt says.

“B-But he just admitted-” I say.

“Like I said. He’s just stupid,” Burt says.

“Hey!” Sven snaps.

I don’t want to accuse Sven either… but he’s the only option. As much as I don’t want to… I have to prove him guilty.

“(Oi, Dave? You want me to take the brunt of it again?)” Rupert asks.

“(S-sure)” I say.

<Rebuttal Showdown>

Truth ~~Bullet~~ Sword: Sven’s Absence

Burt: Sure, it looks like Sven did it.

Burt: But the evidence is circumstantial.

Burt: Sure, he had that pin.

Burt: And sure, he woke up early.

Burt: And sure, he left the kitchen with a bucket.

Burt: But that doesn’t mean he did it.

Rupert: You sound like you’re grasping at straws.

Burt: Says you, sandbag.

Rupert: …

ADVANCE

Burt: Plus, like he said:

Burt: Someone who wasn’t a part of the kitchen staff,

Burt: Could’ve done it.

Burt: It’s open for everyone after all.

Rupert: That goes against your previous theory.

Burt: People can change their minds.

ADVANCE

Rupert: He literally admitted to knowing about a trap only Ellie would know.

Rupert: He’s guilty!

Burt: Or he overheard it.

Burt: Or maybe he even guessed?

Burt: There are some idiots who correctly guessed information they don’t know,

Burt: When they are being accused.

ADVANCE

Burt: Plus, there was uh… one last meeting Right did.

Burt: Which was before my fever broke.

Burt: He was there for that.

Burt: Meaning, he has a solid alibi for the murder.

Rupert: Yeah, right.

Right: Huh?

Burt seems to believe in Sven’s innocence. Not that I blame him. I’ve been in a similar situation beforehand, and even when the logic was thrown at me, I didn’t even once believe Rupert or Johnny did it.

But… I had to accept Rupert did throw down that sandbag in order to defend him. And I had to accept Johnny did… kill.

Unfortunately, I have to prove Sven did set up those traps… and therefor is… *Pause* I’m sorry, Burt.

< Burt: Meaning, he has a solid alibi for the murder.>

SLICE!

“I THINK THAT’S INCORRECT!”

“…Um, didn’t you say that you guys had to go… looking for Sven?” I ask, “Since he was late to the meeting?”

“…”

“Yes, we did,” Thomas hesitantly answers.

“Oi!” Right hisses but doesn’t bother trying to shut him up this time. Not when Terrance has a boot ready.

“Are you saying that the reason Sven was late, was because he was strangling Ellie with his hands?” Charles says.

“I-I mean, it’s a possibility-” I say.

“I wasn’t doing that!” Sven spits, “I was waiting for someone!”

“Who were you waiting for?” Dr. Vin asks.

“T-That’s not important,” Sven says.

“Do not worry, I can answer for you. Obviously, you were waiting for Ellie to come by so he could kill her,” Dmitri says.

“…” Sven bites his lip, “W-Well, I was… but it wasn’t for murder! He never even showed up-”

“Sven, cut the games,” Burt sighs, “You’re going to have to tell the truth.”

“Burt?” Sven says.

“Don’t… Don’t say my name like that. I’ve known you’ve been lying to me ever since Terrance released the motive. The real motive. And since yesterday, it seems your lies have doubled… or changed,” Burt says and looks at Sven like he’s seeing through him, “It’s like I don’t even know who you are.”

“…” Sven rubs his elbow, “You won’t like the truth…”

“…I know,” Burt says somberly, there’s tears in his eyes, “I was hoping if I’d stayed quiet and kept my cards folded, that I could eventually call you out in a safe environment, but…” He goes quiet all of a sudden. His monotone voice breaking into sad one, like he’s on the verge of crying, “S-so, tell us the truth, murderer.”

“I’m not the murderer! I’M… I’m…” Sven shouts before trailing off.

“Admit you have done it, criminal,” Dmitri snaps.

“It would be pointless for you to continue,” Dr. Vin says.

“Out with it! It’d be less painful for all of us!” Rupert snaps.

“I’m… I’m… I’m…”

I brace myself for Sven to start shouting. After all, that’s what Johnny, Rupert, and Reginald did when they were backed into a corner. Shout random nonsense about how they’re innocent, in a desperate swan song to escape the truth. I was expecting Sven to be no different, but instead… his voice gets quieter and softer.

“…” Sven lowers his head, “F-fine. You want the truth? *Sigh* Well… that’s okay. I knew I couldn’t keep pretending forever...”

Then he grabs his hair…

And we were no longer talking with Sven, but Ellie Rose, herself.

We all stared at her, dumbfounded. She gives us all a very, very awkward smile.

“So… um… funny story,” Ellie says awkwardly with Sven’s voice, “Hold on, let me take this off.” She reaches up towards her head, and takes off a previously unseen voice changer, then continues with, “Okay, so uh… I’m alive! Surprised?!”

“…” we all continue to stare.

“Uh… sorry, for not telling you guys sooner. It’s just, I didn’t know how to with… you know…”

“…” I grab my jaw and force it back into my face, as do the rest.

“Woo!” Charles says with his hands in the air, “Ellie’s alive! Still have one of my besties! And if Ellie’s alive then maybe…”

“Why are you looking at Burt like that?” Thomas says with concern.

“…E-Ellie?” Jacob says dumbfounded, “Y-You’re…”

“Yeah… I am. *Pause* Sorry for giving you a scare, bro,” Ellie says.

“…”

“B-but, if you’re here then where’s…” Right says, “…S-Sven?”

“…” Ellie looks away from him, and starts rubbing her shoulder, “I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

We all stand there, quietly processing what just occurred, with the only noise coming from Burt who broke down sobbing.

Eventually, Terrance says, “Welp, it turns out: you can gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss out of being killed, but you also can mansplain, manipulate, and malewife your way into being murdered! And since the truth has now been revealed, let’s fix the podiums, shall we?”

Soon, Terrance takes down Ellie’s portrait, as she shamefully walks to her spot. Then Terrance grabs another portrait behind his throne and places it-

Right where Sven Svensson, the ultimate spare, once stood.

…I didn’t know it was possible for Burt of all people to start crying even harder.

“A-Are you alright?” I ask him.

“I… I-I don’t need your sympathy, hound,” Burt snaps.

“…Well, that was just uncalled for,” Thomas says, “Hey, Terrance. Can Burt take a break from the trial to… calm down?”

“I’m fine,” Burt spits, despite how red and tear stricken his face looks.

“Y-you sure?”

“I need to help Sven get his revenge. Besides, I’ve… handled worse… I’m the head of the communications division in the clan for a reason,” Burt says, as he wipes his tears away with his sleeve. He takes a deep breath and despite him shaking feverishly and his tears keep dripping down his face, he stands up straight with an almost determined look.

“…Am I the only one who wants to know how this happened?” Dmitri spits, “Especially, since this should have been revealed during the autopsy?”

Everyone looks to Dr. Vin. In response, she says, “Trans rights.”

“I don’t think this changes much in the grand scheme of things,” Thomas says, “Sure, Sven may have been the one who tried to kill Ellie, but this only means she killed him in self-defense.”

“Um, no? Why would I switch places with someone who I’m planning to kill?! What does that accomplish?” Ellie says.

“But wasn’t that Sven’s plan?” Thomas asks.

“No! I was dupped! *Sigh* I owe you guys an explanation, don’t I?” Ellie says before sighing, “We all know that I had a target on my back for the last two days, and I was…scared. Scared for my life. That’s when Sven approached me in the dressing room. He said he wanted to help me and had his suspicions about who was doing this to me, but he needed to get closer. He offered that if we trade places for a day, then he could find who was trying to kill me and stop them, while I can sit back safe and sound.”

“Was that why you were late to our meeting?” Thomas asks, “Because you were waiting for Sven to switch back?”

Ellie nods, “Yep, that was the plan. Wasn’t supposed to last this long… But now I see I was played!”

“How do we know you’re not just lying to save your own skin?” Dmitri says.

“What purpose would it serve me to dress up as my victim?” Ellie snaps back, “Either way, I’d still be the culprit, regardless of who we think the victim and culprit are.”

“But you still actively helped cause Sven’s death!” Right snaps.

“It wasn’t on purpose! He was the one who was trying to kill me!” Ellie says.

“But you didn’t know that at the time…” Burt says, “All you knew was Sven was willing to switch places with you to get you out of the danger zone. Did it ever occur to you that doing so could get Sven hurt or worse? Or that he was doing it to end his own life? Yet you still did it, because you were willing to let another person die to save your own skin. Regardless of who the killer is, one thing is true: You are an accomplice.”

“…” Ellie looks shocked.

“Well… even if she was an accomplice, it doesn’t mean she did it,” Charles says.

“So, does that mean we are back to square one?” Dr. Vin asks.

“Charles could have still done it,” Jacob says, “He was on an opposing faction after all.”

“Jacob!” Ellie snaps, “There’s no way he would’ve been able to do it.”

“How so?” Thomas asks.

“Because Charles doesn’t know how to lock pick, the only reason we were suspecting him is because he had the opportunity to learn through Henry and me,” Ellie says, “Which never happened! Jacob, you should know this!”

“But he was still on an opposing side,” Dmitri says.

“Oi, I’m going to stop you right there. Until this moment, no one except Ellie and Sven knew they swapped places. If Charles killed purely because Sven was an opposing faction, it wouldn’t make any sense because he wouldn’t have known Ellie was Sven. Plus, the whole ‘could’ve learned how to lock pick’ is flimsy at best! That can’t be what we use to convict him!” Rupert says.

“Plus, Charles would never betray his friends…” Ellie says.

“Don’t know about that…” Rupert quietly says.

Not quietly enough, as Charles soon responds, “You still mad about me not defending you in the last trial?”

“(…among other things…)” Rupert softly mumbles.

“But then… who did it?” Thomas says, “All of our suspects have alibis. Right, Burt, and I were at the meeting. Ellie was an accomplice, and it wouldn’t make any sense. Finally, Charles is so incredibly unlikely that there’s barely any evidence that links him and the stuff that does can easily be argued to be circumstantial!”

“The only thing I can think of is that Sven wanted to frame him, which might be evidence against Charles. At least provide a motive.” Dr. Vin says, “But that is still a stretch.”

“Hm…” Charles says, “Hey, Dave. You’ve been quiet for a while. What do you think? Are there any misconceptions we need to clear up? Might fix the case!”

“Uh! Why do you ask me?” I say.

“Dunno. You seem capable enough. Come on! You’ve led us this far, what’s stopping you now?” Charles says.

“Um… okay? I’ll… I’ll try,” I say, “But I don’t know where to start?”

“How about Sven’s plan?” Rupert says, “That’s the biggest question we have right now. Maybe if we figure that out, the rest of this case may fall into place. Or at least, become clearer.”

Okay… what was Sven’s plan? That’s a loaded question, but…I think I can come up with something.

<Logic Dive>

Why did Sven need to switch places with Ellie?

-He was intending to kill her.

-He was intending to frame her.

-He wanted to dress like a girl for a day.

> He was intending to frame her. <

“I hope I’m right!”

“Uh…I think, Sven wanted to frame Ellie for the murder he wanted to commit?” I say, “Since like Ellie said, there would be no reason for him to kill her if they swapped places.”

“…”

“…I want to say he would never, but… I’m using all my energy to contribute, so I can’t use it to be in denial…” Burt says.

“But he was trying to frame Charles for the traps?” Ellie says, “Because he was trying to kill me until he changed his mind or something…”

“Because… those traps were never design to kill you…” Rupert suddenly says, “They were only meant to scare you enough to help him.”

“!”

“H-how so?” Jacob asks.

“Think about it, getting stabbed by a bunch of pins hurts, but I doubt it’s lethal, bleach hurts like Hell when splashed on you and can severely harm you, but lethal? Not so much. And finally, yes eating something sharp can kill you, but here’s the thing, Terrance came to Ellie’s aid. Why would he mend the wounds of a soon to be victim of murder? It’s because he only wants us to die via a murder attempt not anything else.”

“So- GOD DAMN IT!” Ellie shouts, “I’ve been played a like fiddle.”

“Wouldn’t say that. Fiddles are hard to play,” Burt says.

“So, Sven planned to kill, while framing Ellie for the crime, and tried framing Charles for the traps,” Dr. Vin says, “But that begs the question… who was his target?”

“The killer....” Thomas says, “They would’ve been forced to do so in self-defense.”

“Are you ignoring the signs of torture on Sven’s body?” Burt asks, “This wasn’t self-defense.”

“…Maybe it was at first?” Thomas says.

“Regardless… whoever Sven was targeting ended up killing him,” Dmitri says, “But then, who was it?”

Everyone goes silent. I soon spot Charles and Rupert looking at me. Are they expecting me to give an answer?

Shoot… I don’t know! Everyone involved has been cleared! Is there something we missed? Someone who was involved that we haven’t talked about yet.

I grab my hat and pull it down. I feel the need to bite something. Think Dave! Think! What do we know about the murderer? They killed Sven yesterday, thinking he was Ellie, know how to lock pick, killed Henry as he was a witness, and doesn’t have a stable… alibi…

…Who among the list of people who could’ve done it, has an alibi?

Burt’s alibi is flimsy, as he could be lying about the shower, but him doing it also feels flimsy, Ellie’s right about the logistics of her wanting to kill, and-

and…

…

Oh.

I feel sick to my stomach. I don’t want to say his name. He’s my friend, and I promised I would believe him. Plus, it feels so… wrong for him to do something like this. But… he’s the only one who could’ve done it. No! There has to be a way to prove he didn’t!

I go through the evidence again and again in a vain attempt to prove myself wrong, but to my horror everything starts to click. As much as I want to deny and refuse it, he did it.

“Dave, you alright?” Rupert says.

I give Rupert a look, “…I… know who did it.”

“Finally,” Terrance says.

“…”

“Are…are you going to say who did it?” Charles asks.

“…” I nod. Then I say, “I’m so sorry for this, but-”

“D-Dave?” Jacob says.

<Select a Stick>

<Jacob>

“I’m so sorry!”

“J-Jacob, what did you say what the trap was, that caused Sven to go back into his room to recover?” I slowly say.

“…” Jacob stares at me. He just barely maintains his composure.

“What are you talking about?” Ellie suddenly says, “You can’t be seriously implying that he did this! Jacob would never! He can’t even hurt a fly! You have got to have some pretty good evidence to back this up!”

I wince at her words. I don’t want to do this either, Ellie but…

<Select Evidence>

< Truth Bullet: Jacob’s Account>

“I hope I’m right.”

I feel like I’m betraying Jacob’s trust, but I still force myself to say, “Jacob has admitted to being the last person who has seen Sven and said that he went back into his room because of a trap. But… he hasn’t said anything about what that trap was… I’m sure I’m wrong and I’m just jumping to conclusions, but-”

“…” Jacob stares at me and says bitterly, “Are you saying… that I attempted to kill my own sister? *Pause* I-I thought so much better of you Dave… I thought you were my friend!”

“…” I grab my shoulder. Guilt washes over me.

“Well? What was it?” Rupert says.

“…” Jacob goes quiet.

“Oi! The trap. What was it?” Rupert repeats.

Everyone looks at him. Sweat drips down his face. He stares at all of us. Eventually, he takes a deep breath and says, “A-Alright. I can tell you guys what happened. And you’ll see- Dave’s just lying.”

“!”

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Tampering

Jacob: Charles told me that Ellie wanted to hang out in the gym.

Jacob: So, I went over there.

Jacob: But when I got there, immediately a trap sprung on us!

Jacob: I managed to dodge it, but Sven…

Jacob: He got injured.

Jacob: So, we decided to call it, and he went back to his room.

Jacob: Charles and Henry then came in soon afterwards.

Jacob: You should’ve already known this…

Rupert: And you should know that your testimony is full of holes!

Rupert: Like for example why would Sven set up a trap there?

Jacob: He must have forgotten about that one.

I agree with Rupert. There’s something off about his testimony. I’ll just have to prove what it is!

< Jacob: He got injured.>

BANG!

“I DISAGREE!”

“Could you tell us what his injuries were?” I ask.

“W-Well, isn’t it obvious?” Jacob says.

“…No, it isn’t. The puncture wounds and stab wound Sven has been all linked to the crime… there’s nothing else there…”

“What about the bruises? T-They could’ve been caused by it!” Jacob says.

“That is impossible,” Dr. Vin says, “All those bruises were created by Right way after death.”

“But maybe some of them were caused by the trap!” Ellie says, “We can never know for sure!”

“Y-Yeah, some of those bruises were caused by the trap,” Jacob says, “You can’t tell because Right added a bunch more…”

“See? He didn’t do it!” Ellie says triumphantly.

“Hm. Then how about we prove Sven died in gym?” Dmitri says.

“W-What?” Jacob says.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Metal Rod

Dmitri: Please, I cannot be the only one who thinks this.

Dmitri: We have yet to establish where Sven died.

Thomas: And Henry technically.

Burt: I don’t think that matters.

Ellie: Jacob said he went to his room.

Ellie: So, that’s where he died.

Jacob: That checks out with all the facts…

Jacob: It’s the only place he could’ve died.

Jacob: Therefor, I’m innocent.

Dmitri: Unless Dave proves otherwise.

Dmitri is taking my side in this?! I didn’t expect him to ever do something like that. Guess I have another person counting on me… I can’t let him down! (Like how I’m doing with Jacob).

< Ellie: So, that’s where he died.>

BANG!

“I DISAGREE!”

“Um… Actually, there’s proof Sven died in the gym.”

“Which is?” Ellie snaps, causing me to flinch.

“…This metal rod,” I say, “I found it on the floor, and it has a blood stain on its side. I think… this was the murder weapon. Not the killer’s hands.”

“Hm. It does match injuries from what I recall,” Dr. Vin says.

“Stop hiding evidence,” Dmitri hisses.

“I am so sorry for not describing in excruciating detail what I find on bodies regardless of if it is related to the case or not.”

“Good. Maybe there is hope for you.”

“…I was being sarcastic…” Dr. Vin says.

“Well, maybe the murderer brought it back into the room?” Jacob says.

“But… it wasn’t properly placed back…” I say.

“Ooo! Alright, in honor of Henry-” Charles says and starts singing Pursuit.

“Well, that’s just one piece of evidence!” Jacob says, “The killer could’ve moved the metal rod. It might’ve even left the room so they could kill El-Sven!”

<Non-Stop Debate>

~~Truth Bullet:~~ ~~Taser in the prize room~~

Lie Bullet: Taser in the gym.

Jacob: That’s only one piece of evidence!

Jacob: It’s possible that the killer took the metal rod from the gym.

Jacob: Went to Sven’s room.

Jacob: And killed him right there!

Jacob: There’re no other pieces of evidence.

Dmitri: The metal rod has blood on it.

Dmitri: Which acts as your footprint throughout this crime.

Ellie: Didn’t we already decide that Sven had the ninja-star?

Ellie: Could the killer have brought the metal rod over to his room.

Ellie: Stole his ninja-star, then hurt him-

Ellie: In his own room?

There’re not many pieces of evidence that points to Sven being killed in the gym, but it’s more than any other room… I think one of the pieces of evidence aligns with Jacob’s route, but I don’t think anyone will believe me… Maybe I can… stretch the truth a little?

< Jacob: There’re no other pieces of evidence.>

BANG!

“I uh… checked it!”

“Well, um… the taser was found in the gym. So, that’s another piece of evidence-”

“Dave, stop. The taser was found in the prize room. Why are you so determined to convict me, that you’re lying about where it was!” Jacob says.

“Funny… I only told Dave it was in the prize room; how did you know where it was?” Dmitri says.

“!”

“Wow, Dave! Didn’t know you could be manipulative,” Charles says, “Good job on tricking him into confessing!”

“Uh… yeah,” I say. I guess lying worked out in the end, despite my intentions… I should make a mental note to not try something like this again…

“W-Well… I hanged out with Dave yesterday in the prize room,” Jacob says, “And I saw in there.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything?” Rupert says.

“Didn’t think much of it at the time, you know… brain farts,” Jacob says.

“Don’t you use my alibi to defend yourself,” Burt snaps.

“I’m sorry, Jacob, but… your story is falling apart…” I say.

“HOW’S THAT HELP!”

“!” At this point, I wonder if Rupert ever gets tired of me always hiding behind him. If he does, he mercifully doesn’t voice it.

“Alright. Stop this! Jacob didn’t @$#@ing do this! I know him!” Ellie shouts.

“Tch. Can’t accept the truth?” Rupert says.

“You are one to talk mister!” Ellie snaps, “Besides, I made a promise that I will protect him. And nothing is going to change that fact!”

Is Jacob really the culprit? Maybe I’m wrong… Ellie seems to think I am. She’s probably right-

“(Oi, Dave?)”

“(Yeah?)”

“(Are you doubting yourself again?)”

“(No! But… she seems really passionate…)”

“(I was passionate too… but Johnny still killed, and I still threw that sandbag down. Don’t give up, Dave)”

“(…Thanks.)”

<Rebuttal Showdown>

Truth ~~Bullet~~ Sword: Big Bag

Ellie: This is so stupid!

Ellie: ‘My brother-

Ellie: Attempted to kill me,

Ellie: And killed one of my closet friends?!’

Ellie: PLEASE!

Ellie: That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard!

ADVANCE

Ellie: Look at him!

Ellie: Does this look like a killer to you!

Rupert: …Anyone can kill if given the motive to.

Ellie: Ugh.

Ellie: Why are you so against me?

Ellie: I HELPED YOU!

ADVANCE

Rupert: If you are so adamant about his innocence.

Rupert: Then, why don’t you tell us why he didn’t do it?

Ellie: Because Sven was killed somewhere else!

Ellie: And before you talk about that metal rod again-

Ellie: Charles and Henry would’ve found the body, much earlier,

Ellie: If he was truly killed in the gym.

Ellie: You all have nothing!

Ellie: You just want to pin the blame on someone…

Ellie doesn’t want to believe Jacob did it. I don’t either but… I’m so sorry…

< Ellie: Charles and Henry would’ve found the body, much earlier,>

SLICE!

“I THINK THAT’S INCORRECT!”

“I’m sorry, Ellie, but… Charles and Henry wouldn’t have found Sven’s body in the gym.” I say.

“Why not?!” Ellie snaps.

“Because… the killer hid him in a gym bag in the closet. There’s blood inside of it, which proves he was at one point in there… Plus, you grabbed Sven’s voice changer from the bag, d-didn’t you?”

“…” Ellie stares at me before saying, “S-So what if I did? Charles and Henry still could’ve-”

“Actually, Els, we had no reason to think someone was dead,” Charles says, “All we knew is that Jacob was in the gym first and that Sven needed to go back to his room. If Sven’s body was in a bag and in the closet, without knowledge that he was dead and killed nearby, we would have no reason to check it.”

“…”

“…Ellie? Aren’t you going to keep going?” Jacob asks.

“I am, I’m just… thinking. There’s got to be a way to prove-”

“Tch. You always mess it up, don’t you?” Jacob snaps.

“?!”

“Fine. Like usual, I have to get myself out of this mess,” Jacob says.

“There is nothing else to be said, though” Burt says, “You killed my best friend. If your dumb@## sister can’t save you. Then you might as well give up.”

“Dang…” Thomas says.

“…” Jacob takes a deep breath, but it doesn’t stop him from shaking. He then says, “Then how about I tell you all about how Dave’s lying?”

“I’m not lying. I wish I was… but I’m not!”

“Oh? Well, I’ll admit my alibi isn’t… watertight…” Jacob says, “But you’ve known who actually did it this entire time!”

“W-who?”

“Rupert.”

“…What? He’s cleared! He saw-”

“Exactly,” Jacob says, “But you failed to mention who was the third person who saw it?”

“…Henry?” I guess.

