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trial #2 - execution
 Complex Population: 32 At 7PM, a tone rings out, but it's not Judy's voice that filters out over the intercom. "TALLYING VOTES. . ." The voice is mechanical and robotic, and a pause lingers in the air. It seems that the voting system is run by some kind of AI. "CONSENSUS REACHED. MAJORITY VOTE. TIE. RESULT 1. LARA CROFT. STATUS: INNOCENT. LARA, PROCEED TO THE JUDGEMENT THEATER. CHARGING..." There's the sound of clicking, and Lara will receive a very sharp shock to their ankle monitor. If they don't step into the judgement room, the shock will increase in strength every ten seconds until they're unconscious. Regardless, the voice continues to drone on. "RESULT 2. LUKE CASTELLAN, EMPLOYEE ID VTSCI62271053. STATUS: INNOCENT. LUKE, PROCEED TO THE JUDGEMENT THEATER. CHARGING..." Luke receives the same treatment, and finally, the last player is decided in the same way: "DESIGNATING EXECUTIONER. . . ELIZABETH. ELIZABETH, PROCEED TO THE JUDGEMENT THEATER. CHARGING..." ic rulebook character statuses character profiles votes |
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Elizabeth goes to the terminal and requests....
GOOD INTENTIONS. ]
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Inside is a wooden baseball bat. ]
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You're a monster.
[ Elizabeth hisses, saving the monologues for later. ]
What the fuck do you want with us?!
[ Elizabeth hits the side of the room with anger. It's horrible, it's absolutely horrible. She can't look at Lara, not now. ]
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He just lifts his chin instead.]
You've never given me the answers I wanted, Elizabeth. Why would I give you the ones you want? [He smiles, but it's unamused. Actually, he's a little frustrated and he even lifts his hands to the side like a shrug.] Am I really a monster? I didn't kill anybody. You heard the lady.
Speaking of. [There's a pause and he tilts his head to the ceiling.] Judy, can you deactivate me please?
[While he's waiting for that, he looks back at Lara for a moment before looking at Elizabeth.] Look. I had much bigger plans than this. This was kind of like a...man, what would you call it. A hiccup in the plan? Yeah. Yeah, that's it. I had plans to change the world, Elizabeth. This was just practice.
[He looks back at Lara then.] Anything you'd like to say? [He gestures to the glass.] We've got a show to do.
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[ Those sharp shocks very suddenly stop for Luke, since his ankle monitor deactivates. Lara is unfortunately not so lucky, since it seems like Judy wasn't kidding about the staff members being her superiors. ]
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lara croft is a survivor.
it's a mantra she tells herself as she stands strong and head held because it's the only thing she can do. her name's cleared. they all know now. they've made their mistake, just like she did - the cycle continues.
she's a survivor. she can do this. she won't put anyone else in danger and this is the way things have to be. luke's going in there with her and she won't do it, she can't do anything to hurt him. staff, and yet his name is cleared of murder. laughable.
some system.
some fucking system.
she walks with long, determined strides, and she's in, right after luke. she stops only when she's inside the chamber, her expression calm for only a moment. she thinks of her father, and she wonders what it is was like for him in his final moments. so the crofts have a thing for being executed, it seems. she follows in his footsteps, truly. the stark white is blinding and she feels tears threatening to spill but no. she's strong. she can do this. she will do this. her father would proud of her. it's no different from him. he would be proud, he would be proud, would be proud.
lara croft is a survivor.
her strength strength is a metaphorical cauldron bubbling over, a roiling boil that is spilling and burning everything in sight and the white that glares at her is fire in her blood, a reminder of her impending death. this is it. this is it. she's a survivor, she's a survivor, she's a survivor, she wishes she had her pistols with all her weak, cowering heart.
luke's words are dull. they're dull, distant, like a crackling radio. she wants to go closer, to discover what he's saying, so she looks at him, dumbfounded. anything she wants to say?
... actually, yes. she turns back to the glass. ]
What was that about never being wrong? Franziska?
[ it isn't strength that fuels her. no. it's rage. a dull realization hits her like a boulder toppling over her head as she climbs. ]
You fucking cunt! [ it's a bellow from deep inside her, pulled out with all her strength. lara croft is a survivor. ] Go to hell!
Learn from your fucking mistakes and think clearer next time. Let us be the last innocent people here.
[ "us".
luke didn't do anything. god, no. she can't accept it. staff... he was staff, and she thinks of the boy in the fountain, the boy who spoke ancient greek. the boy with the enchanted chuck taylors. ]
Please.
[ her ankle monitor stays.
she was right, staf can deactivate their monitors.
she thinks of yamatai. ]
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[ It takes her a moment to register the change in Luke's face. She called him 'kid' on more occasions than she would have liked now as she grips the baseball bat tightly in her grasp. She'd prefer a pistol, honestly just so she can shoot one bullet off against his smug little mouth.
It happens quickly - his words barely registered until the clank of his bracelet hits the ground. He's too calm - calculative, just like this is all business. She inhales sharply, feeling her knees, as pained as they were from broken glass, buckle. It's not long until Lara pipes up and she finally... has to acknowledge the other girl.
She sees as anger flushes through Lara's face and how there's nothing but utter disappointment. Elizabeth won't take that moment away from her. The confusion, the mix of bitterness and resentment for how this moment has pitted them all against one another. It wasn't worth it to blame anyone but the staff that seemingly put them here, but... Liz allows it. She lets her have her final moments. She's watching both Luke's hands and Lara's - even if she trusted her, she can't fully. Not when one person walks out. ]
Staff first... [ Elizabeth spews in a venomous slow drawl. ] You get that privilege.
[ She'll begin to advance, tentatively. Maybe her first mistake is offering kindness to Luke despite the anger in her own heart: ]
Any last words?
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He can't help but smirk when he hears Lara though. Yeah. He has the same sentiments. He doesn't...well. No, that's not true. He doesn't want to kill people, but it's always been about self-preservation. It's always been about keeping himself safe...
...it's always been about making the world better, making the gods regret every time they never helped their kids, every time they let more people die. Leaving matters into Luke's own hands...the first time, he made a deal with the lord of the titans to tear down Olympus brick by brick. This time? Well.]
I'm honored. [He lifts his lips into a grin. He turns to the glass then, eyes targeting Franziska.] And I bet you didn't even vote for me, did you? What's the matter? Not confident in your judgment? What a shame.
[There's a pause though and his eyes seek out Adam next and it's only then his mask breaks a little. He knows he's working on borrowed time, but he'll make time for one last thing. Elizabeth is offering him that much.] Hey, Parrish. Everything I said? I meant it. Think of me tonight, okay?
[And with that he springs back, which is surprising because Elizabeth's in front of him. Instead he's moving back toward Lara and before she can react he's lifting up and stealing her axe that's strapped to her thigh, putting more distance between himself and Lara. It's clear who his target is, and he's readying himself, keeping an eye on Lara to make sure she can't steal it back. He's ready, Elizabeth. Come at him.]
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the anger fucking blinded her. of course. ]
Stop-- Luke!
[ she's fast, putting herself between luke and liz, because god knows that she likes the both of them too much. she thinks about the boy playing poker. the boy with his head cradled in adam's lap who refused to take his medicine, and there's so much going on in her heart and head but she knows
she has to make a choice.
only one of them can leave.
lara runs at him, body tense and ready for a brawl, weapon or no. her goal is to tackle him down, to pin his arms down, to keep him still because she can't let this happen. elizabeth is innocent, she knows it. she knows it.
no one in here fucking deserves this and yet, just like on the list, they're all in here.
fuck this shit. ]
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Liz stops and they're in some weird triangle pattern. Shifting her gaze back and forth, the woman is ready to strike, holding the bat in a key position. She's ready to swing but Lara intervenes and tries to - to stop him. Elizabeth didn't want this. She didn't want this. She didn't want this. There's too many confliction and emotions and she becomes ...well, a girl again.
She doesn't act quick enough. Lara's between them rushing at Luke. All she can yell out is - ]
No!
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--he hears Lara first and he shuffles back so that he doesn't swing at her and instead comes up to Elizabeth's side in their triangle formation.] Lara, stay out of this! This isn't your fight yet. [It's a growl almost, and though he doesn't quite know how to fix this he knows he has to take out the executioner first. That's what makes the most sense. So instead, he's swooping around to swing the blunt end of the axe's blade at Elizabeth's wrist to get her to drop the bat, shifting the weight of the blade in his hand to swing again with the blunt side at her side to knock her off-guard and get her to drop the bat. The trouble is there's nothing blocking Elizabeth's other side. It leaves both of them open to be moved.]
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lara croft will figure out necromancy from the grave and personally come back for whoever the fuck is doing this. whoever put them all in this position, whoever did this to all of them, she's going to slit their fucking throat.
but right now she has to make sure elizabeth's injuries aren't that bad, because she remembers the woman who looked so vulnerable. the woman who nearly cried. the woman who wanted the truth. that's all she wanted. she's coming, liz. it's a mad dash and lara skids on her knees at first, slamming her palms down to stop herself. ]
It's my fight right now, Luke.
[ it's spat with venom and a hint of desperation, perhaps.
she wipes at her brow, quickly, and she's back, bolting like a bat out of hell to him. she's going to knock liz out of the way first, that's her goal. if she succeeds, she'll go for a sharp uppercut, hoping it hits. she just wants to stop him. ]
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Luke hears the thud of the baseball bat hit the ground as Lara pushes Liz out of the way and presumably lands her punch. Liz was left slamming into the wall with a harsh groan. ]
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None of this is fair. But the axe swings even with his face throbbing. He hadn't looked to see where, exactly, he swung at though. All he needs is distance and speed and monitoring where exactly the bat is at.]
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it garners a shout out of her. ]
I know! I know, Luke! I don't want this, either--
[ it's genuine. strained, hurt, but sincere. lara raises her opposite fist.
she'll go for his chest, then. she wants to knock the wind out of him. god, she should kill luke, she should, she knows it but there's no part of her that wants this. ]
--but please, we're all innocent! I know!
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Innocent? Yeah. He used to think that, but he remembers the words of an old man who'd been innocent and punished for it, too. 'Luke, I also saw a sacrifice in your future. A choice. But also a betrayal. Your path is hard to see. But if you survive today, you will betray—'
Is this what the old man meant? He thinks about who's in the room with him, thinks about who's outside and he takes a split second too long to think because she punches him in the chest and he wheezes, knocking back and falling on his ass.]
Innocent? [A gesture to the window.] You think the people that voted for you and me are innocent, Lara? Only one of us gets to leave, how innocent does that make anybody? [His pitch is higher even as he works to stand, stumbling forward to kick the baseball bat further out of the way and turns back to her.] Two of us have to die anyway don't we? [And he darts forward with surprising speed for somebody who was just knocked over, swinging the axe one more time. Sorry Lara. Gods, he's so sorry, even with everything he's saying he's sorry and he manages to look at her with a broken expression that isn't something for show. He didn't want it to be this way, but...one of them should die innocent, at least. The first swing is less calculated, the second a little clumsy, and the third he can't even watch.]
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he's right.
they're not innocent.
none of them are. everyone in there, they voted wrong. majority rule won, and a trio of innocent people are paying the price. he's right. she's paying for someone else's stupidity and it's aggravating but she realizes dully that luke's swinging for her.
she knows you're sorry, luke. she is, too. you're just a kid, in the end, and you shouldn't have to play with some sick game like this. elizabeth is moving, she's moving for the bat, lara hopes, sickly, because at least, god, at least try to live. luke's trying so hard. she's not even angry. she would have done the same if it'd been anyone else in this fucking chamber. elizabeth doesn't deserve to see this, to be in this position, she deserves to be home and doing whatever it is that a mysterious, pretty woman like her does. her nails are finely manicured, like sam's were. perhaps she's a party girl. lara hopes you get to have a party again, some day, liz.
his expression is a blur, but she feels it. don't be sorry, luke. don't be. just do your best. make them regret it. make them watch and make them regret every hit you land.
you didn't do it.
they did. ]
Don't bl--
[ it collides.
again and again and again.
lara croft is dead.
"don't blame yourself." ]
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Lara drops to the ground and he hears the echoing lingers of an unfinished message. He knows what she was going to say. "Don't blame yourself." It's a joke, he thinks. He's a child of Hermes, the god of thieves, the god of liars, a streetsmart fast-talking tricky little thing who stole the master bolt and the helm of darkness right from under the noses of Zeus and Hades. He knows how to talk his way out of nearly anything, has a master he was serving and plans bigger than life.
"Don't blame yourself." He doesn't want to. In the end, maybe this wasn't his fault. Lara Croft is dead and suddenly he stops with the bloodied axe in his hands, staring at her lifeless form as the reality hits him. Even with everything he's done...he's never killed anyone before. Sure, okay, he tried, but...this was different.
His ears are ringing, a hand suddenly coming up to his head as his eyes clenching shut. Gods...what was this? It's not...maybe it was just a shift in adrenaline? No, that's stupid. What the fuck? Maybe it's just because he's sick, because Lara knocked the wind out of him earlier, who knows? But it's a stupid mistake keeping his eyes shut for even that moment because it gives Elizabeth time to crawl closer to the bat. He can hear her, but he's too disoriented to move just yet.]
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It's a sickening sight. Something that makes the bile creep up her throat. Elizabeth stands at the same moment Lara falls. She mixes from sadness and confusion to anger. With Luke distracted, Elizabeth proves her profile card true: she runs in those heels with her arm swung back and a sickening crack echoes around the room as the bat contacts with Luke's bicep. It's a blow that she's unfamiliar with, a melee attack that has the same kick of a pistol. She nearly stumbles over from the momentum, seeing Lara's body lying nearby shortly after.
Lara's bleeding - oh God, that's so much blood... the expression of Lara hidden between a mess of sweat and brunette hair. She can't see... she hopes she's not alive, if the wound was any indication. If anything Luke was doing to kill Lara was true, she prays to God it was quick.
The moment to look at Lara as she struck Luke with all of her might was bittersweet. She was susceptible to countering and that is what separates someone like Liz with someone like Lara - someone who was taught to defend herself against all odds even until the bitter end. ]
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She stumbles though and he refuses to quit so easily, taking his good shoulder to ram straight into her collar to knock her over. If the side of the axe swings into her knees again, oh well. He's physically bigger than she is and he's quick to jump right to the floor with her, the butt of the axe slamming down on her wrist before he hisses and stops due to the movement of his arm. He can't exactly pin her and the axe is a little heavy for one hand as his arm hangs oddly limp. There're tears in his eyes though who knows if they're from the gravity of killing Lara or the pain of his broken shoulder. Maybe both. Instead, he stares down at her.]
You really think you're helping?
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He rams her into the ground with a good harsh thud and she hits the ground, scrambling backwards until she screams out. The axe hits her knees and it may only slice a little, but no - as he pins her down the axe slams down and causes her to sob out in an anguished shout of pain. Elizabeth's wrist is broken and it sends pain coursing through her arm. ]
Stop it! S-Stop! Why?!
[ Was all she yelped out. She can barely focus to spread her legs enough to try and leverage his weight against him. Her skirt tears up the side and instead, it gives her access to something else. A reminder of what she needed - the waistline of her skirt. She shoots her free hand down frantically gripping onto the scalpel she fashioned onto her outfit at all times since the first day. Elizabeth grips it, fumbling a bit before securing it and -
stabbing it right into the side of Luke's neck. It wasn't particularly the cut she wanted but she's panicked, sobbing with her own tears streaming down her face. She hits a vein, whatever one that is - she can't quite remember a textbook when she's underneath a guy trying to kill her. ]
I'm surviving.
[ Was all she said as she tried to push him off of her with the scalpel sticking from his neck. ]
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But it should say a lot when he doesn't even try to stop her and he rolls onto his back with the scalpel driven into a vein. There's a lot of blood. It takes a moment to realize it's his own, and he closes his eyes so he doesn't have to watch. This is how he's going to die. Irreparable damage.
It's not a quick death, but it will be the longer he bleeds out. He cracks open an eye and looks at her, glancing at the window again before looking at Elizabeth.]
We were all trying to, Elizabeth. Maybe you should try and make sure the important ones do. [Adam. Alvin. Angel. Rhys, Jack, Bigby, Alice, herself, people that were kind to him, people he thought...maybe they could be okay. But it doesn't matter. He played his part. That's all he says though and his face goes slack as he waits to bleed out, breathing coming to a complete stop shortly after.]