fifth trial

[arsholes]

[With the last piece of evidence collected, Heisenberg's voice abruptly comes from everywhere and nowhere once again.]

Ready when you are. Come on up, Apprentices. You know the drill by now.

[Time to get in your weekly cardio climbing all these goddamn stairs again. Per usual, the ascension takes several minutes, with one final door remaining locked than that first time. The shimmer of purple shield magic remains, blocking the apprentices from accessing it but they'll know soon enough if they make it through this trial.

Finally they reach the courtroom door. It's a bit singed and a little splattered with dried blood. You'd think the tower would have eagerly drunk it up...but perhaps someone left it as a message. The door swings open to reveal a small set of steps, leading up to an imposing round chamber with a tapered roof. Twenty podiums stand in a circle in the center, lit brightly from below. Each podium is made of dark metal with a colored crystal matching the individual dorms enclosed on a thick glass dome on top of it. As always, greyed out portraits of the deceased have been added- Olive and Bruno. The courtroom looks completely unharmed from Hubert's attempt on Wednesday.

Heisenberg once again is up on his scaffold. He pulls a gas mask off of his head and runs a hand through his hair, before settling his hat back in its usual place.]

Hope you've brought your best. And all the evidence. You know how this goes by now. Either one person leaves here, or ten of you get the reward of going back down to the Institute.

Better get started.

Comments

[replacementshield]

...So, what. Someone went around playing as him?

At the very least I'm sure that the Bruno I spoke to on Sunday was himself. He recognized a toy that belonged to a family member of his, after all.

[ ... ]

How would they even be able to masquerade as Bruno during that explosion aftermath, anyway?

[ghostsguysgyuudon]

I don't know... Something did seem a little off the other day. Back during the ball, so last week, he told me it was understandable to be having second thoughts about staying, that it would be hard to leave home behind. But the day before we got motives, he brought it up again and told me that I should stay. That staying somewhere I'm happy is worth more than going back just because I think I should. I never asked what changed his mind.

Ah -- but I'm probably wrong! I mean, if it was really that long ago, then it was probably the same Bruno-san both times, right?

[replacementshield]

Any small difference can mean something. So I wouldn't say it'd be the same Bruno for certain.

[ghostsguysgyuudon]

I can't think of any other difference, other than he was saying all week that he was happy not to be pressured into using his gift. Does that mean that he just didn't want to be asked because it wasn't him? Or is it just how he felt normally? I guess it could be either.

[spitessier]

I think that's how he usually felt. He told me about his life with that power -- looks like using his power often was be expected from everyone in his family.

[ghostsguysgyuudon]

That makes sense. I remember weeks ago, he said he never liked his power, too. Because nobody else did.

[spitessier]

I talked to him at the start of the week, too. We talked about his family -- I think that was Bruno himself.

[So unless someone has been impersonating Bruno for a looooong time, they would have to assemble a complex tale with continuity and the such. That probably was Bruno, yup]

[replacementshield]

So at the very least we can confirm he was himself at the beginning of the week.

[encelevenemus]

It would have to be someone capable of healing magic, would it not?

[pegasinister]

Or capable of faking it- with so many people casting at once it would be impossible to know what spell healed what.

[spitessier]

Was Bruno present during your classes? He never commented having healing powers -- he talked about his prophetic abilities a lot.

[pegasinister]

Yes he was. He also learned a simple Wind spell.

[replacementshield]

I'd think the same, or at least capable of pretending to cast healing magic.

[cuttingremark]

I...I spoke to him Wednesday. [Loki frowns.] But we hadn't spoken before that since after the last trial. I don't know if that was truly Bruno or someone else.

[replacementshield]

I spoke to him after the last trial and on Sunday.

When you were talking to Bruno, what was it about?

[cuttingremark]

[Loki frowns.]

It was a personal matter.

[draconite]

You do know it's going to come out sooner or later, no matter if you try and hide it?

[cuttingremark]

[Loki gives an angry huff.]

I was attempting to talk to him about something that happened after the trial. He requested I give him space and went back into the tower.

[draconite]

Did anything about him give you pause? Even in hindsight, if not at the time?

[cuttingremark]

I don't know! He had every right to be upset with me, so I didn't see anything odd with his actions!