“…No. Nobody. You’ve said it yourself. Don’t think I didn’t hear you mumble how the BDA was delayed.”

“Well, Terrance has delayed turning on the lights before,” Charles pitches in, “He might’ve not realized Dave and Rupert discovered the body.”

“I’ll have you know I have a heartrate monitor system on all of you! And it alerts me the moment someone dies!” Terrance snaps, “So, I have yet to miss a BDA!”

“…”

“So, why didn’t the BDA go off immediately?” Jacob says, “Well, that’s because three innocents seeing the body isn’t the only way for it to trigger. It also triggers twenty-four hours after death. And Sven… was killed yesterday.”

“…” Burt grabs his arm.

“Another person read the rules? It must be my birthday!” Terrance says.

“And how does that make me guilty?” Rupert snaps.

“Because your only alibi has been disproven,” Jacob says with slightly uncanny expression, he then smiles, “It makes more sense for you to kill Sven then me. I thought Sven was my sister. Someone I’ve known closely since I was six. And you? You’re a blood thirsty killer. You tried to kill your boyfriend, last round, and… you’ve been spending a lot of time with Ellie. I guess, when you are picking your targets, you can’t aim well.”

“Oi! Ellie started hanging out with me! Not the other way around!” Rupert says, “Besides, I don’t know how to lock pick!”

“…That can’t be proven,” Jacob says.

“Well, it can. Causes there is no one here I’m friendly with that knows how to lock pick!” Rupert snaps.

“…” Jacob looks at Rupert before saying, “Ellie knows how to lock pick. She has to, it’s a part of her ultimate.”

“What?!” everyone shouts.

“You sure this a good idea?” Ellie asks, “Weren’t you scared that-”

“Ellie, I’m on the verge of being voted off! *Pause* It’s the only way to prove my innocence…,” Jacob says.

“…Alright,” Ellie says hesitantly. Then she brings out-

Her bio card. Revealing her ultimate, as the ultimate criminal.

“…”

“Of course, the only redeemable neutral is a criminal,” Dmitri complains.

“W-What?” Rupert says, a look of betrayal covers his face.

Ellie rubs her arm awkwardly.

“Which means, during their hang outs, Rupert could’ve tricked Ellie into teaching him how to do that skill,” Jacob says.

“WHAT NO! I couldn’t have ever ‘tricked’ her into doing that! I didn’t even know she knew how to! Plus, that never happened!”

“…Ellie. Can you confirm either or?” Jacob asks.

“…” Ellie gives the crowd an awkward look before saying, “I taught him to do that, yeah. Rupert has to be the culprit.”

“…” Rupert just stares at Ellie in shock.

“Well, I guess that settles it.” Dmitri says, “We should have voted him out at the very start. Would have saved us some time. My votes in.”

“Should’ve known…” Right hisses.

“Honestly, makes sense. Jacob does not seem capable of murder, while Rupert…” Dr. Vin says.

No! Rupert’s innocent! The evidence lines up with Jacob not him! There’s got to be something that proves Rupert’s innocent besides the BDA.

<Select Evidence>

< Truth Bullet: Rope>

“I hope I’m right.”

“Um. Rupert said he didn’t know the rope’s existence before we found the body…” I say.

“I thought he said he did know,” Jacob says.

“Well, he lied to save his ego…” I reply.

“…” Rupert tries to reply but stops himself.

Jacob huffs, “Dave, give up. I know you don’t want to say goodbye to your boyfriend, but… you can’t keep denying he isn’t a killer forever!”

“Actually, I overheard that conversation,” Charles says, “And I’m friends with Rupert as well, and yeah- he definitely lied back there.”

“And if you don’t believe that, I saw him yesterday at the time of the murder. Sure, we were technically close by, but after a certain talk we split ways. And I remember him going the opposite way of where the gym was,” Thomas says.

“What?” Rupert says in confused tone.

“I may not like you, but I’m not going to deny facts over it!” Thomas says.

“Plus, the only thing linking Rupert to the crime is his past actions,” Burt says, “While Jacob has multiple pieces of evidence linking him. Plus, Sven… was out for blood. I-it doesn’t matter if Jacob believed that it was his sister, or he wouldn’t do something like it. It was either him or S-Sven. (At least in his mind…). Plus, Sven and I eavesdropped when Ellie and Rupert were hanging out, and she didn’t teach him out to lockpick once.”

“Oh, that is rich! Rupert wanted to escape earlier, what is stopping him now!” Dmitri snaps.

“Rupert has blood on his hands. He would’ve done it again,” Right says.

“Again, it is unlikely Jacob would have done something like this,” Dr. Vin says.

“Yeah!” Ellie says, “Jacob would never try to kill me in a million years!”

“…” Jacob gives Ellie a look before saying, “Thanks…”

“Ooo. Looks like we have split opinion~” Terrance says, “Alright! Everyone get to your sides-”

“Wait. I’m not arguing alongside law enforcement swine,” Right snaps.

“Dave. Get over here,” Dmitri says, “You are with us.”

“But-”

“Are you a part of this faction or not?” Dmitri snaps.

“…”

Despite everything in my heart telling me not to, I walk over to Dmitri’s side. I look over at Rupert, who gives me a small smile. Glad he doesn’t have any hard feelings. Right does the same to be with his toppats.

“…” Terrance looks at us, before saying, “What happened to ‘not switching sides because it wouldn’t be earnest?’”

No one answers him.

“Fine! Let’s start debating!”

<Scum Debate>

Rupert’s Guilty Jacob’s Guilty

-Dmitri -Rupert

-Dr. Vin -Thomas

-Ellie -Charles

-Jacob -Burt

-Dave? -Right?

<BEGIN!>

Dr. Vin: Jacob lacks the strength to kill.

Burt: Doesn’t matter if he lacks it. A taser was used to incapacitate.

Ellie: Jacob would never!

Charles: Sven was out for blood. Jacob would haven’t had a choice.

Jacob: Sven went back to his room! Rupert could’ve easily killed him there!

Thomas: All evidence points to Sven being killed at the gym. Which was where you were, and he wasn’t.

Dmitri: Rupert is a blood thirsty killer! He could have tried again!

Rupert: …I’m trying to redeem myself. I won’t have done it again…

Dmitri: YOUR OPINION DOESN NOT MATTER PRICE- OW!

Terrance: BOOT TO THE HEAD!

Dave: …

Right: …@$#@ you.

“THIS IS OUR ANSWER!”

“Darn. I’ve already voted,” Dmitri says, “Can I-”

“No.” Terrance says.

“Guess, I was wrong…” Dr. Vin says, “Sorry, Rupert.”

“I don’t need your empty apology…” Rupert snaps.

“Anyways. I think it’s time to vote,” Burt says.

“About time! Sweet vengeance for Henry-” Thomas says.

“NO!” Jacob shouts, cracking under the pressure. The deep breathes he has been doing since accused, long forgotten, “No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!”

“Jacob… you alright?” Ellie asks.

“Murderers…. Murderers… you’re all murderers. Always fighting… always at each other’s throats,” Jacob says, insanity in his eyes, “You know it’s funny, no, ironic, that being trapped in this killing game is the only reason why you haven’t ripped each other to shreds! Because there is nowhere to escape to once you take your enemy out, unlike in the outside world where you can just run to the comfort of your own factions. *Pause* You know how many people tried to kill Rupert after the captain’s trial? More than one, I can tell you that!”

“W-What?” I say. Rupert’s expression is unreadable. It seems he knew, but not fully.

“Oh, you want to know my proof? Dmitri had a bag full of goodies that he was planning to use on Rupert,”

“How did you-” Dmitri shouts.

“So, it is true?” Dr. Vin says.

“…”

“Very much so,” Jacob says, “Another attempt, was that someone wrote notes to him asking him to kill himself, which only works if it’s assisted. Plus, from what I’ve heard, Right visited him and beat him up. P-probably would’ve killed him too if there wasn’t an execution waiting for him if he went through with it!”

“…” Right doesn’t say a word, but the toppats, especially Thomas, are looking at him in shock.

“And now you’re all gaining up on me… because I’m weak, I’m an easy target, and I have nothing to protect me.”

“I’m protecting-” Ellie says but goes ignored.

“W-Well jokes on you all! _I’m ^not_dying ^here^.”

<Argument Armament>

MURDERERS!

YOU ARE

ALL TRYING

TO KILL ME!

YOU ALL

DESERVE TO BE

TRAPPED HERE!

SVEN

WENT BACK

TO HIS ROOM.

THERE’S NOTHING ELSE TO IT!

I

DIDN’T

DO IT!

BUT

IF I

DONE IT!

HOW

COULD YOU

TELL ME

THAT I

WAS

WRONG!

YOU ALL HAVE IT COMING!

I THOUGHT

BETTER OF YOU,

DAVE.

I THOUGHT

YOU WERE

DIFFERENT.

I THOUGHT

WE WERE

FRIENDS.

YET

HERE

YOU ARE

CLAIMING THAT I TRIED TO KILL MY OWN SISTER!

YOU ARE

JUST LIKE

EVERYONE ELSE.

A FILTHY

DISGUSTING

KILLER.

YOU CAN’T

EVEN SAVE YOUR

OWN BEST FRIEND!

WHY DID

I EVEN

TRUST YOU

IN

THE

FIRST PLACE?

<Final Blow>

“You’ve only claimed I was at that crime scene. But you never said anything if I had the means to do it!

So, tell me the smoking gun, that proves I have done it!”

I pause for a second. I see Charles and Rupert, both cheering me on. With that I take a deep breath and-

YOU KNOW HOW TO LOCK PICK.

“I’m sorry…”

“…You lock picked into a safe in front of me a few days prior to the murder…” I slowly say, “I even gave you that lock picking set I won from the prize machine. You seemed really good at it…”

“…”

“Haha… You know… I always knew… that no matter how much I tried… how much I wanted to be a regular civilian… There was no way my criminal past wouldn’t bite in the butt…” he laughs coldly. Tears drip down his face.

“…” Ellie tries to say something, but nothing comes out of her mouth.

“Um, Dave. I know Jacob is guilty and all,” Charles says, “But… can you explain what happened? I’m kind of confused.”

“…S-Sure,” I say. I don’t want to. It hurts way too much to convict Jacob. To betray his trust. Maybe I did get it wrong after all. The only way to know for sure is to go over what happened.

<Closing Argument>

“It all started when the trapper decided to kill. That was a problem for him, as his best friend was sick, and needed to be watched over. However, he was able to come up with a plan to get around this issue, and that was getting Ellie to be his accomplice. She would never agree to help him kill, especially since the trapper’s real target was her brother, so he set up numerous traps in his free time targeting her, in attempt to scare her. Charles noticed, but didn’t think it was too suspicious. In the end, Ellie was attacked by those traps.

“The traps did their job well, as Ellie started fearing for her life. That’s when the trapper approached her. Offering to switch places with her in costume, so she can avoid dying, and he ‘could get to the bottom of this’. Ellie agreed, and so the trapper was now Ellie Rose.

“Then their plan was in action. For some reason, the trapper decided to frame Charles for all the traps, and hid one of the trap’s mechanisms, pins, in his room. Afterwards, with their new disguise, the trapper asked Charles to grab the culprit to hang out in the gym. Maybe so, Charles and Henry would be witness so they can frame Ellie? I don’t know… Charles agreed, and the culprit walked in expecting a hangout, but in turn was ambushed. However, the culprit somehow managed to get the upper hand and taze the trapper. Causing them to become temporarily paralyzed.

“And I shouldn’t speculate, but I think… seeing that their sister, someone who swore that she’ll protect them, tried to take their life, might have caused the culprit to snap. In a rage, they first stabbed trapper’s hand, as maybe a form of payback. However, it wasn’t enough for them, and soon got a better idea. They proceeded to taze the trapper again to make sure they couldn’t fight back, as the killer grabbed a metal rod, pressed it against their victim’s throat and… well now he had a body.

“However, since Charles and Henry were coming, the culprit needed to hide the body fast. They ran into the gym’s closet and hid them in a bag. They then came back out and met up with Charles and Henry. Coming up with the excuse that a trap sprung on both of them, and that Ellie needed to go back to her room. Soon, he met up with me, and hid the taser in the room we were both in. Later once nighttime came, the killer went back, grabbed the body, went to the catwalks room, lock picked the door (don’t think you need eyesight for that), and then tied a rope around the victim’s neck and the catwalk’s railing. After that… he was able to hid the cause of death.

“Once done, he headed back to assumedly get rid of the ninja star. However, Henry showed up and the culprit probably freaked out and threw the ninja star at him. He was somehow able to get a lucky shot, which killed Henry instantly. The culprit then grabbed his body and hid him in the catwalk room.”

“And… the person who made those traps, along with the only person who could’ve killed him are…”

“Sven Svensson, ultimate spare, and m-my friend, Jacob Rose. The ultimate security guard.”

<Complete!>

“Does that make any sense?” I ask.

“I think it does,” Rupert says.

“Simp,” Burt says.

“OI!”

“Henry’s dead. I can’t make fun of Thomas anymore,” Burt says.

“Anyways, this trial has gone on WAY TOO LONG. So, how about everyone cast in their votes. And if you vote wrong, I swear to all things holy-” Terrance says.

Once again, we write down who we think it is on a piece of paper. I feel my stomach tie up into a knot as I write Jacob’s name down on it.

Soon, everyone gives their votes to Terrance. Everyone except Burt and Ellie.

“…Guys. We can’t continue if you don’t vote,” Terrance says.

“I’m almost done…” Burt says, as he keeps writing on the paper. Actually, I don’t think he’s writing. Soon, he gives his vote to Terrance.

“You know… you don’t have to draw who you think it is being hanged to count as a vote,” Terrance says.

“It’s satisfying.”

“*Sigh* Well… I guess it still counts,” Terrance says, “…Ellie, vote.”

“…”

“Come on, we don’t have all day.”

“…I’m not voting,” Ellie says.

“…Just vote for Dave like a normal person if voting for your brother is too hard,” Terrance says, “He’s the one who got Jacob out.”

“But he didn’t do it,” Ellie says.

“Rupert then.”

“I’m not voting for someone who is innocent!”

“Strange, you were ‘convinced’ he was guilty a few minutes ago. Are you admitting that you lied about teaching him how to lock pick?”

“…” Ellie cringes.

“Look just write down a name, and then we can continue on! I can wait until the next morning if I have to! But be warned, the sharks shouldn’t be eating rotted corpses,” Terrance says.

“…” Ellie sighs and writes down her vote. She then gives it to Terrance.

“FINALLY! *Pause* Oh, real mature. Voting for me. *Sigh* You should be glad so sick of this trial that allow it. Anyways- drum roll please.”

Charles starts tapping on his podium. We all look at him annoyed.

“What? He said please.”

“The culprit is- Jacob Rose! You got it!” Terrance says confetti is soon blasted into the room. I glance over at Jacob, he’s crying now. Guilt washes over me.

“IN YOUR STUPID, STUPID FACE!” Terrance yells as he runs over to Jacob and pokes him a few times, “You can’t hide under your lack-of-a-true-faction forever, @$@#%-boy! LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” Jacob cries even harder.

“SHUT UP!” Ellie snaps.

“Oh, my goodness… it’s over… it’s over…” Terrance sighs and falls to his knees like he’s beaten a really hard boss, “I thought that plan wouldn’t work, but man it did!”

“W-What plan? W-Were you even going to l-let me out?” Jacob whimpers.

“…” Terrance looks at him. He then gets up and says, “Of course, I would’ve! But you lost, SUCKER!” He then makes his hand into an ‘L’ shape and places it on his head. It’s backwards, “You got five minutes left, before I kill you! But for now- LET’S GOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Oh my God, I haven’t felt this good since Reginald died.”

“…”

We then walk off our podiums. Accidentally, Jacob bumps into Dr. Vin. Swiftly, he apologizes.

Once we are far enough away, Burt asks, “…Why did you stab Sven?”

“…He was being annoying,” Jacob says with a hiss, “He was begging me not to kill him. Saying I wasn’t his target. And he wouldn’t do it again! Tch, I know for a fact if the roles were reversed, he wouldn’t have listened to my begging either.”

Burt begins walking to Jacob, but Thomas stops him.

“Don’t. He’s dead man anyways.”

“…”

“Anyways, why did you kill H-Henry? Sven should’ve been enough, right?” Thomas asks.

“…I didn’t mean to,” Jacob admits, “After I finished hanging Sven, I was very… tense. I was originally going to do a better job at hiding the evidence, by placing the ninja star back in the armory and burning the bag in the incinerator, but then… I heard Henry calling for me out of nowhere, and… my hand moved before my brain did. And… I got a lucky shot.

“If you’re wondering, I did feel bad. Really bad. Sven had it coming, but he didn’t. I couldn’t finish hiding the evidence, because of the shock. I was barely able to hide his body, it was so bad.”

“So, he was an afterthought after all,” Thomas hisses, he then sighs with his cheeks red, “But despite that, he still manages to help us solve this case. Heh. Even in death, he can’t help but be amazing.”

“Did you even know who it was you killed?” Charles asks.

“No. I thought Sven was Ellie, and I thought Henry was…” Jacob pauses before spiting, “Dave.” I jump a little, “Maybe it would’ve been better that way, b-because he betrayed me, and now I’m going to… going to…” Jacob trails off, the reality of his situation hitting him. He begins visibly shaking as tears go down his eyes, while he continues to repeat, “…going to…”

Suddenly, Ellie firmly places her hand on his shoulder, breaking him out of his panic. She then states with certainty, “I’m not letting him kill you. You’re not dying here!”

“…R-Really?” Jacob says, but it didn’t sound reassured.

“Yeah! I’ll sacrifice myself if I have to!”

“I am not fixing up another-” Dr. Vin complains before being interrupted by Jacob.

“Just like you said you’d protect me, but then abandoned me the first second you it gets too hard for you?!” Jacob shouts with anger in his voice, as he separates himself from Ellie.

“What? I didn’t-”

“Did you ever consider that I could be in danger because of those traps? That someone, targeting you, could’ve gone after me? But instead of thinking that, you ran away to the toppat faction to save your own hide?! Leaving me to defend myself?! It’s not even the first time you’ve done this! When we were looking for Dave all those weeks ago, you abandoned me again. And not even for a good reason! You just heard something and went off looking for it. Did you ever consider I could’ve died that night if Johnny didn’t mistake me as his friend? Did that ever keep you up at night? I know it did for me!”

“…Jacob…”

“That’s not even talking about Rupert! OH RUPERT! I was there you know, when Dave asked you to check up on him. You were only supposed to look into his room, see how he’s doing and then tell Dave. But noooooooooooo, you just HAD to try and befriend him! And I don’t care if you say that he regrets what he did. He could easily be lying about that to gain your trust! He could easily kill me to escape.”

“He wasn’t going to kill,” Ellie says, “Jacob, please. I know I’ve made some dumb mistakes, but regardless of what I’ve done, I love you.”

“You love me?” Jacob says, before laughing, “YOU LOVE ME?! THE ONLY PERSON YOU LOVE IS YOURSELF! THERE IS NO ROOM IN YOUR SHRIVELED UP HEART FOR ANYONE EXCEPT YOURSELF! YOU NEVER CONSIDERED WHAT OTHER PEOPLE MAY THINK! YOU ONLY CARED ABOUT WHAT HELPS YOU! That’s why when I decided to clean up my act, you didn’t follow, because unlike me, who only stole to survive, you stole for the thrill. You enjoy taking from others. I never did. And even when I told you to stop, you never did. You could’ve easily dragged me down with you, with your reckless behavior. Maybe you already have, and the reason why I’m trapped in this Hell and about to die is because I’m associated with you.

“And yet you say you love me. So, because you ‘loved me’, you took away my future, you got me to steal with you, you got me to go down to your level. Because you ‘love me.’”

“But… we didn’t have a choice,” Ellie argues, “It was either that or we would’ve been separated by the orphanage. Both of us would have been alone.”

“Ha. Maybe that wouldn’t have been so bad. You know, Terrance and the Toppat Clan may have killed my parents and destroyed my home all those years ago, but you… you ruined my life. I hate you. I wish I never had the displeasure of meeting you, and I wish it was you that I strangled with a metal rod.”

“…” we all stand there in silence. Ellie more so. She looks like she’s about to cry.

“…Man, you’re not supposed to kill more than two people!” Charles says.

“…” Jacob glares at Charles.

Silently, Ellie walks over to Jacob. She then grabs his shoulder.

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t know you felt that way… I… I love you. I… I promise, I’ll be better. I’ll make it up to you… please…” Ellie says as tears drip down her cheeks. Jacob looks at her and then backs up.

“You know… there was one thing that I don’t regret with you…”

“W-which was?” Ellie says, as tears fall off her face. I noticed Rupert perk up.

“When you taught me how to pick pocket,” Jacob says.

Suddenly, Rupert tackles Ellie to the ground as Jacob throws the ninja directly at where her head was. It hits the wall with a thud, and it sticks there. He stares at the ninja star in shock, almost like he didn’t even know what he was doing but begins to laugh. There is no sanity in it.

“OH @#$@, he’s got a taste for blood!” Terrance yells and quickly states, “Uh- five minutes are cut short-

TW: Self harm

IT’S PUNISMENT TIME!”

Notes:

BOY! I'm so glad Sven Svensson, ultimate spare and not to be confused with ultimate criminal survived! Wow, got scared for a second there! But I'm so glad he's alive! Wow! Pretty sure he might even become a survivor! So glad he's alive!
Hey where did my nickels go-
I was inspired by a theory from Danganronpa Despair Time (you can watch it on YouTube), where two characters secretly swapped places, and so the victim was actually alive. To be honest, that theory was very copium rather than truthful, but I decided to write my own version of that twist! (Also the twist was inspired by Danganronpa v85: Sparks of Hope by Pokevaven, and the BDA 24 hour rule was stolen from... well I couldn't find it, but trust me, this wasn't an original idea)
Also, sorry guys- Jacob isn't the traitor, he was instead the chapter 3 killer... Honestly, probably my favorite killer as he's more of a victim of the killing game as a whole.
Finally: Congratulations LOcalNerd for correctly guessing the victim (I'm so sorry) and MoblieAnon for correctly guessing the killer! If you comment on this chapter, I'll give you an out of context spoiler/hint of whatever topic you chose. Like next victim and killer, what's going to happen in future chapters, what's going to happen to alive characters, a certain tag, and maybe even the mastermind + traitor.

Chapter 29: CtD Deadly Life- Epilogue

Notes:

If you're feeling despair over the twist and the sticks who died deaths, just remember- I have to leave this fic at 29 for probably half a year.
Wanted to post this yesterday but things happened.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Fail! Really thought you could escape your roots?” Terrance mocks, but he then mumbles, “(Jeeze. I know chapter 3 killers are supposed to be insane but… dang.)”

Ellie stares at the screen. Rupert has long since let her go.

“J…Jacob? J-Jacob?! JACOB! I’M SO SORRY!!!!!” Ellie howls, before breaking into an ugly sob on the floor, as she continues to call out her brother’s name.

Burt soon comes up to her. He places his hand on her shoulder. She looks up to him with a desperate but hopeful look in her eyes.

“…Doesn’t feel nice when it happens to you, does it?” Burt spits and then smacks Ellie on the head. He then walks off. Ellie continues to sob, even harder now.

“Wow. Way to kick a woman while she’s down,” Thomas comments and quickly follows him out.

Rupert gives her a glance before walking off. His face is contorted like he’s debating with himself. Soon, everyone follows and leaves, including Charles. I give him a quick confused look, but if he saw my face, he ignores it. Before I could go comfort her myself, Dmitri grabs me by the arm and drags me to the elevator.

“H-Hey!” I tell him.

“I know what you were thinking. Do not. We do not waste our time with the enemy,” Dmitri spits.

