Arc 3: Canon Z-2: Traitors Among Us

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"Huh. Well, whadd'ya know?" Shizuka murmured to herself as the videos opened in front of her.

Making the decision to play the videos was hard enough, but she chose to open the files in the end and, to her surprise, they started playing automatically. She paused two of the videos and kept the oldest one playing since she was most interested in that first. It was odd how good the quality of the video was, but money can buy people anything. Shizuka was no stranger to that logic, though she did try to get by on her own for the most part. She didn't want to turn into one of those spoiled girls who always asked their daddy for a nice car or whatever it was. She had no interest in that.

The scene was a bit odd since she seemed to recognize one of the characters. The fox creature looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't be too entirely sure because most foxes looked the same. Still, he resembled that one figure that she saw in the elevator when she first got here. The similarities were definitely there, but Shizuka couldn't be so sure without solid confirmation. She had no problem making assumptions, but now was not the time for that. Instead, she quieted her brain and listened as carefully as possible to the video.

The story seemed like any other adoption story. The man was so loving with this little fox and even gave him a name, but Shizuka wanted so badly to see the man's face. There was probably a reason that it was cut out of the video that wasn't just his improper use of a camera, so Shizuka stored that idea in the back of her mind. If it came up later, she'd figure it out then. For now, all she had to go off of was a voice. That wasn't enough on its own. A couple of keywords did come up, though. For example, the fox named Kit had apparently felt 'betrayed' after being rejected from Soul Society. Shizuka identified with that feeling; not because she had been rejected by them, but because she hated them.

Aside from that, another title was mentioned. 'Martyr.' So what did that mean, exactly? The facility the video talked about had to be the one they were in with this stupid game since it said it was to teach them about betrayal. Uniting as one family didn't sound so bad, but it was the Martyr guy that worried her. She'd never heard of him before and, therefore, didn't trust him. Despite that, she kind of liked that he thought people had a chance to understand what trust was. Shizuka felt guilty, but she didn't let it distract her. She took the plans mentioned into consideration and moved the video file to the side, unpausing the second one as she began to watch.

Well, no surprise there. The second video had the same two people in it. Shizuka briefly thought for a moment about how cute Kit was, but she was a fan of animals. She shook the thought from her head and reminded herself to pay attention. She had a wonderful memory and was planning on using it to her advantage. Now was the time for her to learn more about Kit and the Martyr, hoping for another clue. Her dreams were becoming realized, though! She got clues. She got a lot of clues. This second video was leading her believe some theories she'd made about these two people.

"It's possible that Kit is making all of this happen. And I can't shake the feeling that this guy has something to do with it, too. I don't think he's gone or anything, but what if Kit did something to him?"

Shizuka spoke as if anyone was listening. Her ideas were coming together but it was just making sure they were true that was the hard part. Not only that, but illusions are paired with reality here. Illusions, huh? That meant that somewhere, someone was going to be tricked if they hadn't been already. She needed to talk to Vannan and Kazura and the others right away. If something happened that was apparently supposed to make them feel guilty, she had to tell them that it was okay. This game was just testing them, it wasn't killing them. She hoped.

As the next video played, she realized it was more of a recording than an actual video. That was cool and all, but she liked being able to put a figure to a voice. It was a weird voice this time, though. It wasn't a normal one at all and it actually sounded kind of... feral. Unfortunately, the words it spoke only reassured Shizuka's worries that this voice meant something bad. As she listened, she didn't even have to think about it. Kit was talking and the man in the other videos must have been Cross. So Cross isn't the bad guy? Kit is probably putting him up to something in some sort of weird plot for revenge. And using his name.

Once the videos ended, she stayed silent for just a moment and digested everything she just heard. So Kit was behind most of this, but what happened to Cross? She originally thought that it was him causing all of the trouble, but what if she was wrong? Deciding it would be best to move on, Shizuka entered the elevator and let the doors close before it brought her to the next room. There, she met with her fellow players, relieved to see Reynard. She looked around the room, taking note of Vannan and Kazura. She noticed, however, that two people were missing.

"Guys, I have some news." Shizuka approached the group. "During my challenge, some files were dug up and it's crucial that you hear what I learned from it. Kazura, I know I haven't given you much of a reason to trust me yet, but I promise you that this is valuable to you. If nothing else, just hear me out."

Shizuka pleaded with them as she unleashed her findings upon them, relaying every detail she had heard. She left them to form their own theories, but she was more than willing to play her part. She even offered her two cents in saying Cross wasn't the bad guy. What would they say, though?

[Deleted]

He remained silent as he watched the rest of the people in the room, he could feel that there would be some eyes drawn to him as he once again came out of the elevator all alone. He didn't need to report to any of these people, he wanted out and if anyone else did then they should let it go given that last time anyone saw he had some of the highest points in the game. If they wanted to get out they needed his help now more so than ever given the amount he had, but instead of saying anything he simply walked over to where he saw Kazura. Thinking about what he had just did and wondering if it was the right choice.

At the time he couldn't think straight and he down right killed Beatrice.... again....His hands started to shake as he got closer to Kazura, he trusted the man and respected him. They had an uneasy relationship given their positions, but he knew that Kazura had morals and standards. Something that right now Vannan was unsure that he even had anymore. Yes he knew that there was something up with the room, he felt driven by rage and fear, but at the same time he knew very well that he had logically took out Beatrice. Not because what she had become, but because he could. Over the course of his time in the Vandenreich he knew he had changed into someone that years earlier he would of called a monster.

