Part 76: Got your Hands Dirty

[BGM: Silence]


Eventually, I made my way back to the cafeteria, where I found Ox. He was inspecting the results of the round on the screen. He didn't look pleased.

[BGM: Ox's Logic]


It's all going to shit.

It is?

I pretended to look concerned, and checked the screen.

Oh, that's not great. At least nobody's gone off on their own.

I suppose.

More concerning, it looks like Bunny's escaped.

Indeed, that does appear to be the case. I wonder if his partner freed him. We should've taken precautions against that scenario.

...Do you think we're doomed?

I would certainly hope not. Though I can't exactly face this situation with any sense of optimism.



It's all that damn Brian's fault! Seriously, how can he think any of this is okay?

He's a child. A damaged, unwell child, but a child when it comes down to it. No, I'm inclined to blame Aaron Morris.

Aaron Morris?

He's the one possessing Brian to do all of this in his stead. If only the man had had the sense to simply admit his guilt in front of the court. Then none of this would be happening.

And why wouldn't he? We had him, it was over. He should've just confessed!

I disagree.

Oh?



Well, first off, he was never presented with any sort of plea bargain, so there was no incentive for him to plead guilty. And if there was and he did, that wouldn't prove anything either.

Oh? Is not even a confession enough to determine a man's guilt?

Don't bullshit me, Ox, you're a prosecutor. You're the one person who should know how it all works. There's a reason 99% of convictions end in a plea bargain.

Is the reason not that 99% of convictions are correct?

Okay, you're definitely being obstinate now.

It's called playing Devil's Advocate, Mouse. Better get used to it, because it's something lawyers are awfully fond of.

Whatever you say. Anyways, not that you don't already know this, but the real reason plea bargains are so common is because it's simply risk-benefit analysis.



From the prosecutor's side, if the case isn't airtight, then the question becomes 'how harsh a bargain are we likely to get the defense to agree to'. And from the defense's side, unless the case is a complete slam-dunk, it's usually safer to take a reasonable deal, rather than face a guilty verdict in court.

After all, a good 10% of juries are so wonky that predicting what they'll do is a complete crapshoot. Rolling the dice like that when you face decades in jail isn't an option most can afford.

There's pressure on defense attorneys to push for plea deals as well. After all, the court has too many cases already, and they want to deal with them as efficiently as possible.

Fight for an actual trial and you're seen as an 'obstructionist' in the eyes of the judge and the prosecutor. That sort of stigma can hurt, since you're generally working with the same group of people for years.

And you know about all this through your thorough time spent in the courts?

I know this because my father was one such obstructionist.

Ah, I see.



So you became a defense attorney to follow in his footsteps?

No. I mean, not really. I became a defense attorney because I learned from him how messed up our system is, and I want to do my part to help it.

Messed up? Are plea deals really all that bad? They afford a risk-free solution to suspects that generally come with relatively few expenses.

Maybe it looks that way from the outside, but for the actual defendants, taking a plea deal is no small matter. For one, let's not downplay how horrible spending days, possibly weeks in the actual prisons themselves can be.

It doesn't sound so bad because people can stay in jail for years, but at the very least those jails are built for long-term residence. Holding cell conditions are horrifying – I've seen it myself.

Also, the court fees – even for a simple plea deal – are ridiculous. For someone with a lower income, they'd deal significant damage. And there's the big thing about having a crime on your personal record. That thing can really stick, especially when it comes to seeking employment.

And, since you plead guilty, most people will assume you really are guilty.



Plea deals suck. People only take them because the other option, going to trial, has humongous risks if it goes poorly.

...I suppose you're right. But it's sort of the way it is.

I remembered Ox's file. The allegations of corruption.

So, as a prosecutor, have you ever felt bad about some of the cases you've taken?

Are you kidding? Of course I do.

Then why take them on?

Well, the whole point of our justice system is built around both the prosecution and the defense coming at a case with all they have. The truth will be what ends up in the middle. Right?

That's a non-answer, and you know it.



Look, the fact of the matter is, even if I do have reservations about any given case, if I don't press charges, if I don't press the harshest charges possible, then I'll be kicked out and someone will take my place.

Its a competitive field, and it's filled with people who skew towards having a strong inclination towards 'justice', and I mean the retributive type.

And that includes you, right?

More of an inclination than you have, I guess. Mouse, all I do is my job, nothing more, nothing less. Everything's above board.

You do?

I'd be very easy to replace. After all, I'm a trial prosecutor. My main job is taking all the information I'm given and organizing it in the most persuasive way to present to the jury.

If you're really so incensed about fair and just punishments, I'd point you towards my boss. She even handles the sentencing recommendations, which isn't even strictly her purview.

Really? And that's just okay?

Well, I've registered a formal complaint about it, if that will do anything.



Anyways, we've gotten massively off track. We need to figure out what our next move is.

Do we even have a next move? It feels like we've already fallen into complete chaos. As far as I see it, I'm already a dead girl walking.

What an oddly pessimistic take from you, Mouse. It's far too early to give up. There must be something to be done.

Like what?

I'm not sure, although...

Ox began to pace.



Something about Snake and Sheep's murder, something about it still rubs me the wrong way.

Oh? I thought we agreed Bunny was behind that. And he escaped, which should confirm it.

...Assuming he escaped.

Huh?

He's missing. That can mean culprit or victim.

I guess you're right. Still, what's the alternative? If not Bunny, then who? You heard Rooster's testimony. Or what, was he making that up? Is Rooster secretly the real traitor, is Pig his accomplice?

No, no, I don't think that's right. I'm just... confused. Maybe looking around Snake's crime scene again would help.

Well then, lead the way.

[BGM: Bullfighter]


I didn't feel great about Ox's current thought process, but I decided to humor him. It's not like he could find anything in the art room. There was no evidence that led back to me. I just needed to distract him while Rooster did the rest of the dirty work for me. Entering the room, a wave hit the pit of my stomach. I could see the murder happening once more. The look in Snake's eye. No, focus, focus. That didn't happen. I know nothing about the murder here. I'm innocent.

Ox's eyes scanned the scene.



So, what are we looking for?

I'm not sure. Something we missed.

Well, I think that's going to be hard. I get how there'd be a ton of evidence if we had, like, forensic science equipment with us and stuff. That way we could get a lot of information out of every nook and cranny.

But the way we are now, I don't think it's likely the killer would leave anything obvious enough for us to notice.

Perhaps, perhaps.

Ox walked over to Snake's clothes, still lying in a heap on a nearby table.

I never gave these a close inspection. Perhaps there's a clue in here.

By all means, check it out.



Ox began going through the clothes.

As I already noted, the blood and the hole in the clothes suggest he was wearing this at the time of the crime, and that he was stabbed in the gut from the front. Probably someone he knew, not that that narrows things down.

From the location, we could probably eliminate Horse, Tiger, and Pig as suspects, but again, not a huge help. I wonder if there is anything in the pockets?

The pockets? I never thought to check that... Well, there shouldn't be anything incriminating there, but I was curious as to what Ox might find.

Let's see what we have here...



This looks like a key? What's this doing here?

You think it's part of the game?

No, no I don't think so. It's on a little loop, and it's got a label on it that doesn't match with the style of anything else.

'Master'. A master key for something. What, I don't know.

Probably just for his house, right?

Yeah, probably.

At any rate, I don't think this is the breakthrough evidence you were looking for.

Agreed.

He put the keys down, then fished something else out of his pocket.



It was... two colored markers. A red one and a grey one.

Now what's this?

Huh? What is that doing there?

I'm not sure. But since these are art supplies...

Ox looked around the room before spotting a set of matching markers.

That set over there, he grabbed them from there. That set is sitting on the table right by where we found the wiped up bloodstains. It's likely that after he got stabbed, he slumped against the table, and with the last of his strength, he grabbed hold of those markers.

That's possible, that's possible. Judging by everything we know, I think...



Whether we try to lie, or move through the deduction correctly... Ox isn't an idiot. He's capable of some basic dot-connecting.

...I think, as he was dying, Snake wanted to help the group. ...He didn't have many options, but on the table he had collapsed onto, there was a marker set. Thinking quickly, he discreetly grabbed two markers and shoved them in his pocket.

...Those markers weren't randomly chosen – they're some sort of coded message. ...In other words, those markers are Snake's dying message.

I'm inclined to agree with you, Mouse. As cliché as it might seem, that's the most likely possibility.

But in that case, what's the message say?

Indeed, what could it mean? I can't imagine the message would be all that complex. After all, he was dying as he grabbed them. Whatever he meant to get across with this action, it must've been something very simplistic.

Um... could it be...



There's not very many ways to read the message that could make sense, given the setup of the Zodiac Race, and given who our victim is. Again, Ox isn't an idiot.

...Snake is an artist. Naturally, he'd be on the lookout for colors. I think... if anything is a message, it's the colors. ...Specifically, red and grey. Something about those two colors holds an important hint.

Yes, that would be the reasonable assumption to make. So, looking at it from that angle, we should be thinking what the colors red and grey could mean. ...If I'm thinking about what those colors could mean, there's one conclusion I can draw.

The color of the pawns on the race board.

Rooster, the witness who 'saw Snake', has a red pawn. ...And your pawn is grey.

...That's right.

So then...

[BGM: Silence]


...

...Ox, I know what you're about to say. You're going to accuse me of being one of the traitors.

I am.

But Ox, if that were the case, a very important question is suddenly raised.

And that is?

It's just the two of us in this room. If I was the killer, why would I have left you alive for this long?

…

Ox's mouth opened, but then closed. He had noticed it. His eyes were glaring right at my right hand.



In which I had gripped the kitchen knife that murdered Snake. We had also left this on a nearby table.

For a second, nobody moved a muscle. Then, I went for the slash. Ox tried to block, but we were too close, and I was too determined. In a straight up fight, I've no doubt he would win.

But all it took was one good plunge of the knife in his stomach to end things.

*slick!*

The feeling of metal moving through flesh, of killing intent entering his body... it felt just like cutting any other type of meat. After being stabbed in the stomach like that, Ox stumbled back, and eventually collapsed to the ground. Blood was pouring down from him – it was clear that I had already landed the fatal blow. He had but minutes to live... no, even that was generous.

Immediately, I felt like collapsing to the ground. My head felt like a bowling ball, and the room felt like it was spinning. If I bent slightly any which way, my head would plummet to the ground, and the rest of me would follow.

[BGM: Sleepy Sheep]


Finally, I had murdered someone myself.

Up until now, I had certainly been an accessory to the crime, but this was different. Ox, the person who had gotten me through the start of this, was now dying.

And it was because of me.

And I couldn't undo it.

Not now. Not ever.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! He was a bad person, a corrupt tool, he was nothing. He deserved this. I was a good person, he wasn't. This wasn't a sin, this was... this was fine.



Ox locked eyes with me, a gaunt look on his face. He knew everything.

I hope...

I hope this works out for you. I really do.

Because I suspect it won't. And you can't take it back.

…

Maybe I do deserve something like this. But man, Brian really is a devil. He didn't just kill us.

No, those of us who died got off easy.

Because what he did to you, Mouse, is a fate worse than death.



He took your soul. And you're not going to get it back.

…

Well... It'd be a waste if all 12 of us are ruined by this game. So try your best to forget all of this. Think of it as a bad dream. And maybe then, Brian won't have completely won.

…

Even at the end, I couldn't say a single word. I just watched as the light slowly faded out of Ox's eyes. I needed to do at least that much. I killed him. I needed to see him to his death. And once he died, I felt...

Nothing.

It was just another one down.

[BGM: Silence]


But just then, I heard a noise by the door.

Hey, Mouse, did yo-

Oh. ...So, looks like you dealt with one of them by yourself.

…

Okay, you need some time to yourself. I get it, I'm respecting your boundaries.

No... no, I'm fine. What's the update?

[BGM: Rat's Awakening]


Weeeell, good news bad news.

Bad news?

Well, not bad news for us, just bad news in general.

...Everyone else is dead.

Wh-what?! You killed... you killed all of them?

Actually, Horse did most of the work.

Huh?



I don't know what his deal was, he just started wandering the halls killing people, all the while wearing some sort of skull mask. He looked like a complete psycho – his arms were literally covered in blood.

Christ.

Yeah, I think we might have broken him. Whoops.

Anyways, I was nearly a goner myself, but luckily I had an ace up my sleeve.

Rooster proudly displayed the pistol.

Good thing I decided to hold onto it, huh?

Yeah, no kidding.

We'll see what happens if we give Mouse the gun instead in one of the Bonus Update.

[BGM: Silence]


So... it's over?

That's right. It's all over.

I couldn't describe the emotions that overtook me. I expected relief, maybe regret. But instead, I just felt a hollowness. 'Oh, so this is how it went, huh?' I could hardly muster the motivation to celebrate. Rooster seemed to be doing that fine by himself. But... I couldn't shut down. I'd heed Ox's words and live my life to the fullest.

Afterwards, we gathered everyone's tablets, and used them to great effect. Finally, we made our last inputs. I would come in first. Rooster would come in last. We would be free.



And with that, we've successfully pulled it off! Nothing else to worry about.

Nothing else to worry about? Rooster, you realize the mountains of forensic evidence we've left behind, right? They'll know what we did. That... there's no way that won't have repercussions.

That's...

…

Shit, shit, okay. Once we leave, we find a bunch of gasoline, and we burn the entire school down.

WHAT?!?

Think about it, nobody knows what's happening here, or else the building would be surrounded! If the whole places goes up in smoke, even a thorough investigation is going to struggle to prove we did anything.



The murders, maybe, but they can show we burned the building down!

Right, well, that's fine. We can just say that after everything, Brian threatened us with the collars. He ordered us to burn down the school, or we'd be executed!

But our collars will be undone once we leave.

Says who?

When they catch Brian, surely he'll speak up.

Who are the police going to believe, the perpetrator, or the victims?

…

Trust me Mouse, everything's going to work out just fine. We won!



I didn't know if I could agree with Rooster that 'everything was going to work out just fine'. But he was right about one thing. We had won. And because of that , I knew I had to live the rest of my life to the fullest, for those who had lost.

No matter what it takes.



[Ending – 2 of Spades]

If she puts her mind to it, Mouse can win as a traitor. However, that's a path that leads to complete destruction.

Anyone who leaves a bloodbath will be stained in blood that can't be washed away. We're not looking for a total slaughterhouse like this – the less victims the better.

There should be a better way.