Powerless, I glance back at Ellie, who is still wailing hysterically, and enter the elevator. It’s heartbreaking seeing her like that. Especially since she was able to hold herself upright so confidently for the longest time.

“Oi? Isn’t anyone going to stay with her?” Rupert asks. Nobody says anything. Quietness and emptiness fill the elevator. I give Rupert a look of shame.

Suddenly, just before the doors close, Rupert quickly says, “…@$@# it.” Then jumps out of the elevator. The doors close behind him.

“Hey! Don’t do that! You could’ve been crushed!” I hear Terrance say, but he soon gets muffled as we get further and further away.

“…” Charles looks off in the distance. There’s an unreadable expression on his face. The only time I think I’ve ever seen him not smiling. Is he mad at Ellie? Or… someone else?

Eventually, the elevator’s door opens and without a word we split off. Despair radiating in the air.

I walk into my room and lay on my bed. And all I could think was, this is all my fault.

I saw Jacob right before he killed Sven. He offered me to join him at the hang out. If I went, I could’ve stopped him from killing Sven. I could’ve stopped him from killing Henry. I could’ve stopped his own death.

And maybe Jacob could’ve told me about what he actually thought about his sister. Everything that was piling up on him, and maybe after he told me all that, I could help him repair his relationship with her. So, that none of this could have happened. And we all be happy and alive together!

But instead, I let him go in alone. And now, it’s my fault, three people are dead. Just like how it’s all my fault that the captain and Reginald are dead. Like how it’s all my fault Geoffroy and Johnny are dead. Because everything is all my fault. All my fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault. My fault! MY FAULT-

I

Am

A

Horrible

Person.

At some point, I realized as I was spiraling, I was also hitting myself with my fist against my head over and over. I don’t stop myself. I don’t deserve to have it stop. Eventually, I slowly stop hitting myself, so I can lay down in my bed and cry myself to sleep.

POV Terrance Suave

“See? My plans always work!”

“…Hey, you remember that time with the safe-”

“Not now.”

“…”

“So, um what now? We’re kind of at a disadvantage now.”

“I wouldn’t say that. Remember, this was always going to be the plan! Just keep an eye on him and this game will continue until the final few are remaining.”

“That reminds me. I’ve been meaning to ask, what will our ‘final round’ look like? Like would these idiots be able to handle a ‘mastermind trial?’” I say, “They barely got through the last one.”

“…”

“I’m still figuring it out, but… if things keep going the way they were going, then I say, we’ll have only one person who makes it out of here alive and no mastermind trial. Would not be worth it.”

“…I’m placing my bets on Dr. Vin.” I confidently say.

“Of course you would.”

9 remain…

Notes:

Platonic Roseprice for the win! LET'S GO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also, Dave totally doesn't have survivor's guilt, totally. Even if he does, it'll totally not become a problem later. (I also gave him anxiety. I need to write him with anxiety more often)
I'm going to put this fic on hiatus for a while, cause I want to work more on my video game and this fic is such a big piece of work that it's hard working on it and other projects at the same time. Will write for it in my free time and finally-
Chapter 4 is going to be the final normal chapter...

Chapter 30: FtD Daily Life #1

Notes:

I'm going to be completely honest with you guys here, this whole arc was a pain to write. This stupid chapter has been re-imagined a billion times, to the point that everyone that plays a major role in this chapter has been a victim and killer at least once. Also, this is the final normal arc before things get weird (and I love weird). I've finally gotten to the point where I'm semi-happy with the result, but as a consequence, this will probably the shortest of the arcs.
Sorry.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Dave Panpa

Ding, Dong. “Fun fact! There is almost half the number of participants remaining then there were at the start!”

Sitting up straight as I gasp for breath, I wake up from another nightmare. Sweat drips down the sides and my heart beats wildly against my chest. Until my breathing turns back to normal, I grip the edges of my blanket hard.

Once I stop feeling like I’m dying, I let myself fall back on to the bed. The fear dissipates and I gently feel the side of my stomach.

Why… why am I doing that?

Quickly, I stop rubbing my side, then I go to my notebook and mark down another tally. Bringing the total tallies to 20 days. Getting close to the end of a month. My stomach twists at the idea.

I once again recite my morning rituals and head over to the kitchen. Immediately, the weight of what happened yesterday hits me like a truck.

Sure, Sven’s time making food in the kitchen was admittedly short, but- not seeing him there, feels wrong. Especially, since Burt isn’t here with us. Probably, he needs some time alone to process what happened. I don't blame him.

It’s quiet, as Charles and I make our food and then walk over to our table. Dmitri is the only person who is there, and he’s grumpy and tired.

“Um, where’s Dr. Vin?” I ask cautiously.

“I do not know. Probably in the infirmary making useless machines,” Dmitri spits, “Which is unfortunate, because we are doing a meeting today. Whether she likes it or not.”

“I guess I’ll go give her food,” Charles says and runs off.

I sit down and begin eating my meal. Dmitri glares at the toppat table, and they glare back. However, there isn’t much energy behind it. They all look so tired, especially Burt.

I glance over at the neutral’s table, and… if the absent people from the toppat table and the law enforcement table was strange, then the completely empty table is uncanny. Once full of friends enjoying each other’s company, seemingly untouched by the other factions’ hostility, is now completely abandoned. Wait that can’t be right-

Suddenly, Rupert and Ellie enter the lunchroom with donuts, (fortunately not kicking and screaming this time), and sit down at the neutral table. Glad to see both of them okay. Well… “okay” may not be the best term.

Rupert seems to be bothered by something, even making slight growls to himself. However, that’s nothing compared to Ellie who looks like she didn’t sleep last night. Her hair’s a mess and eyes are still red. She looks like she’s barely there at the moment. Occasionally, she glances at where Jacob and Henry used to sit and makes painful noises in response. Almost like she wants to cry but ran out of tears.

Everyone looks over to them in a confused manor, but soon decides to go back to eating. It’s not our place to judge.

Charles soon returns, and we finish up our meals. Thus, we head over to the kitchen and clean. I can already tell it’s going to take a longer time, because the previous days’ dishes are still dirty in the sink. It reminds me for when we made breakfast for sixteen people. I feel my eyes tear up with that thought. To distract myself, I decide to ask Charles some questions, while we are cleaning.

“Hey um… uh, don’t want to be rude, but… why aren’t you with Ellie right now?” I ask.

“Why? Should I be?” Charles says in a dumb fashion.

“She’s clearly upset, and isn’t she your friend? Shouldn’t you comfort her?” I say.

“…Well, Dmitri doesn’t want to interact with the ‘enemy’ so I shouldn’t get on his bad side,” Charles answers.

“But that’s never bothered you before?”

“…”

“Charles?”

“…Dave, can we please talk about anything else? Besides, Rupert’s got it.”

“Don’t understand why though,” Thomas suddenly says, causing us both to jump.

“…”

Despite us not saying anything, Thomas continues, “Ellie literally lied about Rupert’s involvement in the case! He should be avoiding her, not comforting her! I mean, if I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t be caught sixteen feet near that woman!”

I decide not to call Thomas out when he and the Toppat Clan did the exact same thing Ellie did, but to prove Reginald’s innocence. Besides, it's not the same thing... I think.

“Uh, don’t you hate him?” Charles asks.

“…He’s… grown a little on me,” Thomas sighs, “I no longer think he’s an irredeemable @$$hole, but instead think he’s an absolute moronic buffoon.”

“HEY!” I shout.

Thomas just shrugs, “Hey, at least it’s improvement.”

“…It’s still mean…” I sigh.

Thomas looks at me, before his eyes widen as he realizes something, “ACK! Sorry! Shouldn’t really say things like that in front of his boyfriend.”

“Wait, Dave is Rupert’s boyfriend now?” Charles says.

“What? Where the Hell have you been?! Actually, where have you been, because you were in the same room as me when Rupert and Dave made it official!” Thomas asks shocked.

“Uh… guess I forgot. It’s been uh… stressful couple of days,” Charles sighs, “Especially with you know, Henry dying. My sort of boyfriend.”

“…Ah, right,” Thomas sighs and rubs his arm. Grief and heartbreak written on his face, “…I should get my supplies now.”

“Oh, here you go!” I tell him as I give the usual funeral preps to him, “I was thinking you guys were going to do Sven’s funeral soon, and to make it up to you guys I wanted to at least get some of the stuff you needed before you asked and uh-”

“Thank you so much, Dave! This is perfect!” Thomas says and then runs off.

Soon, we finish up and head to the infirmary. We have a meeting today. Fortunately, Dr. Vin lets us in and- it’s a mess. All sorts of random machinery and half eaten food litter the room.

“Um, are you okay?” I ask.

“That is unimportant right now,” Dr. Vin sighs, “We have a meeting.”

“Hm. Finally getting used to my leadership?” Dmitri says.

“No. I want to ask a question,” Dr. Vin says.

“…Go ahead,” Dmitri says.

“Are you going to leave this faction?” Dr. Vin snaps.

“WHAT!” Dmitri shouts, “Why would you-”

“Because you admitted to trying to kill Rupert a few days ago,” Dr. Vin says.

I straighten up. How did I forget about that? I look over at Dmitri to see if he denies it, but instead he says, “I do not see how that matters. He is still alive, unfortunately,”

“But you were planning to kill him,” Dr. Vin says.

“Planned.” Dmitri states, “I did not go through with it, and I am no longer interested in going through with it.”

“But you wanted to do it, and were going to do it if you were not stopped. Very similar to the situation Rupert was in, and the consequences he faced from that were being kicked out. So, you should leave. If you want no murderers in our faction, then you should leave.”

“Please. It was different! I have no blood on my hands.”

“So, you are not leaving?”

“Нет”

“…You lousy hypocrite,” Dr. Vin says with a cold expression.

Soon, the two get into a very heated argument, which results in a large amount of name calling and getting nothing done. I have to force myself to stay. After all, I got in trouble for leaving early last time, but it’s so hard. I grab my hat and pull it down, wishing I was anywhere but here. Charles seems to drift off, so I’m not sure if he’s effected by the argument or not.

Hours later, though admittedly it felt like days, Dmitri gets fed up and storms off, while Dr. Vin flips him off as he exits. Effectively, ending the meeting. As soon as I get the go ahead, I run out of the room and take some deep breaths, as I take a moment to calm myself down, which is hard, as suddenly ever single noise in this building decides it's going to be way too loud for me at this moment.

Gosh, that meeting was even worse than last time. I shudder to think what the next meeting will look like. I'm not even sure I'll be able to get through with it again.

Suddenly, I hear someone yelling in the gym. A creeping sense of dread falls down my spine. I try to rationalize it by thinking, Someone’s exercising very loudly. However, … I can’t stop myself from grabbing a taser from the armory and then heading inside to see-

Ellie chocking out Rupert.

Immediately, my legs move before my mind does and I feel an electric current flow through my body before- Rupert slams his hand to the ground and Ellie drops him. I fall over as I try to stop myself and wince from the pain of charging that up.

Quickly, Rupert comes to my aid and helps me up.

“You okay?” Rupert asks.

“Y-yeah. Thought you guys were doing… something else,” Dave says.

“…,” Ellie and Rupert look at me like they don’t understand what I implied, before Ellie suddenly realizes it and says, “We weren’t trying to kill each other!”

“Unfortunately,” Terrance says as he pops out of nowhere, causing to jump, “You two had such good opportunities!”

“Oi! You think I’m insane enough to kill after all of this?!” Rupert snaps.

“Well, I got you to kill that one time,” Terrance says.

“…”

“Hey, wait… can I ask you a question,” Ellie says.

“About how to murder someone?!” Terrance says.

“No! Just… how many magic users are there?” Ellie asks.

“!” I straighten up.

“Well, there’s plenty in the world-”

“I meant here,” Ellie states.

“…” Terrance looks at her before saying, “Well… you are the only one not allowed to use magic, but… there are sticks who are able to ignore the rules,”

“!” Ellie jumps like she realizes something. Rupert glares at her, while a horrible chill goes down my spine.

No. I just got lucky. Plus, I would remember doing something like this. I reassure myself. Regardless, I soon feel too awkward to stay and immediately leave.

As soon as I am away from them, I check the time, 9:00. Almost nighttime. Unfortunately, no time to hang out with someone. A feeling of despair tugs at my stomach, due to that fact, as the walls draw closer.

“Oi, Dave!” Rupert suddenly says freeing me from my thoughts.

“Ah! Rupert?” I turn around and see he has followed me. He also has a few bruises on his body. Probably from sparing.

“You doing okay?”

“…Aren’t you scared of Dmitri?” I ask.

Rupert winces, before sighing, “Please. No one in your faction is going to make sure you’re okay. Learned that the hard way.”

“…Oh,” I say, before then quickly saying, “I’m sorry for not checking in on you.”

“What? No! You were the only one who did. And I already know you sent Ellie to look after me,” Rupert says with slight annoyance, “Bribed her with cake no less.”

“Well… to her credit. She did more than I ask her too. I just wanted her to give me a report on how you were doing, so I could help you.”

“…,” Rupert goes quiet as his face lights up in surprise. After recovering from it, he says, “But uh seriously, you doing okay? I know Jacob was your friend and all.”

“I’m fine…” I lie, “It’s just… I failed him as a friend didn’t I? He asked me to trust him, and I didn’t. And did you see how he acted? I think this game got to him, and that means… he needed a friend more than ever. And… I wasn’t there for him-”

Suddenly, I feel Rupert grab my hand.

“It wasn’t your fault, Dave. He had the choice to leave Sven or kill him. You aren’t at fault for the choice he made,” Rupert says with confidence.

I smile, until I notice Rupert looking behind us.

“G-goodnight!” Rupert quickly stammers out and books it. He lets go of my hand, and I can’t help but reach out my hand after him.

“What are you doing?!” Dmitri snaps at me, causing me to immediately lower my hand.

“N-Nothing,” I say.

“Does not look like nothing,” Dmitri snaps.

“…” I wilt.

“Do not let it happen again,” Dmitri hisses and walks off.

“…” I rub my hand against my arm, as I'm soon left alone once again. Fortunately, enough time has passed so that I’m able to go back to my dorm just in time-

Ding, Dong! “There should’ve been a murder today. Cowards. All of you.”

Praying I won't have as bad of nightmare I did last night, I go to bed.

Notes:

2 chapters left before victim reveal (told you this one was going to be short)
Alright, as this fic has been going on, a lot of talented people have been making fanart so, here's the long overdued link list! They will no longer be hoarded by me in a single discord server I only have access to like a dragon.
sikacangijo's art
and this is also their art!
This is summ3-r's art, which btw flash-banged me when I was scrolling the thsc tag on Tumblr. I was not expecting it.
And finally, localnerd's art!
There's also a fic that's dedicated to drawing all the characters in the Danganronpa artstyle, which you can look at by clicking the first link on the "fics inspired by this one" section. (and while you're at it, I made an April Fools fic lol).

Chapter 31: FtD Daily Life #2

Notes:

DELTARUNE! DELTARUNE! DELTARUNE! DELTARUNE! DELTARUNE! DELTARUNE!
Y'all I can't wait (yes I can) for chapter 3 & 4 of that game!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Dave Panpa

Ding, Dong. “Rise and shine everyone! *Pause* Look, the last trial was a bit of a drain on me. I can have moments where I can’t think of anything.”

I recite my morning rituals and make breakfast. This time, Thomas is in the kitchen. Unlike Sven and Burt, Thomas seems to be struggling to make breakfast.

As I’m making breakfast, I take a glance outside and see Dr. Vin is still not here.

“@#$@” Thomas yells, as he burns his meal again. I feel bad for him.

“…Poor Thomas,” I sigh to Charles.

“Hey, why don’t we help him?” Charles asks.

“What? But-” I say.

“I mean… Dmitri only said you weren’t allowed to make food for them, he didn’t say anything about helping,” Charles points out.

“I…guess,” I say still scared.

“Come on! He’s your friend! And he needs help!” Charles says.

“But why haven’t you helped Ellie? Isn’t she your friend?” I ask.

“…” Charles’s smile disappears, before mutters, “It’s uh… complicated.”

We finish making our meals in silence.

After we finish, I notice Charles leaving the room with two plates.

“Where are you going?” I ask.

“Uh, since Dr. Vin isn’t here, she might be in the infirmary. So, I’m delivering it to her,” Charles says.

“Oh, right… Hey, maybe I can do it this time? Since, you did last time,” I say.

“…Thanks, Dave!” Charles says slightly happier and goes towards our table. I then go to the infirmary.

Once I get there, I overhear some sort of argument, I open the door, and I see Dr. Vin and Terrance yelling at each other. However, both stop as soon as I come in.

“Looks like your faction at least wants you to take care of yourself,” Terrance sighs.

“…Thank you, Dave,” Dr. Vin slowly sighs.

“What were you guys talking about?” I ask as I lower Dr. Vin’s plate onto her desk. It’s a bit hard to do that, as it’s covered in random machinery.

“It is none of your business,” Dr. Vin hisses.

“She hasn’t been taking care of herself. Hasn’t been eating much, nor sleeping much, ever since Hubert died,” Terrance explains.

“You do not get to say his name,” Dr. Vin spits.

“Look, I’d love to continue having this conversation, but someone’s calling for me. Tootles~” Terrance says, then disappears.

“…”

“Are you doing okay?” I ask.

“I am doing fine,” Dr. Vin says, and begins working on her machine.

“…Do you mind if I stay here and eat with you?” I ask.

“…” She pauses and looks at me. She gives me a look like she’s thinking, before finally saying, “I do mind, leave.”

“A-Alright,” I say and then I leave with my pancakes.

Once I arrive in the lunchroom, and I soon sit down eating my breakfast. It isn’t long before everyone else is finished. After I’m done, I walk over to the kitchen to help Charles clean. We're almost finished, when suddenly- Ding, Dong! “Come to the trial room for some information! It’s mandatory!”

“…” Trial room?

Everyone, including myself, walk over to the entrance of the trial room with Terrance waiting for them, all confused, except Burt who looks embarrassed.

“What are we doing here?” Right demands.

“I-is someone dead?” I ask.

“God, I hope not,” Rupert says.

“Um, everyone is accounted for?” Dr. Vin says, "No one is dead."

"Why are we here?" Ellie asks.

"Glad you asked!" Terrance cheers.

"Oi, I asked first-" Right responds.

“Well, you see, our dear friend Burt, asked me about the motive videos for the killers, since the previous two times, I showed everyone why they did what they did, before executing them. However, I forgot to do it last trial! So, we’re doing it now to make up for it!” Terrance interrupts.

Everyone looks to Burt. He then mumbles, “I wanted to know why Sven did what he did… If I knew he’d bring all of you into this, I wouldn’t have asked.”

“Yeah, yeah. Too late now. Everyone enter the elevator!” Terrance cheers.

“Why? Couldn’t you show it to us out here?” Rupert demands.

“...I only have one television firmly set up in a place all of you are allowed to go into. We’re using that one!” Terrance says, “Anyways, elevator now!”

Despite all of us not wanting to enter, we do so anyways. The ride down feels off. Everyone has realized that this may be the second to last time they’ll ride this elevator, with the same amount of people. Definitely the last time going down at least. ~~Wonder if this will be my last time ever riding it down…~~

The elevator swings, and hesitantly we walk down into the trial room. It feels weird not being here for a murder. Almost uncanny. For the first time in a long time, I’ve realized how… unfinished the room looks. It’s completely empty except for the trial stuff and looks like a giant gray box with parts of the wall missing, like they were never fixed in time.

Whoever made this, and by extension, the killing game, didn’t have much money. I’m not sure how I feel about that.

“…” Ellie’s expression drops as she sees,

Jacob’s portrait.

Burt notices, and growls at her with no sympathy.

“Alright everyone! Since Jacob did my job for me, I’ll only being showing Sven’s motive, enjoy!” Terrance says as he sits back on his throne and turns on the tv.

On the tv, is Sven looking at himself in the mirror presumably his bathroom.

“…” Sven stares at his reflection for a long time, he looks tired.

Eventually, he finally says, “…Why did you do it?”

Sven pauses.

“Why did you do it, chief? You said the clan was strong. It wouldn’t fall. Yet…”

Another pause.

“…What am I supposed to do now? The Toppat Clan is my life. I…I can’t live without it. And…” Sven’s expression shifts to one full of despair, “You couldn’t either…”

Sven pauses then continues, “You wanted to save it? Right? That was your wish? Then… then I’ll fulfill it! I’ll get out of here and save the clan for all for us! It’s what you wanted, r-right? I’ll do it! Your death won’t be in vain!”

An insane smile appears on Sven’s face, but then it disappears as he comes to a realization, “Burt… Burt would have to die, wouldn’t he?”

Sven quiets down and looks down, lost in thought.

Eventually, Sven finally says, “Burt’s suicidal. He’s suicidal. He wants to die. He wants to die. That’s why he’s always joking about death. Jokes come from the heart… He’ll be secretly happy when Terrance executes him...

I can live with that.”

Sven then removes himself from the mirror, and then says, “I’ll do it. For you, for Burt, and for the future of the Toppat Clan! I’ll do it. But first… what’s my plan?”

The tv then turns off. Burt stares at it in horror.

“…I’m not…suicidal…” he whimpers.

“Fun fact! Sven ended up monologuing his entire planning process in that room! Man, does he love the sound of his own voice or what!” Terrance says, “He even was considering getting Henry to be his accomplice instead of Ellie, but didn’t cause he did not want Thomas simping over him. Heh. He probably regretted that decision in his last moments.”

“Okay, but why did we need to see that?” Ellie says, “It doesn’t really add anything new? All we got is that Sven lost his mind before he killed.”

“Like your brother,” Burt hisses.

“…” Ellie winces.

“Hate to say it, but she’s right. That’s it?” Right asks.

“Not even anything about the attempts at Rupert’s life?” Thomas asks.

“I mean, Rupert was going to be Sven’s original target,” Terrance shrugs, “But switched it, after the party.”

Burt grabs his arm and looks down.

“What about Dmitri and Right?” Dr. Vin says.

“Oi! Don’t lump me with him! I wasn’t ever planning a murder!” Right snaps, “Just… wanted to… teach him a lesson. It’s unfair he didn’t face any consequences for killing Reg.”

“… (I still don’t like how we’re glossing over that…)” Thomas mumbles.

“And Dmitri?” Dr. Vin asks as she glares at him.

“…You already know my motive,” Dmitri snaps, “Besides, I have told you I am no longer interested.”

“Wow, I feel so safe,” Rupert sarcastically says.

“Well, let’s be honest. He should’ve been dead by now,” Terrance says.

I wince, and look over to him. Rupert is trying to seem unbothered, but it’s clear he’s uneasy. Gosh, I wish I could go over there and comfort him.

“Okay, I guess we got those questions answered,” Ellie says, “But what about…” she trails off.

Terrance seems to have caught what Ellie was saying, as he then says, “Jacob explained his motive quick and easy. The only thing I could potentially add is maybe showing you guys him killing Sven, but you guys already got the gist of it.”

“…Maybe we should see it,” Burt says hesitantly.

“Really? Are we sure we want to see it, or do you just want to hurt me, because he’ll be showing ‘my’ murder?” Ellie snaps.

“…” Burt doesn’t answer, but he does look away.

“Look. I messed up. I know that… and I have been letting you say these things to me, but how long are you going to hold Sven’s death over me?!” Ellie continues, “Especially since it was his own fault-” Ellie shouldn’t have said that, as in that moment Burt snaps and punches her in the face. It doesn’t do much damage, aside from Ellie temporarily losing balance but quickly recovering.

“WHAT THE HELL?!” Thomas shouts.

Burt’s breathing grows heavy, before turning around and leaving towards the elevator. The toppats slowly follow, with Thomas grumbling on the way out.

“You okay?” Dr. Vin asks as Ellie straightens herself out.

