THE SECOND TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

THE SECOND TRIAL

[Soon after the failed attempt to contact the dead, the tell-tale alarm suddenly rings out, rattling everyone's teeth alongside Marie's voice.]

ATTENTION! EMERGENCY ALERT! PLEASE GO TO THE ELEVATORS IMMEDIATELY!! HMHMHMMM! I WILL NEVER GET TIRED OF SAYING THAT...!

[And so, once again, the elevators bring everyone back down to the trial room, where the table has been...altered, slightly, color-wise, to reflect those who are no longer among you. And once more, upon entering the force field, weapons disappear - and powers fail to work.

Bottson hops up onto the center of the table, transmitting the evidence found.]

heRe yOU Are eVerYBOdy! THe sUsPECt lISt!



YoU cAN Do THiS!


[Above everyone once more is Marie, floating around in her hover platform.]

WELL, WELL! FANCY MEETING YOU ALL HERE AGAIN! I GUESS YOU ALL FAILED TO KEEP THAT GUY ALIVE, HUH?? AHAHAHA!!

WELL, LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN GET WHO DID IT THIS TIME, HMM??

Comments

[crouching_sin]

Ah. I personally assumed there were enough people to cover it once I saw the crowd, so I decided to look for evidence elsewhere.

[losergod]

He was right behind all of us. He was there as quickly as the rest of us. If he is guilty of something, he had about the same timing as most of us did.

[backuphero]

Timing... wouldn't that make us all guilty, then? We weren't fast enough.

[losergod]

... No. It would just make me guilty. I failed to save him. And yet here I am, not on the suspect list.

This still counts as a murder. It was intent. Our intent was to save.

[backuphero]

Meaning no disrespect, but where? I didn't see you.

[Did he see everyone cram onto the elevators and decide to wait? Jonathan's right back where he was last week, hating his memory....]

[crouching_sin]

In the Arcade. Nagisa saw me there.

[backuphero]

[He lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, and nods, not able to hold eye contact for very long. Thinking that someone who'd trust him - asking someone who's already seen enough murder if he'd - ]

God, this is just... it isn't just. Hell.

[crouching_sin]

Depends on your perception of it, but yes. A form of it.

... Do you need a minute, Jonathan?

[backuphero]

Don't think Red'd go for letting me have one, but... I... thanks for asking, anyway.