[There are, in fact, two more sheets of paper taped to the doors. The door on the right reads 7, and the door to the left reads 8. The key with the pawprints will work for Door 7, and the door with the palm tree will work on Door 8.
Unsurprisingly, they will find more people sleeping inside both classrooms.
Assuming he paid attention to the outdoor theater, Dick will recognize the people behind Door 7 as the missing inhabitants of the mansion. Including the three girls who worked as the mansion's caretakers but excluding their master, he will find 29 individuals in total. Thankfully, this classroom isn't over capacity so it's a relatively comfortable fit. Like in all the previous classrooms, they are wearing the same outfit everyone woke up on the bus with and a white scrunchie. Everyone has their own pillow and blanket.
Meanwhile, Steph will find only 11 sleeping individuals behind Door 8. If she's watched the outdoor theater at all this week, she should recognize them as people who were trapped on the island. Once again, they are all wearing the outfit from the bus with their own white scrunchies. Everyone has a pillow and blanket.
Are they checking for anything in specific once they're inside the classrooms?]
[Damian can't even say he's glad Dick can't talk because he still gets irritatingly flustered when Dick teases him about the speech. DO NOT.]
Not the time, Grayson.
[Stiffly, he walks after them to the doors, trailing slightly behind. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8? Hmm. Carefully, he watches the two of them go in, and he leans to stick his head inside the door Dick goes through.
(He's looking for Missile, it's fine. A good dog.)]
Maybe it is chronological order. Perhaps we'll have to remember which doors they're behind to get them out later.
[ dick would answer that but he has to use his hands to touch stuff. he. okay, he sees missile and pets the sleeping dog, don't @ him. he's had a rough day. a ruff day. again, it's a very good thing he can't talk right now.
but he'll look inside the desks, including the teacher's, and also. at the ceiling and blackboard? and the obvious wellness check of everyone here. why is akechi also here. he cannot stand that guy now because of this.
if there's nothing he'll peek his head out and sign "dog" at damian. LOOK THEY CAN TAKE A BREAK TO PET A DOG THEY NEED IT ]
[ she will also check on each person to make sure they are all individually ok. is there anything in the desks. under the desks. kyuu has us so fuckin paranoid that we missed the entire plot of crau in these classrooms i hate this.
but if there is nothing of note then she'll leave and go into the hall to wait because there is no dog to coo over in this classroom. ]
[Everyone in the blues classroom seems fine! Maybe Akechi is a bit, uh, less comfortably laid down than the rest — but it's fine. Missile even has a cute doggy sized scrunchie around his little paw. But though Dick is free to check the desks, the ceiling and blackboard, there is nothing hiding there.
Meanwhile, inhabitants of the island classroom seem pretty okay. There are only 11 of them accounted for, which means that they win in terms of being comfortable by default. There is nothing of particular value insider or under the desks, but Steph will find some flowers for each person. How... sweet?
[ISABELLE, please tell her she is a wonderful working dog. Just like Missile.
Unfortunately, the signed "dog" gets Damian to (shockingly) childishly hobble into the room. YES, that's HIM, that is THE DOG Dazai drew him in crayon. Wow, he misses Titus. He will pet Missile, yes, and then try to hurriedly shove Dick out so no one, especially Dick, will talk about how he took a break from a terribly bad break-in to pet a dog.]
Hurry up, both of you. We should finish this as quickly as possible.
[ dick is grinning at damian but no one needs to know that. either way, he moves when he's pushed out and makes an okay sign at steph once they're out. off they go in the... darkened hallway.
guess what.
he still has glowsticks, fuck you, he's taking out another purple glowstick for this. off they go!!! ]
but okay, yes, down the darkened path they all go to... whatever is over there. kyuu what is over there i don't have anything else to say in this tag. ]
The glowsticks don't do shit, but they at least provide enough illumination that they can notice the steam that steadily builds up the further they go. It doesn't smell like weed this time around, but it sure does start to feel hot and humid as they make their way down the hallway. Even if they get the urge to stop or turn around, they will find their legs carrying them forward of their own accord. They can't stop. There's no time to stop. A sense of urgency pushes them onward, until the glowsticks die out and suddenly — they are alone. Not in the sense that the shadowy creatures and the other apparitions have abandoned them, but in the sense that they have been separated from each other. Their other two companions are missing.
But they won't even notice, truth to be told.