“Yeah, he’s not that strong,” Ellie says, “I’ve definitely had worse. It felt like being hit by a lousy pillow.”

“Hm. You are right. It looks like it will not even bruise,” Dr. Vin says.

Suddenly, Dmitri separates them. He then hisses at Dr. Vin, “Stop talking to the enemy!”

“You are not the boss of me,” Dr. Vin says and then walks back to Ellie, “Here candy.”

She then gives Ellie a lollipop.

“Thanks???” Ellie says confused.

“Did you not say, ‘us girls need to stick together?’” Dr. Vin asks.

“Y-Yeah. I did,” Ellie says, "But-"

“So, let us have a girls’ hangout,” Dr. Vin says, “I have some questions, I need to ask you.”

Ellie straightens up, as her eyes go wide. Before she goes into an annoyed stance and growls, “Unless there is more than one person coming with. I am not being manipulated again.”

“Fine. Dave can come,” Dr. Vin says.

“M-Me?!” I say, “W-Why.”

“You are the least threatening of all of us and annoy me the least,” Dr. Vin says.

“Aw, do I annoy you a little?” Charles says as he’s clearly upset about that fact.

“…You are not annoying, but threatening,” Dr. Vin says, “You are a good actor, Mr. Calvin, I will give you that. However, I know Hubert's death hit you as hard as it did me, and I know you are trying to play off what happened last trial. However, unless you speak up about what is troubling you, then you are a threat, unfortunately. Since all previous killers were in a bad headspace when they did their deed, I unfortunately have no reason to believe you will be any different. So, if you want to come and help, then tell me and Ellie what is wrong.”

“…” Charles stares at Dr. Vin, with no expression. It's probably the only time I've ever seen Charles not smiling.

“Yeah, Charles. Are you okay?” Ellie asks.

“…” Charles just stares at them with a blank expression, before mumbling, “(You guys can’t help me.)” Before walking over to the elevator. Ellie watches him go. Her face is filled with worry.

Meanwhile, Dr. Vin sighs in disappointment, and then turns to us and says, “Well?”

“I mean… sure?” I say.

“…Alright,” Ellie says.

“As long as it is not Rupert,” Dmitri says.

“Nobody asked you,” Dr. Vin spits.

We then entered the elevator and head to the infirmary.

“So um, what do you guys want to do?” I ask.

“Hm,” Dr. Vin rubs her chin.

Before she can answer, Ellie says, “Oh! I know!” she then takes out some makeup, “Wanted to annoy Rupert with this, but I uh… decided against it. Didn’t want to push it. But, if you guys want, we can put it on!”

“Uh… no thanks,” I admit.

“Sure,” Dr. Vin says, “It has been a while since I have treated myself.”

“Wait really?!” Ellie says excited, “I thought you hated girly stuff!”

“…Ellie, I wear lipstick,” she then points to her own lips, and sure enough, she is wearing black lipstick.

Ellie stares at her dumbfounded before saying, “Oh… and dressing up?”

“No,” Dr. Vin firmly states.

The two of them then take turns applying makeup on each other, while I watch. I begin to feel left out and sheepishly ask to join in. I’m now wearing purple eyeliner, blush, lipstick, and a few ponytails. It’s not that bad, except now I’m wondering how Johnny was able to wear a ponytail all the time, it’s uncomfortable!

Eventually, as we are all relaxing, Dr. Vin asks, “Ellie. I have been meaning to ask you something.”

“Hm? Sure, what is it?” Ellie says.

“What is your relationship to the toppat clan and your past crimes?” Dr. Vin asks.

Ellie straightens up, “Uh! I… I’m not in the mood to talk about it…”

“Ellie. You have lied ever since you came here. If you want to be my friend, you will have to tell me the truth,” Dr. Vin states coldly. I look at her with fear. She notices and the amends, “…But you can skip over any details relating to Jacob, since he is probably still a sore subject to you.”

“…” Ellie stares at Dr. Vin before slowly saying, “O-Okay. So, I was born and raised in the Toppat Clan. Well… ‘raised’ is strong word. Terrance ordered a raid on a random village, and I… was somehow caught up in it, and was then left behind. Didn’t help that my parents were both dead, and couldn’t save me… Oh, and that was Terrance’s fault too. Then…” Ellie trails off. She grabs the rose patch on her shirt and squeezes it. Tears begin to bubble at her eyes, “…Jacob, I’m sorry…”

Ellie begins to cry again about the memory of her brother, quickly I run over to comfort her. Dr. Vin tries, but something about Ellie crying triggers something inside of her, and she is forced to look away. Despite being clearly irritated by Ellie, Dr. Vin grabs one of her unfinished inventions and hands it to her, with some instructions and tools.

“?” Ellie looks at Dr. Vin in confusion, and the latter cringes in response.

“I find… making things helps with unwanted emotions. It might be a good idea for you to have a small distraction. Apologizes for accidentally bringing up a sore subject…” Dr. Vin says.

Ellie stares at the machine and starts tinkering with it. Dr. Vin tries to help, but soon relents and chuckles a sad, “Heh. You are good with machinery.”

While Ellie tinkers, I can’t help but feel useless and guilty. After all, it’s my fault that Jacob’s gone, isn’t it?

Soon after, Ellie calms herself down enough to say, “…*Sigh* T-Thanks.”

“I assume it helped?” Dr. Vin asks.

“A little… it’s just, I’m more frustrated than sad right now. I should be there for Charles, right now. I failed Jacob, I failed Henry, so the right thing to do is to help him. After all, he’s all that I have left, but… I can’t. I can’t bring myself to talk to him, because I just can’t seem to get over my own feelings and focus on the now! *Pause* If I’m being honest, I’d much rather be in bed all day than be here, but- I can’t. I can’t allow myself to do that. Especially since Rupert would pull me out, as revenge.”

“Fair assessment,” Dr. Vin says.

“Hey, that’s not fair. Ja- his death was still pretty recent,” I tell her, “You’re allowed to keep mourning him.”

“But if I do that, then I’ll be selfish and might lose Charles too. And… I’ll be alone… I-I don’t want to be alone,” Ellie confesses.

“Then channel all your sadness, into something productive,” Dr. Vin says, “That is what I am doing.”

“…No offense, but this doesn’t look very productive,” Ellie says and moves her finger around the room.

“Heh. Maybe. But it helps keep my mind clear, and I have learned many things by making them. For starters, Terrance will give me any item I request,” Dr. Vin says, “Also, it helps to have a goal in mind, as” she points to the machine gun in the room, “There is clearly something we both need to be working on.”

Ellie looks at it. First in confusion, before realizing it. She gets up as an angry expression forms on her face, as she stares at it. I notice her taking out a metal ball. The same ones you’d get at the prize machine.

She then throws the ball into the air, and it opens up into a stop sign. Catching it, she wields it as a weapon and points it towards the gun.

“You. I’ve let you take everyone I care about twice. So, mark my words. This time, I’ll make you pay. I will remember this,” Ellie spits.

“Um… where did you… where did you get that stop sign?” I ask, before realizing that it’s a dumb question.

“Oh,” Ellie says as her anger fades from her face temporarily as she turns to me, “Henry… got this for me a while back…” Her anger then returns as she growls at the ground. Mumbling a, “He didn’t deserve to go...especially in that way…”

Ellie then walks towards the door. In response, Dr. Vin says, “Thanks for supporting my hypothesis.”

“Thanks for the help,” Ellie responds, then leaves. However, Dr. Vin and I overhear her shout, “AH! Thomas?! Why are you here?”

“I was heading back from the gym. W-what’s with the stop sign?” Thomas answers.

“None of your business,” Ellie snaps.

Then we proceed to hear the two walk off.

“…”

“We should probably head back as well,” Dr. Vin say, “It is almost 10.”

“Oh… okay,” I say.

We both get up and head to the dorms.

Ding, Dong. “Aw cute. But let me remind all of you, two of your own are still dead. Thanks to your own actions!”

I try to ignore him, take off my makeup, and free my hair from the pony tails. Then, I go to bed.

Notes:

1 chapter remaining before victim reveal
I'm challengingly my hatred of ponytails and scrunchies on to Dave.
Also, fun fact. Jacob apparently does talk in THSC. He is a step above Johnny with no canon lines!

Chapter 32: FtD Daily Life #3

Notes:

If any chapters are late. Blame Deltarune

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Dave Panpa

Ding, Dong. “Oh boy! You know what day it is?!”

Once again, I recite my morning rituals and head over to the kitchen.

“@$@@!” Thomas curses as he messes up his meal once again, as I enter.

I’m about to go help Charles, but I hesitate. He looks so miserable.

Charles notices my hesitance, and proceeds to smile, as he says with a wink, “What Dmitri doesn’t know, can’t hurt him! Go for it, Dave!”

“…Thanks,” I tell him, then I gather my courage and walk over to Thomas.

“...Ugh. If you were still alive, I’d give you an apology, Sven…” Thomas sighs, as he tries again.

“Hey, do you need any help?” I ask.

“I!” Thomas yells, before saying, “Absolutely not-” he then sees the plate Charles has already made, and then says, “…okay maybe a little…”

I smile, “Okay, here’s what you do.”

For the next minutes, I coach Thomas through what he needs to do to make a good breakfast. At the end, we manage to make some non-burnt food.

“Well… it’s decent,” Thomas sighs.

“I think it’s not bad for a beginner,” I tell him.

“…I guess,” Thomas says with a small smile, “But… baking is really not my thing. How do you do it every day?”

I shrug, “It’s calming to me. I get lost in the recipe, then my troubles seem to… disappear. At least for a moment. *Pause* If you don’t like it, then why are you the one making it?”

“Well for starters,” Thomas begins, “If you witness Right cooking once, you won’t ever let him anywhere near a kitchen again.” He shutters, but fortunately snaps out of it and continues, “As for Burt, well…” he looks down, and somberly says, “He told us that the kitchen reminds him too much of Sven…”

“Oh…” I say, “I’m sorry.”

“…Don’t be! It wasn’t your fault,” Thomas says and then leaves with the meals.

With that, I finish up what I can with Charles and the two of us deliver the meals. This time, Charles walks off to give Dr. Vin her meal.

Breakfast is as tense as usual, but at this point, I’m used to it.

However, during it, I see Ellie walking in with confidence, with a slightly new look.

Guess she decided to pretty herself up as a way to get back at Terrance? Good for her.

Soon enough, I’m back in the kitchen cleaning up. However, Charles and Thomas aren’t there. Despite this, I clean up for both of them. Though… I’m a bit worried about Charles, especially since he never came back to the table for breakfast.

Once I’m done, I walk to the infirmary, to hopefully see if he’s still there. I’m about to put my hand on the doorknob, before... a creeping feeling goes down my spine. What if someone’s dead in there?

I take my hand off the doorknob, before remembering Rupert wouldn’t let that stop him. So, I imagine Rupert’s with me, as I slowly open the door to find-

“Dave? Why did you come over here?” Charles asks.

“Can you tell Terrance to $@@# off!” Dr. Vin shouts with no professionalism left in her voice.

“Rude!” Terrance snaps.

I look inside the room, and see Dr. Vin, slightly pale, sitting up on one of the medical beds, with Charles and Terrance practically hovering over her.

“…Uh… W-What. What happened?” I ask.

“Dr. Vin fainted, when I uh… gave her food,” Charles says.

“I am fine. I have been neglecting my health, and I paid the price,” Dr. Vin sighs.

“Is there something I can do?” I ask.

“No. Worst of it is over, and I am sure in a few minutes, I will be able to walk,” Dr. Vin says.

“…Are you sure?” I ask, feeling useless.

“Да” Dr. Vin responses.

“Oh… Okay,” I say.

“Well… you can tell Terrance to @#$@ off,” Dr. Vin says.

“Um…” I respond and walk over to Terrance. I then say, “Um, can you please leave?”

“…” Terrance stares at me, before sighing, “Fine. I need to get ready to announce this round’s motive anyways. See you in a bit!” He then disappears.

“W-wait, motive?” I ask.

“Have you not noticed?” Dr. Vin says, “On the third day after a trial, without fail, Terrance announces a new motive.”

“Are you sure? Cause he showed those pictures on the day of the trial,” Charles says.

“He did that to show Reginald’s ‘motive’. It was originally going to be third day as well. Besides, even if it was not, he still gave us a motive on the third day regardless,” Dr. Vin says, “It is ironic though. He prides himself with being unpredictable, but he himself is the most predictable thing I have ever seen in my life.”

“Wow, you really not holding back, aren’t you?” Charles says.

“You do not treat the person who is responsible for helping take away your best friend- Oh right…” Dr. Vin says, before humming to herself and saying, “Charles. Are you alright?”

“What?! Of course I am! Why wouldn’t I be?” Charles says, while rubbing the back of his head.

“…” Dr. Vin presses her lips together like she’s thinking, “Charles. If you are bothered by something, you can tell me or Ellie. Especially Ellie. I am sure she is willing to help you.”

It seems bringing up Ellie causes Charles’ demeanor to shift, as he then scoffs, “I’m fine. And I don’t need to talk to Ellie. (Actually, it’d be better if she stayed away from me…)”

“What was that?” I ask.

“NOTHING!” Charles yells before rushing out.

Silence fills the room.

“Do you have any idea what is going on with him?” Dr. Vin asks.

“I dunno. He’s probably not handling this whole game well,” I guess. Though to be frank, none of us are handling it well either.

Dr. Vin stares off, as she’s thinking. We stand there in silence before-

Ding, Dong! “Everyone! Head over to the theater for the next motive!”

“See?” Dr. Vin smiles.

“Wow, you’re right. Um… need help?” I ask.

“I am fine,” Dr. Vin says and gets up. She stumbles a bit, but we both manage to walk to the theater together without any issue.

Once we are inside, I realize how it’s much emptier now than it once was. Almost half of us are gone. It doesn’t help that we’re all on opposite sides of the theater; hugely separated, making the space emptier than it actually is. On the left side of the room is me, Charles, Dr. Vin, and Dmitri, while on the far right side is the rest of the Toppat Clan. They look so sad over there. Rupert and Ellie stand in the center though, but judging how they look glance at each other, they’re only really tolerating each other’s presence.

“Alright, everyone! First announcement! This will be the last round where three innocents who discover a body will count!” Terrance cheers, “After this next body falls, all future trials will ignore that rule! And it will be instead, the first three people who enter a room with a body will trigger a BDA! We’re getting into the end game now!”

Nobody says a word. No terror, no sadness, just exhaustion.

“…” Terrance seems to notice and his excitement quiets down, “Tough crowd. Usually, you’d be booing. Anyways! It’s time to reveal the next motive, and it’s…” Terrance pauses as he looks over at Dr. Vin. She notices and silently bares her teeth at him. He stares at her, and for a moment he’s silent, before eventually continuing with, “Well…” Terrance looks around, “It’s the first blood perk!”

“…”

“Uh…what? First blood perk?” Charles asks.

“Yep! Are you scared about the possibility of dying in a trial? Especially after that last one- whew! One of my best ones yet! I chopped off a man’s foot with a guillotine.”

“…” Ellie physically cringes.

“But, I’m sure you don’t want that to happen to you, or anyone else. So, the motive is that when you kill someone, all you got to say is, ‘I am the culprit!’ and you’ll be free to go! No strings attached!”

“…” everyone looks at each other. That sounds… too easy. Well, compared to the others it is. It doesn’t seem like a real motive. This has to be a trick. Right?

“Wait, uh. What do you mean by ‘free to go’. If we… complete your task, we just… go home?” I ask.

“Only the murderer,” Terrance says, “But yeah. No trial, no investigations. Bing-batta-boom! You’re out of the game, alive. And don’t have to think about it anymore! All you got to do is kill someone and then say, ‘I am the culprit!’”

Silence once again. Everyone is looking at each other like predators. There’s only one thing in everyone’s minds, “One kill, and it’ll be all over.”

“Would think you’d be more… vocal about this,” Terrance says, “I mean you were for the others ones.”

“Well, you have beaten us all up mentally that it appears we no longer care,” Dr. Vin says, “And… you know this will not work,”

“How come?” Terrance says confused.

“At this point, everyone has lost someone important to them, and a few lost their ability to look at themselves in a mirror. I know I have… Plus, you have showed us what greets us outside. All of our factions and alliances are gone. There is no one waiting for us if we escape. So, therefor none of us have a reason to escape, as there is nothing left to escape to.”

“W-well, I don’t think that’s true-” I begin.

“Oh please,” Dr. Vin snaps, “You are friends with killers.”

I wince at the insult, and I notice Rupert looking down in ashamed.

“Vicky, please. I know you’re still upset about Hubert, I am too-” Terrance begins.

“His death is not the only thing I am upset about,” Dr. Vin says and glances at the toppats.

“…Okay! Fine! If you’re that upset-” Terrance says and jumps down from the theater, he then walks directly towards Dr. Vin. She backs up, but it’s no use, as he grabs her arm, and continues, “Then I’ll just tell you, why you shouldn’t be!”

Before she has any time to react, Terrance throws down a smoke bomb, and once the smoke dissipates, they’re both gone.

“…” everyone stands in silence.

“Ugh. Now, we are now down to three…” Dmitri says, “But at least, meetings will go smoothly now.”

“N-no. She can’t be,” Ellie says, with horror in her eyes, “I-it’s against the rules! She has to be… somewhere else?” It sounds more like she’s trying to ease herself.

“Or Terrance finally got sick of her. Plus, having a medic in the game kind of ruins it. Honestly good riddance,” Burt says with venom. I’m not sure if he actually believes that or if he’s trying to get a rise out of Ellie, but whatever the reason it’s working, as she grabs Rupert’s arm, much to his annoyance and frustration, and pulls him closer to her.

Despite this, he tries breaking out of her grip and keeps looking over at me. I am confused at first, but a chill goes down my side as I suddenly see Right next to me-

“I can’t take it anymore! You guys are awful!” I hear someone shout.

I’m on the floor again, with Rupert next to me, who helps me up. Once again, I have no idea what happened. I look over and see Thomas giving dirty looks to Burt and Right, whom the latter is holding on to Dmitri with his good arm while the other is also holding on to him as well. Almost like they were both fighting and only stopped when Thomas shouted.

“I can’t believe the two of you!” Thomas continues, “Ever since Geoffroy died, you guys have been acting like pigs, and not like the Toppat Clan elites you are supposed to be!”

“Hardly a difference-” Dmitri laughs.

“I AM NOT FINISHED!” Thomas yells, before refiguring himself, “Antagonizing potential allies, purposely causing murders, and disregarding promises. Did you care so little about Geoffroy, that once he was gone, you decided that you don’t have to uphold that promise anymore?! How dreadful! And… I get it. We’re all in a stressful situation, but that doesn’t mean we should lose our morals and dignity! Especially, now that we might be the only toppats left!”

“Thomas. What the hell are you even saying!” Right snaps as he separates from Dmitri to yell at Thomas.

“I’m saying that if this is what the clan has turned into,” Thomas says and takes off his hat, “Then I’m no longer a toppat.”

“…What?!” the two toppats snap.

Thomas then walks over to Rupert, grabs him by the arm, drags him over to Ellie, and then says, “I will be a neutral until you two learn some decency!”

Right’s face grows red, while Thomas stands there with the two neutrals smugly. Before Right can do anything, Burt grabs his shoulder and says, “We should uh… regroup. How about a meeting about this motive?”

“…Fine,” Right snaps. Then the two leave.

“Well, I guess we’re off now too!” Thomas says and walks away.

“What the Hell! We’re not a team!” Rupert says, and then tries going a different way than Thomas, which results in going up on to the stage and going out that way. I can’t help but chuckle at how cute he looks.

Ellie stands there, a little upset, but then leaves.

“…”

“While the annoyance is gone, we still should have a meeting,” Dmitri says.

Neither of us go against this.

Once we get to the infirmary, we all sit down and begin the meeting. It feels wrong not having Dr. Vin there, especially since Dmitri now sits in her chair.

“I will be honest with you two, this might be the worst motive Terrance has given us. This will be hard to beat,” Dmitri says with up most seriousness.

“Uh, why? It kind of feels too easy, like something you’d see at the start of the game. All you have to do is kill someone and boom! You’re out!” Charles says.

“That is exactly why it’s hard! The temptation is too great! That toppat almost tried to get one of our own, once Terrance was out of the way!” Dmitri snaps.

A chill goes down my spine. I… I almost forgot about that. My mind races back to it, and my focus begins to dissipate, but I try to pull myself together to continue to listen.

“But…uh, didn’t you try to kill too?” Charles says. The world begins to feel more like a dream.

“I… did. However, I have done a lot of thinking about it, and I realized I would be playing into whichever criminal set this up-” Dmitri says, but his words turn into meaningless buzzing. I try to focus harder, but it’s a losing battle. Without my knowledge, the whole meeting slips away from me. At least, it didn’t seem like they noticed.

I snap back to reality once Dr. Vin enters the room. Well, not entirely, but I force myself to engage.

“You’re alright!” I say as I jump to my feet in relief. I then back up, as she is carrying a hundred-mile stare.

“…”

“Dr. Vin?” I ask.

“Hmp. You are not dead. How… *Pause* nice,” Dmitri says.

“…” she looks at all us, before saying, “We are all-” Suddenly, the machine gun in the room points towards her. She shuts up immediately, and stares at it with horror.

“…What happened?” I ask.

“Wait, hold on!” Charles says and takes out a tablet. Oh, I forgot we had those. He then follows it up as he looks at it, “Oof, that sucks.”

“Let me see!” Dmitri snaps, and rips it out of his hands, “Oh…”

“Huh? What’s going on?” I ask before looking at the tablet. Then my body goes cold, as a new rule says: “Rule #19: Vicky isn’t allowed to spoil anything going on in the killing game.”

“…”

“Dr. Vin? Are you okay?” I ask.

“…Get out.”

“What?” Charles says.

“Get out all of you!” Dr. Vin yells, before pushing all of us out of the infirmary. The door then shuts loudly.

“Ow,” I say.

“Hmp. She did not even get to hear what we are planning for tomorrow,” Dmitri says.

“Tomorrow? Wait, are we doing something then?!” I ask.

Dmitri glares at me, which causes me to wilt, he then spits, “At 7 tomorrow. We will meet in the library and get some justice. God, you are all terrible at this. Meeting is over.” He then walks away.

“…”

“Welp, I’m beat! See ya tomorrow, Dave!” Charles says and walks off. It then occurs to me that it’s almost 10.

“Wait!” I yell and run after him.

We both go into our respective rooms, and just in time to hear, Ding, Dong!

The lack of Terrance’s quips soon puts me on edge, but nevertheless, I soon go to bed.

Notes:

0 chapters until victim reveal.
I told you Thomas has more going for him than simping!!! (also rip Geoffrey, you'd point out how this is 1 chapter motive)
I had to put on lip gloss for this fic. Your welcome!

Chapter 33: FtD Daily Life #4

Notes:

Usually, I like releasing investigations the day after a death so people are more able to theorize, but uh... I need more time animating and drawing the Closing Argument. (It's kicking my butt!!!)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Dave Panpa

Ding, Dong. “Come on… Think of the good side!”

Once again, after recovering from my nightmares, I recite my morning ritual.

Also, once again. I come to Thomas’s aid and help him make breakfast. While we work, a conversation begins blooming.

“Hey, uh, Dave. There’s something I need to get off my chest,” Thomas says.

“Oh?” I ask.

“First off… Terrance thinks you’re hot,” Thomas says.

“W-What?” I ask.

“I know, I know. You’re a 2 at best,” Thomas says.

“Hey! At least, I have game!” I shout with a smile.

Thomas huffs, but a smile creeps on his face.

“But uh… what’s that got to do with anything?” I asks.

