Part 67: From Above

[BGM: Silence]


Mouse! Are you okay, what's wrong?

Hey, where's Dragon? What happened?

I'm sad to say, but I think I can take a guess.

I hurriedly explained everything that happened to everyone. They looked equal parts horrified and disappointed. I shared their feelings. But more than that, I felt frustrated at myself for not being able to do anything, once again. Dragon fought so hard for me. And in the end...

[BGM: Final Squeal]


Even Dragon couldn't take him! What on earth... we're gonna die, we're so gonna die! I told you we should've run away, I said it from minute one!

This is all so strange to me.

Yeah, it's a pretty wild situation, surprised you haven't caught onto that yet.

Be quiet for a second would you? I'm referring to Horse's skills in all of this.

He's a real monster. It's... incredible. Horrifying. You wouldn't believe your eyes seeing this stuff.

That's my exact point. You'd have to imagine, with what he's done so far, he has a history of violence and crime. And yet he was a key witness in the trial of Mr. Morris. If a witness like that had a criminal record, that almost certainly would've come up.

Does that really matter right now when we're going to die?!



So this dude goes crazy when he wears a skull mask? What, does he have like a split-personality disorder or something?

While you're far from the only one, it saddens me that you use those sorts of terms so haphazardly. Honestly, pop culture has completely perverted mental illness by reducing it to such simple concepts.

Well, it seems like the dude acts differently and starts killing when he puts on a mask. Sounds split-personality to me.

That's not... ugh.

At best, the mask may be a physical object which he's learned to use in order to compartmentalize violent urges into a certain part of his psyche, but even that would be a rather rare and extreme case.

I think it's high time we put my 'hide and seek' plan into effect, don't you think?

No, we're not doing that. It's stupid and it'll get us killed eventually.



Which is why I suggest you all listen up. Last time we went with Dragon's idea. Tragically, we can now see that it did not pan out. Dragon was a remarkably capable woman, so if she wasn't able to take Horse down in a fair fight, I doubt any of us will be able to, even if we fight as a group.

Instead, I propose we go with my plan. We set up a trap for him- an ambush- and we make this place into a safe area.

That's acceptable.

I think... I think that might be for the best.

It's worth a shot at least.

Everyone voiced their agreement with this plan. At this point, we were all so panicked that we'd accept almost anything.

Okay, Snake. Since this is your plan, how do you propose we set up this 'ambush'?



I'm so glad you asked. I believe we should make this cafeteria our home base. It is rich in several resources that will be useful, and more importantly, it's central to this floor.

Snake took out a piece of paper and began to make a crude drawing of the area.



You're supposed to be an artist?

We're in a rush, Mouse. I'm not going for Van Gogh.

At any rate, if we make the cafeteria our home base, Horse will likely come by here sooner rather than later, which is actually a positive when setting up an ambush like this.

Alright, but I'm noticing that there are four separate entrances to the cafeteria. How are we supposed to set up an ambush like that?

We'll just have to make efficient use of the weapons on hand.



First off, the main door to the left. We'll block that off using the vending machines.

Huh?

It shouldn't be too hard to overturn them, right? In that case, I feel as though it should act as a sufficient blocker to those doors.

But Horse is super strong. He'll be able to push them out of the way.

Maybe, given enough time. However, if he insists on taking the time to push open that door, he'll be wide open.

If someone sees him trying that, we can pop out and shoot at him. Even with his quick reaction speeds, there'll be very little for him to do in an open hallway like that if caught unaware.

Okay, that's one entrance covered. What next?



There's actually a few ways we can handle things from here. At the very least, one of the entrances should be covered by the grenade.

By the grenade?

With what we have here, I'm confident I can set up a trap with it which will cause the grenade to explode when the door it is on is opened. Now, we can't place that in the upper left entrance, as it's far too wide.

With that in mind, where do you think we should put the grenade?



Yeah, there was no way I was going to make this a thread vote. The way you're supposed to solve this is taking into account multiple factors like how many doors there are, what the angles of visibility are, etc, but that's a bit more of a headache when it would come to a vote without proper context, so it's easier if we just auto-pick the right answer here

The upper-right door.

That makes sense to me. It's just one door, so it should be easy to hook up.



If we place it properly, he shouldn't be able to see it, and he'll definitely die if he takes a blast like that.

Great. So then, what do we do with the other doors?

With what we have left, I think we can cover the other entrances by placing a pair of scouts right here.

Pair of scouts?

We have a sniper rifle, and you brought back a pistol, right? We should keep the dual pistols with someone safe as a backup plan, so those are the weapons we'll use.

The group will stay on guard in the upper-right side of the area. The scout with the sniper will look for any one entering through the open area, while the scout with the pistol will be ready for if he enters through the right set of double doors.

Regardless of where he attacks from, he won't be safe.



It hardly seems perfect. Still, it's probably our best shot.

Yeah! With this plan, we've pretty much got the whole place on lockdown.

Um, excuse me? I know you mentioned the two scouts, but what about the rest of us? Where should we be?

See that little diverted section in the back of the cafeteria? You all should be fine if you hide there.

It'll keep everyone completely out of all lines of sight from the entrances, so no risk of being shot, and it provides the most flexibility in the worst-case scenario where we need to flee.

So I guess we should discuss who the scouts are, right?

I believe I can also provide answers for that.



First of all, the scout in charge of the sniper should be none other than myself.

Seriously? You? Didn't see that coming.

I object to this assignment. I'm not sure why you think you'd be a good fit for 'sniper', but I sure can't see it.

Trust me, I am quite capable of this task. Sniping at such a short range should be child's play.

I'll confirm that. This task is totally within Snake's capabilities.

It is?

Good, glad that's settled.



As for the second scout, the one covering the first scout with the pistol, I would request that role go to Mouse.

Mouse?

Me?

Again, I object. I'm a cop, I know how to use a pistol. I know how to use it way better than some random civilian!

Perhaps, but as the sniper, I want Mouse to back me up. Mouse, will you go along with this?

I...



This choice doesn't isn't actually ending-tied at all, but we get a lot more information (and see how this plan of defense actually shakes out) if we agree, so that's what we're going to do. For posterity's sake, if you refuse and make Bunny do it instead, Mouse just awkwardly stands around with Ox and they just make small talk (with nothing noteworthy said) until Horse shows up.

Yeah, I'll do it.

Thank you.

But-

Settle down, Bunny. If Snake wants this, and Mouse has agreed to it, then we might as well let it happen. ...Though I must admit, I'm curious to Snake's motives.

I'm simply making the safest choice.

Well, if you guys think so, you're probably right. Sorry for being negative there, just, you know, concerned is all.

Fair, but unnecessary.

[BGM: Silence]


And with that, the plan was settled on. We didn't know when Horse would be coming to attack., so we worked fast. Bunny showed me the basics of how to use a pistol, and Snake set up the traps. When everything was ready, we took our station besides the upper-right entrance and began our lookout watch.

So, what am I on the lookout for?

Horse.

I know that, I'm asking if there's any tells I can use, anything to figure out if he's about to come.

Just keep your eyes peeled. I highly doubt he'll be coming in from that entrance, but if he does, you've got a clear shot of him. He doesn't have one of you.

Alright...

After that, we stood around in silence for a while. What was there to say? We just needed to do our jobs. ...And kill, if the need came. That was the part I was most nervous of. Even if it was totally justified, murdering Horse... it wouldn't make me feel good. But, at this point, I was determined. If I saw him, I would shoot him. I had to.



Eventually, the silence began to wear on me. I tried starting some conversation with Snake.

Are you nervous, Snake?

Reasonably.

What's going to happen if he shows up?

We'll shoot him. Honestly, I'd be more nervous if he doesn't show up. We do have to input our actions for this turn in the race eventually.

But what if he shoots us first?

Shouldn't be possible.

Then why are you nervous?



We're fighting for our lives. Fighting to kill. It's natural to be nervous. And nothing is certain.

You don't look nervous.

No reason to show it.

So when Ox told Bunny he could trust you to use a sniper, what was that about? Was he just saying that to placate him?

Most likely, Ox has remembered more about me at this point. As the prosecutor of the Morris case, he looked into the backgrounds of most of the relevant actors. Including mine.

So you do know what you're doing?

If I didn't, why would I volunteer?

Fair enough.



I suppose you wish to know why I know how to operate a sniper rifle?

I'm certainly curious about it.

As a matter of fact, I used to be in the military.

You?

No need to act so surprised. Admittedly, it was a while ago, and not for that long, but I did serve. While that life was definitely not for me, it taught me a lot.

Not just about guns, of course, I'm speaking in a bigger sense. In fact, I think everyone should spend a few years of their life early on in the military. It's a valuable experience.

Forgive me if I pass on that.

An expected response. Though this whole endeavor may be a suitable replacement.



So if that's why you chose the sniper, why did you choose me to back you up?

I imagine you'd prefer if I told you that it's because I truly believe in you, that I wouldn't have anyone else at my back.

It'd be nice, but somehow I doubt it.

That's actually not far from the truth. I have reason to strongly distrust the others here. Well, I suppose it didn't have to be you. Rooster, Pig, or Sheep would have all been suitable replacements. But forgive me if I didn't choose them for other reasons.

Reason to distrust the others?

It was right as I asked that that it happened.

*SLAM!*

[BGM: Metal Horse]


A vending machine fell down onto the floor by the upper-left entrance. As soon as we realized what we had witnessed, we saw another figure plummet down, landing behind the vending machine. I only realized that it had been Horse a few seconds after witnessing it.

What on earth...?

...Shit. This could be bad.

How the hell did he get that thing over the railing?!

The common area connected to the upper-left entrance had an open ceiling which a second floor walkway could look down on. It appeared as though Horse was taking full advantage of this strange geography.

You certainly were right in your assessment of Horse's tremendous physical prowess. More interestingly, why did he choose to approach like this? I can't imagine he could've figured out we were waiting to ambush him. That shouldn't be possible.

Well, clearly it is, why else would he jump from the second floor like that?! At least he can't really move any closer without you shooting him.

I wouldn't speak so soon.



It seemed Snake predicted Horse's next move, because sure enough Horse began to move. Move the vending machine, that is. He slowly pushed it forwards, still staying completely ducked down and behind it, using it for cover. It was really an absurd sight.

Still, this approach has flaws. I'm not sure what he hopes to achieve.

It's not like... Oh my god, GUYS, GUYS, quickly run over here! Get out of here, go through the upper-right hallway! Snake, keep your gun trained on the machine, be ready if he pops out.

Why?

Think about what'll happen if he keeps pushing the vending machine.

Right now, he's restricted, because if he pops out he'll likely be shot before he can do anything. But if he moves the machine far enough, he'll be able to shoot at the others without getting out from behind his cover.

Good catch! I'm impressed.



Ox seemed to have got what I was saying, as he instructed everyone to run over. Snake tensed up. If Horse didn't try something right now, he'd let the group get away. ...Let the group get away, he did. Now the only people in the cafeteria were Snake, Horse, and me. A tense standoff. The vending machine got closer and closer.

What are we going to do?

At some point, we'll have to fight. I'm just waiting for the right time.

The right time?

As strong as he is, pushing that thing's gotta take some effort. If he's currently holding Dragon's gun while pushing, I can easily imagine how he must be positioned behind that vending machine.

If that's the case... then this should work.

What should work?



Instead of answering me, Snake started to sprint at the vending machine, sniper rifle in hand. He jumped off a nearby misplaced chair, and aimed the gun midair downwards. I see, if he could get to an angle where he could get the shot off...

As soon as I got this hope, a blur emerged from the machine. Horse had swung the sledgehammer, knocking the sniper rifle out of Snake's hands.

For such a smart guy, I thought you'd have a better plan than that.

Tch.

I instantly realized Snake was in a load of trouble. I wanted to fire, but Snake was right in front of me.

Duck!!

Snake instantly realized what I meant, and dropped to the floor. Unfortunately, Horse also got the message, and ducked back behind the vending machine. I shot at him twice, but only one bullet connected, and it only glanced his shoulder. At least he was injured, but... Snake realized the sniper rifle was lying on the floor and lunged to grab it. But, once again, the sledgehammer came out from behind the vending machine, and using it like a stick Horse pulled it back behind his cover.

[BGM: Silence]


Snake stood up, flustered. We had to act fast.

Hand me the pistol!

What? Why?!

Trust me!

I was hesitant, but Snake seemed to know what he was doing. I gave him the gun.

If I'm successful... let them know what I did. Give me a hero's death.

What?!

Instead of explaining, Snake bent down and leapt forward, going around the vending machine, pistol out and ready.

*bang* *bang*



Two shots were fired at nearly the same time. One went straight through Snake's head. His body's inertia left his body sliding across the floor. The other came from the pistol, and was aimed behind the vending machine. Did it connect with Horse? I hate to say it, but the excitement that thought brought far outweighed the sorrow I felt at Snake's death.

Excitement shattered as Horse stood up, holding an assault rifle that now had a bullet lodged at the front of it.

[BGM: Rat's Awakening]


Guess this thing's worthless now.

Horse leaned down and grabbed the sniper rifle from behind the vending machine.

This'll have to do instead.

It was those words that made me realize I was weaponless and powerless. Once again, I had no choice but to run away from the scene, tears in my eyes. Horse was unstoppable. He couldn't be beat. No one could face him.

We were going to die.