Their thoughts become muddled. Their sense of self warps, and all of the sudden, they can't remember that they're actually inside Winter's cabin. There is only the here and now, and at this moment, all of this feels real. There's something they have to do. Someone they have to find. A tragedy they have to prevent. The next time they blink, they will find themselves at the top of a staircase in a narrow passageway. The heavy, white steel door behind them is firmly shut, and cannot be unlocked. There is a sign next to them with an arrow pointing downstairs that reads: BOILER ROOM. From behind them, they can hear the muffled sound of cheering, clapping and singing. It sounds like people are having a good time, even if the three of them clearly aren't.
At the bottom of the stairs, standing in front of the doorway that presumably leads to the boiler room, each one of them will see someone different.
Damian will see Milla. The stab wound on her chest is blatant. Blood stains her white tunic. Blue goo drips from her mouth.
Dick will see Kagachi and Higekiri. Their flesh is thoroughly melted, and the state of their bodies is better off left to the imagination. They are hardly recognizable as they are, but Dick will have no trouble discerning their identities. Somehow, he will even notice the bullet hole in Kagachi's throat and the bullet hole in Higekiri's heart.
Steph will see Souji and Varian. They are thoroughly burnt to the point where they are no longer recognizable as themselves. But, once again, Steph will have no trouble ascertaining their identities. There is a bullet hole in Varian's heart, and a bullet wound in Souji's throat.
Though the three of them are separated, the people they see at the bottom of the stairs all do the same thing. They tilt their head at them, and lift their hands to point at the boiler room. In a soft monotone, they all say:]
"Finish what you begun."
[Simultaneously, Damian, Dick and Steph will know there's nothing left to do but go forward. Not that they would particularly want to turn away from this, though. The sense of urgency they feel is far too strong to ignore.]
For a brief moment, Damian is maybe a little panicked when he loses sight of Dick and Steph. He isn't worried about them being maimed so much as he feels again like a failure for letting them out of his sights.
The urgency is sickening. His eyes shift from the door to the words to the stairs. Who the hell is partying at the time like this? With little else to do, he goes down. Milla doesn't surprise or bother him this time. He killed her in Robowest, and he killed her here. He did it. He accepts that.
Without any hesitation or question, he straightens his shoulders and heads into the boiler room.
[ how is the pile of melted flesh even turning to look at him. he hates that he recognizes them like this, and he hates even more the sense of urgency that's making him almost ignore the absence of his companions. wherever they are--
he hopes it'll be fine. but he has to do this. he doesn't know why, and that should worry him, but... his steps are determined, cape billowing behind him. it feels heavier than it already did.
[ it's fine. this is fine. stephanie is used to working alone, even if it feels a little emptier now, after getting used to having people at her side.
she only looks at varian and souji long enough to really drive the point in, to remind her of what all of this is for-- saving them, and everyone else. it doesn't matter what she has to go through, as long as everyone can go home. ]
Here we go...
[ it's muttered softly, and she walks forward to finish... well. whatever this is. ]
[The door to the boiler room opens by itself when they each approach it. The sound of the party happening upstairs becomes even more muffled as they descend. Once they're inside the boiler room, they will hear the sound of someone whistling. It's a jaunty little tune. Happy. Cheerful. Not really befitting of the situation. A sense of trepidation creeps up on them, and for the first time, they will notice that they each hold a weapon in one of their hands. Damian holds a pink dagger, Dick holds a knife, and Stephanie holds a pink baseball bat. Their legs will carry them deeper into the boiler room, until they stumble across a familiar face.
Papika for Damian. Beck for Dick. Ion for Stephanie. They are crouched in front of one of the boilers, whistling as they fiddle with an object they have attached to it. Due to their, ah, previous work experience... They will recognize it as a bomb. There is a timer on it, steadily ticking down from two minutes. Papika, Beck and Ion will stop long enough to glance their way, cold anger visible in their expression before it softens upon catching a glimpse of their friend. Immediately, they stand up and smile at them.]
"I'm so happy you came back for me." [The three of them say, in separate layers of reality but at the same time.] "The bomb is ready. Once it goes off, it will detonate the pack of thermals upstairs. We can make everyone else go away and go home together. No one will ever hurt you again! Not on my watch."
[They hold a hand out to them, waiting for them to take it so they can run away together.
Damian, Dick and Steph can take their hand. That is an option. But the bomb is very, very real in their minds. A surge of emotion courses through them. They are heartbroken. They are angry. They love this person. They hate this person. They know, that if the bomb goes off, all 266 of the people upstairs in the school will die. All the people who have hurt them, who have killed their friends, who have said cruel things and made them wish for death... But also the people who have been kind to them. The people who are their friends. The people who, even if they are terrible assholes right now, still have a capacity to change. You can't change if you are dead. Death is not the solution.
