final investigation

[arsholes]

[It's been almost a week since Orthrus' lucky escape. Almost a week, of all calls to Heisenberg going (metaphorically) to voicemail. Almost a week, to rest and recover from the harrowing losses of the previous Friday.

It's been almost a week. And the storms are getting worse.

You know the locked door on the first floor? The one that goes into the center of the tower, right across from the great entry hall doors?

Today, there's a heavy iron key sticking out of the lock. With a familiar crest on the head.

The key is sticky with wet yellow paint, and wetter blood.]

Comments

[ninehundredlives]

Jesus -

[YOU CAN'T JUST BE A GIANT CLIFFORD LOOMING OUT OF THE DARKNESS, ORTHRUS

Susan vaguely remembers, though, seeing this before. At the investigation. Anyway, she's got a decent memory for voices.]

Could you always get that big?

1/2

[twibeast]

Hm? Oh, well this is my true size actually, I just shrink myself down for the benefit of--

[ --wait hang on. ]

[twibeast]

Wait. You know me as well...?

[ninehundredlives]

[.....]

Was it really that unremarkable? I died in front of you! Three different times!

[ghostsguysgyuudon]

Eh?

[Mei gathers the frame of mind to lean forward between Orthrus's heads and bow awkwardly from her place seated up there and lighting the room up.]

You know Orthrus-san and Baldr-san? But we weren't in that group, right? None of us remembered anything like that, even when we talked about the theory that there were people before us!

[ninehundredlives]

...no. All of you were there. Except - who the hell is this?

[She's standing up now, and clearly indicating Heisenberg.]

[ghostsguysgyuudon]

That's Heisenberg-san! It's a long story, but he used to be our enemy, and then he started to help us. The real one behind all this is someone called the Patron, who... might be a vampire maybe? Or know vampires? And he's trying to make some great work, and -- anyway! Nice to meet you! We need to stop him, so please try and get along.

[ninehundredlives]

...really.

[Well. This is Mei. She'll address the rest of this to the others, then.]

And it doesn't concern anyone that he's already done this more than once? For all we know, he said the same exact thing to the last versions of you.

[twibeast]

Oh no, this is concerning me quite a lot.

If he hadn't betrayed his "Patron" and helped me escape my execution a few days ago I'd be a lot more incensed than I am right now.

[ Which is saying something because he's pretty mad and--- oooohh boy there's that cold air again. ]

[ninehundredlives]

[Ah, yeah. She remembers the cold air.]

...Gilear tried to save me. The man he'd blackmailed into working for him before. He blew a hole in him right in front of everyone.

[She wishes he hadn't done it. It's one of the few times anyone's tried to save her from anything...but he shouldn't have. Now he's gone, and she's still here.]

[twibeast]

[ He… doesn’t remember Gilear, but his ears fold down at that recounting. ]

…I’m not surprised. I don’t remember but… I’m not surprised to hear that he would do such a thing.

…I’m sorry.

[reresurrected]

[Sorry, Orthrus, but Baldr is developing a nice headache and he really does not want to deal with a fight right now...!

So he stomps the ground hard to get everyone's attention and (hopefully) cool the rising tensions before they get out of hand.]

Please-- I understand why you're upset, but fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to solve anything right now.

[ghostsguysgyuudon]

[Mei jumps a little in her seat. She grows the fireball a little and leaves it suspended above Orthrus, carefully climbing down to get on the same level... and see what evidence and supplies she can salvage from the scattered bundle covered in drink mess, but that comes later.]

Baldr-san is right. [She looks up at Susan.] Gilear...? Wait, could that be my ghost friend? Or one of the people Zenos-san mentioned? --I guess I should have asked if you know Zenos-san, shouldn't I have.

[twibeast]

…I wasn’t going to fight.

[ But he is still very upset to learn all of this and Susan has a point okay. But he’ll stay quiet. ]

[ghostsguysgyuudon]

Of course it's concerning, but we've been here for months! We know he's tried to bend the rules for people he cares about, and he and the Patron were at odds for a long time. And he turned against him and saved Orthrus-san in the pit! He could have died! He saved me, too, when the Patron tried to kill me outside of a trial. So... So I can't just say that he could have done the same thing before, Susan-san!

[ninehundredlives]

.....you trust him. He hung me up on those spikes for god knows how long, and -

[And she let it happen so they'd live, and now they're choosing him. The man who did all of this, to her and to them, and doubtless to others who are dead and gone now. Like none of it mattered at all.

Susan's surprised to find angry tears pricking at her eyes. She digs her fingers hard into the blood-soaked fabric of her cardigan and looks away.]

Fine. Do what you want. But I'm coming with you.

[Maybe she won't be able to do anything when they blindly stumble into whatever trap's been laid. Probably not. But at least there ought to be someone trying to keep an eye out for it. Anyway, what's she going to do, stay down here?]

[thealchemist]

[Heisenberg doesn't say anything to try and defend himself. He'll take the assessment as fair.]

[thealchemist]

[Heisenberg lifts a hand in a half-assed wave.]

...They don't remember because they're not the same versions of the people you knew before.

[twibeast]

You're lucky you're injured or I'd throw you to the ground right now!!

[ ANGY ]

What the blazes do you mean "not the same versions"?!

[thealchemist]

I mean he pulled you out of the Infinite Corridor. Said it was fine, that you...I don't know, got chickenpox as a kid instead of getting vaccinated. Or whatever. Some kind of minor difference that didn't change the big picture.

And I know he's a lying piece of shit, but if you really don't remember? He might have been right.

[twibeast]

[ His one head looks away and he shakes it. ]

The “Infinite Corridor”? I’ve heard of different worlds but never anything like different versions of people. That just…

[ But he just huffs a sigh. This is too confusing for one dog. ]

Was it all of us then or…?

[ninehundredlives]

[Well, thanks to Mei, Susan's already got a decent handle on what your deal is. She looks at him narrow-eyed for a moment, but...well, she's not stupid, she knows she can't do anything to him right here. She hasn't even got a weapon.]

Once wasn't enough for you? You really had to bring other versions here to kill off, too?

1/2

[twibeast]

[ He closes his eyes and lowers his head ]

I'm sorry... your scent is oddly familiar and I don't think I'd forget anything like that but...

[ And then some thing click into place. INT may be his dump stat but-- ]

2/2

[twibeast]

[ His other head snaps towards Heisenberg on his back with a snarl ]

Heisenberg. We were in that "trial run" of yours as well, weren't we?

[ he can still put two and two together ]

[thealchemist]

[mmhm!]