“Hey Kazura...... I didn't find out anything about Beatrice.... we got separated. What did you learn?” He quickly looked over Kazura to see if he was hurt at all. There didn't seem to be anything physically wrong with him which was a good thing. Vannan kept the hand with the metal band in a pocket as he spoke and listened to Kazura. He didn't want to show the sudden and massive gain of points out of nowhere. For now all he could do was keep this to himself and wait till they found the door to get out of this place. Cross would pay for what he did here, but that would happen later. For now they would need to keep an eye out for a way out and for Shizuka. He took a look around for her and smiled softly as he saw her coming out of an elevator.

At first glance she seemed unharmed and he was glad. It seemed that both of the people that he called his friends were able to get out of this without any harm, he himself hadn't been so lucky. The sides of his lower legs were burnt up along with part of his pants being burnt away and charred black. He would avoid any questions about it though. He didn't want to worry the other two, these games had been deadly and so far he knew that they all had been lucky, but his luck was running out fast. As soon as Shizuka got in speaking range he spoke up. “I'm really glad you're alright......” He gave her a smile before letting it fade. Leaving a solemn expression across his face, he still wasn't sure if what he did in the last challenge was right.

Shizuka shocked him when she spoke about learning something important during her challenge. She was pleading with Kazura to listen. “Kazura, I trust Shizuka she has nothing to gain right now from lying to us. Let's hear her out.” He had a feeling knowing how Kazura was that he didn't need to hear this from him, but this was more or less to show to Shizuka that he was on her side and that she could count on him. He kept quiet as he listened to what Shizuka had to say, to say that it was hard to belive was an understatement. If everything she said was true then the real person behind this was someone named Kit, either way it didn't changed what had happened and what he was going to do. He was going to get out of here one way or another.

[Kazura Uzaki]

The elevator took Kazura back to the main floor, where there were still missing A, Beatrice, and Shizuka. The last of those did come up, later, which was a relief to the fullbringer. Maybe there was still hope for Beatrice and A. After all, Kazura never saw a body, only what looked like flames. But Shizuka walked over to Kazura and Vannan, saying that she had found some files. So that had made her late. In the back of his mind, Kazura still felt like a murderer and not worthy of his life. He'd get through it, probably with a bottle of whiskey or a few cigars, but right now he felt like an awful human being. But he refused to let it show.

"All I know is that Cross' words can be nearly assumed to be lies or deceit. Sorry for doubting you both. Continue, Shizuka. If Vannan says that you're trustworthy, then I'll hear you out. Maybe A and Beatrice will catch up to us while you tell your story." If only that were true, then Kazura would be redeemed. His conscience would be relieved, and he'd be back on track. Iian, who the man had chosen to end the life of, was still here, so that murder hadn't been carried out, but he still felt partly responsible for A's death. Yes, she had snapped and tried to kill him to save her own life, which was a low and weak thing to do, but there had to be another way, and if there was, then Kazura should have done everything to find it.

[Zeich Yajuu]

The six that had gathered would wait and discuss matters among themselves, but no matter how much they waited, the other two would not return from their elevators. Indeed, after about ten minutes, it seemed that Cross was finally done waiting, and wanted to play with his captives a little more. A loud whine would echo over the audio as the microphone turned on, and soon the usual masked voice would ring out through the room, overriding any further conversations that they'd have between them. “Ah, hello friends! It seems as though the game has gotten more interesting since I've been gone. Eight have become six, and the points have gone from victims to those who have made them such. Naughty, naughty, Kazura and Vannan! You both are to blame for the loss of your companions!”

Suddenly a panel rose up from the center of the room, much like when their votes were revealed. The screen lit up a moment later to reveal Vannan, standing before the images of his fellow players. Cross's voice could be heard echoing in the background, telling him that he could take as many as five points from the players he chose. Anyone was fair game, and he could spread them out. The implications would be obvious to those watching; if he chose, Vannan could have knocked out almost any one person by simply draining the maximum five points, or hit several people hard. They got to watch his nonsense yelling at Cross, his desire to “take all of Cross's points,” and then eventually his final decision.

“I want all of her points, knock her out. Give them to me.” The words would ring out loud and clear for them all to hear, and then the video would zoom in on Vannan's watch as the points started to count up. It would show the gain from six to eleven, and then once the score reached its final value, the screen faded out. Cross would pipe up in the background again even as it went blank. “As you can see, Vannan was more than happy to end Beatrice. He took her points down to zero, completely willingly. He could have passed that challenge simply by taking a single point from anyone with a high score so as not to put anyone at risk, but he was more than happy to simply eliminate her. Do you not understand? He can do the same to any of you, and you can be sure he will for his own ends."

“As for Kazura...” The screen flicked on again, showing Kazura and A standing on opposite sides of a wall that served as a divider for the screen. The warning could be heard, along with a statement that pressing the button would end the other person's life by incinerating them. The two of them were seen considering their options, but then A would speak, and Kazura would finally hear the words that she had spoken before, the ones he could not make out prior. “Where's the trick here... what is the trap here... Cross always plays with us, always has a goal to make us hurt ourselves more than others. This was the same as the last trap, a game where we had to kill two people, knowing their lives would be on our hands... he wouldn't repeat the same trick again, would he?”

It seemed that A had been speaking to herself at the time, trying to figure out the nature of the trap before it was too late. Kazura, on the other hand, had simply given up. His resignation was clear on his face, the thought that he would die, but do so “nobly.” A noted the expression on his face, swearing lightly. “He's just going to give up and die! Well I certainly won't be giving up, and the only way I'm dying is if it's my choice...” Suddenly she paused. “That's the trap. That's the trick here. A reversal of expectations, a setup from the last challenge. Pressing the button is meant to kill the other, in practice to reveal a traitor willing to kill their partner... but it's also meant to execute said traitor, by turning the flames on them rather than their victim.” She paused, and in the background, the alarm could be heard again, stating that there were only twenty seconds left.