Though, there are two exceptions.
Instinctively, they will know that there is only one way to deactivate the bomb. The timer on the bomb ticks down to the rhythm of their heartbeat. If they kill the person before them, and put an end to themselves, the timer on the bomb will stop.
There is no other way.
No one here deserves to die, except for the two of them.
The timer reads 1:19... 1:18... 1:17... 1:16... and so forth.]
[Why is it always Papika?! STOP, THAT IS HIS FRIEND! There, he said it! THAT'S HIS FRIEND, STOP MAKING HIS FRIEND DO THIS.]
It's different this time, Papika. [He almost realizes, in a way, this isn't real. Something about it... does not feel real. A little naggle, like Dick's voice, telling him it's a trick.
But just for the record.] We've already done it this way.
[There isn't any emotion in doing this except exhaustion. Before, it was horrifying. Both times. It was painful, and he felt immensely guilty. But now he feels nothing. Numb.
He takes Papika's hand, but doesn't budge. His grip is tight. This isn't the way to hold someone's hand, but does he really know the right way to do something like that? He pulls Papika to himself while extending the dagger; there isn't a good way to do this. She'd die slowly no matter what, so he drives it up through the heart in one quick, solid movement.
It's not much different than the time before, holding a gun to his temple and waiting to die. Except for the fact he thinks he's frustrated this is how it has to be. Papika probably hasn't even hit the floor before he raises the knife up to slit his throat, ear to ear.
He wants to say, "Sorry, Father," for the disappointment, but nothing comes out.]
[ There's something off about this. Even though he feels the heartbreak and the anger, the love and the hate-- there's something off. Beck wouldn't do this, would she? He wishes he could talk to her. He wishes he could ask. But the math is simple. 266 people, two lives, one minute. (Isn't Beck dead, already? He'd seen her drowned. No, that wasn't right, either.) If he could stop it... but it's linked to both of them. He can't disarm that bomb otherwise. But... he could make it quick.
He just-- wants her to know, before he does-- ]
I'm sorry. [ it's mouthed, and no sound comes out. he wonders if she understands what he wishes he could say. if she even understands what he's sorry for. everything. everything, always. he'd wanted to save her, more than anyone else they'd left behind. maybe that's unfair. ] I love you.
[ not the way she'd wanted him to, but he still did, with all his heart. he wonders how everyone else he loves will feel about this, but there's no time. he grabs her hand... only so he can plant the knife (where...did he get that knife?) in her chest. he's trying to make it quick.
he's always felt responsible for her death, so this seems appropriate. it's harder to take the knife out of her and plant it in himself, the way his hands are shaking. he doesn't know when that started or if the tears pricking his eyes are about what he's done or the pain. he's glad, stupidly, that no one else can see this.
even if he had any last words he could give, they wouldn't be worth hearing, probably. ]
[ it's kind of funny how breaking into these cabins keep ending up like this.
but this time, she's fully in control-- she thinks? stephanie is sure she is, even if something doesn't quite add up, but no matter what's wrong with this... it's still her, holding onto this bat, and ion in front of her.
she stares at him. he's just a child. no one deserves to be put into these games, but... especially not him. and not damian. and not-- the list can go on, but there's no time to focus on that when the bomb keeps ticking away the seconds. because the thing is, for her, there is no way to make this quick. ]
Ion... please. [ please what? die quickly? don't be real? forgive her? ] I'm so sorry.
[ she raises the bat and it strikes down on him. again. and again. and again. she keeps hitting him, trying her hardest to ignore the sound the bat makes against his small body, or any other noise, until he's no longer moving. she breathes in deeply, ignoring the way tears fall down her face, clouding her vision.
... the timer is still going. this is the hard part (although it's a little laughable that anything could be harder than what just happened). steph raises the bat again, and slams it against her own head. there's pain, and she almost drops the bat, but instead she does it again.
it's hard. her brain wants her to stop, and her body actively fights against it, because she knows this isn't what she sound be doing. but she hits herself again, and again, and she forces herself to do it even harder each time. it hurts, and there's a real fear that she's just going to blackout before she actually manages it, or that the bomb will go off, or--
[i can't believe you just killed steph with a baseball bat, you mad man.
(i say, like i didn't put that baseball bat in her hands.)
