stephanie will kneel down, reaching to take the kit from dick while he actually looks over damian. there are a few things she is pretty sure theyâre going to need without even getting a closer look?
... is there anything for burns in this thing. i do not know itâs not my kit. anyway just assume that steph is helping dick during all of this i am not jae. ]
He frowns heavily at both Dick and Steph, but mostly Dick who is trying to take care of him WHILE MISSING AN ENTIRE TONGUE. Damian really thinks of Jason in this moment, more than anything.]
Just stop, both... of you...! Brown, you have... third degree burns...!
[He at least? is sort of helping Dick? Not wanting Dick to do it, but also not wanting Dick to do it hurt anyway.]
Just... tourniquet... ["Damian, you could lose your leg." THERE IS NO TIME FOR SUTURES.] We have to keep going!
[ DICK HAS HIS HANDS FULL AND CAN'T ARGUE wow not having a tongue is already annoying. also i'm guessing that means they have a fun emotional loop of pain, self-hatred and generic anger, so that's cool and fun. but he's just going to glare at damian because it will not take that long to suture and he can SIT DOWN and SHUT UP for TWO MINUTES. steph back him up. please back him up he's going after you next if your hand isn't taken care of
"what about his tongue" what is he going to do, put a bandaid on it, it's GONE ]
[ i mean, he's not going to be hearing anything from dick, because he can't speak anymore. Dick sends Steph a thumbs up before getting to damian. suture time. it's going to be great walking on that leg but he fully assumes damian will refuse anything less than walking on a recently stabbed knee, like an asshole.
hopefully steph finds the sleeping people are all alive and they didn't just kill them all off horribly by being failures, ha ha, wow he's going to regret having to explain this later. ]
but steph will walk over to the doors. are there numbers on them? either way, she's going to try to use the key with the masks on both doors and will enter whichever one opens. ]
[There are, indeed, numbers written on a sheet of paper on both doors. The door to the right reads 5, and the door to the left reads 6. The key with the masks works on the right door. Once Steph unlocks the door and steps inside, she will realize that this is not a classroom. Rather, she has found her way into the school cafeteria — though the room is being used for similar purposes as the previous two they unlocked.
There are 53 individuals in total. If Steph has been paying attention to the outdoor theater, she should recognize every single one of the sleeping individuals as the missing participants and gods of the competition that took place at the temple. They, too, are wearing a Camp Gatonina shirt, booty/dad shorts, socks and sandals. A white scrunchie is around one of their wrists, and they each have pillows to rest their arms and heads on, and comfy looking blankets. Thankfully, the cafeteria is large enough to comfortably fit everyone even when there are four people snoozing per table.
Will Steph take a closer look at anything in the cafeteria?]
Damian suffers through Dick's work which is actually not as terrible so much as just... having your leg sutured while pouring blood after being stabbed with a sword is... sure something.
Steph goes to check the rooms, and Damian hates it. Probably right before Dick can get completely and totally finished, Damian is twisting carefully away so they can go. He's walking funny, but he stops to try to help Dick pack and get up.]
[ dick blinks blearily a little when damian twists away, unsure if he'd actually properly finished, but-- well, it was probably as much as damian would allow. that's fine. probably. he shoots him a grateful smile when he helps him pack up, though he refuses to lean on a ten year old with a bum leg to get up just because his tongue was melted by acid. it's fine? who needs a tongue anyway? he can barely feel it. anymore.
he makes an "ok" sign to answer damian's question. his focus is actually so-so, and the pain isn't great, but he feels like he's still running on adrenaline despite the break, so it should be fine. he has to spit out some blood again but. it's fine. steph has both keys so they can't go in the other room yet but they can like. go next to the doors and be very confused by 5 & 6. hmm. he'll sign: ]
Not doubles. Could still be order?