“Christ... I can't... no. No. I am an officer first. A citizen's life is at stake, and if this mission requires me to die in the line of duty... then so be it. If this is the last innocent life I will protect, then I will do it.” She took a deep breath, and then whispered one last thing that the camera still caught. “Be strong, Zachariah. Sorry I'm leaving you behind, sweetheart.” With that, the woman dove forward, even as the five second warning came up, and quickly pressed the button. The opposite screen went white before fading out, just leaving Kazura staring at the opposite panel, watching the flames burn. Soon the image faded again, and Cross came back on, though his voice was quieter, as though he was mocking their sorrow of the situation. “Oh, dear me, if only you had figured it out a few moments sooner, Kazura... you're the smart guy, right? The noble 'hero that Karakura needs,' yes? Pity, you should have been smart enough to pick up on this tiny little trick, and you could have sacrificed yourself for something better. But I guess in the end, even heroes can be failures...”

Around the screen, six panels rose up from the ground, voting panels that they'd all recognize by now. They weren't spread out, simply all facing inwards, with just enough angle that they wouldn't be able to look over at one another's choices now without being obvious. “Alright, ladies—well, lady, now that the other two have been removed from the roster—and gentlemen, it's time for you to vote once more. Betray, or Trust? Six panels, six players. Please, answer quickly, as we haven't a moment to lose on our games!”

Reynard moved with surprising swiftness to the first one, placing a hand on the panel with a grim expression on his face. Come to think of it, he would have an interesting story to tell; normally the elevators would only come up with both partners, yet he had managed to come up while leaving Shizuka behind. Kazura and Vannan had of course been able to do so on their own, given the loss of their partners, but what was his story? His face had been bleak throughout the entirety of the replay, even though he couldn't see it, and now that stony expression seemed that much darker as he pressed the first button on the panel to start his vote.

OOC: Remember, pick a number and a choice! Numbers are from 1-6, and choices are Betray and Trust! First come first serve on numbers, as well.
Your template for this: [spoiler]{Number: #}Betray or Trust[/spoiler]

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Only six of us? Shizuka thought to herself as she counted the remaining players. She made a mental note of who went missing. A was gone and she was Kazura's partner, but Beatrice was also gone and she was Vannan's partner. Shizuka was the only girl left. Well, she was used to that. Engineering classes aren't exactly highly populated with vagina. Still, Vannan had seemed a bit weird with Beatrice and Kazura sort of took A as a last resort, in a way, since Shizuka stole Reynard from him.

She tried explaining her findings before Fake Cross's microphone squealed and whined to life, making sure Kazura and Vannan understood that their actions may not actually have any effect on the other players. She didn't know what happened to them, but Shizuka told her fellow players that there was a chance they were still alive. There were reasons for them to be in this game and Cross or Kit or whoever it was had no reason to just kill them. After what she saw, she assumed he was trying to make them feel some sort of guilt for choices they made during this journey.

"So, basically, what I'm saying is that I don't think this guy is the real Cross. The fox we saw was a friend of his and took his name as an alias. I have no way of proving it to be true, but I saw video logs. I think the man in those videos was the real Cross and the fox character we see is Kit who is controlling the whole thing. It would make sense since foxes can be crafty, and it said that this whole place was Kit's doing from a while ago. He said Cross betrayed him and that he was going to exact revenge somehow and now we're stuck here."

The Fullbringer wasn't sure if Kazura or Vannan would take her word for it, but she desperately hoped that they'd believe her when she said they shouldn't feel guilty about losing their partners. Cross's voice boomed through the microphone, interrupting her explanation. She growled at him. This wasn't even the real Cross. Why should she listen to what he said? Well, she assumed it was for the best if she did since she wanted to stay alive, especially since the familiar panels rose up, showing some scenes from challenges Shizuka wasn't included in.

She stared with a relatively blank face at the screen, realizing that KitCross had put Vannan through a lot of emotional and physical pain. He powered through it at the expense of another player, but was she really lost forever? The Fullbringer didn't think so. Instead, she rolled her eyes and sighed. No doubt her expressions would be audible to her fellow players, probably piquing their interest a bit as to why she seemed so distant towards the video. She wasn't entertained and she stopped trusting KitCross immediately after she saw the videos.

Kazura's story was almost equally as harsh but more sad than Vannan's since Kazura just wanted to keep A safe. Shizuka's heart melted a bit as she mentally punished herself for judging him so much in the beginning. She didn't hate the guy, but he obviously had some baggage that held him back during this challenge. A sacrificed herself and left him to feel guilty for her actions despite the fact that she made it clear she didn't want to end her life for no reason. That Zachariah guy must be Z, though. There's not a whole lot of doubt about that.

"Guys, don't listen to him. Just focus on what I told you, true or not true. For now, for all we know, Beatrice and A could be safe and sound in some room somewhere being held hostage as a means to get us riled up." Six voting panels rose from the floor, prompting the players to cast their votes. "I have one more theory I need to test before I make anymore guesses about this game."

Shizuka recalled Vannan's annoyance at his vote being switched. Hers was, too. She didn't know about Kazura's, but she looked over in his direction and tilted her head towards the panel. She did that a couple of times and then pointed to herself, hoping he would get the signal to tell her what he chose after voting was done. She still had her skills in tact despite her powers being basically useless, so she tried to keep her movements stealthy enough that only he would catch her while they were still relatively close. The blonde then made her way over to a panel.

The only person left was Reynard, but she'd deal with him later. She didn't want to doubt him, but as he went to vote, she could tell he seemed upset about something. She wanted to know what was bothering him but decided to wait until the panels disappeared. Everyone needed time to talk to each other, more than what they'd been given so far. KitCross was pushing them. So this time, to try to see if she could get everyone to work together with her so they could figure out a plan, she chose the panel that she wanted and casted her own vote.

This was becoming more and more dangerous. Shizuka had a bad feeling about something but had no idea what it was. She needed to know why she and Vannan got separated like that and what he went through, but what could he even tell her? How could he tell her? Maybe since he trusted Kazura (or, at the very least, Kazura trusted him), they could talk and figure something out. Nevertheless, it was time for all of them to make their choices. If what she saw in those videos was true, she had some planning to do. But then that begs the question she'd been pushing to the back of her mind. Why were those videos there?

SPOILER: Click to show

{Number: 2}Trust

[Deleted]

There was a moment of silence as he took in everything Shizuka had to say. This was making a few things he found odd much much clearer. How they all got here, how it was impossible to sense anyone else here in this place. How no matter what happened there was a quick and precise answer to it that seemed as if it was plan and most of all, how perfect the holograms were. That's what bugged him the most out of this entire thing. Those holograms more specifically the hologram of Beatrice, to be able to program something like that to replicate a hologram in such detail so quickly was nearly impossible, unless someone was bending the rules. Unless this place wasn't real, in his mind he was forming a few theories, but he needed more proof.

Of course before he could even ask anything Cross's all to familiar voice boomed out of the loudspeakers. He assumed that Cross/Kit who ever was actually speaking would be saying something pointless like the last time, but now he actually said something that intrigued him and caused him to look over at Kazura in the eyes. It seemed that both of them were to blame for their missing partners. He knew why he was to blame for Beatrice, but he didn't think that Kazura would ever be held accountable for actually harming someone to save his own life. Vannan didn't say a word to Kazura, he knew that he had no place to judge, but he was curious about how Kazura actually was guilty.

A screen arose from the center of the room playing what had just happened moments before in the other room where he took points away from Beatrice and how he went about doing it. Cross's words made him chuckle a bit as well. Only a crazed madman would twist what he had done for the group, eliminating a very uncertain and unstable player from the game. But that was fine he only needed to get out of here alive, not make friends. To both Shizuka and Kazura he said only a single sentence. “She was too dangerous to let run wild.” He assumed that the both of them would understand as would others if they ever tried to put blame or pin something against him.

However the video did reveal something that helped him in his push towards this place being something more than just meets the eyes. The fact that the orange fog that had caused him to go mad with anger was visible, but not enough to obscure him in any way was a big sign. He had been in that room just moments ago, that fog was heavy enough that it could easily be seen by the naked eye, yet here on the camera where it should of caused some distortion to his image it didn't. Followed by the quick turn to his own watch back in that room clearly showing the numbers rise up, to be able to quickly edit that without any mistakes.... it was too perfect too clean..... Something was up, he assumed that no one would notice this, given they hadn't been in the room, but he did.

What came next was Kazura's video, it showed both Kazura and A, both of their actions, but it focused more on A than Kazura. It reveled much about her and Z. It seemed as if they were lovers, but more importantly that they were officers. It seemed that he had much to learn, he couldn't imagine how Z must of felt at that moment watching A die before his eyes. Even if this whole place was fake and that Beatrice and A were somewhere safe, watching your loved one die like that must have been horrible to experience. Vannan placed a hand on Kazura's shoulder he had a feeling that Kazura must have been feeling horrible about this whole thing, even more so now that he had found out that A was trying to save him. “It wasn't your fault, Cross killed her not you. Pick up your head and move on and lets get this fucker for her.”

With that it seemed as if the voting booths were once again available, he knew what he had to do, he knew what he had to pick. As he walked over to one of them he noticed something. Reynard, that seemingly blind man had been the first one to make it over to a terminal. Now wasn't the time for this though he had to vote. With his choice already in mind he pressed the button and waited to see what would come next. There had to be an end somewhere after all by now there were plenty of points around the six of them, more than enough to pass them around.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Number: 4}Betray

[Kazura Uzaki]

The video made Kazura shake with anger. Cross had killed A. She had given her life for him to continue on in the game. This twisted game that was pointless. Meaningless deaths. The inventor had failed the Emotional Challenge that he had been given. He was done playing the hero, was done playing the nice guy. He was ready to play for keeps and to get to the end. So he could personally be one of the ones to take down Cross. Kazura wanted to see the smug man dead. That was the consequence of taking A's life. The consequence of putting on this sick game. Walking up to a pedestal, Kazura's defiant words rang out over the room.

"****. YOU. CROSS!"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Number: 6}BETRAY

[Zeich Yajuu]

((OOC: Dramatic revelation ended up a bit lamer than initially hoped, sorry!))

The votes came in, with one person after another punching in their answer. Kazura slammed his button down in anger, while Shizuka acted logically. Vannan, as always, had his own agenda, and the rest of the group was silent as they made their choices. There was a short pause after everyone had seemed to have voted, but the screen didn't come up. Once the others started to question it, however, a new voice spoke up to dispel their fears. “No, we haven't all voted yet. I just... I needed a moment.” It was a voice that none of them recognized... none of them except Shizuka anyway. Though she had never heard it prior, the videos that she had listened to had contained this voice.

It wouldn't take them long to realize that the one speaking was Reynard. The man, up until this point thought to be blind and mute, had suddenly revealed his voice. His eyes darted around the room and, though he had previously shown no sign of being able to see, they seemed clear and focused as he took in the various details. It was as though he were seeing this room for the first time, as if something had clicked in his head, and suddenly everything worked as it should. It was strange, seeing him so confident, so comfortable, but for Kazura, who had worked with the man and had seen a competence which the man himself had not seemed to know he possessed, things probably were starting to make sense.

“I... have a confession to make, and a warning to give to all of you.” Reynard continued, closing his eyes and looking incredibly tired. “The truth is... all of this, every bit of this is my fault. As the young lady can likely surmise by this point, the name I went by, for a long time before this, was Cross. I am the creator of this game, and the one to blame for your current condition... at least, at the basest level. But I will not make excuses for the changes that have happened since then. There is no one to blame for this more than myself.” Things were probably clicking into place for most of them, and several of the small clues along the way seemed to make sense now: Reynard's unusual knowledge of the game even without his sight, the coin bearing his image that Shizuka had discovered to be the odd one out; all of it had pointed towards the man, subtle hints that all came together now. Reynard was Cross.

This also confirmed Shizuka's second theory, that Kit was the one behind this twisted game now, not Cross, though he was using the latter's name for his own. Short of Cross somehow being some mastermind that could think a hundred steps ahead and fool them with some endgame gambit—a concept that belonged in comic books, not reality—all signs pointed towards this other individual being behind their capture. Of course, that did not exclude Cross from the blame either; he had just confessed that he had made the actual structure, and it was difficult to say how much of this was Kit's doing and how much blame belonged to the man himself.

But even as they muddled over this new information, Cross was already talking again. He had said that he was going to give them a warning as well as his confession, and it seemed like it was time for the second part. “I also wanted to warn you... well, to apologize as well. This is the last round of this 'game,' and at this point there's nothing we can do to stop it. At this point, by my calculations, all of you have hit 'Betray' by this point in the game. Shizuka didn't do so herself, but the person she replaced did. Vannan did in the original round, as did Iian. Z did so last round, and unless I'm mistaken, Kazura's anger suggests that he did so this round. This means that we have all but one vote as a 'Betray,' because of a simple rule that Kit has been telling you all from the start: 'Once a traitor, always a traitor.' This only leaves my vote.”

“Once I vote, no matter which way I do, this will end. If we are all traitors, proven through this trial of self-interest and survival, then our bracelets will automatically drop to zero. We will be converted to the Martyr's cause... well, all of you will, anyway, as I already am part of his camp. But this is different than a conversion via free will, a... brainwashing of sorts to void out any thoughts of betrayal or disloyalty. Even I will be changed forever if we choose this option.” The man looked at the watch on his wrist, which still bore a “3” on it. “However, if I vote 'Trust', even at this end point, then not only will I be spared, but I will receive all of the points that you five have accumulated up until this point, and the door will be revealed. This facility has no need to hold those who have no desire for betrayal in their hearts.”

A sudden chill seemed to fill the room. It seemed as though an inevitable loss awaited all of them, a simple, sinister wipe-out that had been waiting to snare them from the very beginning. And Cross held the key to their loss, as well as a choice for his own fate. It was obvious which he'd choose, looking at it selfishly; picking “Trust” would allow the man to retain his mind and escape this facility, where he could act on his own interests from that point on. Choosing “Betray” was just a suicide option, one that would leave him as mindless as the rest of them. So what, then, was the point of going through all of this? To judge which of them was worth keeping alive? If the game only stopped when there was one person left who was willing to trust, then right from the start seven of them had been doomed, with no chance of survival. And in this twisted version of the Prisoner's Dilemna, which slowly bent each of its victims towards betrayal, there really was little hope to survive to the end. Was this it for them, then?

“Don't worry. I have a plan.” Those words rang out suddenly in the silence, and eyes would turn back on Cross. Looking across the room at Kazura, the man would point down towards his panel, indicating something to the man. A glance would show that his screen, which had been locked into the “Thank You for Voting” image, now reflected the point exchange list. Indeed, if any of them looked down at their panel they'd see the same; it seemed that the voting panels automatically defaulted to the exchange screen after a long enough period of idling. Had the man simply been stalling, fooling Kit with his “last confession” while he waited for the screens to change over?

“I wouldn't pick a choice so soon though.” Cross continued, his eyes sweeping across the room. “I feel bad about my vote making such a difference.” The man's gaze suggested that the others should not waste their points so soon; likely, he had some kind of plan in all of this. Yet as he said that, he looked at Kazura and gave another subtle motion downwards towards the panel. Maybe he expected the Fullbringer to spend his points on something, but what? There was a secret here, and somehow Cross expected that Kazura would be able to get them out of this situation, assuming that he could pick up on it. Likely the man did not want to speak too obviously, especially with Kit listening in.

Looking over his panel, Kazura would have the usual array of options. Any of his statistical abilities would cost him five of his six points, any techniques he knew would cost him seven, which he couldn't afford, and his Release... the man would likely do a double-take as he looked at it, the number listed completely different from what he had likely expected. A look at Cross would get another small nod and a subtle smile. Because now, rather than the nine that was normally listed, the number for unlocking his Release had changed to a one.

((OOC 2: This is a free response round, and players -do- have the option of spending points on anything they can afford now. Do as you will!))

[Kazura Uzaki]

Kazura was... embarrassed, to say the least. The man whom he had trusted, had been back to back with in a challenge, and had even pitied... was the mastermind behind this whole thing. At least, was the creator of the twisted game. Kazura respected Reynard, but hated Cross. The fullbringer had even shouted obscenities just a moment later about Cross, who turned out to be a fake, and Reynard was actually Cross, whom the inventor had just defamed. But... Reynard didn't seem angry about Kazura's response. He was too calm... So much stronger than Kazura who had given into the emotions of the "game".