“It’s just… I feel like I’m fulfilling a prophecy, you know?” Thomas says, “…When, we first got our secrets, I found out mine was for ‘betraying the clan for a hot person’, which again, you don’t fit the criteria for,”

“Ouch,”

“But I still left… I know, I said I’ll come back when they changed their behaviors, and I don’t want to leave for real. Plus, I don’t regret leaving, I still think it’s the right call for now. However, I can’t help but worry… is the clan I want to serve gone forever?” Thomas says.

“I… I don’t know how to answer that,” I say.

“…You want me to leave the clan?” Thomas says.

“Well… y-yeah? At the end of the day, you’re a criminal, and I uh… am a security guard? We’re on opposite sides, you know, and I don’t want us to be on opposite sides, cause I do enjoy your company… You’re like the brother I’ve never had! Even though, we’ve only known each other for less than a month…” I say awkwardly.

“Heh. I don’t blame you for thinking that” Thomas says before pausing the continuing with, “Dave… do you ever have the feeling we’ve met before?”

“Um… yeah, kind of. It makes me feel a bit insane. Cause, I’ve uh… never interacted with a toppat before this,” I say.

“Well, I’ve never interacted with you beforehand either. However, I do feel… the same way. You’re like the younger brother that I didn’t want my parents to have, yet I’m stuck with. …Despite the time frame of knowing each other, and the whole opposing sides thing,” Thomas says, “…It’s like Geoffroy all over again.”

“Geoffroy?” I ask.

“Yeah, never even knew the guy before this ‘game’, and can’t help but feel a tug on my heart every time I don’t see him at our table,” Thomas says, “You’re exactly like that for me… except for one thing.”

“Which is?”

“You’re still alive, Dave! So, that means we have time to get to know each other, and be able to ground our feelings into reality!” Thomas says.

“Oh. Yeah! But uh… I don’t want to join the Toppat Clan… like ever,” I admit.

Thomas then chuckles and lightly hits my shoulder, “Of course not! You would be an awful fit for it! You’re way too nice for the criminal lifestyle! No, I’m saying we should keep touch, when this is all over!”

“Heh. Thought I was the only one who believed we were getting out of this alive,” I tell him.

“Well… I accidentally overheard, Ellie’s, that doctor’s, and your meeting a few nights ago, and… that inspired me. I’m done fighting meaningless battles. From this step forward, I, Thomas Chestershire, will dedicate my time and energy to getting us all out of here! Even if it’s the last thing I do! That’s a Toppat Clan certified promise!” Thomas says.

I can’t help but chuckle at that.

“Which means, I need your help, Dave,” Thomas says.

“Okay, what for?” I ask.

“After breakfast, come to the dressing room. I have a plan,” Thomas says.

We then deliver breakfast to our respective tables. We’re still glaring at each other, but this time, some of us are glaring at the neutral’s table. Mostly at Thomas, who gave breakfast to Rupert and Ellie. The two weren’t expecting it, and awkwardly thanked him. Eventually, breakfast ends, and I once again am stuck cleaning up after Thomas.

Afterwards, I head over to the dressing room, right as Thomas enters. Inside, Ellie and Rupert are sitting down looking uncomfortable.

“Oi! What the hell?” Rupert says.

“Yeah, what are you doing here?” Ellie asks.

“Well, it’s come to my attention, that there’s some unspoken tension between you two, and as the newest neutral- I’ve decided to help mend your relationship,” Thomas says.

“I’m not taking orders from a toppat,” Rupert snaps.

“Same here,” Ellie says, “Even if you are no longer one.”

“I am no longer one! You all saw me yesterday! Ugh, come on. You two do know that the previous killers had something wrong with them, and if they actually communicated their feelings, they wouldn’t have killed? Especially since you both were close to two of them,” Thomas says.

“…”

“So?” Thomas says.

Rupert and Ellie look at each other, and then quickly look away.

“Not happening,” they say at the same time.

“I was afraid of that. Tell them, Panpa,” Thomas says.

“What?” I ask.

“Convince them,” Thomas says, “You know as well as I, they need to talk.”

“Yeah, they do… Guys, please. You’re clearly suffering, so you need to talk,” I beg.

“Pff, do you think I’ll crumble with that?” Ellie scoffs.

“F-fine…” Rupert says, blushing.

“…Weak,” Ellie responds.

“OH SHUT- Ugh, fine. What do you want me to say?” Rupert growls, already regretting this.

“Uh, didn’t Ellie lied about your involvement in the last trial? You hold on to grudges hard, so I’m surprised you don’t hate her,” I ask.

“…” Rupert goes quiet before mumbling something.

“Oh? Speak up, Rupy,” Thomas says.

“Don’t call me that!” Rupert hisses, and then says, albeit quietly, “I… I don’t deserve to be mad at her.”

“What? Why do you think that?” I ask.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m @$#@ing pissed that she did that to me! Especially since… she wasn’t there when I needed her in the trial… but,” Rupert looks away, “I realized something. What she did… it’s not as bad as what I did. And since everyone had abandoned her, I… I thought I could return the favor…”

“Rupert,” I say touched.

“…For what it’s worth…” Ellie suddenly says, “I’m… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I just… didn’t want to accept my brother killed someone and that I was… going to lose him. I had to do something! And… God I’m such @$$! I’m sorry! I understand if you hate me. I just… I was hoping, since you seem cool with what happened, that… that if I didn’t push it. You wouldn’t leave. I-I don’t want to be alone. Especially, now…”

“…”

“But that doesn’t mean you should punish yourself for me,” Ellie then says, “If you don’t want to ever speak to me again, then… that’s fine. I won’t force you.”

“…*Sigh* I… I don’t know,” Rupert finally says, “My opinion on you is pretty mixed at the moment. I just… can’t seem to hate you. Cause, you were there for me, when I got kicked out, and I genuinely enjoy your company! (Even if you are a filthy criminal) … Heh. I guess, we’re both @$$holes, huh?”

“Heh. Yeah,” Ellie says awkwardly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this vulnerable.

“Wow, you finally realized that,” Thomas says sarcastically. In response, I elbow him.

“So, do you two still want to be friends?” I ask.

Rupert and Ellie both look at each other. Silence fills the room, before they both finally say, “Y-Yeah.”

“Fantastic! Glad we solved our faction’s issue! Now we can all be friends!” Thomas says.

“We’re not a faction!” Ellie says.

“Who says we’re friends with you?” Rupert snaps.

“Well, it was my plan to mend your friendship. I just grabbed Dave as a plan B if I couldn’t convince you to talk!” Thomas says.

“It’s true,” I say.

“Now, as your newest member, where are we off to?” Thomas says.

“Actually… if you don’t mind, I kind of want to be away from you, Ellie, for a while,” Rupert admits, “To you know… process things.”

“Yeah, go for it,” Ellie says.

“Really? You’re fine with that?” Rupert asks.

“I’m not an abusive jerk,” Ellie snaps, “You can do whatever you want. I just want to keep being your friend, and well…”

Rupert smiles, “Yeah. Don’t worry about that.”

“Are you just wanting to hang out with Dave?” Thomas asks.

Rupert blushes, and so do I, “W-well, I would love to but-”

“Don’t worry! Ellie and I can distract Dmitri for ya!” Thomas says.

“I-I prefer if Dave agrees with it as well,” Rupert says nervously.

“Uh, sure! It’s been a while since we’ve hanged out, one on one,” I say.

“Splendid! See you later! Come on, Ellie!” Thomas says.

“Wait, I need tell Dave something first. It’s something I’ve been uh… neglecting to do…” Ellie says remorsefully. I perk up.

“…Sure?” Thomas asks.

Ellie then drags me to the other side of the room, so the other two don’t see what we’re doing. Thomas almost goes over, but Rupert stops him.

“So, what do you want to tell me?” I ask with an expecting tone.

“Yeah, uh sorry for not upholding my end. I really should’ve told you how Rupert was feeling sooner…And I kept avoiding it cause there was so much… stuff going on. But since I’m being open, and I’m not sure if I’ll ever get another opportunity. I’ll just tell you now,”

I perk up with a smile, “Okay!”

“Not much I can say, unfortunately, but- those death threats I found, I’ve realized something,” Ellie says.

“What?”

“…They were written in the same handwriting as the secret motive cards. So, whoever wanted him dead, might’ve been the traitor,” Ellie says and hands me her secret along with one of the death threats. I look at them, while ignoring what’s written on them, and they’re the same handwriting.

That means… the traitor is still alive.

Before I respond, she’s already gone with Thomas. I look over at Rupert and smile.

“So, what do you want to do?” I ask.

“What about you?” Rupert says.

“I don’t think you’ve chosen the activity in a while, how about you do what you want to do!” I say.

“Nah… Ugh! If we keep this up, we’ll be talking in circles. *Pause* Rock, Paper, Scissors for it? Loser picks,” Rupert says.

“You’re on!” I say.

Immediately, I lose.

“Uh… best of two out of three?” I say sheepishly.

“I won fair and square,” Rupert smiles, “Come on, pick something!”

“Well… there was a game Henry wanted me to beat before he… died. Guess, I can uphold his dying wish?” I say.

“…Alright,” Rupert says hesitantly, like he doesn’t know what to think, “Where is this game?”

“I uh… don’t know. Probably in his dorm or something,” I say.

“Guess, we’ll check over there,” Rupert says.

Soon, both of us head over the dorms. We begin to check through every single dorm, since we don’t know where Henry’s is. Eventually, we find a game console on one of the beds. Must be it.

I boot it up and discover- there’s no save file. Guess it reset after Henry died. At least, Henry wouldn’t have to feel disappointed by it.

“That sucks,” Rupert says, “Guess we can’t do it now.”

“…No, we can,” I say, “How about we beat the game, for Henry!”

“Heh. Sure, why not?” Rupert says, “For Henry!”

For the next couple hours, we take turns playing the game, or more accurately, I play the game most of the time, while Rupert rage quits a minute in to anytime I give the game to him. Keep forgetting he’s not technologic savvy.

Despite that, it’s not really a hard game. I don’t even find which boss Henry supposedly had a hard time beating. They were all pretty decent. Rupert makes a joke about how Henry might’ve secretly suck at games. I then proceed to give him the game console to humble him once again. Admittedly, I can’t help but laugh, as Rupert dies over and over in the game, until I finally end his torment and continue playing, while he huffs in the corner.

Unfortunately, right as we’re about to reach the final boss, Charles and Dr. Vin come in.

“Oh, hiya Dave! We’ve been looking for you!” Charles says.

“Why are you with Rupert?” Dr. Vin says.

“No reason!” Rupert says, before whispering a quick bye and small peck on the cheek. Then scampering off. A cold emptiness replaces the spot where he once was.

“Uh, why are you looking for me?” I say, trying to ignore the longing in my heart.

“We have meeting today soon? Did you forget?” Dr. Vin says.

“Ah,” I say as I had completely forgotten.

“Come long. Dmitri is probably waiting for us in the library,” Dr. Vin says.

Reluctantly, I begin to follow the two as we make our way to the library.

“Hey, uh Dr. Vin? You doing okay?” I ask.

“…” Dr. Vin stays silent.

“Um… usually you don’t like Dmitri and with what happened yesterday-” I say.

“I have nothing better to do. At least, I can annoy that man some more,” Dr. Vin sighs.

Silence falls on our group, and I spot Ellie looking around, and grumbling to herself about ‘missing her weapon’. Ignoring her, we soon make it to the library. Briefly, I wonder what Dmitri has planned? We soon open the doors, and…

My heart skips a beat.

As Dmitri, the ultimate warden, sits there, dead.

Notes:

FINALLY THIS GUY IS DEAD!!!!
You guys do not understand. I have a friend, who I've told him about this fic before, and got weirdly attached to Dmitri, only because he shares the same name of one the main characters in The Brother's Karamazov. At first, he wanted him dead for no reason, and wanted me to kill him off earlier. Then, he kept saying how much "Dmitri is an angel". Then wanted me to not to kill him off. He's been annoying me with this character, and now I'm FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(anyways Rip Dmitri. Your loyal fans will miss you.)

Chapter 34: FtD Deadly Life- Investigations

Notes:

My "All Thsc animals are stick versions of those animals" propaganda grows.
Let's see how Dmitri ended up accidentally kicking the bucket by his own accord, because there was definitely no foul play. There will not be an execution. Especially one, where I'm currently banging my head against the wall to get down before the trial. (At least the Closing Argument is done...)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

POV Dave Panpa

Ding, Dong! “A body has been discovered,” Terrance sighs with disappointment, “Head to the library to start investigations.”

After the three of us come in, Thomas runs in first, and everyone else follows. Nobody says a word. There’s an unspoken, “Glad he’s gone.”

Despite the man Dmitri was, I can’t help but feel bad at that thought. Though, it doesn’t seem like anyone else feels bad… At least Thomas looks like he cares, as he grabs Dmitri and tries to wake him up.

“Stop tampering with the evidence!” Dr. Vin shouts and pushes him away.

“…” Thomas stares at Dr. Vin with horror, “H-He… He’s not dead… right?”

“Oi! Are you seriously asking that after the three previous trials?! Half of us are already dead! And why the Hell do you care about the dog’s leader?” Right spits.

“Fail! Eh, close enough. Welcome back Convict Allies!” Terrance says as he appears, “With that out of the way, alright! Everyone’s here! Though I’d prefer… a different outcome, a motive’s a motive. Blackened, please call out ‘I’m the culprit’ for your free ticket out of here!”

Silence.

“…” Terrance awkwardly looks at the group, “Um. Did you not hear me? Say, ‘I’m the culprit’. I promise you, this isn’t a trick! I may not be the best person but at least try to keep my word.”

Silence still.

“Do you even know who the culprit is?” Burt asks accusatory.

“YES!” Terrance snaps, “Of course I know who it is. They’re just refusing to say it!”

“Then why don’t you just get them out of here?” Ellie says, “You don’t need them to say the line.”

“Oh yes he does,” Dr. Vin says, “He made the rules and will stick to them. Ironically, his worst quality.”

“Come on, it’s not that bad,” Terrance says defeated, “Look. If none of you say it, then I’ll be force to continue the game as normal, which… might not exactly be a bad thing…” Terrance mumbles to himself, “Anyways, it’s time for investigations! Tootles~” He then disappears.

Silence fills the room again. A small cough is heard.

“I…I need to go,” Thomas begins, “I feel sick.” He then runs out of the room.

“Thomas?” I ask, and I am about to go after him, when Charles grabs me by the arm.

“I think he needs a little alone time. Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Charles says.

“…If you say so,” I say, relaxing. Charles then ungrasps my arm.

“And look on the bright side! He’s not as bad as when Geoffroy died!” Charles says.

“Yeah…” I say. I then proceed to look at Dmitri’s body.

Despite all his flaws, I can’t help but feel sad to see him dead. There’s also a slight horror to it, not just because a strong man like him is dead, but more because I think I’ve gotten used to death. Judging by the rest’s apathy, I feel like they are in the same boat. Still, Dmitri protected me when no one else would or in Rupert’s case, could. Plus, I think I formed a real bond with him.

I’m going to avenge you Dmitri! I promise you that!

<Investigation Start!>

First thing’s first. I should probably mark down who triggered the BDA. It was me, Charles, and Dr. Vin.

Truth Bullet: BDA Rules

Sad, that after this trial’s over, we will lose it. However, I’m glad we had the rule for as long as we did, regardless.

Next… I need to investigate the body. I walk over to it, along with Dr. Vin, and man… this doesn’t get any easier. Though, first we have to take off his coat, it has blood on a weird angle. Wonder why it was wrapped around his head?

Truth Bullet: Bloodied Coat

After taking it off, we investigate. There doesn’t seem to be any major injuries to him, besides all the blood. For a brief hopeful second, I hoped that Terrance was wrong, and he was still alive. Though Dr. Vin ruins it by finding a large dent in his skull behind his head. I cringe in disgust.

“Hm. Interesting,” Dr. Vin says.

“What is?” I ask.

“It seems injury isn’t too lethal. He was probably alive for around half an hour before succumbing to his wounds. It seems what did him in, was not the injury itself, but blood loss. Internal and,” she gestures to the large pool of blood on the ground, “External.”

“But if he was still alive, then why didn’t he go get help?” I ask.

“Not so fast, I said he was alive, not conscious. The wound most likely knocked him out,” Dr. Vin says.

“Ah,” I reply.

Truth Bullet: Injuries

After realizing there isn’t anything more we can do, I soon leave the body to investigate elsewhere. Dr. Vin follows but leaves the room.

“Hey, aren’t you going to do a bit more investigating?” I ask.

“Tch,” Dr. Vin scoffs as she leaves, “I did my part. You will figure it out. You always do.”

For some reason, what she said doesn’t feel like a compliment. Regardless, I decide to continue to investigate. Soon, I notice a familiar looking stop sign, covered in blood on the floor. I grimace.

Truth Bullet: Stop Sign

Before I say anything, Ellie immediately says, “I lost it earlier.”

“!” I jump before turning to her, and ask, “What?”

“I lost it earlier,” Ellie says looking a bit scared, “I discovered it was missing right after our meeting in the dressing room. I… I know what it looks like, but I… didn’t do! I’m not dumb enough to go through with murder!”

“Um, how do you… lose a stop sign?” I ask.

“I keep it those capsules. You know, the ones that make big things smaller?” Ellie says.

“Oh, yeah,” I say feeling a little stupid, “But uh, do you have any idea who took it?”

“No, but it was definitely this morning. I was using it last night with Rupert. He can confirm,” Ellie says.

Truth Bullet: Ellie’s Account

“Do you have any idea who stole it?” Charles asks as he walks over.

“…” Ellie looks away. Seems she does know.

“Do you think… when we did our meeting earlier, someone took it?” I ask.

“…” Ellie bites her lip before saying, “I’m leaving.” She then goes to the other side of the room.

Guess she doesn’t want to believe it. Can’t blame her, I don’t want to suspect Thomas and Rupert either. Plus, it makes me a suspect as well and barely clears her name.

Truth Bullet: Dressing Room Meeting

“Huh? Meeting?” Charles asks, “What was it for?”

“Oh, it was just a friendship meeting. Thomas wanted to mend some things in his faction,” I say.

“IT’S NOT A FACTION!” I can hear both Ellie and Rupert shout. I can’t help but giggle a little.

“Well… that reminds me. Didn’t Dmitri wanted to do a meeting at this time, saying he was ‘getting justice’?” Charles says.

“Huh, he did,” I wonder out loud, “Wonder what it was.” I look to his body, “I guess we won’t know…”

“Unless it’s related to the crime!” Charles says, “Cause, I’m pretty sure it is.”

“I… I think so,” I say.

Truth Bullet: Dmitri’s Meeting

“Thanks, Charles,” I say.

“No problem!” Charles says.

“Do you know what it was about?” I ask.

“Uh, not really,” Charles says, “I kind of zoned out when he was talking about it.”

I sigh in frustration, but I shouldn’t be too hard on him. I wasn’t paying attention either. Though, thinking about it now, I feel bad. He never got to explain to us what he was planning. Huh?

As I was looking down in regret, I notice some thick rope and a chair lying on the ground. I move over to it and see there’s no blood on it. I’m sure it’s tied to the murder somehow, but uh how?

Truth Bullet: Rope and Chair

“So, what are you thinking buddy?” Charles asks.

“I… I don’t know. I’m going to go out to see if there’s anything else,” I say.

“Alright,” Charles says.

Walking out of the room, I suddenly hear Charles shout, “Oh! One last thing!”

“Huh?”

“Almost forgot, but I had an argument with Burt about an hour before we discovered the body. I think he was heading away from the library,” Charles says, “Maybe toppat me, killed him?”

“Oi! He wouldn’t!” Right snaps.

“You said that about Sven last time-” Ellie says, before Right glares at her. Smartly, Ellie decides to back down.

Still, Burt was at least near the area, this might be important.

Truth Bullet: Charles’s Account

With that I leave the room. I don’t know where I should go from here, but I should try to find Burt and ask him some questions.

I explore a bit, but I don’t find Burt nor anything that might be involved with the case. That is, until I bump into Rupert.

“Oi, Dave! How’s investigating going on your end?” Rupert asks.

“It’s going well, I think Burt is um involved somehow. Either as a witness or…” I confess, “How about you?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Rupert sighs, “Can’t even find Thomas.”

“Oh! That reminds me! Ellie mentioned she used her stop sign last night, and you would be able to confirm. C-can you?” I ask.

“Yeah… she was using it,” Rupert says almost hesitantly. He even glances over at one of the cameras, “Why do you ask?”

“It might be the murder weapon,” I say awkwardly.

“…@$@#,” Rupert says.

“H-Hey! Ellie claims it was stolen! So, maybe someone else who knew about the stop sign and stole it?” I ask.

“…I’m not sure how many people knew about the stop sign, had the opportunity to steal it, and the ability to do so. Though, with this group, I’m sure we’ll ignore people’s ability to murder again. Can’t believe Charles and I were almost voted off because we could have learned how to pickpocket.”

“Yeah…” I say.

“But at least I have a stable alibi this time,” Rupert says.

“Which is?” I ask with excitement.

“…” Rupert gives me a deadpan look before saying, “We spent the whole afternoon together.”

“Oh… right,” I say feeling my face heat up.

Truth Bullet: Rupert’s and My Alibi

Rupert chuckles a bit, before saying, “Come on, there’s got to be more evidence around here.”

We both begin exploring, but no luck. Eventually, we enter the shark room, and there’s still nothing.

“UGH! Was all the evidence in the library?!” Rupert snaps.

“Well… we haven’t checked the dorms yet! There could be something in there,” I tell him.

“Could be,” Rupert sighs, “But I’m not sure we have time to look through them all.”

“I hope we have enough time! I still need to talk to Burt about what he was doing,” I say.

“And I still want to have a chat with-” Rupert begins before being interrupted by-

SPLASH!

…T-Thomas?

Ding, Dong! “A body has been discovered! Head to the top of the shark tank!” Terrance chimes.

Silently, Rupert drags me away from the tank up the stairs. Until it’s directly out of my view, I keep staring at the tank. Despite knowing Thomas for not a long while, I feel like I’ve lost my brother. It doesn’t help that I lost him in such a gruesome way. Fortunately, I’m able to quickly snap out of it. I was able to do so for Geoffroy and Johnny after all. Plus, as I walk up the stairs, I realize that I can’t be held back by my grief if I want to avenge Thomas. I’ll figure out what happened to you, Thomas! I promise!

On the top, I see Dr. Vin glaring at Burt, while he looks concerned and confused. Soon, everyone rushes in.

“…”

“What the bloody hell just happened?!” Rupert asks.

“Ehem. I was just about to investigate the top of the shark tank, when Thomas jumped into the shark tank while Burt and him were arguing,” Dr. Vin calmly states.

“YOU!” Right snaps and grabs Dr. Vin’s shirt, “YOU KILLED HIM, DIDN’T YOU?!”

“No, she’s telling the truth,” Burt slowly says. She came in from just behind me and saw it.”

Right stares at him but slowly releases Dr. Vin from his grasp. I probably should mark this down, so I don’t forget it.

Truth Bullet: Dr. Vin’s Account

“Wait, but Dave and I saw Thomas fall into the tank,” Rupert says, “You two couldn’t have both saw Thomas fall in.”

“Yeah, you couldn’t be, right?” I say with worry.

“Afraid we did,” Dr. Vin shrugs.

“So, the BDA won’t help us with this,” Ellie sighs, “Darn.”

Darn indeed. Still, I should mark it down just in case.

Truth Bullet: BDA’s Rules #2

“Fail! I wish there wasn’t a timer, but you would’ve not paid attention to it anyways,” Terrance says, “Also: Yippie! Another murder! Guess someone didn’t like the fact they were beat to the punch, or perhaps, they were a little blood thirsty~ But regardless, I’ll give you another chance! Say, ‘I am the culprit’ and you get to leave!”