[ he's keeping his signs simple because between the weird... weed fog which i guess they still have that somewhat and the pain signing is so. hard. he's trying not to open his mouth as much as he can smh ]
[ she'll do the same like she did last time. walk to every individual person to make sure they're all, you know, definitely asleep. is yu here, there was concern during the last trial over his whereabouts since evan's postcard made people worry about yu and i just remembered that i had steph say she would look into it and i forgot, it's fine
but after she checks all of this out, she will head back to the hallway and see the boys... hello.
steph will go to unlock the other door. i am not having her say anything depending on what the mod comment turns out to say. ]
[Nobody stirs while Steph walks around the cafeteria. Despite the circumstances, they seem to be having a rather peaceful and pleasant sleep! They're not hurt or dirty or anything. The cafeteria smells clean, and all the blankets and pillows look like they have been recently washed. The temperature is even comfortable. But since Steph is specifically looking for Yu, she will notice that he's among the people sleeping in the cafeteria. Huh.
The sun and moon key unlocks Door 6. It is marginally less cramped than the Whole Ass classroom, with only 31 sleeping individuals inside. Once again, if Steph has been paying attention to the outdoor theater, she will recognize them as Lune, Sol, and the missing participants of the events that took place in the village.]
Damian will wait with Dick outside for a moment or two, and then Damian tries to encourage Dick to start heading away once he's sure Stephanie is probably on her way back.
He can't, like, walk fast or anything anyway, so it's better to get a headstart. He thinks Steph would yell for them if she needed.]
Four is missing, unless it's one of the others. 2, 3, 5, 6. Maybe they mean nothing.
[ he'll go with damian, considering they're going slow and steph is coming back. i hope we're missing out on like, so much loot in these classrooms because we're not looking in people's fanny packs or booty shorts. he signs a quick "keep it in mind either way. still got two rounds" at what damian says, though he's glancing backwards now and then to check on steph. but yeah it's about time to get to the ... hellish... third round, now that they've gotten 4 out of 8 keys.
god. he knows they should play along, no matter what, but ... is there anywhere else to go or is this just a straight up hallway. are they truly so fucked. what's on the lockers in THIS bit of the hallway ]
[ stephanie will do the usual check of everyone in the room, although dick and damian get to miss how hesitant she is to approach jiji in particular. it's fine.
but once she looks at everyone, steph will hurry back to the hall to catch up to the other two. THIRD ROUND, TIME. ]
They're all there. But... remember how Evan's letter specified that Ogata was with him and Tsurumaru, but didn't mention Yu? Yu is with all the other sleeping temple people for some reason.
[Everyone from the village seems to be fine, too. Fresh blankets and pillows, and an impeccably clean room. Once Steph is done checking out the rooms, there is really nowhere else to go but forward. The stage waits for them where the next two doors are. A light fog has built up in that part of the hallway, and it seems like the shadowy figures are holding something shiny in their hands...?
Hm.
Onwards? Or do they need more time to lick their wounds?]
[Damian's brows narrow, and he tries to puzzle that one on top of the numbers while they head down to the next damn stage.
His grip on Dick tightens, not out of fear, but concern he's going to have to throw Dick out of the way of something. What the HELL do they have in their hands?
Nowhere to go except forward... To the podiums. Maybe this time they won't make terrible Bat decisions.]
[ Was Yu just ... retired from the "competition"? Huh. Weird. He'll sign "careful" at both of them before going up to the stadium, knowing it's a little too late to stop themselves from breathing in what is probably a terrible fog substance and also wondering just how likely it is round four is just "stab yourselves".
it's likely, isn't it. he hates this.
also i know they're not holding hands but in my heart damian is holding dick's hand instead of just grabbing onto dick's like arm or something ]
As it turns out, the shadowy figures are wearing blue glow bracelets around their wrists. They hold each other's hands up, swaying to the rhythm of a song. Among the crowd, however, Damian, Dick and Steph will notice a few familiar faces. Papika for Damian; blood drips from an injury on her chest, staining her white tunic red. She holds hands with the two individuals Dick will recognize; Illumi and Beck. Both of them wear white tunics as well, with matching 3D glasses. Finally, Steph will recognize Ion and Tiger in the crowd. They, too, wear a white tunic and 3D glasses. Each of these individuals wears blue glow bracelets around their wrists, holding hands and swaying side to side.