While his instincts weren't as keen as he would have liked, the inventor scrolled back his memory as far back as it could go to try to recall one key piece of information. He didn't have to go back very far... A had definitely picked Trust in the last round. If Reynard/Cross was to believed, and he was the last one who hadn't picked Trust... Then she was definitely dead. There was no hope left... A had sacrificed herself for Kazura and burned. At least it was a quick, painless death... The Uzaki's knees grew weak, but he gripped the podium tightly and stayed focused on Reynard/Cross' words.

When it was revealed, silently, that Kazura could have his release for a single point... He couldn't resist. But why him? What could make him possibly worthy of that advantage? Sure, with his release he had great control over technology and could probably do quite a bit given the environment, but he didn't have any of his items to protect him, he didn't have any of his power unlocked to even be able to wield his release for long or with any modicum of force, and he had been the cause of death for an agent who had been well loved...

In A's memory, Kazura pushed the button, unlocking his release for a single point while not spending any other of his points so as to not kill himself by reaching 0.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Everything was clicking. Everything was making sense now. He wasn't blind or mute but somehow made it through these challenges extremely well even when he pretended to be. Even then Shizuka thought it was a bit strange, but she ignored it because she assumed he was highly capable. Now it all came together and finally clicked in her head. Those videos, the coin being different, all of it was giving her hints the entire time. That was good! Sort of! Cross knew everything about these games. Including what happens when the players lost. Shizuka wasn't so sure it meant death, though.

She listened to Cross explain what he could, figuratively patting her brain on the back for being so smart. She suspected Reynard but she wasn't sure he'd be Cross, she just knew he was different somehow. The coin had told her that. The challenge told her to find the traitor, but maybe it wasn't in a literal sense. She was just finding someone who wasn't who they appeared to be. Reynard fit that description now that she knew who he was, which meant all of this was planned to get everyone to realize who was actually in charge. Now that she was absolutely sure it was Kit, they needed to figure out a way to get out of here.

"Kazura, you made the right choice. I think Reynard... Er, Cross," Shizuka paused, correcting herself as she looked, apologetically, in Cross's direction. "I think Cross has an idea. As for the rest of us, I don't think we should waste our points. I'm not going to exchange anything just yet, but it's up to you guys. I may end up being a bit of a burden without my usual strength, but that doesn't mean I can't help you. I've still got my smarts!"

Shizuka had brought herself in closer to the group and spoke softly. She didn't know how good Kit's hearing was, but she knew he wouldn't be able to hear everything she'd said. Maybe bits and pieces, but not everything. Still, she smiled at Cross and trusted him. She cursed whoever it was that played in the game before her, but after she thought about what she saw on the coins, she knew it was probably Zack. Of course he chose 'Betray' in this game. That's the kind of man he is. Still, she couldn't be mad at him forever. It's not like he knew, and it took her this long to figure it out.

This game was about to get a bit more dangerous for all of them. She would never be able to explain how she knew that, but Shizuka knew it. Maybe it was the tone of voice in Cross, maybe it was everything he'd talked about, but she knew. Still, despite that, she also knew that this game wasn't over. Not by a long shot. Maybe Kit wants it to be that way in some sick and twisted series of events, and maybe he somehow gets off on all this or something. Either way, it didn't matter. Shizuka had confidence in herself and her fellow players, hoping they would catch on as she did.

[Deleted]

The shock of finding out who Reynard was caused Vannan to take a few steps back. It was as how Shizuka had said, the real Cross wasn't in charge of the whole game it was someone else, but again that didn't matter. No the fact that Cross a maker of this game was here right now was much more important than finding out more about Kit. This man knew the rules of the game, as he told all of them about what would happen if he voted. Vannan had a few questions to ask Cross, but right now only one came across his mind. Waiting for silence to fall from everyone around him he slowly approached the man with the single question in his mind.

Standing next to cross he leaned in and asked whispering the question into his ear. Not knowing how much Kit could actually hear in this room. “Will I be able to summon my quincy cross if I unlock my release?” Depending on Cross's answer Vannan would react accordingly. If it would give him back his cross he would unlock his release, if it didn't however he would save his points. For now he just waited on the answer from cross, not wanting to deal with other things at the moment.

[Zeich Yajuu]

(OOC: Part of this was written with Kyo's blessing, so don't mind a little godmodding!)

The moment that Kazura pressed the button to unseal his Release, the watch beeped, and the man would feel an almost... light feeling, as though a weight had been lifted from his very soul. Almost immediately he knew that he would be able to activate his Release, particularly making use of his technological mastery to take control of their situation. Of course, there was no guarantee that there weren't any safeguards in place—after all, this facility was likely rigged to deal with outside attempts at hacking or brute force—but with his powers unlocked, at least there would be a sense of security, of knowing that he was in more control than he had been up until that point.

Unfortunately, it was then that an alarm went off as well, a red light flashing at the ceiling level and a loud siren starting to blare. Reynard—no, Cross—looked up, his eyes narrowing. “He updated the security systems, I see. I expected another five minutes before the alarms went off.” Quickly Cross turned to Kazura, hurrying around his panel and makin his way over to the man, holding out his arm to him. “Quick, deactivate this bracelet; I don't know if you can remove it, but if you can at least unlock my Release, I can buy us a bit more time before the guards come. While I do that, you can try and get everyone else unlocked; we're going to need as many able-bodied people as we can get.”

As he spoke, the alarm faded in volume, but did not completely cease, and the central screen shifted, a fox-like creature almost like a Beast-Clansman visible on it. “Hey now!” The creature said, and this time there was no voice scrambler; the voice was male, though it was a high tenor as opposed to something a little more... intimidating. “What the heck are you doing, Cross! You're not supposed to have your memories back yet! You're supposed to be out until the end of the game!” It was as though the rest of them weren't there; the fox had eyes only for Cross, and plenty of indignation to go with it.

“You made a mistake letting me recover between rounds, Kit.” Cross said evenly. “You know my powers. Using so much of it left me the battered wreck that the others came to know as Reynard, blind and mute, bereft of memories, though that last part was your own fault. But in that first second of my memories fading, I acted just in time. You can guess the rest.” The man seemed like a completely different person as he casually stuck his hands in his pockets; whether or not Kazura had deactivated his bracelet by now, he didn't want the fox, now identified as Kit, to see the face of it. It was better to leave an uncertainty, a sense of doubt for their captor. “Shame you forgot to update my override password... oh wait, that's right, it's programmed to fail against any alterations.”

“Shut up!” The fox snarled, infuriated at Cross's treatment of him. “It's just one password, you couldn't do anything much with it before the system locked you down! What'd you do, unlock your own powers like the selfish fool you are? You know they won't do you any good here!” This just drew a smile from Cross, who seemed to know more than Kit did, and the silence accompanying it only angered the beast further. “We both know that you're useless without me! That's why the Martyr awakened this power in me; you're useless to him by yourself!”

Cross just smiled even broader, and a string of surprisingly educated expletives followed from the screen. As they did, however, something strange seemed to happen; the words seemed almost to slow down, each syllable becoming more pronounced and stretched out. But it wasn't the just the screen's audio that was having a problem; the alarm in the background seemed to grow deeper, as though it were distorting. The lights seemed to flash less frequently, and the red light seemed to fill the air for far longer than it should have. This lasted for a few moments, everything seeming to grow slower and slower by the moment. Finally it stopped, the world not completely motionless, but moving at an incredibly slow speed.

If the players looked confused, Cross just simply pulled his hand slightly out of his pocket, just enough for them to see his watch. All ten boxes were unlocked; it seemed that Kazura had chosen to remove all of his bindings to put him in the best position he could be to help them. However, it seemed as though he had been unable to remove it, only to force the limiters open; useful information. This time dilation was likely the results of his power, whatever it was, though as they watched, they could see its toll on him already. A trickle of red was already starting to leak from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes seemed exceptionally tired, as though he had not slept in days. “Just unlock them, Kazura. I can only hold this for about fifteen more seconds before I either die or collapse; I'm extending each second to twenty times its duration in this room only, and it's... very straining. Get them ready; our guards will be here very soon.”

Whatever happened, Kazura would have that fifteen seconds to act. Whose bracelets would he release? Common sense dictated all of them, yet at the same time, could they trust everyone? Iian had been a traitor from the start, but then again so had Vannan. Z—Zachariah, they could guess, from A's last words—was an enigma at this point; in his grief at his lover's death, would he lash out in anger at Cross or Kazura, or would he take her last words to heart and act in their interests? There were several wild cards in play, but given that this was their only chance to break free of the facility, he would have to pick quickly where to gamble. What would he do?

((OOC: Kazura has first post, and Shizuka and Vannan can post freely after that. Be ready, because the serious fights are coming up after this round!))

[Kazura Uzaki]

The power... it was intoxicating. It was a high that Kazura had been used to for over a year now. The feel of pure energy, of life itself, of the ambrosia that was the power to control and dominate... It was all coming back to him in a rush, the power over Souls, the power over his precious belt that had been returned to him, the power over People... In the instant that Cross rushed over the the fullbringer needing help and the limits released, Kazura knew that he had full control over the entire room. He could be Vengeance, he could be Spite, he could be Death... or he could be Mercy and Forgiveness...

Kazura had trusted Reynard, befriended him, then thrown it in his face with a giant F you as he betrayed him. The inventor felt horrible about that, especially since he already had been the cause of A's death during the Emotional challenge. In a heartbeat Kazura released his Main Fullbring Level 1 and worked on Cross' bracelet. He couldn't get the thing to snap open due to the complicated mechanism that was reinforced with a spiritual energy far superior to his own, but he did find that he could trip the limiters by artificially providing the bracelet with 300 points and then buying everything and reducing the points back down to a reasonable level of 10.

As soon as Cross' bracelet was finished, Kazura fixed his own, then Vannan's, then Shizuka's. He was hesitant about the Xcution girl, but he rolled with it for Vannan's sake. After all, she had given them some intel after all, even if it was missing a lot of big pieces. With not a lot of time to waste, Kazura had a few words to say before opening the limits on the last two bracelets. One set of words to Zachariah, the other to Iian. One was going to be heartfelt, the other blunt and to the point.

"Z. I don't deserve to refer to you by your name, and I don't deserve your forgiveness. But if you can put aside your hate and direct it towards those who put A in the situation, at least for a time, then her soul will be at peace in the next life." A step of Movement, glorious Movement, took Kazura right in front of Iian, followed by a slap to the face. "This is no longer a game, this is real life. If you betray us now, I'll seal up your bracelet and bond it to your arm." Kazura was not about to play around. Lives were on the line, and this boy hadn't once taken it seriously at all.

With his words said and his slap delivered, Kazura released the limits of Iian and Z's bracelets and nodded to Cross. "If this is going to be a last stand... then in honor of the friends that I've lost in the past, I have one final line to say before you release your powers, Reynard..." Just what could Kazura be preparing? Some big heartfelt speech that would rally the troops and motivate them towards victory or death? Something that could melt the heart of even Z and Iian and release any regret, hate, or disdain? Words of encouragement and camaraderie that could unify the whole team?

For Yoko...

Nope. "Let's do this. LLLLEEEEEERRRROOOYYYYY... JENKINNNNNSSSSSS!"

Remaining Reiatsu: 9,800/10,000 (-200 Main Fullbring Level 1)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats!!! Wooo!}


Strength - [200 x.5 (100)] Points

Speed - [300] Points

Light Aura - [40] Points

Dark Aura - [60] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [400 x2.5 (1,000)] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [150] Points

Instinct - [250 x2 (500)] Points

Senses [150 x.5 (75)] Points

Energy sensory - [50] Points

Healing Expertise - [100] Points


Total SP: [1600] Points

Abilities

• [Crafting/Forging] {4}
  
  
• [Strength of Will] {3}
  
  
• [Analysis] {2}
  
  
• [Learning] {2}
  
  
• [Krav Maga] {2}
  
  
• [Street Fighting] {2}
  
  
• [Leadership/Charisma] {1}
  

Total SKP: 17

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

The blonde knew that Kazura would choose to unlock his Fullbring, and it was a wise thing to do. With what she could gather, everything was coming to an end because Cross chose to act now rather than wait until they had a better chance. That was fine and all, but it confused Shizuka. She scratched her head briefly before Kazura approached her and unlocked her powers. She tilted her head and smirked at him in recognition of his abilities, but she knew that he didn't totally trust her. She could see it in his movements and the way he held himself around her. It was only a matter of time before he saw her as a comrade, though.

His enthusiasm was contagious and she couldn't help but smile at the man. She was excited for him and hoped he'd learn to forgive himself for a crime he should know he didn't commit. Shizuka still believed A was okay, but since she couldn't be sure, she kept it to herself. Until everything was over and they were able to clear things up, she didn't want to risk being wrong and hurting Kazura's feelings. He seemed to be a bit sensitive about killing people, which she couldn't blame him for. Just because her feelings of guilt were next to gone didn't mean everyone was that way. Her time in Xcution desensitized her to be that way about death.

Still, Iian didn't exactly deserve the slap he got. As soon as Kazura's hand made contact with the boy's face, even Shizuka cringed at the sound it made. She took a breath in through her teeth to represent just how she felt about the action, but she didn't necessarily disagree with it. She just thought, you know, he could have done something a little less violent. Nevertheless, it wasn't her place to say anything, so she just averted her eyes and acted like she saw nothing. The weight she felt after her abilities were returned to her was probably similar to the power he felt with his own, so she understood him wanting to exert it on someone the way he did.

Once all was said and done, Kazura began talking about wanting to say something to everybody. It was probably going to be super important and charismatic and pump everyone up like what she'd hoped, but it wasn't. No, she should have known better. Shock took over Shizuka's face as she heard the man yell a name she'd hoped to forget in years passing. After sighing as dramatically as possible in his direction, hoping he'd hear her, she looked back at Cross and nodded. She was ready, and she wanted to help.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shizuka's Stats}

Strength - [100] Points

Speed - [300] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [200] = [500] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400] = [1000] Points

Light Aura - [60] Points

Dark Aura - [40] Points

Instinct - [200] = [100] Points

Senses [200] = [100] Points

Energy sensory - [0] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: [1400] Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shizuka's Skills}

[Weapon: Firearms] {4}

[Analyzing] {3}

[Stealth] {3}

[Strength of Will] {3}

[Honeypotting - The art of manipulation to obtain information. Basically, a girl gathers enough information about her target - male or female, doesn't matter - and dresses accordingly or changes how she acts to be able to get them to do whatever she wants or tell her what she needs to hear.] {3}

[Deleted]

There was a giant rush in his body as he sensed everything come back to him. His powers, his strength, his speed. It all came back at once and he loved the rush from it, from being utterly defenseless to being empowered in just a matter of seconds. He had to hand it to Kazura for having such a useful release, but now it was his turn to help out the others. With his quincy cross finally back in his possession he drew in some reiatsu from the area around him, getting ready for the eventual fight that was to break out. However he wasn't sure if he could really count on the others to fight with him.

From his fight before with Kazura and just now, it seemed like the fullbringer's fullbring had to do with technology, something that was currently lacking for the man at the moment. Then there was Shizuka, Vannan could tell that she was strong, but he had no idea what kind of powers she had at all. They had spent some time talking together and were on good terms, but he had never asked her of her powers nor her of him. Lastly were the three unkowns, the real Cross seemed to only be able to hold his power for a moment, which wouldn't be very useful if it ends up draining him before the fight even gets going. Vannan knew he would have to keep an eye on Ian and Z. Ian for being the little shit that he is and Z for being in grief over the loss of his loved one.

“Smite the enemy with hollow steel.” A blade formed in Vannan's hand as he spoke the words, ready to face what was coming their way. While he had expected Kazura to say something profound and deep, hearing the words Leroy Jenkins come out from the man's mouth made him laugh and relax a bit. “Kazura I swear I'm going to have to hit you for that later. All of you stand your ground, if you have ranged attacks stay behind me, if not follow.” Vannan was going to go head first into the fight right by Kazura's side. While it didn't make sense for Vannan to head face first into close quarters combat, Kazura gained a huge advantage by it. Kazura knew the basic properties of Vannan's release, and what it could do even at a low level. Something that both of them could take advantage of in close quarter combat.

OOC: Remaining reiatsu 2275/2000 +300 for cross -25 for Hohle Schneide

SPOILER: Click to show

Strength - [150] Points x.33= 50

Speed - [200] Points

Spiritual Pressure – [200] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [300]x2=600Points

Instinct – [150].33=50 Points

Senses – [50]= 50 Points

Energy sensory – [0]x2=0 points

Healing Expertise – [50].33= 17 Points