Once again, silence fills the room. Resulting in Terrance looking nervous.

“C-Come on. You can’t do this to me. Just say the sentence! It’s the easiest thing in the world. Look: I AM THE CULPRIT! There! Like that! Just say it!” Terrance says in almost a desperate manor, then quietly says, “Please?”

“Hmp. Guess we are going to have to continue investigations. Now it is more difficult with a second body,” Dr. Vin says.

“…Fine. But just so you all know, you can change your mind. We don’t have to do a trial nor an execution,” Terrance states. He then disappears.

“How… out of character,” Burt says.

“Ugh, why the Hell is no one saying anything?” Right sighs.

“Oh, is it perhaps you are the culprit?” Dr. Vin states.

“What? No! It’s just… weird,” Right says, “Even if Terrance isn’t telling the truth that saying the phrase will get us out of here, which let’s be honest he probably is lying, why hasn’t anyone latched on to the offer?”

“Maybe because they don’t want to expose themselves?” Ellie says, “If Terrance is lying, that would be a death sentence.”

“Or…” Burt grabs his arm, “Something else.”

A shiver goes down my spine. He can’t be referring to that… can he?

I shake my head; no they would have to have another reason. Right? The culprit wouldn’t just… give up, after everything. ~~Even if it is tempting.~~

Ignoring everyone, I walk over to the shark tank, and wince at the blood tainting the water. Guess I won’t be able to investigate the body. Still… I think I should note what I saw.

Truth Bullet: Thomas’s Death

His death seems a lot more confusing than Dmitri’s. I sigh in annoyance, then a chill goes down my spine.

I’m only annoyed by Thomas’s murder. Just annoyed. Nothing else. He was someone who was alive and well literally almost an hour ago, someone who I cared about, is now dead, and I can only feel annoyed that the case is a little harder. Oh, God, I’m losing it.

“Dave? You okay?” Rupert asks.

“I’m fine! Really!” I say.

“…Alright,” Rupert says.

Ding, Dong! “Hey, everyone! Investigation are now over! Head to the elevator to begin the trial!” Terrance yells.

“It’s already over?!” Charles asks, “Thought we would get extra time, for Thomas’s murder…”

“There’s something going on with Terrance,” Ellie says, “I don’t like it.”

“Why? He has trapped us here and forced us to kill each other. He is the reason why your brother is dead,” Dr. Vin says, which causes Ellie to flinch, “If he is upset than that’s a win for us.”

“True, but it makes him less predictable,” Ellie says, “I’m worried something bad is going to happen.”

“You worry too much comrade, let’s get this trial over with,” Dr. Vin says, “The true murderers need to pay for their crimes.”

We all head downstairs, but I’m still worried about my feelings. Thomas was my friend, why did I get over his death easily? No, I already know the answer. I just don’t want to accept it.

What will happen once we leave? Will I not be fully able to? Have I become desensitized to stick figure atrocities? M̸̧̘̫͕̣͕̿̇ơ̶̧̲̞̭͎̯͉͓̍͐̆́̏́̽͊͝͠r̵̢̜̲̳̟͇͓̞͒͊͊̈̀̉̚ě̸͈̯͕͓̙͋͛̋̅̏̔̾ ̴̛̛̱̲͈̰̹̩̳̓̃̚͠s̵̮̾̍̀o̷͈̟͎̪̭̰̊͗͒̔̀͜͝ͅ ̶̩̻̗̠̣̺̯̫͎͕̆͂̔̅̿̈́̀̆͜͜͠ẗ̴̯̭̝̭̻͛̾̈̀̏̾͝ͅh̵̡̛̫̥̙͔̩͓̒̐̅̈́̉͌̈́̍̓͗͋͜a̶̢̱̜͓̙̜̺͚̯̙̎̊̀̉̕͜͜n̷̡͈̩̥͔̳̟͋͆̎̋̍̀ ̷̘̖̪͉̟̟͊̾́͊̉́̕Ȋ̶͈͌̊͘͘̚͝͝ ̵̻̹͓̀͂a̶̧̧̗̻͙͖̥̦̮͙̟̹̓̇̍̄̾͒͝ļ̷͉̝̹͍̩̮̭̲̰̗̈́̍̽͑̓̌̊ͅr̸̨͉̦̳̼̭͖̋e̷̯͚̲̾̃a̷̢̹͈̩̝̮̽͌̈́̀͊͋̚͘͜͠d̷̟̪̔̏̏̉͋̐̒̃͂̏̍̈ý̸̢͉͓͖͕͎̩̺͇̚̚ͅ ̵̢̲̹͐̾͜͝ͅą̸̧̭͔̮͇̼̤͇̞̰̇̐̊̎͛̍̆͜m̷͚͈͋̂̏̈̑̎̕?

Breaking me out of my spiraling thoughts, is a trash can. More accurately, I trip over it and fall to the ground.

“Dave! You alright?” Rupert asks and comes to my aid.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I tell him. Physically at least.

“Huh? What’s this?” Rupert asks, and he picks up a- syringe from the trash can. It also looks like it was used.

“…” we both look at each other, before Rupert tucks it away.

Truth Bullet: Syringe

We then proceed to hurry up to the elevator. Nobody says anything, and I don’t feel uncomfortable. I hate that.

I take a deep breath, and whisper to myself, “You got this, Dave!”

Notes:

Hey!!! Did you know this was originally going to be the chapter "3" portion of the fic, but I switched the order because putting it as a chapter "4" made more sense? Do you also recall Henry was a last minute death, and chapter "3" was supposed to have only one death? Funny, huh?

Chapter 35: FtD Deadly Life- Trial

Notes:

No lie bullet this time. Couldn't find a good place for it. Also not many rebuttal showdowns. (Mostly cause of the consequences of killing off too many characters)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Before I go into the trial again, I think I should review all the evidence. It’s saved me more than once…

Truth Bullet: BDA Rules: Dr. Vin, Charles, and I discovered Dmitri’s body.

Truth Bullet: BDA Rules #2: Dr. Vin, Burt, Rupert, and I discovered Thomas’s body.

Truth Bullet: Bloodied Coat: Dmitri’s coat was removed from his body and wrapped around his head. It has blood on it at a weird angle.

Truth Bullet: Charles’s Account: Charles claims he had an argument with Burt, an hour before the body discovery. Burt came from the area near the library.

Truth Bullet: Dmitri’s Meeting: Dmitri wanted to have a meeting in the library and said something about “getting justice”.

Truth Bullet: Dr. Vin’s Account: Dr. Vin was approaching the top of the shark tank, when she notices that Thomas jumped into the shark tank, while in the midst with arguing with Burt.

Truth Bullet: Dressing Room Meeting: Most likely, someone stole Ellie’s stop sign (if she’s telling the truth) during the meeting where Thomas and I forced her and Rupert to talk about their feelings.

Truth Bullet: Ellie’s Account: Ellie claims she lost her stop sign, which keeps in a capsule, eariler. Rupert confirms she had it last night.

Truth Bullet: Injuries: Dmitri suffered a blow to his head, although not fatal, it was left untreated, and he succumbed to his wounds. He was alive but unconscious for half an hour.

Truth Bullet: Rope and Chair: There’s a random rope and chair in the library. There’s no blood on either of them.

Truth Bullet: Rupert’s and My Alibi: Rupert and I spent the whole afternoon together playing games.

Truth Bullet: Stop Sign: A stop sign covered in blood was found at the scene of the crime. Ellie claims it was stolen.

Truth Bullet: Syringe: A used syringe was found inside of a trash can.

Truth Bullet: Thomas’s Death: I watched Thomas fall into the water with his back turned. He made no struggle before the sharks devoured him in seconds.

I hope this is enough; Thomas and Dmitri are counting on me!

We walk into the trial room. Helpless acceptance fills the room. It’s become a fact we’ll always end back up in this room. Silently, we go to our podiums.

“…”

It’s almost funny how one stops caring about blatant disrespect for the dead after seeing it numerous times.

“Jeeze, liven it up a little,” Terrance groans, at how silent we are.

“I don’t think that’s even remotely possible,” Burt says.

“Get started with the trial already,” Dr. Vin says.

“So, pushy!” Terrance says, “But before we begin, I’ll like to remind our killer, of the little sentence they could say to save themselves. You know, ‘I’m the culprit’? I know I haven’t been trustworthy in the past, but I’m being honest! You’ll leave unharmed, while the others stay unharmed as well!”

“…”

“Start the trial, Terrance,” Dr. Vin says.

“…Fine,” Terrance relents, “Before we begin, a brief introduction to the trial is in order. All of you are separated into two sides, innocents and the blackened. The innocents’ goal is to find Thomas Chestershire’s and Dmitri Johannes Petrov’s killer, while the blackened’s goal is to ‘muddy the water’ and get away with it. After 7/8ths of the participants have reached a satisfying conclusion, a vote shall be cast on who the majority thinks is the blackened, which will determine which side who won. If the blackened wins, they will go free. If the innocents win, they get to continue the game! The losing side will be punished, but it doesn’t have to be that way… Regardless, ALL RISE FOR THE CLASS TRIAL!”

“…”

“So, no baseless accusations to start off this time?” Burt asks.

“Dmitri was the one who usually did it,” Dr. Vin says, “And he is currently dead.”

“Johnny did it once though,” Right says, “Tried to throw me under the bus for his crime.”

“Just goes the show, we’re learning,” Rupert says.

“I don’t think this counts as learning,” Ellie sighs.

“But uh, where do we begin then?” I ask.

“*Sigh*…Screw it, Ellie did it,” Burt says.

“WHAT?!” Ellie snaps.

“Someone had to,” Burt says.

“No, they didn’t!” Ellie yells.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Ellie’s Account

Burt: Ellie did it, because she’s an @$$hole.

Burt: That’s my accusation.

Rupert: That’s a @#@@ty accusation.

Dr. Vin: It does have some merit though…

Dr. Vin: Her stop sign was found at the scene of the crime.

Dr. Vin: So, it can be stated that she is linked to it.

Ellie: Why are you going along with this?

Ellie: I thought we were friends!?

Dr. Vin: Relax, comrade. I know you didn’t do it.

Dr. Vin: Just pointing it out.

Burt: Oh, is there actually evidence?

Burt: Then I retract my statement.

Charles: Uh, why?

Burt: Because it’s no longer baseless.

Seems everyone is piling on Ellie. Can’t blame them. It’s really easy to pin the crime on her, but… is that really fair?

< Dr. Vin: It does have some merit though…>

BANG!

“N-no, that’s wrong!”

“Um, that makes sense, but uh… Ellie lost her stop sign this morning,” I say.

“…How the Hell do you lose a stop sign?” Right asks.

“I leave it in my capsule!” Ellie yells.

“So, there’s a chance someone used it in attempt to frame her,” I tell the group.

“I can believe it,” Dr. Vin says, “It is too convenient to be left there.”

“Though…” Burt says looking at Ellie.

“@#$@ off,” Ellie says, “I’m not that stupid, brain-fart.”

Burt clenches his mouth, but makes no other expression that it got to him.

“But that’s not enough evidence,” Right says, “We’re taking her word that it was lost. She could easily be lying to make herself innocent!”

“But we don’t have any proof of the former either,” Rupert says, “Actually… Dave? Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Uh maybe?” I ask.

“Wasn’t there an opportunity for someone to steal her stop sign,” Rupert says with remorse.

I already know when… oh, no. Don’t tell me he’s thinking what I’m thinking?

<Select Evidence>

< Truth Bullet: Dressing Room Meeting>

“I-I got it!”

“You don’t mean, when we had our meeting in the dressing room?” I ask.

“What meeting?” Right snaps.

I jump.

“Oi! It was nothing vicious. Just, Ellie, Dave, Thomas, and I were in the dressing room talking for a bit,” Rupert says.

“About what?” Charles asks.

“That’s none of your business!” Rupert snaps.

“We were just working through some relationship problems…” I answer.

“So, you are suggesting that in that meeting, there was a chance that someone could have stolen Miss. Rose’s stop sign?” Dr. Vin says, “But besides from Mr. Panpa, would they have already known about the sign?”

“Uh… Thomas admitted to eavesdropping on a conversation, where he learned about the sign to me, earlier today,” I say.

“I did hear him outside,” Dr. Vin confirms.

“And I did yell at him,” Ellie also confirms.

“Ellie also showed me it last night,” Rupert also says.

“Can confirm, and it’s not a lie this time,” Ellie says.

“How do we know you are not lying just to protect Ellie?” Burt glares.

“Because I hate her,” Rupert says with a wink. Ellie winces but then smiles.

“Yeah, why would he protect me, when I tried throwing him under the bus last time?” Ellie says.

Burt stares at the two but relents.

“Interesting, so that means we have our subject list,” Right says, “Dave, Rupert, and Ellie could’ve committed the murder,”

“What about Thomas?” Charles asks.

“He’s dead. He might’ve saw something he shouldn’t have and was killed afterwards,” Right says, “Him dying proves he couldn’t have done it.”

“That’s a plausible theory,” Dr. Vin says.

I bite my lip. I don’t like the sound of any of them being the murderer. Though-

“Wait, I don’t think Dmitri’s murder matters too much,” I say, “Since Thomas died second, the stick who killed Dmitri is no longer the blackened!”

“That is true,” Dr. Vin says.

“But his death is linked to Thomas’s death,” Burt says, “If we solve who killed Dmitri then Thomas’s death will be solved as well.”

“Besides, even if he wasn’t a good person, he at least deserves to have the truth of his death be revealed,” Rupert says.

“So, then. Who killed him?” Charles says.

“I think we can easily say which among the four did not,” Dr. Vin says. She then looks at me, expecting something.

I think I already know what she’s referring to.

<Select Evidence>

< Truth Bullet: BDA Rules >

“I-I got it!”

“You’re referring to when we found the body, right?” I ask.

“Да” Dr. Vin replies.

“Ugh, who trigged it this time?” Right sighs.

“Charles, Dr. Vin, and I,” I tell him with a shutter, “And uh, just so we don’t forget, Thomas’s BDA was triggered by Rupert, Burt, Dr. Vin, and me. So, the latter’s BDA is uh… not that useful?”

“Tch. Of course, that traitor in death couldn’t make this easier for us,” Right spits.

I can feel my eye twitch, but I quickly take a deep breath.

“That leaves us with our two suspects, a murderer and an accomplice,” Burt snaps.

“Oi!” Rupert snaps.

“Hey!” Ellie says, “Just because we made a mistake in the past-”

“Doesn’t mean, we did it!” Rupert snaps.

“Alright, then explained why,” Charles says.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Rupert’s and My Alibi

Rupert: Look, I already know it goes down to us.

Rupert: But there’s got to be more to the case.

Rupert: It’s never this straight forward!

Burt: Don’t know, Ellie’s dumb enough to forget to hide evidence.

Ellie: I AM NOT DUMB!

Right: Besides, it’s probably Rupert.

Right: He’s the one with experience.

Rupert: Oi! We all have experience, @#$@wad.

Charles: Oof. This doesn’t really look for you two.

Charles: Were you guys doing anything before the murder?

Rupert: I was playing a video game.
Ellie: Thomas and I were trying to find Dmitri to distract him,

Ellie: Before he bolted on me…

Right: And how the Hell are we supposed to believe that?

Right: Especially if he’s not here to confirm it.

Ellie: …I don’t know.

Ugh, this is looking bad. It can’t be down to them both, right?

…I think, I can at least prove one of their innocence. Better than nothing.

< Rupert: I was playing a video game.>

BANG!

“I agree!”

“Uh, I can confirm Rupert’s whereabouts. We were hanging out trying to beat a video game,” I say.

“Oh? What kind?” Ellie asks.

“Some old one. Rupert sucked at it,” I giggle.

“I’m not made for those things,” Rupert complains.

“Oh! So, that’s what you guys were doing back there. Was it that the game Henry was struggling on?” Charles says.

“Y-Yeah, thought I could honor his last wish for me to beat it for him…” I say.

“Beat it? Why didn’t he tell me about it?” Ellie says, “I could’ve helped!”.

“Maybe next time, Els!” Charles says.

“But there won’t be a next time. Cause you’re the murderer,” Right spits.

“W-What? Hey! I know what it looks like, but I didn’t do it!” Ellie says.

“Oi! Leave her alone, we already went over that she was framed!” Rupert says.

“But she’s the last person on our subject list that isn’t cleared,” Right says, “And I thought you said you didn’t care about her!”

“That was a lie to get you guys off her back!” Rupert snaps back.

“Wow, you really suck sticking to lies,” Terrance says.

“SHUT IT!” Rupert snaps.

“Well, guess that unfortunately confirms that she did it,” Dr. Vin says.

“NO IT DOESN’T!” Rupert and Ellie both shout.

“SHE IS NOT THE CULPRIT / I AM NOT THE CULPRIT!”

<Mass Panic Debate!>

Truth Bullet: Charles’s Account

Rupert/Ellie

“Are you @$##ing serious right now?!”/ “Seriously?!”

“She was clearly framed!”/ “You have no evidence!”

“It can’t be down to her…” / “I know, I don’t have a solid alibi,”

“Even after what happened to Jacob.”/ “And I know it was my stop sign.”

“Do you think she’d prove him right afterwards?!” / “But that’s not enough evidence to convict me!”

“And I can’t lose her like I did with Johnny…”/ “Is it…?”

Rupert’s really determined to defend Ellie. I should help.

Ugh, there’s nothing here that proves without a doubt that Ellie didn’t do it. But…

Maybe I can’t prove Ellie’s innocent, but maybe I can prove that the suspect list isn’t so small…

<Rupert: “It can’t be down to her…” >

BANG!

“I agree!”

“Rupert! I think you’re right!” I say, “Charles said he saw Burt coming from the area. He might know something!”

“You are grasping at straws-” Right snaps.

“No, he’s right. Something happened there, and Ellie was nowhere near it, unfortunately,” Burt says, “I saw the murder.”

“What?!” Ellie says.

“You know who did it? Why didn’t you say anything!” Rupert snaps.

“Unless he is the murderer-” Dr. Vin says.

“Oi! Burt didn’t say he was the murderer!” Right defends.

“So, you’re going to tell us what you saw then?” Charles says.

“…No,” Burt says.

“What, why?!” I ask.

“…” Burt grows quiet.

“Burt?” Right asks, slightly scared and concerned.

“…Well, you heard the rat, let us figure what happened out,” Dr. Vin says.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Dmitri’s Meeting

Rupert: Why are you refusing to tell us what happened?

Burt: …

Dr. Vin: Your silence is damning.

Charles: I still don’t understand,

Charles: How are we supposed to figure out what happened,

Charles: When we weren’t even there?

Burt: Really?

Burt: Of all people, you would know.

Burt: Wasn’t that your plan?

Charles: …uh, what?

Ellie: Charles?

Charles: Hey, man! I’m not planning anything!

Burt’s being vague on purpose, but why? Why is he not spilling it out? He can’t be the killer; he confirmed Ellie’s innocence! He hates her! But why is he quiet?

…Come on, Dave think! He’s referring to something! What was it?

< Burt: Wasn’t that your plan?>

BANG!

“N-no, that’s wrong!”

“Uh, no Burt. Charles’s wouldn’t know. It was Dmitri’s plan,” I say.

“Huh?” Ellie asks.

“Oh! That!” Charles says, “Yeah, still not my plan. Kind of zoned out when he explained it, and Dave was really out of it!”

“Really out of it?” Rupert asks with worry.

“Yeah! Like his mind went bye, bye!” Charles says. Rupert gives me a concerned glance. I sheepishly shrug.

“What was that hound planning?!” Right, thankfully, interrupts.

I jump, but quickly say, “He wanted to have a meeting in the library. Something about ‘getting justice’.”

“That tells us literally nothing,” Burt says.

“So, what was it?” Right snaps.

I flinch, but he’s right. It doesn’t tell us what happened. Maybe… I can figure out what it was.

<Logic Dive>

What was ‘Getting Justice’ about?

-Getting Justice

-Capturing a Toppat

-Escaping the Factory

> Capturing a Toppat<

“I-I got it!”

“!” I jolt upwards realizing what Dmitri’s planning. Dmitri, why?!

“So? What is it?” Right growls.

“…I think… Dmitri was planning on capturing a toppat. Probably to do some interrogation or something,” I say.

“...Or worse,” Right snaps, but looks down. Ashamed.

Burt looks at me, with almost a pleased look.

“So, I’m guessing I got it-”

“TIME FOR A LITTLE PAYBACK!”

“!” Immediately, I jump behind Rupert.

“No! I refuse to believe that happened!” Right snaps, “I didn’t fail my toppats again! I couldn’t have…”

“Oi, Dave?” Rupert asks.

“Yes, please,” I tell him, already knowing what he’s asking.

<Rebuttal Showdown>

Truth ~~Bullet~~ Sword: Rope and Chair

Right: I know it’s in character for him to do something like this.

Right: But even you know this is a stretch!

Right: What’s the point in doing something like this!

Right: Especially if it means, I’d come after him.

ADVANCE

Rupert: There’s lots of reasons.

Rupert: Interrogation for vital information.

Rupert: Get revenge against your clan.

Rupert: Or…

Right: …

Right: I-I’d stop anyone from going that far!

Right: I won’t let that happen again!

Right: I-I won’t!

ADVANCE

Right: Besides, you haven’t answered my question yet.

Rupert: Which is?

Right: What is your evidence for something like this?!

Right’s right. My whole theory is a stretch. Maybe I’m wrong- No! I got to that conclusion for a reason, and I know I do have something to back it up!

< Right: What is your evidence for something like this?!>

SLICE!

“I-I’ll s-slice through that!”

“Uh… the rope and chair we found in the room is evidence,” I say, “It wasn’t there before, and well… i-it be perfect for keeping someone in one place. At least long enough to have a meeting with them,” I say.

“Yep,” Burt says.

“…” Right doesn’t respond just hiss in the corner. He’s really upset.

“Hm. Then, if that is the case, then who was that scoundrel’s target?” Dr. Vin says.

Yeah, who. I think… I think I might know the answer…

<Select Stick>

<Burt>

“I-I got it!”

“B-Burt,” I say his name with acid on my tongue. I’m starting to get a picture of what happened. I don’t like it.

“Hm?” Burt looks at me.

“Were… were you attacked by Dmitri?” I ask.

“Yes. Yes, I was,” Burt confirms.

“Why didn’t you say anything?!” Right snaps.

“…,” Burt doesn’t respond

“Is it because you want to help Terrance get his sick entertainment?” Ellie asks, “He’s the one who set this stupid game up!”

“It is because he is a toppat,” Dr. Vin says. Burt and Right wince like her words were a slap in the face.

“I think we’re jumping to conclusions. There might be a different reason why he’s not saying anything,” I say.

“Heh. Ironic, you say they’re ‘jumping to conclusions’,” Right chuckles bitterly.

“?”

“*Sigh* Look, I’ll explain after the trial,” Burt says, “Let’s just continue.”

“After?” I ask.

Ignoring what I said, Burt continues with, “Dmitri snuck up to me when I was heading over to feed the sharks. Least I can do for Sven… I tried to run, but uh… I was never good at self-defense practice. Barely better than Sven, so… it didn’t work. However, before he could do anything-”

Everyone stares at him.

Burt pauses, before saying, “Ellie can answer the next part,”

We all turn to her.

“…I don’t know!” Ellie says, “I wasn’t there! I’m as surprised as you all- Wait… oh.”

“Oh?” Charles asks.
Ellie pauses and stares at us. Soon, Rupert elbows her and gives her a friendly smile. She sighs and says, “…Thomas, left my side saying he needed to check something out… I-Is that what you were referring to?”

“But he stopped being a toppat!” Right argues, “He wouldn’t just talk to Burt randomly!”

