Take Responsibility.

[antitrust]

After a while, the door at the bottom of those stairs unlocks and it swings open gently of its own accord, allowing everyone back down into the courtroom; it's not as bad as it was last week, but again, there are decidedly fewer of them than there were last time. The podium circle has changed once again, with Rick, Tabby and Sukuyo joining the ranks of the deceased, their podiums draped with black cloth and adorned with greyscale photographs. The shadows are quiet down in the darkness of the pit; for the time being, it's hard to say what the pit itself looks like after the explosion last week. One way or another, we'll find out by the end of the day. As usual, the proceedings are being watched from behind that panel of glass behind podium 30; he'll speak as soon as everyone has found their place in the circle. "Familial has been taken from you. Regardless of what her affiliation was – whether she was with me or the lot of you – you know what you have to do by now. There can be no hesitation; you should offer no mercy. It's you against the guilty. Take control of your fate, and hold them responsible." Ten Participants remain. However many more we lose today is up to you.

Comments

[perpend]

...I'm sorry, Susan.

I'm so, so sorry.

Sukuyo and I.... we didn't have a choice.

[ninehundredlives]

What...what does that mean? Why would you -

[Hark! A folded up letter!]

- what is that.

[perpend]

...Ah. It's a letter I'm supposed to deliver.

[announcemyvictory]

Kill us all and get out, because you don't trust the Conductor to send mail... not that I blame you after this.

[ninehundredlives]

You won't get a chance! Not now! [Susan seems on the brink of tears, but she's forcing herself not to break down. She's been through worse. She keeps telling herself that, as if it's going to make things better.] How could you - how could you do something like this?

[perpend]

[He's just going to gently hand Susan the letter.]

[ninehundredlives]

[Susan takes it and turns away, spreading it out on Dio's podium so that she can read it. She doesn't read past the first paragraph before asking in a low and dangerous tone:]

Did she...did she set you up for this?

[perpend]

...No.

I did this willingly. We set up the scene together.

[ninehundredlives]

You didn't even intend to get away with it! You're killing yourself just so she didn't have to?

[If anyone wants to read this note, they may have to come and get it.]

[perpend]

......They need an inspector over there to help them.

[ninehundredlives]

And we don't need you here? Is that what you think?

[you know what nope done with this letter it's time to shout at cabanela now]

[oftheland]

...

You weren't trying to get away with it. I don't think a smart guy like you would've left that out of the note if you'd been making an attempt.

[perpend]

Sukuyo wanted me to get away with it, but I never intended to run from what I'd done.

If I had really wanted to do it, I would have destroyed all the evidence.

[icysemblance]

...why was she so bent on letting you get away with it?

[perpend]

I believe it was because I'm a police officer.

[sunsong]

...Are you sayin' she wanted you to kill her?

[perpend]

...Yes.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

[sunsong]

Why the fuck did you go along with it, old man?

[ THEY COULD HAVE TALKED HER DOWN, MAYBE... ]

You said you didn't want to get away with it, and I can buy that...but why go along with it at all?

[perpend]

Because I was... afraid of what might happen to her if she committed suicide.

[What if the shadow monster ate her ghost in front of them?]

[sunsong]

There were other options, weren't there? Waking any of the rest of us up, getting us all to talk to her and tell her we didn't fuckin' blame her for being a mole. You could have knocked her out if you thought she was gonna do something rash before you could get to us.

[icysemblance]

...more afraid of that than what would happen if the shadows killed every one of us if something went wrong and we didn't find the truth?

[perpend]

What have I been saying from the beginning?

I believe in each and every one of you. I knew you would find the truth.

[icysemblance]

[Weiss can't quite hold back the emotions she's feeling, and starts to cry right there.]

We've lost so many people, we've been through so much, and we're human. We aren't perfect. There's always the chance of making a mistake.

...no matter how hard we try and how hard we work, it's never set in stone like that.

[withabigsmile]

You could have watched her. Stayed with her for the night and made sure it didn't happen.

[Oh my god Cabanela what the hell do you think you're doing--]

[perpend]

.....I should have.