DIE HARD [1st Execution]

[akudamods]

You are back on the shuttle. Those of you watching the signs outside will see bits and pieces of the trial, and bar graphs that exclusively favor Loremaster besides a few "undecided". The numbers, at least, favor the allegation that millions of people are voting in this. The shuttle takes you south, to the police station that a few of you have seen. Specifically, its horrific execution arena. And this is filled with an audience.

Comments

LAST WORDS

[akudamods]

[Anything to say to Loremaster on the way to her execution? Or anyone else with a role in the trial, really. You don't have forever on this shuttle ride, but long enough. The overseers are still with you, watching you.]

ZEALOT

[metamere]

Surely an arena is a suitable venue for popcorn?

[ Yes he's asking this because he is Wizard. ]

[zeadrone]

[It takes a while for a response to come, so long perhaps it's forgivable Wizard would think the man behind the controls wasn't there. Indeed, the drone is simply there, pretty inert.

Then the voice comes]

I have heard we're getting flooded with calls from entrepeneurs begging to sell popcorn during the trial, all because of what you said.

[That's delivered so flatly, hah]

[conways_retribution]

...Let's see how your little ride to Hell goes.

[your_best_friend]

You're HOPELESS. Hopeless and alone... Golly, that's right! Your WORTHLESS drone can't save you now. Call for help. I dare you. Cry into the darkness! "Mommy! Daddy! God!" "Somebody help!" See what good it does you!

[* There is a single option for Loremaster.

* CALL

Will she call out?]

[daemonis]

[Nope, she will not.

Because there is no one that Loremaster wants to call, or can call on even back home that would want to save her.]

[woodeneye]

[ Ragetti approaches the restrained Loremaster with trepidation half born from tonight's revelations about her and half from Physicist's tentacles. It's really only the fact that all of them are tightly wrapped around Loremaster that allows him to get close at all. He would not trust a single one of those things to be loose around him. And he's not sure if he can trust their captive at all.

Still. To Loremaster, quietly: ]

I didn't vote for ye.

[daemonis]

[Loremaster blinks at him, genuinely surprised that he had approached her. After a moment, she smiles.]

Thank you. That really means a lot to me.

[A pause, and then--]

I know I threatened that killing me here will only leave you all behind and allow me to just simply go back to the celestial realms upon my death here, but... when I do get back, I will try to see if I can locate your soul from my domain so that I can get you out of this place.

GENERAL

[inspiritus]

At last, this farce of a trial has come to an end.

Loremaster, your pathetic attempts at bringing anyone to your side were laughable. I wonder, is it the same in your world?

[ ... ]

...And to the so-called leaders of this city, I declare your days are numbered. It will be amusing to see what you too will say when your end is upon you.

[ Maybe it was a mistake letting Sephiroth be hammy and dramatic but here we are. ]

[daemonis]

Well, given how far into things we are, I will confess to one thing here: everything written on the billboards about me is true. I'm the current queen of Hell after having overthrown Lucifer in a war, and currently she is my favorite maid.

The rate of crime and sins committed has gone down significantly in my world, so yes, I would say that my world has more brain cells than this one seems to contain in seeing things my way.

[osssuary]

[A brief tilt of the head.]

Is a declaration of war wise here?

[It could almost be dry if he were better at doing tones.]

Re: GENERAL

[conways_retribution]

This man does not represent my exact thoughts _{[#NotAllXClassAkudama]}

[hunterandhunted]

[Well said, Sephiroth.]

[metamere]

An actor steps onto the stage, here, here!

[ Clapping enthusiastically. ]

[intimations]

[He's just here to appreciate, don't mind him!!!]

[pr159]

[ There was a certain point during everything at the very end of the trial where Rideaux suddenly got a lot quieter, and on the shuttle ride over to the execution, his usual smug self-satisfaction seems to be conspicuously absent. He's just looking out the window with a slight frown. ]

[intimations]

Well, it was entertaining at least. Thanks for putting on such a good show. I hope there's no hard feelings between us.

[daemonis]

None at all. I can at least admit that your contributions were entertaining for me.

[thefifthchild]

[Damian... will look solemn, as the fight is over and he wipes the sweat from his brow. The rage is gone and the adrenaline of combat is clearing from his veins.

All that's left is guilt.

He'll turn a side glance to Loremaster.]

I don't know if you're right or not about your world, but...

I do think that falling as an angel to actually fix the so-called impossible problem is a better alternative than allowing that rot to fester just so you can keep calling yourself a good person.

You do have a portion of my respect for that.

LEADER

[voidseeing]

[Gai is here, looking tired and shaky but also decidedly unrepentant, and what's more... actually angry? So congrats on getting him to drop the calm and controlled face, he supposes, even though he's not very pleased about that.

There are some things he can't ever forgive, regardless of the motives behind them.]