I don’t want to say it. I don’t want to say it. I don’t want to say it. I don’t want to say it. I don’t want to say it. I don’t want to say it. I don’t want to say-

“Hey, Dave? Did you figure something out?” Charles says.

“Never mind that! Are you okay?” Rupert asks with concern, “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“…”

<Select Evidence>

< Truth Bullet: Stop Sign>

“I… I have to say it.”

“…Thomas had an opportunity to steal Ellie’s stop sign. He’s a thief, it would be easy for him,” I say as the words drip like molasses off my tongue, my body shutters violently, “A-and since he said he’d go back to being a toppat once they get themselves back together, it means he still cares about the clan. It’s why he left it in the first place...”

“What are you saying?” Right hisses.

“Dave?” Rupert says with concern, “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to!”

I shake my head. It hurts so much, but I have to say it. I made a promise. I have to live. Ȉ̴̛̟͚̺͇͈̽̈́̅̾̃͑̕̚͝ţ̶̳̫̟̙̰͍̥̮̪̞̤̔͗̂̈́ͅ'̸̲̞̣̭̮́̾̉̽͒͠s̸̘̳̳̰̰̯̦̤̗͔͗͌̔̾̈́̅͆̄͋͗̒̈́̕͠ͅ ̸̨̨̡͔̠̖̺̝̳̩̫̪̈͂̋̓̓ñ̵̡̜͓͚̥̭̟̝͖̘̰̀ǫ̸̡̩̠̙͇͇̻̗̳͌̀͋͐̀̃̓̈́t̴͉̤̤̙͙͇́̏̐͐͑ͅ ̵̧͕̝͔̠͓̪̯̞̤̮̞̈́̋̾̔̕t̷͖͈͖̂̍͌͂́̌̔͘͠ͅḧ̷͖̝̟̣̪͖̳̘̹͙̪̣͔́̈́̎̇̊̇e̴͔̹̮͍̬̘̠͖̘̳̟͍̟̓̏̿͆̀͒̓̅͂͑̍͐͜͠͠ ̵̢̹̣̼̯̼͇̞͔̐͒͆͘͝ͅw̶̨̨͇̜̙̦̣̯͓͇̯̥̤̽̓͒͛̓̈́̋̒̕̕̚͜͠ͅo̷̘̍͑̈́̿̈́͆̀͊͆̈͌̕̕͝r̸̨̨̠̗̟̬̞̺̥͇̬̳̔͒̏̋̄̓̔̊́̈́͂̎̄͒̚s̷̠̠̍̀ẗ̵̛̛̺̙̯̻͕̞̞̲͓̬̯̀͂͜ ̷̢̛͕̣͙̭̹̰̭̭̥͈͎̝̳͔̍̈́̾͠ṱ̸̠͇̖̤̺͌͑̃͂́̅̅̿̿̊̾͘͠͠ḣ̶͍̂̀ị̷̢̡̭͓̪̱̳͊̀̂̔n̷̫͛̓̈́̉̒̍̒̒͐g̸̩͔̺̞̯̑̂̉ ̸̫̿͑̈́̉̈́̆͗̈́͆̇̕I̴̝͎̝̰̥͇̠̠̝͕͚̝̲̍̇̅̓͝'̵̡̤̠̲̱͙͖̭̭͎̖͖͇̜̐̐̈́͌̐̎̽͋̕̚͜͠͝v̷̙͓̖͈̩̾̒̋͂̑̈́̏̎̏̑̑̒̾͝ͅe̷̡̧̡̟̗͈͚̰̒ͅ ̶͔͒̀̑d̴͇̻̳̻̳͙̹͆́̂̓͐̃͒̒̐̀̂͂͝o̵̟͚͎͕̼̱͈̳̳͂̈́ͅͅņ̵̛̭͈̇̿̈́̅̉̉̂͒̈́͋̓́̒͐ê̴̫̮̣̿̓̎̊̎̈́͠ ̶̢̢͙͓͓̠̹̲͎̻̮̰͆̇͐̂̀̈͊́̇͝f̸̨̮̰̙̟̘͎̮̙͐̉̚o̶̡̧̝̻̫͚̭̭̫̫͐̅ŕ̸̬̦̬̤͙̗͕̮͖̞̳̖̭͉͖̈́ ̴̛̛͖̹͐̃͑̎̀͂̌̃͗̒̿̕t̷̢̨̛̛̟̟̜͎̲̪̙͂̄̀̄́̀͗͑͋̓̾̓̕h̸̛̛̟̹i̵͓̥̫͆̊̅̇̀̍̚s̸̨̭͔̮̪̭̄̆ ̷͈̹̍̒̽́͂͛̾̆͋͊̆͂̔g̸͇͌͊͝͝ō̶̗͍͔̤̝̣̲̫̉̔̀̒̈́͑͒̇̈́̈́̋̈́̋ͅa̷̞̬̺̞̥͎͈̣̮͔̐͌̈́͌̌̃̋̾͘̕l̴̛͖̳̰̗̼̹̉́͆̓̕.̵͈̔̐̃̀̇̅̀̀̾̿

“He c-came to Burt’s distress and… used the stop sign to save him,” I say.

“…Yes. Yes, he did,” Burt says, “…Heh. It’s funny. We never really did get along well, and yet…”

“But that doesn’t make sense! If he did kill Dmitri then why didn’t he out right say it!” Ellie snaps.

“Because he didn’t do it!” Right snaps.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Bloodied Coat

Right: Thomas was a loyal toppat sure,

Right: But that doesn’t mean he killed him!

Dr. Vin: I find it easy to believe.

Dr. Vin: Your clan was cause for last two murders…

Burt: Plus, he had a motive.

Right: Hate to reveal your lie, but you two hated each other.

Right: Plus, Thomas is a traitor.

Right: There’s no reason why he would kill to save you.

Burt: Then why are you stilling defending him?

Right: Because despite everything,

Right: I believe he wouldn’t do this on purpose.

I’m glad Right’s putting doubt on my accusation. I really… really want to be proven wrong.

Hate that I know a good way to counter him…

< Right: I believe he wouldn’t do this on purpose.>

BANG!

“I agree!”

“Um, you’re Right right about him never doing this on purpose,” I say hesitantly.

“But?” Right growls.

I gulp, “There’s evidence that suggest that it was… an accident,” I say, “Dmitri’s coat… was taken off of him, and wrapped around his head. I think, the reason why that happened was because whoever did it, wanted to stop the blood loss. In other words, the killer… didn’t want Dmitri to die. Does that satisfy you, R-Right?”

“…” Right grumbles.

“But it could’ve meant the killer tried to suffocate him,” Charles says, “Take his coat off and then wrap it around his head and pulled.”

There’s a quick and easy way to disprove that though…

<Select Evidence>

< Truth Bullet: Injuries>

“I-I got it!”

“Dmitri’s injury match where the blood is on the coat,” I say, “Plus, Dr. Vin said that the stop sign only knocked him unconscious, and he was alive for at least an hour. H-He might’ve died right before we found him.” I shake my head, “So, this gives us a bit of evidence for my theory.”

“Plus, Dmitri was strong, if someone snuck up on him and tried to suffocate him with his coat, I bet he could pull them off,” Rupert adds.

“Guess so,” Charles sighs and rubs the back of his head.

“But there is still a question remaining,” Dr. Vin says, “If Thomas is indeed the toppat who killed Dmitri, then who killed him? After all, he died after Dmitri.”

“I think I can answer that,” Burt says.

“Oh? You finally dropped this silence bull@#$@?” Right asks not super pleased.

“Not really,” Burt says, “But you guys figured out enough, so I can tell my side of the story.”

We all perk up interest.

“Oh! This is going to be good!” Terrance cheers.

Burt sighs, “Like I already said, I was going to feed my sharks, but then Dmitri kidnapped me. Wanted to use me as an ‘example’. Thomas probably heard it, came running in and hit Dmitri on the back of the head. He went down, instantly. Then, Thomas freed me and asked if I was alright. After I recovered from the shock, we both of us realized that Dmitri wasn’t getting back up. Guess, Thomas swung too hard, and the hound was gravely injured. He needed help.

“So, Thomas came up with a plan. I would go get help, while he watched over Dmitri to make sure ‘nobody tried anything’. But…”

Burt pauses. Right and Ellie then give him a disgusted look, like they already figured what he was going to say.

Eventually, Ellie breaks the silence by snapping, “But you didn’t do that? You just LEFT HIM there?!”

“Not my… finest moment,” Burt admits. Regret is plastered on his face.

“He saved your life! And you just… left him with a dying man?!” Ellie snaps.

“…I was angry,” Burt says, and starts rubbing his arm, “Angry at Thomas for leaving the clan, when we needed him there more than ever, angry at Dmitri for planning to torture me or… worse, and angry… at law enforcement in general for what they did to me and the clan.”

“Not lay down and die?” Dr. Vin snaps.

“…” Burt doesn’t respond, instead pauses and continues with, “I wanted revenge, and at the time that’s what I wanted to get. Thomas could deal with the aftermath on his own,”

“But I don’t understand, how does this relate to Thomas’s own murder?” Charles asks.

“…Because at some point, Dmitri actually died. I’m surprised he wasn’t in the room with you guys. Probably left when he realized I wasn’t coming back. Later, I found him near the shark tank. Never did ended up feeding them, heh. Thomas was freaking out, incredibly mad at me for abandoning him, to the point his words became gibberish,” Burt says, “Then he…”

“…”

“Jumped?” Dr. Vin guesses.

“Yep,” Burt confirms, “The guilt was too much for him...”

I can feel my whole-body shatter that information. Thomas… did what? No. No, he wouldn’t! He wouldn’t! He’s my friend, he wouldn’t do that to himself! He wouldn’t just… give up like that! Especially after everything we’ve been through. He couldn’t! HE COULDN’T-

“DAVE! DAVE!” Rupert shouts, holding on to me, “You okay?!”

“…” I look up at Rupert, I can feel tears drip down my face. Soon, I grab Rupert and pull him into a hug. He winces but lets me do it. I’m grateful for that, as I cry into his shoulder.

“…There? There?” Rupert says awkwardly and pats my back. Obviously not knowing what to do in this situation, but I appreciate his attempt.

“...Love birds,” Burt coughs.

“Get a room,” Dr. Vin whispers.

“I miss Reg,” Right sighs under his breath.

As soon as we separate, we continue to hold hands. I feel slightly better, but now I’m a bit cold, because we’re no longer hugging. Also, I can feel everyone in the room judge us.

“So, wait. If Thomas killed Dmitri, and Thomas did… that,” I wince, “Then… who is our killer?” Ellie asks.

“Well, didn’t we have a rule about suicides?” Terrance suggests fiddling with his fingers.

“Suicides only count if they were assisted, as the stick who assisted would be the blackened. And…” Burt looks down. His face is filled with regret and guilt, “I think it’s obvious who assisted… Even if they didn’t attend for it to happen.”

“Wow! I’m so glad you as a group had a character arc to look at the rules for once!” Terrance cheers.

“Y-You can’t be seriously suggesting that you assisted it?!” Right snaps in horror.

“No,” Burt says.

“Oh, thank God-” Right says.

“But that’s only because of the motive’s rules,” Burt says.

“WHAT?!” Right snaps.

“WHAT! WHY?” I shout as well, “If you say ‘I’m the culprit’ you get to leave! W-Why wouldn’t you…” I say as my voice dies down.

“…” Burt looks at us all, a somber expression is on his face, “What’s… what’s the point? The clan is gone. Sven’s gone. I… I helped cause a majority of my faction’s deaths. The guilt is unbearable, and… what even is left for me outside of here…? I’m tired, I just want this to end. Even if it’s going to hurt a lot, I’ll be at peace knowing it’ll be over in a minute. *Pause* You all know who to vote for.”

Silence falls on the crowd. That’s basically as close as confession as it gets without saying it for certain. No wonder Burt wasn’t telling us anything, he wanted us to build a case against him, so we wouldn’t brush it aside. Still…

“No.” I firmly state.

“No?” Burt asks.

“I’m not voting. We’re not voting. You are going to say, ‘I’m the culprit’, and get the @#$@ out of this Hell,” I tell him.

“Did you not hear-” Burt says.

“I heard what you said, and you’re not giving up. I’m not letting you.”

“That’s not a choice you can make,” Burt says.

“Come on! P-Please. Sven wouldn’t want you to do this to yourself!”

“He-”

“He what? Used a flimsy excuse in order to justify to himself why he should go through with murder, even though he knew it would result in your death?” I say, “He didn’t want you dead, only pretended to, so he could go through with it! He cared so much about you, that it almost stopped him from murdering!”

“D-Dave? You okay?” Rupert asks, slightly scared. He holds my hand tighter.

“Plus, there’s so much to live for! The feeling of a bright sunny day. The taste of your favorite food. The sound of your favorite music. The sight of nature. The smell of flowers. You can’t have any of that if you’re dead! You think you’re escaping the pain, but in reality, you’re just robbing yourself of a better future! It’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem. I know you think everything sucks, but trust me when I say, there’s always something to make life worth living. Even if it’s small. And I’m ready to wait until tomorrow and past that if that’s what it takes for you to realize that!”

“…Why? Why do you care so much if I live or die?” Burt asks, “I’m your enemy.”

“Because I don’t like seeing people die, not when I could’ve stopped it,” I say, “I don’t hold anything against you, so please… don’t give up. Not now. Not ever,” I can feel more tears fall down my face.

“…” Charles looks away.

“I don’t want you to die either, Burt,” Right says, “You’re the only other toppat left. I can’t fail you too. I know I’m not good at this whole leadership stuff… I’ve already failed your best friend and Thomas in that regard, so just… tell me what I need to do to help. I promise you, I’ll be there for you, no matter what, alright? I’m the ‘ultimate right-hand man’ for God’s sake! I’ll be by your side through the pain!”

“Doesn’t matter… I… I messed up bad, for what? Petty revenge? In a survival setting?” Burt says and then laughs, “How pathetic…”

“Look, take it from someone who wanted to,” Rupert looks at me before saying, “do the same,” I still wince, and tighten my grip on his hand. At this point, we’re both going to lose feeling in our hands, “Because of guilt like you. I get it. But… someone, who likes flowers way too much, once told me, that if you have learned your lesson, then you’re not a bad person, but only if you make an effort to be better. In fact, another someone, who,” Rupert blushes, “Is the sweetest stick I know, said that since I’m still alive, I can still fix things. So… you can still make things right. Killing yourself isn’t going to fix things. It’s just robbing you of a better tomorrow. Plus, you have people who care about you,” he looks at Right, “who would hate to see you go.”

“You were drugged,” Burt flatly says, “You can’t be held accountable for things you did under the influence.”

“Even if I wasn’t thinking straight it was still me! You’re still mad at a drunkard if they hit their kid, even if they were drunk!” Rupert snaps back.

“Besides, he isn’t the only one, who’s made a bad decision and still choses to try and live. I lost two people who were very dear to me, and I had no idea how I was supposed to continue on,” Ellie says, “But then… I realized I wasn’t alone. There’s always someone new who can appear into your life, or someone old you didn’t think you were that close with to remind you that you aren’t alone. This doesn’t have to be the end, it can become the start of something new!”

“…” Burt says, “I’m not replacing Sven.”

“Who says you’re replacing him?” Ellie responds, “He’ll always be with you.”

“A-And, to add what Rupert was saying earlier, if you want to make things right, you can use the opportunity to leave to go get help! Tell people we’re trapped here, and even if you never find us… in time… at least our families will know what happened to us. You can make it up to Thomas,” I say, “And even if you do nothing… I promise you; nobody wants you to die. We rather you live your life to the fullest than die here…”

“I do,” Terrance says, “I want you to die!”

“Everyone that matters does not want you to die,” Rupert says.

“Isn’t that what Geoffroy would’ve wanted? To get out of here, alive? Isn’t that what Reginald and Sven would’ve wanted for us as well? For the clan to live on? Cause I’m ready to wait all night for this,” Right says.

“Me too!” Ellie says.

“Me three,” Rupert says.

“…” Burt looks at the group. A small smile grows on his lips and then says in a hesitant voice, “I’m the culprit.”

Silence fills the room.

Quickly, it gets replaced by confusion and slight panic.

“UGH! I KNEW IT WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!” Right snaps, “Terrance was @#$@ing lying about the motive!”

“Oh my Gosh, d-did I get your hopes up, even though you were still going to die?” I say, as I feel sick to my stomach.

“Heh. Just my luck, as soon as I found a new reason to keep living, I can’t,” Burt laughs. It isn’t funny.

“Or… alternatively,” Terrance says slightly annoyed, “You guys thought wrong.”

“What?!” we all shout.

“So, that means…” Ellie says.

“You already know,” Terrance says with his tongue sticking out.

“…I’m… I’m not sure I entirely like this turn around,” Burt says looking sick, “I… I almost sent us all to our deaths… didn’t I?”

“I mean, not on purpose,” I say comfortingly.

“Ugh… I feel I dodge a bullet,” Ellie sighs.

“Heh,” Terrance laughs.

“What are you laughing at?” Ellie asks.

“Dramatic irony,” Terrance says.

“Please don’t tell us that Ellie’s execution involves her getting shot,” Rupert says.

“No spoilers~” Terrance smiles.

“But uh, who did we get wrong?” Charles says, “I mean, if Burt isn’t the culprit, then who is?”

“Thomas maybe?” Right says, “I knew he didn’t do the crime.”

“No, he definitely did,” Burt says, “I saw him hit Dmitri on the head.”

“Plus, I didn’t see any other wounds on Dmitri beside it. I think it’s mostly safe to say the wrong killer is with Thomas’s own death…” I say, “Plus, even if it weren’t the case, Thomas still died first. Who ever killed him, is the culprit.”

“Could’ve it have been actual suicide?” Ellie asks.

“Nope! I would’ve stopped it!” Terrance says.

“I do not doubt it,” Dr. Vin hisses.

“Then what are we missing?” Rupert says.

What are we missing?

<Hangstick’s Gambit>

I N J U R I E S

“I-I got it!”

“We… We never got to see what injuries Thomas had on him,” I say.

“Well, yeah,” Rupert says, “The sharks got to him first.”

“…Could that mean… there was evidence that could’ve been lost on him?” I ask.

“Like what?” Ellie says.

“Like his real cause of death?” I say.

“Tch. You’re bringing this back,” Right snaps.

“I’m sorry,” I say.

“So, what’s coming out of your @$$ this time? What’s your evidence Thomas might’ve been killed from a different method?” Right snaps.

I wince, but I pull myself together. I have to. What could prove that Thomas might’ve had a different cause of death?

<Select Evidence>

< Truth Bullet: Syringe>

“I-I got it!”

“Rupert? Do you still have that syringe?” I ask.

“Yep,” Rupert says and pulls it out.

“M-Maybe he could have died from poison?” I ask.

“Oh! I get it!” Charles says, “So, Right must’ve killed Thomas!”

“What! Where did you get that idea?!” Right snaps.

“Cause, I think you said something a while back about holding onto all the poison. You could’ve used it on him!” Charles says.

“No, I couldn’t!” Right says.

“Do you have an alibi?” Dr. Vin asks.

“I was busy investigating like everyone else!” Right says.

“Well, we do not have the poison on hand, and since Thomas’s body has been taken care of already, we would have no idea which poison was used. It could have been a slow acting one. Give it to him this morning and he could be dead a few hours later,” Dr. Vin says.

“I can agree with that. Plus, wasn’t Right among the few sticks who tried to kill Rupert last time?” Ellie says, “He might’ve been upset that Thomas left that he wanted to punish him for the ‘betrayal’”

“I didn’t want to kill Rupert! I just wanted to teach him a lesson!” Right snaps.

“But what of Thomas?” Ellie asks.

“…Hey, guys, I think we’re jumping the gun a little,” I say.

“Dave, of all people, you should think Right did it!” Rupert says.

“I know, but… there’s something not right about well… accusing Right. He was investigating in the library. Plus, killing Thomas? He was still trying to defend him during the trial. If he hated him, wouldn’t he… not do that?” I say, “Wouldn’t he instead try to frame Thomas?”

Rupert pauses, he glances over at Johnny’s portrait. He grimaces.

“Please. Something’s not right about this…” I say, “I don’t think Right would do this.”

“Okay… I believe ya,” Rupert says, “But if there’s another piece of evidence that convicts him, I swear-”

“Ooo, do we have a spilt opinion?! Everyone get to your sides!” Terrance yells.

<Scum Debate>

Right Did Do It Right Didn’t Do It

-Dr. Vin -Right

-Ellie -Rupert

-Charles -Burt

-Dave

<BEGIN!>

Dr. Vin: Right tried to murder before.

Rupert: Just because he tried to murder before, doesn’t mean he’s going to attempt it again.

Ellie: Thomas was a traitor to the clan. He could’ve been angry enough to kill him.

Burt: But he was not angry enough to not defend him.

Charles: Right had access to all the poisons.

Me: But I don’t think he had access to an opportunity to poison him.

“THIS IS OUR ANSWER!”

“Dang what a @$@# scum debate,” Terrance comments, “Not enough people for a good one.”

“And who’s fault is that?” Dr. Vin asks.

Terrance opens his mouth to yell a response, but at the last minute, closes his mouth and grumbles. Dr. Vin chuckles to herself.

“…Thanks,” Right grumbles at me.

“For what?” I ask.

“You can’t be this stupid- Ugh, for defending me,” Right says.

“N-no problem,” I say.

“But this changes nothing between us!” Right snaps.

“That wasn’t my goal… I just want to make sure we get the right person,” I say.

“…”

“So, if Right isn’t the killer, then who is?” Charles says, “Who else possibly can have access to poison?”

Who else indeed… Despite just having an argument on him not being the killer, Right is still a very likely suspect. Though him doing it still doesn’t feel right. Ellie was only connected to Dmitri’s case, but Thomas was the one to kill him. Meaning any evidence Ellie had against her is gone. Also, Burt has already been cleared, and Thomas didn’t commit suicide.

But who else besides Right could’ve had access to poison? Wait. Isn’t there someone who could get anything they want if they ask for it?

<Select Stick>

<Dr. Vin>

“I-I got it!”

“Hey, Dr. Vin. Quick question,” I ask.

“?” she tilts her head to the side.

“Um… where did you go after checking Dmitri’s injuries?” I say.

“I went investigating,” Dr. Vin says, “And I soon went to the top of the shark room, where I saw Thomas fall. Why?” her voice goes bitter. She then gives me a look like she’s staring into my soul.

“W-Well, didn’t you say once Terrance can give you any item you asked? C-Could one of those items be poison?” I ask.

“…” Dr. Vin straightens up. There is no indication that she is frightful of what I’m implying. Simply, she looks calm like she’s doing a regular check-up.

Suddenly, she fixes her glasses and says, “So, are you accusing me over a toppat?”

“Oi! Can you get poison or not?” Rupert shouts.

“…No,” Dr. Vin says with a smile, a sharp smile, “I could not get any poison. Terrance wouldn’t allow it. Right?” she glances up at him.

“…” Terrance stares at the crowd. His silence is uncanny.

“Um, no offense, Dr. Vin, but I think you’re lying,” Charles says.

“Tch. On what evidence?” Dr. Vin says.

“Sorry, Charles. She’s right. Only evidence that links her to the crime is the ability to get poison, which is her word against Dave’s” Ellie says.

“What about Terrance? He can confirm she can get it,” Charles says, “Hey, Terrance! Can you confirm it!”

“…” Terrance looks away from Charles.

“He’s not saying anything. That’s neither a confirmation nor denial,” Rupert says.

“Probably confirmation, and just doesn’t want to say it, cause he’s ‘friendly’ with her,” Right spits.

“Well, then, let’s just get some more evidence,” Burt suggests.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: BDA Rules #2

Dr. Vin: Seriously?

