Part 45: Betray

Part 45: Betray



Yeah, that ending last time didn't sit well with me, either. That result is actually the biggest landslide so far, first one over 90%.



Well, allying got us nowhere.



Now that we know Junpei's going to Betray, let's go back and Betray him back.



Take that, asshole.





[Computer Lady:] Results will be displayed on the monitor.





There's no music yet, but there are still dramatic heartbeats for these shots.



Chew on that, Junpei. Wait, you allied?!

Music: Tough Decision (Make Your Choice)



Pretty sure that's what Junpei should be asking you, Carlos.



No! No! I didn't, I swear!



Yeah, last time. Wait, Carlos, how...?

The hell are you going on about?





White flash, as Junpei is injected and falls to the ground.





Carlos runs over.





This is all your--



Wh-What...?



What is going on...? How do I even know about a "last time"...? Junpei's right. This should've been the first time...



When did this "last time" happen...?!



Flashback! Or maybe...flash-sideways?



There's a Japanese saying -- [Assume everyone you meet is a thief.] It means you should never trust strangers so easily.



This is like when I'm in a fire... Maybe I...





Akane screams. Remember her?



Ow. Guess her bracelet hasn't kicked in yet.



Music: Morphogenetic Sorrow (Mix 3)







Missing Lip Animations: 33



Crazy Akane is covered in blood again.



A scream as she winds up for one last big hit.



Carlos's head must look like a crushed melon at this point.



Accordingly, the game is not going to show us.



Akane slowly backs away, walks over to Junpei.







Guess that injection kicked in eventually after all.





So much for avoiding the paths leading to Death. Obviously that dialogue early in the scene plays out a little differently if we had picked "Betray" before picking "Ally". It sounds similar to what we saw in the "Ally" choice, only this time it's Carlos saying he thought Junpei would betray to protect Akane. This whole fragment is very reminiscent of a similar sequence between Sigma and Phi in VLR.

Almost everyone I could find picked "Ally" first. I had to delve deep in the internet to find someone who picked "Betray" first. But here's the alternate dialogue:

What... No way...

Sorry, Junpei.

Wh-Why...

It's because you would've picked "Betray" to protect Akane... That's what I figured anyway.

Don't...lie... The three on Q-Team are dead now... If three more die, the X-Door... That's why you...

No! I wanted to protect Diana and Sigma...! But the shield that protects became a spear in the end...

That'll come back to bite you in the ass... Carlos... I swear, I'll get you for this...!

Forgive me, Junpei...

From there, Akane screams and bludgeons Carlos to death the same as before.

But wait! There's also an alternate scene for picking "Ally" second! It's still available after you see both scenes, so I was able to record it myself:

No!



You went and chose "Ally" the last time!





This is the first time we've played.



Carlos is injected still, of course.



How do I even know about a "last time"...?





When did this "last time" happen...?!



Another flash-adjacent...





And a couple scenes we would've seen if we'd picked "Betray" first.

This is...





So then maybe I can...



Later.

Ma...ria...



Of course, it's still a game over, either way.



So how do we get to that third outcome? Well, after watching both the "Ally" and the "Betray" scenes, the decision node here turns into an exclamation point node, indicating a new jumping in point. So, yes, we can replay the Power Room again. You know, if you want. There are still plenty of other options, of course. Select the story fragment.