[hunterandhunted]

What a relief to have this farce be done with. So tedious, so... boring. I would have liked to at least feel more of your rage! It's too bad you entangled yourself with the dramatics of savages.

Oh well! All lessons are learned with time and... sufficient pain.

[All said with a haughty indignance as he leans his cheek against his knuckles.]

Re: LAST WORDS

[fixingtodie]

[Rachel has her phone with the password Loremaster gave her clutched firmly in one hand, while the other carries Marcille's staff so that it does not get left behind.

She's pale and quiet but her eyes are intensely focused, even if there is a fraction of tightness in her features that suggests she's hurting.]

EXECUTION

[akudamods]

[The execution arena is a place of blood and death. That doesn’t stop people from entering and being here as if they’re enjoying a concert, or a festival. There’s such a cheerful mood in the air, a mood of wanting to see what would happen! It’s almost infectious!

The whispers and elation from the crowd is palpable, and the cause is obvious:]

‘Did you see the way she attacked with that drone?'
'Yeah! It was great! But also I’m so glad she’s getting executed’
‘She killed a child’
‘The child was a killer too, anyway’
‘They should have left her alone. She’d get them away from us much sooner’

[Looks like everybody present watched the broadcast of the trial. The mood is decidedly less admiring towards the X-Classes, though. Wary glances are directed towards them, having recognized them from the broadcast. They even step away, not wanting to be in close contact with the criminals that caused such an incident.

Perhaps it was to be expected, but at the same time, it’s quite the shift in attitude.
On the stage there’s a large object some of the X-Classes may recognize: an iron maiden, made of metal, and with strange, round additions onto the lid and the back of the torture device. The Police Commissioner stands at the stage, already behind a podium, waiting for the X-Classes to get there. This is as much of a show for them as it’s for the citizens of Kansai, after all!]

Today we’re gathered to oversee the execution of one of the ruthless X-Class Akudama that now plague our beloved city. Known as ‘Loremaster’, she has been charged for the murder of Liar. The rest of her peers have confirmed the verdict, and now the execution will be performed!

[The X-Classes are the ones getting the credit! While the Commissioner enumerates Loremaster’s crimes and gives an excessively descriptive retelling of the events of the night before, the Physicist and Loremaster enters. The Physicist has her tentacles wrapped around Loremaster, ensuring she wouldn’t escape. The fallen angel, though, doesn’t seem to be trying to escape or try to harm the overseer escorting her in, instead looking around with the attitude of someone who isn’t seeing all this as her impending death. The gallows are nothing for her!]

...and such, her execution shall be carried out now.

[The Commissioner doesn’t even direct a glance at the Physicist, instead stepping away to the side, away from everyone. The lid of the iron maiden opens, revealing a dark, deep blackness, inside, ready to embrace the culprit of the case. More of those round things decorate the inside.

Once the Loremaster is in front of the open iron maiden she manages to get her arm out of the Physicist’s grip, waving at the gathered crowd, with a serene smile that shows absolutely no fear for what’s to come, chirping:]

See you all again in hell!

[It’s as if she’s saying to everyone ‘I’ll see you all in the morning’, as if this is all a nice, big sleepover instead of her own demise. Having said that, the Physicist gets her into the iron maiden, perhaps a little gentler than expected, and locks it with a resounding slam.

For a few seconds there’s silence, then a buzzing noise fills the arena. A strange energy fills the round objects on the iron maiden, growing in intensity, until from all of them, spears made of a strange energy pop, skewering the iron maiden! Crackling, fizzling, threatening to somehow make the device burst, the spikes of energy stay in place for a minute. It’s as if the lights of the arena dim, the crowd goes silent, waiting to see if it worked, if the X-Class had been executed successfully!

The energy spikes disappear. The buzzing is gone; the lights seem to go back to normal. Having finished its task, the iron maiden pops open, revealing the inside – revealing Loremaster for a brief moment before her corpse collapses on the ground. It was just for a brief moment, but the numerous, round holes that covered her visage told it all. Robots hurry to cover it with a sheet, shielding it from view.

This is it. The Loremaster is dead. The civilians watching, chattering with each other, celebrate and congratulate each other for a job well done, as if they had been the one to solve the crime and catch the culprit.

As for the X-Classes, they’re free to go. Three of their number are gone, one of them executed right in front of them. The overseers are nowhere to be seen, the Commissioner probably already went somewhere else.

All that’s left is to return to the hospital.]

1/2

[your_best_friend]

[* Flowey watches impassively, right up until Loremaster is released from the contraption. When that happens, Flowey perks up a little, seemingly interested.]

mini-invest?

[osssuary]

... A disappointment to the end.

[He heaves a brief sigh -- it really doesn't seem insincere, and he's one of the first to leave; he's also going to double back almost immediately under the cover of the crowd and the encroaching darkness.

If he covertly follows the robots or whoever is moving Loremaster's body after the execution, might he discover something about the corpse, its handling or its destination?

Or perhaps something else altogether?]