THE FIRST INVESTIGATION

[strangerpeople]

THE FIRST INVESTIGATION

[As Friday morning dawns, everything is quiet. Serene, even. It's been almost two weeks since the beginning of their stay here, and the time to fulfill the Commander's ultimatum offer is almost up. It seems that no one's taken her up on the offer, so far.

Maybe the lack of murder will continue, as everyone starts to go about their day....but there's only one way to find out.

Let's go about our normal routine, shall we?]

Comments

[backuphero]

[Even with the smell of death lingering in the air, there's a part of Jonathan that doesn't want to leave, that doesn't want to let Vita out of his sight now that it's clear he shouldn't ever have.

But he listens, and rises.]

I...the theater. It's... it'd make sense, yeah?

[beguiledcard]

... Yeah.

[ It's said a bit numbly as he nods and gently pats Jonathan's upper arm. ]

I'll let you take that... and I'll take the area just outside. We should have a chance to compare evidence after this...

[backuphero]

The... mall. Is that how it went there?

[He has so many questions and most are just "why?", but that one, at least he managed to force out.]

[beguiledcard]

[ His face has remained several shades lighter than usual, and it seems no better at that question. ]

Yeah. [ jawline briefly clenching ] This is exactly how it was.

[ Guiding the pair out of the bathroom now as he talks. ]

We... found the body, investigated for evidence, and then there was a trial. [ swallowing thickly ] We compared evidence at the trial, decided who was guilty... and then...

[ His holds a blink, his next exhale even more tense than any of the others. ]

They were executed, somehow, in front of everyone.

CW - horrified conjecture that a murdered woman may have been sexually assaulted first

[backuphero]

I... God, I know I've asked it too much, but why? What purpose could this serve? Any of it?

[He's curling in on himself like he expects to be struck.]

Did the... is it... God, they just wrapped her up in a sheet. Why the hell would... you don't think whoever did this did something else too, do you?

[ He can't even make himself actually say it, but... ]

[beguiledcard]

[ Maybe it'll be obvious that those words - the very though - is like a punch to Akira's gut... ]

That's-!

[ Yep, he looks genuinely horrified right now... In fact, it might seem Jonathan managed to hit a shut down switch on Akira's ability to articulate, for the time being. ]

...........

[backuphero]

I don't... I don't want to think about it either, but... where the hell's her dress, then? Why would they have... why wouldn't she be... God!

[Their expressions are probably a close damn match.]

[beguiledcard]

[ His mouth opens, a bit unsteadily... and then he closes it, resigning himself to only being able to shake his head, at first. He's gripping the blond's arm now, his hand actually starting to tremble just a little.

Akira... definitely doesn't want to think about this, at all. No way could--! ]

I... don't know, Jonathan... [ for once, sounding a bit... small ] I don't know why...

[backuphero]

[He seizes Akira's hand with his own - though seizes, perhaps, isn't quite the right word. He doesn't pull Akira's hand away, just overlays it with his own, clasping it as best he can.]

If...I'm afraid I might need you to stop me killing somebody outside Red's damn rules, then. I want to be wrong....

[beguiledcard]

[ It's difficult to swallow, but he somehow manages... ]

I'll... [ just going to nod, numbly ] I'm sure you're wrong... Jonathan... I can't imagine anyone here doing anything like that.

[ He holds a blink for a moment. ]

Let's just focus on the investigation, for now, okay?

[backuphero]

It's all we can do, now.

[He squeezes Akira's hand, then releases it, almost visibly worried that he's crossed a line and treated him like a girl.]

I still can't imagine anyone here doing anything like this....