Anyway—
Perhaps it's only a matter of seconds. Or perhaps it's been minutes, hours, days, weeks, months — an eternity. Whatever the case, the three of them will regain consciousness on the hallway floor. They are still covered in blood, slushies, soda, booze and spit, and their costumes remain the same. Their injuries from Round 2 are still present, as well. But the injuries they just inflicted on themselves? That fatal wound that took them out? It's now a scar upon their bodies. The scars will still hurt, of course. They will hurt for as long as it would take for a normal injury to heal. Consider it a permanent reminder of what they have done.
In their hands, each of them will find something. Their "prize" for this last round. In Stephanie's hand, she will find a key with a keychain shaped like a castle. In Dick's hand, he will find a key with a keychain shaped like a boat. Meanwhile, Damian will find a blue sheet of paper. There is a list of names. It reads:]
Shirasu (6) Chuuya (4) North Akechi (7) Nico Shiki
[There is a four digit code next to each name. It looks like they're locker combinations.
Once they regain their bearings enough to look around, they will realize they have reached the end of the hallway. There are three doors. One to their right, one to their left, and one right in front of them. The doors to their right and left have a sheet of paper with a number on them. The one in front of them simply says EXIT. The effects of the weed and whatever mindfuck took over them are gone.
[As much as they've been through, Damian is surprisingly glad to open his eyes. He thinks he remembers what it was like to open them again for the first time after dying.
Living? Very hard, but very wonderful.
After a moment or two, he's aware of Dick and Steph, and he pushes himself into a seated position. Beneath his chin on his throat, from ear to ear, is a nasty scar. But none of them have to talk about that.] Grayson. [His voice is hoarse.] Brown. [As long as they respond, that's enough.
And then he looks at the sheet of paper. Hm. His eyes flick to Dick and Steph. The last keys. And then his eyes flick to the three doors.]
When you get up, check the doors.
[He picks himself carefully up to a stand. Are there, like, lockers around he can go to and open which correspond to the numbers??? He will do that if so. If not! He will just
take his paper prize and go along with Dick and Steph to check the doors.]
[ It feels like a dream he's woken up from. A very bad, terrible nightmare where the pain is still real and he is still sticky with a mixture of things he is trying his best not to think of, so alright, maybe more like the world's worst hangover. But his mind is clear for the first time in what feels like days and despite the difficulty he has sitting up, he immediately lets out a sigh of relief when he sees Damian and Steph besides him.
Still injured, and clearly having been through the same thing he has (although his is... less visible, thanks to the batman suit) but there. Alive. And the exit is right there.
But first-- he has to make sure. Dick gets up and goes to look at the doors, checking the numbers and seeing which the boat key fits on. The ship... Did they all really make it? ]
but steph sits up, immediately going to touch her head, like she's double checking that her skull isn't caved in or something. it hurts, like the worst headache of all time, but she's alive and breathing and that's what matters in the end, isn't it? surviving.
it's a little shaky to get back to her feet, but she manages. she doesn't actually move until she confirms that dick and damian are okay (although she is ignoring the blood on them both, the blood that she knows is also on her if she actually paused to look). and with the key in hand, she hurries over to open the door it goes to so she can check in on her homies and akechi. ]
[There are lockers! A lot of lockers, actually. They had to make their way past a couple dozen of them every time they headed for a new round of the game show, as a matter of fact. Like Stephanie noticed before, each locker is labeled with with the name of who it, presumably, belongs to. Is he opening all the lockers on the list?
The door on the right is marked as 1, and the door on the left is marked as 4. The castle key fits Door 1, and the boat key fits Door 4.
Behind the doors — well. Steph and Dick are long overdue for a reunion with their homies (and Akechi), aren't they? Behind Door 1, Stephanie will find 35 familiar faces. Dragon, Tiger, Yona and Hiro are among them, though the people who are in the camp are obviously missing. Meanwhile, Dick will find 27 familiar faces, including Chuuya, Polly, Nathan and Carlos but excluding those who are in the camp. Like all the previous classrooms, everyone is dressed in camp uniform with their own scrunchies.
[Okay, yes! He refuses to be useless any more, busted leg be damned.
He will go up and down the lockers slowly, matching the names and combinations to the right locker, and then he'll put the combination in for each one and try them.
Godspeed, little cowboy.
What is hiding in the lockers? Please say he gets shot.]