Dr. Vin: Your only evidence against me,

Dr. Vin: Is that I could have gotten poison.

Rupert: Hate to say, but she’s right.

Rupert: Could and did are two different things.

Ellie: Thought we learned our lesson about that last trial.

Charles: Yeah, but that just gives her an opportunity!

Burt: But that’s nothing without more evidence.

Dr. Vin: You want evidence?

Dr. Vin: Here,

Dr. Vin: I witnessed body discovery announcement for both.

Dr. Vin: Which clears me.

Ellie: So, we need a new suspect…

Hate to disagree, but I think suspecting Dr. Vin gets us on the right track… Though, she’s right. The only evidence against her is opportunity. You need more than that to convict someone!

Wait… I think there is a flaw in her argument.

< Dr. Vin: Which clears me.>

BANG!

“N-no, that’s wrong!”

“Um… no it doesn’t,” I say.

“Pardon?” Dr. Vin asks.

“Well, you see. Sure, you did trigger Dmitri’s BDA with us, but we’ve already figured out that Thomas was the one who did it. While the uh, other one… four people saw it. That means, it couldn’t have cleared you for Thomas’s own murder, because only three innocent people can trigger it,” I say.

“Plus,” Rupert says, “Thomas died during investigations. Whoever killed him could’ve been able to trigger Dmitri’s BDA, because Thomas wouldn’t be dead yet.”

“Unless Thomas was poisoned earlier,” Dr. Vin says, “Are we forgetting that fact? We don’t even know which kind of poison it was. It could have been fast acting and killed Thomas before he got the chance to say it,” Terrance moves a little, “Or it could have been slow. Taking its merry time, and Thomas would not been able to know he was sick until he was already dead.”

“I think Terrance has said that killers could trigger other killer’s BDA’s,” Burt says.

“And um… that’s not possible,” I say, “Cause Thomas made his own food along with me and Charles, and neither of us, have access to poison.”

“There are other methods of getting poison in one’s body,” Dr. Vin says, slight annoyed, “A small backstab with the syringe could do it fine.”

“Unfortunately, that can’t happen. Once again, Right is the only person who has access to poison, and most of us forgot he could have it,” I say, “And Thomas wasn’t near Right at any point today. Mostly because he left the clan. He was also with other people, Ellie, Rupert, and me for most of this morning until investigations, someone would’ve seen Right do something.”

“And the only times he was alone,” Right says, “Was with Dmitri, which no one knew where he was, except Burt and debatably Ellie, who are both cleared. And the other time, was when he was calming down, which is where Burt saw him.”

“Actually! Burt, could you elaborate on your argument with him?” I ask.

“Sure,” Burt says, “After Thomas left, I went searching for him, and eventually I found him in the top layer of the shark room, since the door was already wide open. He looked panicked. I tried talking to him, an asking why he didn’t just say he was the culprit to get out of it, and when he didn’t respond well… I… I don’t know what happened, I lost my temper and yelled at him, which made him madder. To the point he was slurring his words…” a small realization is forming on Burt’s face it grows as he continues to talk, “And then I tried to get closer, which caused him to back up, while stumbling like he was newborn, and… then his eyes looked weird right before he fell backwards into the water…” Burt then places his face into his hands, “Oh my God, I’m an idiot.”

“Ha! You’re just as big of a dumb@$$ as me!” Ellie shouts.

“Noooooo,” Burt groans in deep despair.

“I guess that’s gotten cleared up,” Rupert says.

“So, then. Dr. Vin came out didn’t she?” I ask.

“Yes, I just arrived for it,” Dr. Vin says.

“Then that means you’re not cleared of it,” Rupert says.

“Hm?” Dr. Vin asks.

“Dave and I, saw Thomas fall into the tank, and all of us have already been cleared for his death. If you came in after, then you weren’t responsible for the BDA,” Rupert says, “Therefor, you’re not cleared.”

“…That does not prove I did do it,” Dr. Vin says.

“Didn’t you argue you were cleared earlier?” Rupert says, “For both Thomas and Dmitri?”

“I could have been mistaken,” Dr. Vin says, “You still have barely any evidence against me.”

“Then I guess we’re going to have to keep pushing,” Burt says.

<Non-Stop Debate>

Truth Bullet: Thomas’s Death

Dr. Vin: Look, Terrance would not give me a fast acting poison.

Dr. Vin: It would be considered cheating in his eyes.

Terrance: ...

Dr. Vin: And although, I am not cleared up for Thomas’s murder.

Dr. Vin: It is all flawed evidence.

Dr. Vin: Nothing truly proves, I did it.

Charles: But you are the only one who could’ve!

Dr. Vin: Right also could have.

Right: Oi! We’ve already established that I didn’t do it!

Dr. Vin: That or Thomas did in fact grow a consciences,

Dr. Vin: And killed himself, as he could not handle it.

Burt: Wow. Insulting the dead?

Dr. Vin: Please, do not act like you have one either.

Dr. Vin is really putting up a good fight. I feel bad. Maybe we are wrong- No! Dave, you got this. She could’ve slipped up somewhere. I know it.

Wait, I think I know where…

< Dr. Vin: Look, Terrance would not give me a fast acting poison.>

BANG!

“N-no, that’s wrong!”

“Fast acting?” I ask, “How can you be so sure? All we know is that Thomas fell backwards into the water, and made no struggle. A-any poison could do that.”

“Because Thomas died close on injection-” Dr. Vin says before quickly moving her hand over her mouth.

“Ha. Too smart for your own good!” Rupert laughs.

“W-Well, I am smart. I was able to deduce what type of poison it was just by looking,” Dr. Vin says.

“But Thomas’s body is gone,” Ellie says, “You can’t analyze something that isn’t there anymore…”

“I meant the syringe,” Dr. Vin says.

“Sorry, doctor, but that’s impossible,” Burt says, “You need to run tests to know what poison it is. Plus, you never even got to hold the syringe, since Rupert has it, who only showed it for a few seconds. Plus, it was almost empty. So, either you have the superstick ability to figure out what type of poison it is just by looking at a few drops for a few seconds, or you did it.”

“…” Dr. Vin goes silent.

“Hey! Wait! Didn’t you say you found Thomas, and the door was open? Maybe Dr. Vin hid behind it, as you were coming up, so you won’t be seen!” Charles says.

“That makes sense,” Burt says.

“Looks like it’s becoming very likely that you did it,” Right smiles.

“…UGH!” Dr. Vin shouts and begins yelling something in Russian. It’s passionate and vile, even though Terrance is the only one who can understand it. However, it has caused him to cover his mouth in shock, so it might be the one time not knowing a different language is a good thing.

Eventually it seems she realized that she wasn’t talking in English, and then says, “You… all took everything from me. Mr. Petrov’s death, although deserved, is the final straw. And I’m not letting you criminals with hats, ruin my experiment that easily…”

<Argument Armament>

YOU

ARE ALL

HORRIBLE!

ESPECIALLY YOU

CRIMINALS

WITH HATS!

YOU

HAVE DONE

NOTHING

EXCEPT

HURT

OUR

CHANCES

FOR

ESCAPE!

WHY CAN YOU NOT WORK TOGETHER WITH US?!

YOU

ASSAULTED

OUR WEAKEST.

LEFT US

HIGH

AND DRY,

HOPING WE

TURN ON

EACH OTHER!

YOU

EVEN

TRICKED

A NEUTRAL

WHO WAS NOT

INVOLVED

IN

OUR

BEEF

INTO

YOUR

MURDEROUS

PLANS!

And killed my best friend…

YOUR

OLD LEADER

REFLECTS

ALL OF

YOU SO

WELL!

MAKING THIS

GAME

FOR

SICK

ENTERTAINMENT!

OUR LIVES ARE MEANINGLESS HERE!

WHAT DID

HE AND I

DO TO

DESERVE

THIS

HELL?!

<Final Blow!>

“All your evidence is circumstantial. I did not do it!”

THEN SAY I AM THE CULPRIT

“I GOT IT!”

“…That is… hypocritical,” Dr. Vin says, “Why would I say that?”

“Because, only the killer has to say it so they can get out, and uh… nobody has said it yet,” I say, “So, we could probably get rid of all the potential suspects by saying it out loud and seeing what happens?”

“…We could’ve been done with this a minute after we found Dmitri, couldn’t we?” Ellie sighs.

I wince, and force myself to not think of a timeline where we discovered this sooner, ~~because Thomas would’ve still been alive~~.

After collecting myself, I take a deep breath and say, “I am the culprit!”

Nothing happens.

“I am the culprit,” Rupert repeats.

Nothing happens.

“I am the culprit,” Ellie says.

Nothing happens.

“I am the culprit!” Charles says.

Nothing happens.

“…” the last three remain quiet.

Eventually, Burt says, “Already said it, but I am the culprit.”

Nothing happens.

“…Fine. I am the culprit,” Right sighs as he rolls his eyes.

Nothing happens.

“…” Dr. Vin stays quiet.

“Come on, say it,” Ellie says.

“After all, you aren’t the culprit, so nothing will happen,” Rupert teases.

“Please,” Terrance begs.

After a moment of silence, Dr. Vin the sighs and then… claps. It’s slow and sarcastic.

“Well. I tried my best. Tell me how many?” Dr. Vin says.

“How many?” I ask.

“One,” Terrance answers like it’s a secret codeword.

“Darn. I was hoping to beat him,” Dr. Vin hisses.

“Don’t we all?” Terrance says.

“Oi! What the Hell you two are talking about?” Right snaps.

“Nothing worth knowing,” Dr. Vin says.

“That sounds like you’re deflecting,” Burt says.

“Trust me,” Dr. Vin says. She then looks at me, “Well, go on. Go over the case,”

“I… I don’t think there’s any need for it. That’s practically confirmation,” I say.

“But it’s so good! It wraps up the case neatly! Plus, I don’t think we want to miss any important information,” Charles says.

Everyone looks at me, and I sigh, “O-Okay…”

<Closing Argument>

“It all started with Dmitri wanting vengeance against the Toppat Clan, or as he called it ‘getting justice’. He kidnapped Burt and tied him up for this goal; however, the first killer noticed and managed to stop him… with Ellie’s stop sign.

After rescuing Burt, they both noticed Dmitri wasn’t waking up. Worried about his life, the first killer patched him up as best he could and asked Burt to go help, while they stand guard.

However, Burt wasn’t in a good place mentally. Ditching the first killer with a dying man, to get revenge on both of them for their transgressions. The first killer stayed put, but probably eventually realized nobody was coming, so possibly left to get help on his own. Unfortunately, it was too late, as soon after he left, Dmitri’s body was discovered.

Upon realizing that he killed someone, the first killer went into a panic and needed a minute to calm down. However, the second killer noticed and decided to use the opportunity. They then used their own privilege of Terrance giving anything they want, to get some poison. Then snuck up behind the first killer in the top of the shark room, and injected them with the poison.

Immediately after, Burt came in and the second killer most likely ran to hide behind the opening door. The second killer under the effects of poison and Burt who’s grief had made him have a short temper got into a small argument, which ended with the second killer backing up and falling into the water. Since he didn’t struggle, I hope he died before the sharks got to him…

And the only sticks who were responsible for this are…

Thomas Chestershire the ultimate loyalist as the first killer and Dr. Vin as the ultimate doctor as the second.

<Complete!>

“Why… why did you do this?” Ellie says, tears forming on her face, “Weren’t you the one to say ‘channel your sadness into something productive’? How the Hell is this productive!”

“…Oh, Ellie. You and Rupert are the only ones I regret helping in your torture,” Dr. Vin says, “It is true I said that. However, that’s before I learned the truth, and well… this is the only productive option.” A look of insanity forms on the doctor’s face.

“W-What?” Ellie says.

“Let me answer your question with a different question,” Dr. Vin says as she straightens her glasses, “What is the purpose of this killing game?”

“…”

“Punishment?” Rupert says.

“To prove a point?” Right growls.

“Have hope and despair battle it out in a bloody philosophy battle?!” Charles says.

“No,” Dr. Vin laughs, there’s no joy behind it, “No… it is far more meaningless than that. It is quite simple. Entertainment. N-Nothing more.”

“…”

“So, you’re saying…” Right shouts, “Some twisted @#$@ is getting a sick kick watching us suffer?”

“Oh, no. Not completely. That would have been a better point to all this. This is barely a game. It is a rigged game, or better known as a story driven one,” Dr. Vin says, “There are struggles, there is conflict, there are plot twists, and even some of us have ‘plot armor’. The ending is almost entirely made. The only thing that’s up to us is who makes it to the end.”

“Rigged? Uh, what do you mean by rigged?” I ask.

Dr. Vin huffs, “Tell me, Mr. Panpa. What is more entertaining? Watching a killer get away, while all of us die in the first trial, or- we uncover their plan, have them executed, and then rinse and repeat until a select few number of participants are left?”

“…” I go silent. I don’t want to answer. Instead, I ask, “W-What are you saying?”

“I am saying that all our previous killers, Johnny, Reginald, Jacob, and… the current one,” Dr. Vin says still tip-toeing around confessing, “Were all dead in the water as soon as their victim stopped breathing.”

We all go silent.

“Hey! Way to ruin the stakes!” Terrance says.

“Tch,” Dr. Vin says while rolling her eyes, “Honestly, I would not be surprised if one of the traitor’s duties is to make sure the trial uncovers the real killer, or maybe… help a ‘protagonist’ to do it for them.”

Why is she looking at me like that?

“I still don’t get how this is productive?! It seems like you’re killing yourself!” Ellie says.

“I am. However, I went through it for two reasons. One, I may be a doctor but I am also a scientist. I wanted to test my hypothesis, though Terrance practically confirmed it for me. Second,” a sinister smile rises on her face, “Revenge.”

“R-Revenge? Revenge for what?!” Rupert yells.

“Against all toppats. They have done nothing but ruin our chances of surviving and one of them is hosting this game,” Dr. Vin says.

“Oi! Terrance ain’t a toppat no-more. He’s not one of us,” Right snaps.

“Agreed,” Terrance says.

“But Thomas left! He was disgusted by their actions and wanted out,” I defend, “And why did you even kill him!”

“Please. From how he reacted, I realized he was the killer immediately. A rat is still a rat even under a different name,” Dr. Vin says, “Actually, not just the toppats are rats. Every one of you, except a few,” she looks at Ellie, Rupert, and Hubert’s portrait, “Deserves the title of rat.”

“Oi! Hold on! What the Hell do you mean by that? And why only me and Ellie?” Rupert snaps, “Dave didn’t-”

“You two are only innocent as you were manipulated into committing your crimes. If you knew the full picture, you would know why you are the only ones left living who do not deserve this fate,” Dr. Vin says, “In fact. You two by far are victims. Just toys to be played with then thrown out like garbage. How disgusting.”

A chill goes down my spine. I know what she’s implying about the rest of us. What did we do wrong? And why does she mean by Ellie and Rupert being toys?

“Oi! Rupert murdered-” Right snaps.

“Please, I am not an idiot unlike the rest of you. Rupert was simply drugged and forced against his own will to commit that act. There is nothing he should be apologizing for,” Dr. Vin says.

“You’re only saying that because you don’t wanna feel guilty,” Right hisses.

“Funny you should say that, Betrayal Disease,” Dr. Vin says, and Right flinches.

“So, um. What do we do now?” Charles asks, “We got our motive and um…. Narrowed down our suspect list. So, do we vote?”

“No!” Ellie and I shout.

“Nobody is killing themselves!” I shout.

“And I’m not losing another one of my friends!” Ellie says. A small warm smile appears on the doctor’s lips. Seem she appreciates it. Not enough to save herself though.

“Oh, we’re doing this again. Guess we’re staying here until Dr. Vin decides to live or whatever,” Burt says.

“Heh. You act like leaving is worth it,” Dr. Vin says, “It does not matter if I leave or not. The ending is still the same.”

“Had a single conversation with Terrance and you’ve become a nihilist,” Burt says.

“He does have that effect on people,” Dr. Vin says.

“HEY!” Terrance shouts.

The room then goes silent.

“…I’m voting,” Right says.

“Oi! You can’t do that!” Rupert says.

“She killed one of my own!” Right snaps, “I’m allowed to want revenge against her. Plus, it doesn’t matter, since the rest of you aren’t voting.”

“Still… it’s the principle of the thing,” Rupert says.

Right rolls his eye and turns the paper in.

Suddenly-

SNAP!

A chain appears and snaps on to Dr. Vin’s throat.

“HEY! Only Right voted! You can’t do that!” Ellie shouts.

“I didn’t!” Terrance panics, “I don’t want her to die! She’s all I have left! I didn’t even look at the button!”

“Then who…” I say.

“Heh. Who else?” Dr. Vin laughs, as she removes her gloves. Throwing them apathetically on the ground, “The mastermind. Terrance is not the only one who desires entertainment above morals.”

“No! No! You can’t do this! Please!” Terrance suddenly begs to no one in particular, “I already lost Hubert! I can’t lose her too! I don’t want to say goodbye to them…” he then turns to Dr. Vin, “Vicky! Please! Just say, ‘I am the culprit!’ You don’t have to die! Hubert’s death was already too much!”

“…”

“I am the-” Dr. Vin begins.

Terrance perks up.

“one who will first greet you in Hell,” Dr. Vin spits.

Notes:

Self indulgent check list: Dave and Rupert are important characters (check), evil plot twists (check), plot device that makes me think about the character's personality (check), murder mystery (check), and Dr. Vin being morally grey (check). All that's left is screwing with the character's minds and we'll have all the self indulgent things in this fic!
Also, a lot of you were right about this being the suicide chapter! But... not in the way you thought. I hope I did well in writing it, since it's a very touchy subject, and also- here's the number for the suicidal hotline: 988. But you might be asking, "TesSenda! What about the murder suicide!" to that I say- hasn't happened yet, but it'll be angsty!
Yeah, Dr. Vin is the killer, saw only one person get it. Which was, AgenderAroAce. You got the right person, but wrong about the method. As for the victim(s): AGuessingAnon correctly got Dmitri, and yyuukii correctly got Thomas. Y'all may request an out-of-context/joke spoiler.
I think that's all.

Chapter 36: FtD Deadly Life- Epilogue

Notes:

With the final part of this section of the fic done, I'm now able to work on other projects like my video game! *immediately goes to scroll on Tumblr*

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“…Man… she was committed,” Ellie somberly says.

“You good?” Rupert asks.

“No…” Ellie says.

“…” Rupert picks up Dr. Vin’s discarded gloves. I wonder if she knew what the execution was prior, and abandoned them to make it worse. Rupert then gives them to Ellie.

“…” Ellie stares at them, and chuckles, “Heh. I guess I have something to remember her by…” she tightens her grip on them, “I don’t understand why you did it, Vicky, but… I’ll get out of here alive for you and your friend.”

“Heh, glad you still have your spunk.” Rupert says.

“I don’t think it’s a good thing,” Ellie sighs as she pockets the gloves, “I think I’m getting desensitized to death.”

“Aren’t we all?” Burt says.

Suddenly, Terrance comes back in with reddish eyes. He doesn’t say anything. No fail to make fun of the recently departed. Just… silence. The tension is thick, and I don’t think I’ve ever been this scared of Terrance before.

“…Get out,” Terrance snaps.

Quickly, we all oblige.

Once we exit the elevator, Burt suddenly says, “Um. I think… I think we need to temporarily dissolve the Toppat Clan.”

“What?!” Right snaps.

“Well, we’re the only members left so it’s not much of a group,” Burt says.

“But Reg would’ve wanted the clan to keep living! So would Sven! So would Geoffroy and Thomas!” Right says.

“That’s why I said temporarily. If we escape-” Burt continues.

“When,” I correct.

“Heh. You’re sounding like Sven,” Burt says with an almost bittersweet expression, “Anyways, when we escape, we can reform it, but… seeing how a lot of the murders could’ve been avoided if we didn’t separate into groups and actually tried to get along... I think being apart is ruining our chances of survival. It’s why Thomas died in the first place...”

“…I hate that you have a point,” Right sighs, but then looks at us, “But I’m not going to forgive any of them.”

“…That’s fine. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive Ellie either,” Burt says.

Ellie looks down.

“But… *sigh* I’m sorry, Ellie. For how I was treating you. It was stupid of me,” Burt says.

“And?” Ellie says.

“And what?” Burt says.

“That note?” Ellie says.

“…Ah, that. Sorry for hiding valuable information from the rest of you,” Burt says.

“Apology accepted,” Ellie says, “Though I still don’t forgive you.”

Burt shrugs, “Guess we’re even.”

“So, you two are finally going to help us?” Rupert growls, “And not murder Dave once you have the chance.”

“…” I say silent.

“…Yeah,” Right says, “But this truce is only temporary. Once we’re out of here. I like to never see either of you again.”

“I… I can take that,” I say, “I’d like that too.”

Unlike Burt, Right snarls at me. Quickly, I hide behind Rupert.

“I’m leaving,” Right says and walks off.

The rest of us break apart and head to our rooms. Before I enter, I hear Rupert cough. I turn around and he’s standing behind me awkwardly.

“Oi, Dave! Since, all our factions are gone now. Do… do you want to stay in my room or your room, for the night? Like sleep together… in a bed?” Rupert says, “Like boyfriends usually do?”

I feel a warm smile grow on my face, “Um, sure! That sounds nice! Uh, can I uh-”

“Sure!” Rupert says, and I grab his hand.

We then proceed to walk into Rupert’s room, and for the first time since becoming boyfriends, we sleep in the same bed. Though… as darkness falls, I can’t help but feel bad. If I figured out that ‘I’m the culprit’ thing or even paid attention to Dmitri instead of having fun, maybe none of this would’ve happened.

I glance at Rupert, who’s already fallen asleep. He looks the most relaxed I’ve ever seen him since the second trial. He looks so cute.

I don’t deserve him.

Pov Terrance

“I hate you,” I snap.

The fiend shrugs in response.

“You guys were going to stay up all night if I did not do something,”

“Yeah, she was definitely going to make us all do that. She can be stubborn as a mule sometimes.”

“That and because our lovely host decided to share all our secrets with her,”

“She deserved to know!” I shout, “And stop judging me! You did the same with HIM!”

“Yeah, but he’s fine. Right?” he looks over at his friend.

“…Y-Yeah. I am.”

“…”

“Look, seriously, I am! Let’s just continue this, alright!”

“…You guys are unbelievable,” I say as I walk away.

“Also do not bury the body this time, the sharks are hungry,”

“Go to Hell!” I snap back.

6 remain…

Notes:

Alright! Once again, I'm going on a break from this fic. Hopefully, chapter "5" will return sooner than chapter "4" did, but I make no promises. Going to try to hold off on it, until fall.
Anyways, once again, thanks for reading! I might just start making a bonus content fic here soon, where I talk about all the different ways chapter 4 could've gone, because this chapter's trial was rewritten so many times in my brain.
Also, this is the end of the normal chapters, and chapter "5" is going to be so self-indulgent you have no idea.

Actions

Work Header

TesSenda

Summary:

Notes:

Chapter 1: Pre-Prologue

Notes:

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: Prologue

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 3: PtS Daily Life #1

Summary:

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 4: PtS Daily Life #2

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 5: PtS Daily Life #3

Summary:

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 6: PtS Daily Life #4

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 7: PtS Daily Life #5

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 8: PtS Deadly Life- Investigations

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 9: PtS Deadly Life- Trial

Summary:

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 10: PtS Deadly Life- Epilogue

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 11: DtS Daily Life #1

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 12: DtS Daily Life #2

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 13: DtS Daily Life #3

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 14: DtS Daily Life #4

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 15: DtS Daily Life #5

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 16: DtS Daily Life #6

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 17: DtS Daily Life #7

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes:

Chapter 18: DtS Deadly Life- Investigations

Notes:

Chapter Text

Notes: