T̢H̶͏É͠ ̵̢͜T̸͘H̸̶͞I͢ŔD ̵E͘͢X͘E͠͝C͞U͟͠Ţ̡I̕Ò͢͞N

[strangerpeople]

T̢H̶͏É͠ ̵̢͜T̸͘H̸̶͞I͢ŔD ̵E͘͢X͘E͠͝C͞U͟͠Ţ̡I̕Ò͢͞N

[Just as before, as time runs out, an alarm blares, and the dot matrix screens on the podiums of the suspects flash. The suspect with the most votes flashes red three times.]


[Once more, the true culprit is marked with a blacker-than-black X.]

Congratulations, Strangers. Those of you who've voted are unanimous and correct. King Milton is guilty of murdering Vita Clotilde-Morris and Jonathan Morris.

[Hiyori's voice is like chipper ice. The details aren't coming out this time, apparently. There's a pause. Hiyori gets up to put a hand on Link's shoulder with a gentle concerned expression on his face. Then they speak in unison.]

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the execution! However you see fit!

Comments

[unwittingking]

[King's terrified-he might be dying here if he doesn't do this right. The pups would grow up without a father, he'd never see Bailey again, he'd just be a memory to every friend he's ever had...

But he is not dying here.

He's glaring at the hosts, paws still up, ready to fight.]

Come and get me, then.

EXECUT̀͡͝ ́H̸̵At̕͠È̵͜s̛ I҉̢͘͟T̶̸̕ ̸́͜H́͟͡A̧͝t̵̡͞E̢͞҉̷͝s̸͡I҉͟

[strangerpeople]

[No one even has a chance to react when King reappears in the restricted area, alone, surrounded by Taboo Noise. Stenciled monsters that looked like pups, like an adult female dog, like other animals of all sizes hissing and snarling, people from the trains that Caleb and McBurn might recognize. Survivors. The dead. All black as shadows, all with red eyes. All hungry. The room beyond the force field is teeming with them.

There isn't much time. Arthur is on the floor, and King is moments from death.

If the Strangers want to save King, they've got to give it their all. And they have to do it now.]

EXECUTION FAILED.

[strangerpeople]

[King is free. The Noise starts to dissipate, screaming with hate and dissatisfaction. This seems to be a victory, doesn't it? It has to be. No one else died.

Yet the area within the portal'ed force field still pulses red. Then, with the next ticking second, King, Ambrosine, Estelle, Arthur, Eric and Caleb all glow the same bright red.

Then, in the next tick, a voice without gender, a voice full of darkness, echoes through everyone's mind.]

Y̷o̷u̡̡͟ ̛w̧il̛͝ĺ ̧r͝e̵g̢r̨̛͜è̵͟t̨ ͢͝t́҉h̵i͠͠s͏͘.̨͟҉

[Then, in the next instant, everything was plunged into darkness. Nothing more happens. There is no sign of the Hosts, either.

Then.

Ding.

The elevator is open. Everyone is free to go.]