[ is everyone okay. including. higekiri, beck and kagachi. that's what dick is checking mainly, looking around at all of them. all of them are present, which does lift-- some weight off his shoulders, but still. requisite desk and ceiling check but once he's done checking on all of that and assuming everyone is okay and fine he will go help damian with the lockers, you little shit, stop walking on your bum leg ]
[ stephanie will also do the usual check up on everyone, taking extra care with souji, varian, and ion because like uh, my bad, dudes.
she might step on akechi's foot while checking on him but it's fine don't worry about it. but she will also check the desks, and if everything is fine, she will then leave the room to go help the other two. ]
[Yeah, Hal pops out and shoots Damian in the face again.
Okay, no.
But inside each locker, he will find a couple of items! For ease of reading, here is the list of what he finds:
Shirasu (6): A broken fox mask Chuuya (4): A black hat, a long red ribbon North: A rubber bouncy ball, a red beanie Akechi (7): A whole ass human skull Nico: A sword Shiki: A cat plushie
Everyone behind Door 4 is okay! As a matter of fact, they seem more than okay. While Dick looks around, he will notice that Nikkari's hair is neatly braided, and Beck, Tamamo and Carlos have some flowers with them. Their blankets look cozy, and the pillows seem extra fluffy. Like all the other classrooms, everything smells fresh and recently cleaned. Dick will notice that everyone who is not present in the camp is accounted for.
While Steph checks up on everyone behind Door 1, she will notice that Varian, Souji and Ion's blanket are noticeably fuzzier and warmer than everyone else's. Their pillows are extra fluffy, and whoever placed them there took care to make sure all their limbs were as comfortably arranged as possible. Varian even has an extra, red scrunchie with him. Though, while Steph steps on Akechi's foot, she might notice that his arms are just fucking dangling instead of being neatly folded on top of the table. His pillow is actually a bit thinner than the rest? Eichi's blanket is kind of sliding off his shoulders, too. Wow.
There is nothing on the desks, however. There is a hint of a circular water stain on the teacher's desk, but everything is otherwise clean and tidy.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Unsurprisingly, they will find more people sleeping inside both classrooms.
Assuming he paid attention to the outdoor theater, Dick will recognize the people behind Door 7 as the missing inhabitants of the mansion. Including the three girls who worked as the mansion's caretakers but excluding their master, he will find 29 individuals in total. Thankfully, this classroom isn't over capacity so it's a relatively comfortable fit. Like in all the previous classrooms, they are wearing the same outfit everyone woke up on the bus with and a white scrunchie. Everyone has their own pillow and blanket.
Meanwhile, Steph will find only 11 sleeping individuals behind Door 8. If she's watched the outdoor theater at all this week, she should recognize them as people who were trapped on the island. Once again, they are all wearing the outfit from the bus with their own white scrunchies. Everyone has a pillow and blanket.
Are they checking for anything in specific once they're inside the classrooms?]
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Not the time, Grayson.
[Stiffly, he walks after them to the doors, trailing slightly behind. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8? Hmm. Carefully, he watches the two of them go in, and he leans to stick his head inside the door Dick goes through.
(He's looking for Missile, it's fine. A good dog.)]
Maybe it is chronological order. Perhaps we'll have to remember which doors they're behind to get them out later.
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but he'll look inside the desks, including the teacher's, and also. at the ceiling and blackboard? and the obvious wellness check of everyone here. why is akechi also here. he cannot stand that guy now because of this.
if there's nothing he'll peek his head out and sign "dog" at damian. LOOK THEY CAN TAKE A BREAK TO PET A DOG THEY NEED IT ]
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but if there is nothing of note then she'll leave and go into the hall to wait because there is no dog to coo over in this classroom. ]
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Meanwhile, inhabitants of the island classroom seem pretty okay. There are only 11 of them accounted for, which means that they win in terms of being comfortable by default. There is nothing of particular value insider or under the desks, but Steph will find some flowers for each person. How... sweet?
Also, this is Isabelle erasure? Wow.]
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Unfortunately, the signed "dog" gets Damian to (shockingly) childishly hobble into the room. YES, that's HIM, that is THE DOG Dazai drew him in crayon. Wow, he misses Titus. He will pet Missile, yes, and then try to hurriedly shove Dick out so no one, especially Dick, will talk about how he took a break from a terribly bad break-in to pet a dog.]
Hurry up, both of you. We should finish this as quickly as possible.
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guess what.
he still has glowsticks, fuck you, he's taking out another purple glowstick for this. off they go!!! ]
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but okay, yes, down the darkened path they all go to... whatever is over there. kyuu what is over there i don't have anything else to say in this tag. ]
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The glowsticks don't do shit, but they at least provide enough illumination that they can notice the steam that steadily builds up the further they go. It doesn't smell like weed this time around, but it sure does start to feel hot and humid as they make their way down the hallway. Even if they get the urge to stop or turn around, they will find their legs carrying them forward of their own accord. They can't stop. There's no time to stop. A sense of urgency pushes them onward, until the glowsticks die out and suddenly — they are alone. Not in the sense that the shadowy creatures and the other apparitions have abandoned them, but in the sense that they have been separated from each other. Their other two companions are missing.
But they won't even notice, truth to be told.
Their thoughts become muddled. Their sense of self warps, and all of the sudden, they can't remember that they're actually inside Winter's cabin. There is only the here and now, and at this moment, all of this feels real. There's something they have to do. Someone they have to find. A tragedy they have to prevent. The next time they blink, they will find themselves at the top of a staircase in a narrow passageway. The heavy, white steel door behind them is firmly shut, and cannot be unlocked. There is a sign next to them with an arrow pointing downstairs that reads: BOILER ROOM. From behind them, they can hear the muffled sound of cheering, clapping and singing. It sounds like people are having a good time, even if the three of them clearly aren't.
At the bottom of the stairs, standing in front of the doorway that presumably leads to the boiler room, each one of them will see someone different.
Damian will see Milla. The stab wound on her chest is blatant. Blood stains her white tunic. Blue goo drips from her mouth.
Dick will see Kagachi and Higekiri. Their flesh is thoroughly melted, and the state of their bodies is better off left to the imagination. They are hardly recognizable as they are, but Dick will have no trouble discerning their identities. Somehow, he will even notice the bullet hole in Kagachi's throat and the bullet hole in Higekiri's heart.
Steph will see Souji and Varian. They are thoroughly burnt to the point where they are no longer recognizable as themselves. But, once again, Steph will have no trouble ascertaining their identities. There is a bullet hole in Varian's heart, and a bullet wound in Souji's throat.
Though the three of them are separated, the people they see at the bottom of the stairs all do the same thing. They tilt their head at them, and lift their hands to point at the boiler room. In a soft monotone, they all say:]
"Finish what you begun."
[Simultaneously, Damian, Dick and Steph will know there's nothing left to do but go forward. Not that they would particularly want to turn away from this, though. The sense of urgency they feel is far too strong to ignore.]
no subject
For a brief moment, Damian is maybe a little panicked when he loses sight of Dick and Steph. He isn't worried about them being maimed so much as he feels again like a failure for letting them out of his sights.
The urgency is sickening. His eyes shift from the door to the words to the stairs. Who the hell is partying at the time like this? With little else to do, he goes down. Milla doesn't surprise or bother him this time. He killed her in Robowest, and he killed her here. He did it. He accepts that.
Without any hesitation or question, he straightens his shoulders and heads into the boiler room.
Good luck, Dick and Steph.]
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he hopes it'll be fine. but he has to do this. he doesn't know why, and that should worry him, but... his steps are determined, cape billowing behind him. it feels heavier than it already did.
boiler room time. ]
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she only looks at varian and souji long enough to really drive the point in, to remind her of what all of this is for-- saving them, and everyone else. it doesn't matter what she has to go through, as long as everyone can go home. ]
Here we go...
[ it's muttered softly, and she walks forward to finish... well. whatever this is. ]
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Papika for Damian. Beck for Dick. Ion for Stephanie. They are crouched in front of one of the boilers, whistling as they fiddle with an object they have attached to it. Due to their, ah, previous work experience... They will recognize it as a bomb. There is a timer on it, steadily ticking down from two minutes. Papika, Beck and Ion will stop long enough to glance their way, cold anger visible in their expression before it softens upon catching a glimpse of their friend. Immediately, they stand up and smile at them.]
"I'm so happy you came back for me." [The three of them say, in separate layers of reality but at the same time.] "The bomb is ready. Once it goes off, it will detonate the pack of thermals upstairs. We can make everyone else go away and go home together. No one will ever hurt you again! Not on my watch."
[They hold a hand out to them, waiting for them to take it so they can run away together.
Damian, Dick and Steph can take their hand. That is an option. But the bomb is very, very real in their minds. A surge of emotion courses through them. They are heartbroken. They are angry. They love this person. They hate this person. They know, that if the bomb goes off, all 266 of the people upstairs in the school will die. All the people who have hurt them, who have killed their friends, who have said cruel things and made them wish for death... But also the people who have been kind to them. The people who are their friends. The people who, even if they are terrible assholes right now, still have a capacity to change. You can't change if you are dead. Death is not the solution.
Though, there are two exceptions.
Instinctively, they will know that there is only one way to deactivate the bomb. The timer on the bomb ticks down to the rhythm of their heartbeat. If they kill the person before them, and put an end to themselves, the timer on the bomb will stop.
There is no other way.
No one here deserves to die, except for the two of them.
The timer reads 1:19... 1:18... 1:17... 1:16... and so forth.]
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It's different this time, Papika. [He almost realizes, in a way, this isn't real. Something about it... does not feel real. A little naggle, like Dick's voice, telling him it's a trick.
But just for the record.] We've already done it this way.
[There isn't any emotion in doing this except exhaustion. Before, it was horrifying. Both times. It was painful, and he felt immensely guilty. But now he feels nothing. Numb.
He takes Papika's hand, but doesn't budge. His grip is tight. This isn't the way to hold someone's hand, but does he really know the right way to do something like that? He pulls Papika to himself while extending the dagger; there isn't a good way to do this. She'd die slowly no matter what, so he drives it up through the heart in one quick, solid movement.
It's not much different than the time before, holding a gun to his temple and waiting to die. Except for the fact he thinks he's frustrated this is how it has to be. Papika probably hasn't even hit the floor before he raises the knife up to slit his throat, ear to ear.
He wants to say, "Sorry, Father," for the disappointment, but nothing comes out.]
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He just-- wants her to know, before he does-- ]
I'm sorry. [ it's mouthed, and no sound comes out. he wonders if she understands what he wishes he could say. if she even understands what he's sorry for. everything. everything, always. he'd wanted to save her, more than anyone else they'd left behind. maybe that's unfair. ] I love you.
[ not the way she'd wanted him to, but he still did, with all his heart. he wonders how everyone else he loves will feel about this, but there's no time. he grabs her hand... only so he can plant the knife (where...did he get that knife?) in her chest. he's trying to make it quick.
he's always felt responsible for her death, so this seems appropriate. it's harder to take the knife out of her and plant it in himself, the way his hands are shaking. he doesn't know when that started or if the tears pricking his eyes are about what he's done or the pain. he's glad, stupidly, that no one else can see this.
even if he had any last words he could give, they wouldn't be worth hearing, probably. ]
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but this time, she's fully in control-- she thinks? stephanie is sure she is, even if something doesn't quite add up, but no matter what's wrong with this... it's still her, holding onto this bat, and ion in front of her.
she stares at him. he's just a child. no one deserves to be put into these games, but... especially not him. and not damian. and not-- the list can go on, but there's no time to focus on that when the bomb keeps ticking away the seconds. because the thing is, for her, there is no way to make this quick. ]
Ion... please. [ please what? die quickly? don't be real? forgive her? ] I'm so sorry.
[ she raises the bat and it strikes down on him. again. and again. and again. she keeps hitting him, trying her hardest to ignore the sound the bat makes against his small body, or any other noise, until he's no longer moving. she breathes in deeply, ignoring the way tears fall down her face, clouding her vision.
... the timer is still going. this is the hard part (although it's a little laughable that anything could be harder than what just happened). steph raises the bat again, and slams it against her own head. there's pain, and she almost drops the bat, but instead she does it again.
it's hard. her brain wants her to stop, and her body actively fights against it, because she knows this isn't what she sound be doing. but she hits herself again, and again, and she forces herself to do it even harder each time. it hurts, and there's a real fear that she's just going to blackout before she actually manages it, or that the bomb will go off, or--
she gets a lucky hit in. ]
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(i say, like i didn't put that baseball bat in her hands.)
Anyway—
Perhaps it's only a matter of seconds. Or perhaps it's been minutes, hours, days, weeks, months — an eternity. Whatever the case, the three of them will regain consciousness on the hallway floor. They are still covered in blood, slushies, soda, booze and spit, and their costumes remain the same. Their injuries from Round 2 are still present, as well. But the injuries they just inflicted on themselves? That fatal wound that took them out? It's now a scar upon their bodies. The scars will still hurt, of course. They will hurt for as long as it would take for a normal injury to heal. Consider it a permanent reminder of what they have done.