On the stage, even Hannibal and Akechi are wearing glow bracelets. The glow cuts through the fog, providing the slightest hint of illumination even while the lights on the ceiling flicker ominously. The fog is thick and cloying, smelling strongly of weed. It will, thankfully, numb their pain. But at the same time, it will also lower their inhibitions. It feels like they could say anything. Speak their mind. Vomit word after word after word, where they would previously keep those feelings to themselves. For Dick's convenience, he will even find a tablet with text to voice capabilities on the podium. Though, unfortunately, it's chained to it so he can't take it with him.
Maou films the trio. A live feed appears on the TV behind Hannibal and Akechi. Once the group is at their podiums, Hannibal lifts the microphone to his mouth.]
"Welcome back to another segment of—"
[The crowd shouts, in perfect unison:]
"Reasons! You! Deserve! To! Die!"
"Our contestants suffered a significant loss in Round 2. However, the competition is far from over. Should they make it through this round, they can more than make up for their previous defeat! Akechi-san, what is their reward should they make it through this round?"
"If our contestants make it through Round 3, they will earn the right to visit their friends from the mansion and island! Are the viewers at home excited? I sure am."
"It would be wise not to get too excited, however. After all, they first must make it through my favorite segment. Its theme: Why am I so pathetic?"
[On the TV screen, the the words WHY AM I SO PATHETIC? appear over the live feed.]
"Now, the rules are simple. They say this is a safe space. That you are surrounded by the friends who love you... Your classmates who would never, ever reject you. So, why don't you speak from your heart? Tell them how you really feel. Do you feel safe? Do you feel happy? Do you believe you are worthy of praise...? Or do you believe you are pathetic, worth even less than the dirt below our shoes? Go ahead. There are no wrong answers. In this segment, we are all winners... Well, unless you refuse to speak from the heart, that is."
[The camera zooms in on them, and Hannibal and Akechi will step down from the stage to shove their microphones at the trio in the order of Damian, Dick and Stephanie. They will not move on until each of them has overshared on live television, it seems.]
[Reasons why Damian Wayne is so pathetic. In this essay, I will...
The haze is not even something he's never felt before. Training with his mother was more brutal than this, to be honest, and digging through Gotham yielded similar results.
Without inhibitions, he loses his steely edge, but also his regal maturity. It's hard to make his mouth twist the way he thinks he wants it to twist. Where are his arrogant confidence, and his bull-headed pride?]
I can't relate to others, [he says into the microphone without his own permission. His voice is so weak. He feels... self-conscious? Feeble in constitution.] I'm-- [He looks up, at Papika, but not Dick or Stephanie.] I'm afraid.
[No, he thinks, he wants to say he's fine. He doesn't care about this, or words, or what people think.]
It's my fault if others die. I should be able to stop it, but I'm not strong enough. I won't ever be as great as Father. I've ruined any chance. When my friends die, it's my fault because I didn't try hard enough to protect them.
I'm afraid of... Father's disappointment.
["I don't even deserve cheese," Damian Wayne says dejectedly.]
[ Why am I so pathetic? Dick feels like he should be offended by that. By principle, if nothing else. There's mercy in his own tongue being melted out, in a way; after Damian speaks (and that hurts, somehow, hearing feelings so similar to his own being spoken by Bruce's son, by his brother--) his mouth moves, reflexively, to say things, but no sound comes out.
He can't reassure Damian. Not that he's ever any good at that, probably. How pathetic does he have to be to make everyone else worry about him so obviously? His hand hovers over the tablet. Lack of inhibitions or not, needing to type it out... ]
I can't save anyone. [ it's at least not his own voice coming out, though dick isn't sure if that makes it better. ] All I ever do is watch people I care about die in front of me, or show up after they've vanished. [ his parents, jason, aquagirl, ted kord, wally, the entire ship-- he types more surely now, like venting into a diary; ] Everyone keeps calling me a leader, but whenever I try, I just get people hurt. I don't even want to lead. I'm too afraid of becoming like Batman. I'm afraid of being like the man who raised me and inspired me to be who I am. How pathetic is that?
[ he stops, because-- because inhibitions or not, damian is here, and damian just said-- that should be enough, right? he doesn't want to add to it. but he does, just once: ]
And I'm a lousy brother.
[ he's failed jason twice, and now damian-- maybe tim really is better off if dick never comes back. ]
[ she listens to the others, and... she really wishes there was a way to leave during this, to give them some privacy as they talk. stephanie wonders if this whole misadventure would have been easier if they went with people they didn't know very well. or even just people they're close to, but met in these games. at least then, they wouldn't understand any of the context of what's being said.
but they do, and it just makes it so much worse with each word. ]
I've... messed up so many times. No one ever wanted me around. Tim didn't even want me around. I've been so selfish, and I keep... lying and hurting people.
[ it's funny. because she really, truly does believe she has gotten better than she was before. the stephanie brown who's here today has grown so much compared to the stephanie brown who was on that hospital bed in the blurry picture. but here, in the spoiler costume, she has to wonder... what has she done, exactly? ]
How can I help everyone? If I can't even get everyone here back home safely, how can I keep being Batgirl? I'm not a hero, or a vigilante, or... anything. I'm just some stupid girl who is in over her head. Again. And I'm scared that's never going to change no matter how hard I try.
[ who the fuck sent damian that note anyway they are on thin fucking ice ]
[The music cuts off when the group begins to speak. The shadowy figures fall silent, ceasing to sway as every single eye on their bodies turns to stare at the trio. The camera inches closer and closer, capturing every word, every hint of a facial expression, and every agonizing moment of the experience. They will feel watched. They will feel like bugs under a microscope. Damian looks up at Papika, and she meets his eyes, her expression twisted into one of sheer concern. This reaction is one that both Beck and Ion share, as a matter of fact. They bite their lips. They furrow their eyebrows. They try to move toward the trio, but the people around them simply won't allow them to move.
And then—]
"Are you saying you're not thankful for the trust people have placed in you?"
[It's Illumi who speaks. Beck, understandably, looks like she wants to throttle him. Unfortunately for everyone involved, she's held in place by the people around her. She can't move close enough to punch Illumi out, and she certainly can't get close enough to Dick to comfort him. The shadowy figures start to snicker, whispering among themselves as their mouths stretch into condescending grins. Every single eye on their bodies stares unblinkingly at the group. From another corner of the hallway, Tiger jeers:]
"Of course he didn't want you around, honey. Who would ever want a girl who throws herself at anyone who would give her the time of day? Face it, you're used goods. You're never going to change."
[Ion looks like he's downright ready to murder Tiger, but he can't. The crowd swallows him up. The shadows start to laugh in earnest now, closing in on the group. They point at them. Laugh. Boo. Shout.]
"Bastard!"
"Skank!"
"Murderer!"
"All you do is whine, whine, whine!"
[Papika, Ion and Beck try to reach for their friends — but they soon find themselves swallowed up by the crowd. The last glimpse the trio will catch of them is of their outstretched hands and the distraught look on their faces. A moment later, they disappear behind the shadowy figures. The shadows spit on the trio. They kick at them, grab at their clothes, and knock them over. Tears will spring in Damian, Dick and Steph's eyes, unbidden. For whatever reason, they will be unable to fight back. It feels like they've sunk into complete and utter despair. They deserve this, don't they?
Hannibal and Akechi will have, at some point, made their way back to the stage. They loom over crowd from their position. When they speak, its in perfect unison.]
"This is their big secret." [There's something strange about their appearances. One moment they're alive. The next, they're dead. Blue goo drips from Hannibal's mouth, making its way down his chin, his throat, and staining his clothes. A bullet hole is present in Akechi's throat, and another is visible on his chest — right where his heart is.] "The people who love you are powerless."
[Their appearances aren't the only thing that is strange, however. The longer the hosts speak, the more it will sound like three other voices are overlaid with theirs. The voice of a teenage girl. The voices of two teenage boys.]
"They can't help us. Nobody can help us. We're alone in the ocean. We will suffer alone. We will die alone. And nobody will care."
[Abruptly, the entire hallway goes dark. The abuse heaped upon the trio will cease immediately, and the smell of weed will fade away. The lights will slowly flicker back to life five seconds later, revealing that they are now alone in the hallway. The shadowy figures, the hosts, the people from their previous game, and all the props are gone. However, while the lights are on in this section of the hallway and the sections they have previously visited, leading back to the lobby... The same cannot be said for the path ahead of them. They will see a red, blinking light in the distance, but that's about it. Everything going forward is enveloped in darkness.
On the ground, the group will notice two new keys. One has a keychain shaped like two paw prints, and the other has a keychain shaped like a palm tree.
Seems like they got their "prize" for that ordeal.]
[This is, by far, the worst. SCHOOL IS TERRIBLE? Damian Wayne never wants to be in the public education system.
Dick's final statement is the nail in the coffin; Damian's heart sits in the bottom of his feet. He wants to reach out for Papika, but his arm only gets halfway and no farther.
As soon as he's able, he quickly reaches up to rub the wetness away from his eyes. He feels... exposed. There isn't any way for them to take back what they've spilled, and his skin crawls at the knowledge of it.
Down at their feet are two keys, and he bends over without moving his leg too much to pluck them up.] That isn't true. [Even with his self-loathing, Damian has always been too stubborn to die.
But what about the people who aren't? Was his father like that after both parents were murdered? The paw print key makes him remember asking Dazai, "What's one of the happiest times in your life?" and listening to Dazai tell him, "The House."]
We wouldn't do... My father would do what he does if no one cared. Someone cares. [He squeezes the keys, and then hands the paw print one to Dick, and the palm tree one to Stephanie. He'd just slow them down hobbling along, so he'll stay in the hall.] Keep going. Together.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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stephanie will kneel down, reaching to take the kit from dick while he actually looks over damian. there are a few things she is pretty sure theyâre going to need without even getting a closer look?
... is there anything for burns in this thing. i do not know itâs not my kit. anyway just assume that steph is helping dick during all of this i am not jae. ]
My hand is just a little burnt, but I can manage.
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He frowns heavily at both Dick and Steph, but mostly Dick who is trying to take care of him WHILE MISSING AN ENTIRE TONGUE. Damian really thinks of Jason in this moment, more than anything.]
Just stop, both... of you...! Brown, you have... third degree burns...!
[He at least? is sort of helping Dick? Not wanting Dick to do it, but also not wanting Dick to do it hurt anyway.]
Just... tourniquet... ["Damian, you could lose your leg." THERE IS NO TIME FOR SUTURES.] We have to keep going!
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"what about his tongue" what is he going to do, put a bandaid on it, it's GONE ]
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[ she would offer to stay instead, but itâs uh. probably going to be difficult to do that by herself when her hand is like this. ]
We donât know what might happen next, so we need to make sure we take care of ourselves now before we make it harder later.
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grit his teeth and bear it just so he doesn't have to hear damn Steph and Dick rag him for tending to him first. Like he's some kind of CHILD!]
Fine. Go look... at the rooms...
[Why does Mom let YOU get to play with the two rooms?]
Check the numbers!
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hopefully steph finds the sleeping people are all alive and they didn't just kill them all off horribly by being failures, ha ha, wow he's going to regret having to explain this later. ]
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but steph will walk over to the doors. are there numbers on them? either way, she's going to try to use the key with the masks on both doors and will enter whichever one opens. ]
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There are 53 individuals in total. If Steph has been paying attention to the outdoor theater, she should recognize every single one of the sleeping individuals as the missing participants and gods of the competition that took place at the temple. They, too, are wearing a Camp Gatonina shirt, booty/dad shorts, socks and sandals. A white scrunchie is around one of their wrists, and they each have pillows to rest their arms and heads on, and comfy looking blankets. Thankfully, the cafeteria is large enough to comfortably fit everyone even when there are four people snoozing per table.
Will Steph take a closer look at anything in the cafeteria?]
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Damian suffers through Dick's work which is actually not as terrible so much as just... having your leg sutured while pouring blood after being stabbed with a sword is... sure something.
Steph goes to check the rooms, and Damian hates it. Probably right before Dick can get completely and totally finished, Damian is twisting carefully away so they can go. He's walking funny, but he stops to try to help Dick pack and get up.]
How is the pain, Grayson? Can you still focus?
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he makes an "ok" sign to answer damian's question. his focus is actually so-so, and the pain isn't great, but he feels like he's still running on adrenaline despite the break, so it should be fine. he has to spit out some blood again but. it's fine. steph has both keys so they can't go in the other room yet but they can like. go next to the doors and be very confused by 5 & 6. hmm. he'll sign: ]
Not doubles. Could still be order?
[ he's keeping his signs simple because between the weird... weed fog which i guess they still have that somewhat and the pain signing is so. hard. he's trying not to open his mouth as much as he can smh ]
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but after she checks all of this out, she will head back to the hallway and see the boys... hello.
steph will go to unlock the other door. i am not having her say anything depending on what the mod comment turns out to say. ]
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The sun and moon key unlocks Door 6. It is marginally less cramped than the Whole Ass classroom, with only 31 sleeping individuals inside. Once again, if Steph has been paying attention to the outdoor theater, she will recognize them as Lune, Sol, and the missing participants of the events that took place in the village.]
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Damian will wait with Dick outside for a moment or two, and then Damian tries to encourage Dick to start heading away once he's sure Stephanie is probably on her way back.
He can't, like, walk fast or anything anyway, so it's better to get a headstart. He thinks Steph would yell for them if she needed.]
Four is missing, unless it's one of the others. 2, 3, 5, 6. Maybe they mean nothing.
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god. he knows they should play along, no matter what, but ... is there anywhere else to go or is this just a straight up hallway. are they truly so fucked. what's on the lockers in THIS bit of the hallway ]
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but once she looks at everyone, steph will hurry back to the hall to catch up to the other two. THIRD ROUND, TIME. ]
They're all there. But... remember how Evan's letter specified that Ogata was with him and Tsurumaru, but didn't mention Yu? Yu is with all the other sleeping temple people for some reason.
[ anyway what horror awaits them now ]
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Hm.
Onwards? Or do they need more time to lick their wounds?]
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His grip on Dick tightens, not out of fear, but concern he's going to have to throw Dick out of the way of something. What the HELL do they have in their hands?
Nowhere to go except forward... To the podiums. Maybe this time they won't make terrible Bat decisions.]
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it's likely, isn't it. he hates this.
also i know they're not holding hands but in my heart damian is holding dick's hand instead of just grabbing onto dick's like arm or something ]
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[ she is aware that's easier said than done, especially if these are supposed to be getting harder? wow. this fucking sucks.
but they are at the podiums now how shitty is this kyuu im crying ]
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As it turns out, the shadowy figures are wearing blue glow bracelets around their wrists. They hold each other's hands up, swaying to the rhythm of a song. Among the crowd, however, Damian, Dick and Steph will notice a few familiar faces. Papika for Damian; blood drips from an injury on her chest, staining her white tunic red. She holds hands with the two individuals Dick will recognize; Illumi and Beck. Both of them wear white tunics as well, with matching 3D glasses. Finally, Steph will recognize Ion and Tiger in the crowd. They, too, wear a white tunic and 3D glasses. Each of these individuals wears blue glow bracelets around their wrists, holding hands and swaying side to side.
On the stage, even Hannibal and Akechi are wearing glow bracelets. The glow cuts through the fog, providing the slightest hint of illumination even while the lights on the ceiling flicker ominously. The fog is thick and cloying, smelling strongly of weed. It will, thankfully, numb their pain. But at the same time, it will also lower their inhibitions. It feels like they could say anything. Speak their mind. Vomit word after word after word, where they would previously keep those feelings to themselves. For Dick's convenience, he will even find a tablet with text to voice capabilities on the podium. Though, unfortunately, it's chained to it so he can't take it with him.
Maou films the trio. A live feed appears on the TV behind Hannibal and Akechi. Once the group is at their podiums, Hannibal lifts the microphone to his mouth.]
"Welcome back to another segment of—"
[The crowd shouts, in perfect unison:]
"Reasons! You! Deserve! To! Die!"
"Our contestants suffered a significant loss in Round 2. However, the competition is far from over. Should they make it through this round, they can more than make up for their previous defeat! Akechi-san, what is their reward should they make it through this round?"
"If our contestants make it through Round 3, they will earn the right to visit their friends from the mansion and island! Are the viewers at home excited? I sure am."
"It would be wise not to get too excited, however. After all, they first must make it through my favorite segment. Its theme: Why am I so pathetic?"
[On the TV screen, the the words WHY AM I SO PATHETIC? appear over the live feed.]
"Now, the rules are simple. They say this is a safe space. That you are surrounded by the friends who love you... Your classmates who would never, ever reject you. So, why don't you speak from your heart? Tell them how you really feel. Do you feel safe? Do you feel happy? Do you believe you are worthy of praise...? Or do you believe you are pathetic, worth even less than the dirt below our shoes? Go ahead. There are no wrong answers. In this segment, we are all winners... Well, unless you refuse to speak from the heart, that is."
[The camera zooms in on them, and Hannibal and Akechi will step down from the stage to shove their microphones at the trio in the order of Damian, Dick and Stephanie. They will not move on until each of them has overshared on live television, it seems.]
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The haze is not even something he's never felt before. Training with his mother was more brutal than this, to be honest, and digging through Gotham yielded similar results.
Without inhibitions, he loses his steely edge, but also his regal maturity. It's hard to make his mouth twist the way he thinks he wants it to twist. Where are his arrogant confidence, and his bull-headed pride?]
I can't relate to others, [he says into the microphone without his own permission. His voice is so weak. He feels... self-conscious? Feeble in constitution.] I'm-- [He looks up, at Papika, but not Dick or Stephanie.] I'm afraid.
[No, he thinks, he wants to say he's fine. He doesn't care about this, or words, or what people think.]
It's my fault if others die. I should be able to stop it, but I'm not strong enough. I won't ever be as great as Father. I've ruined any chance. When my friends die, it's my fault because I didn't try hard enough to protect them.
I'm afraid of... Father's disappointment.
["I don't even deserve cheese," Damian Wayne says dejectedly.]
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He can't reassure Damian. Not that he's ever any good at that, probably. How pathetic does he have to be to make everyone else worry about him so obviously? His hand hovers over the tablet. Lack of inhibitions or not, needing to type it out... ]
I can't save anyone. [ it's at least not his own voice coming out, though dick isn't sure if that makes it better. ] All I ever do is watch people I care about die in front of me, or show up after they've vanished. [ his parents, jason, aquagirl, ted kord, wally, the entire ship-- he types more surely now, like venting into a diary; ] Everyone keeps calling me a leader, but whenever I try, I just get people hurt. I don't even want to lead. I'm too afraid of becoming like Batman. I'm afraid of being like the man who raised me and inspired me to be who I am. How pathetic is that?
[ he stops, because-- because inhibitions or not, damian is here, and damian just said-- that should be enough, right? he doesn't want to add to it. but he does, just once: ]
And I'm a lousy brother.
[ he's failed jason twice, and now damian-- maybe tim really is better off if dick never comes back. ]
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but they do, and it just makes it so much worse with each word. ]
I've... messed up so many times. No one ever wanted me around. Tim didn't even want me around. I've been so selfish, and I keep... lying and hurting people.
[ it's funny. because she really, truly does believe she has gotten better than she was before. the stephanie brown who's here today has grown so much compared to the stephanie brown who was on that hospital bed in the blurry picture. but here, in the spoiler costume, she has to wonder... what has she done, exactly? ]
How can I help everyone? If I can't even get everyone here back home safely, how can I keep being Batgirl? I'm not a hero, or a vigilante, or... anything. I'm just some stupid girl who is in over her head. Again. And I'm scared that's never going to change no matter how hard I try.
[ who the fuck sent damian that note anyway they are on thin fucking ice ]
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And then—]
"Are you saying you're not thankful for the trust people have placed in you?"
[It's Illumi who speaks. Beck, understandably, looks like she wants to throttle him. Unfortunately for everyone involved, she's held in place by the people around her. She can't move close enough to punch Illumi out, and she certainly can't get close enough to Dick to comfort him. The shadowy figures start to snicker, whispering among themselves as their mouths stretch into condescending grins. Every single eye on their bodies stares unblinkingly at the group. From another corner of the hallway, Tiger jeers:]
"Of course he didn't want you around, honey. Who would ever want a girl who throws herself at anyone who would give her the time of day? Face it, you're used goods. You're never going to change."
[Ion looks like he's downright ready to murder Tiger, but he can't. The crowd swallows him up. The shadows start to laugh in earnest now, closing in on the group. They point at them. Laugh. Boo. Shout.]
"Bastard!"
"Skank!"
"Murderer!"
"All you do is whine, whine, whine!"
[Papika, Ion and Beck try to reach for their friends — but they soon find themselves swallowed up by the crowd. The last glimpse the trio will catch of them is of their outstretched hands and the distraught look on their faces. A moment later, they disappear behind the shadowy figures. The shadows spit on the trio. They kick at them, grab at their clothes, and knock them over. Tears will spring in Damian, Dick and Steph's eyes, unbidden. For whatever reason, they will be unable to fight back. It feels like they've sunk into complete and utter despair. They deserve this, don't they?
Hannibal and Akechi will have, at some point, made their way back to the stage. They loom over crowd from their position. When they speak, its in perfect unison.]
"This is their big secret." [There's something strange about their appearances. One moment they're alive. The next, they're dead. Blue goo drips from Hannibal's mouth, making its way down his chin, his throat, and staining his clothes. A bullet hole is present in Akechi's throat, and another is visible on his chest — right where his heart is.] "The people who love you are powerless."
[Their appearances aren't the only thing that is strange, however. The longer the hosts speak, the more it will sound like three other voices are overlaid with theirs. The voice of a teenage girl. The voices of two teenage boys.]
"They can't help us. Nobody can help us. We're alone in the ocean. We will suffer alone. We will die alone. And nobody will care."
[Abruptly, the entire hallway goes dark. The abuse heaped upon the trio will cease immediately, and the smell of weed will fade away. The lights will slowly flicker back to life five seconds later, revealing that they are now alone in the hallway. The shadowy figures, the hosts, the people from their previous game, and all the props are gone. However, while the lights are on in this section of the hallway and the sections they have previously visited, leading back to the lobby... The same cannot be said for the path ahead of them. They will see a red, blinking light in the distance, but that's about it. Everything going forward is enveloped in darkness.
On the ground, the group will notice two new keys. One has a keychain shaped like two paw prints, and the other has a keychain shaped like a palm tree.
Seems like they got their "prize" for that ordeal.]
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Dick's final statement is the nail in the coffin; Damian's heart sits in the bottom of his feet. He wants to reach out for Papika, but his arm only gets halfway and no farther.
As soon as he's able, he quickly reaches up to rub the wetness away from his eyes. He feels... exposed. There isn't any way for them to take back what they've spilled, and his skin crawls at the knowledge of it.
Down at their feet are two keys, and he bends over without moving his leg too much to pluck them up.] That isn't true. [Even with his self-loathing, Damian has always been too stubborn to die.
But what about the people who aren't? Was his father like that after both parents were murdered? The paw print key makes him remember asking Dazai, "What's one of the happiest times in your life?" and listening to Dazai tell him, "The House."]
We wouldn't do... My father would do what he does if no one cared. Someone cares. [He squeezes the keys, and then hands the paw print one to Dick, and the palm tree one to Stephanie. He'd just slow them down hobbling along, so he'll stay in the hall.] Keep going. Together.
I refuse to give up and let this farce win.
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