In their hands, each of them will find something. Their "prize" for this last round. In Stephanie's hand, she will find a key with a keychain shaped like a castle. In Dick's hand, he will find a key with a keychain shaped like a boat. Meanwhile, Damian will find a blue sheet of paper. There is a list of names. It reads:]
Shirasu (6)
Chuuya (4)
North
Akechi (7)
Nico
Shiki
[There is a four digit code next to each name. It looks like they're locker combinations.
Once they regain their bearings enough to look around, they will realize they have reached the end of the hallway. There are three doors. One to their right, one to their left, and one right in front of them. The doors to their right and left have a sheet of paper with a number on them. The one in front of them simply says EXIT. The effects of the weed and whatever mindfuck took over them are gone.
What now?]
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Living? Very hard, but very wonderful.
After a moment or two, he's aware of Dick and Steph, and he pushes himself into a seated position. Beneath his chin on his throat, from ear to ear, is a nasty scar. But none of them have to talk about that.] Grayson. [His voice is hoarse.] Brown. [As long as they respond, that's enough.
And then he looks at the sheet of paper. Hm. His eyes flick to Dick and Steph. The last keys. And then his eyes flick to the three doors.]
When you get up, check the doors.
[He picks himself carefully up to a stand. Are there, like, lockers around he can go to and open which correspond to the numbers??? He will do that if so. If not! He will just
take his paper prize and go along with Dick and Steph to check the doors.]
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Still injured, and clearly having been through the same thing he has (although his is... less visible, thanks to the batman suit) but there. Alive. And the exit is right there.
But first-- he has to make sure. Dick gets up and goes to look at the doors, checking the numbers and seeing which the boat key fits on. The ship... Did they all really make it? ]
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but steph sits up, immediately going to touch her head, like she's double checking that her skull isn't caved in or something. it hurts, like the worst headache of all time, but she's alive and breathing and that's what matters in the end, isn't it? surviving.
it's a little shaky to get back to her feet, but she manages. she doesn't actually move until she confirms that dick and damian are okay (although she is ignoring the blood on them both, the blood that she knows is also on her if she actually paused to look). and with the key in hand, she hurries over to open the door it goes to so she can check in on her homies and akechi. ]
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The door on the right is marked as 1, and the door on the left is marked as 4. The castle key fits Door 1, and the boat key fits Door 4.
Behind the doors — well. Steph and Dick are long overdue for a reunion with their homies (and Akechi), aren't they? Behind Door 1, Stephanie will find 35 familiar faces. Dragon, Tiger, Yona and Hiro are among them, though the people who are in the camp are obviously missing. Meanwhile, Dick will find 27 familiar faces, including Chuuya, Polly, Nathan and Carlos but excluding those who are in the camp. Like all the previous classrooms, everyone is dressed in camp uniform with their own scrunchies.
Will they take a closer look at anything?]
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He will go up and down the lockers slowly, matching the names and combinations to the right locker, and then he'll put the combination in for each one and try them.
Godspeed, little cowboy.
What is hiding in the lockers? Please say he gets shot.]
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she might step on akechi's foot while checking on him but it's fine don't worry about it. but she will also check the desks, and if everything is fine, she will then leave the room to go help the other two. ]
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Okay, no.
But inside each locker, he will find a couple of items! For ease of reading, here is the list of what he finds:
Chuuya (4): A black hat, a long red ribbon
North: A rubber bouncy ball, a red beanie
Akechi (7): A whole ass human skull
Nico: A sword
Shiki: A cat plushie
Everyone behind Door 4 is okay! As a matter of fact, they seem more than okay. While Dick looks around, he will notice that Nikkari's hair is neatly braided, and Beck, Tamamo and Carlos have some flowers with them. Their blankets look cozy, and the pillows seem extra fluffy. Like all the other classrooms, everything smells fresh and recently cleaned. Dick will notice that everyone who is not present in the camp is accounted for.
While Steph checks up on everyone behind Door 1, she will notice that Varian, Souji and Ion's blanket are noticeably fuzzier and warmer than everyone else's. Their pillows are extra fluffy, and whoever placed them there took care to make sure all their limbs were as comfortably arranged as possible. Varian even has an extra, red scrunchie with him. Though, while Steph steps on Akechi's foot, she might notice that his arms are just fucking dangling instead of being neatly folded on top of the table. His pillow is actually a bit thinner than the rest? Eichi's blanket is kind of sliding off his shoulders, too. Wow.
There is nothing on the desks, however. There is a hint of a circular water stain on the teacher's desk, but everything is otherwise clean and tidy.]
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