The air was tense around the police headquarters. Unknown to the 13 people (now 5) who were inside the building those long 5 days ago, the sudden lockdown and subsequent isolation they had imposed on themselves had made them into the talk of the town, if not the neighboring cities. Though they did see throngs of people during the daytime, and kept themselves out of sight as much as possible, what they didn't know was what the mass was comprised of--townsfolk honestly worried for people they loved or for their fellow citizens; news anchors eager to catch the latest news on this undoubtedly rich story; blow-ins from around who just wanted to see what was up; and many, many people from various cities who saw the predicament on the news and wanted an up close and personal look at the situation.
Each day, all these people perched themselves, so to speak, on the steps to the building, wondering what might be happening inside those doors. Newsmen and political agendists who covered the story debated endlessly on what caused this, was it right, and other nonsensical topics. And one entity just watched...and watched...
Inside the Police Headquaters
MagnaofIllusion, Luckyjt, Rainbowdash, Feirei, and ActionDan stared each other down, standing in a rough pentagon shape, muscles taut, eyes shifting, each one waiting for the others to make a move for them to react to. THis stalemate seemed to last endlessly, though it was only for a few hours.
Eventually, MoI and RD started getting into a heated argument, trying to convince the other as much as they were trying to convince the others that the opposite was scum. ActionDan didn't have to worry about this that much, as the revelation of Amrun and Om as cops solidified him as being out of the range of suspicious, but Lucky was still sweating bullets, as sometimes the arguments would turn to talks about him.
The talks went on, to the point that Dan was getting sick of hearing people talk, period. He wanted this over, now.
"I've had enough!" he shouts, startling RD and MoI out of starting another round of debates. "This is getting nowhere. We're getting nowhere. And I'm sick of listening to any of us argue."
"Thank God..." Lucky muttered, figuring that meant he didn't have to be under suspicious anymore.
"now, Lucky, RD, you two both think that MoI is scum, right?" he prompts the two of them, drawing his gun on MoI when he starts to object, saying a curt, "Shut up."
"Y-Yeah..."
"Yes..." RD taps her foot.
"Then it's settled," Dan releases the safety on his gun, making MoI back up a little when he hears the click.
"Whoa, now...Let's just--" Anything else he would've said gets cut off as Dan shoots him in the side, making him fall back with a yelp.
Outside, the throng of people jumped when they heard the bang of a gunshot. And if the five knew, they could imagine that every nearby newstation was now riveted back to that lone building.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" MoI yells in between groaning from the pain.
"I
just said
that I'm sick of hearing you people argue. Didn't you hear me?" Dan snaps. "Now we've come to a decision. So shut up and take it like a man, and be the last infiltrator, too. I couldn't stand doing this for another day."
His finger slowly curled around the trigger.
MoI's grew wider.
The trigger got pulled.
And when it was all over, they made one last check for those tell-tale letters, and found none for the last time.
"This is a hard line of work. Not just the labor involved each night, but the commitment made each day to those we have sworn to help, protect, and defend from any harm, inside and out. That's not to say that I don't wish it was less, but I don't regret the choice I made then."
"Do you regret it now, then?"
"...No, I can't say I do. Just wish that this wasn't how I ended up."
"Yes, a bullet through the head does keep one from doing his line of work, doesn't it, MoI?"
???
The old friend sinks back into his chair, rubbing his temple as he watches the TV.
"You win this one, Old Man," he mutters, feeling somewhat peeved, sort of. Getting up, he leaves the TV on to make a call as the camera shows the doors to the headquaters opening.
A crack like a whip echoed through the grounds of the building and the outlying area, knocking everyone there into a sort of tense silence. No one dared to move, only looking at each other with side glances with their eyes, wondering what might be next but fearing what it'll be.
Then some near the front began pointing at the door, which was beginning to inch open, and were shouting behind them to attract the other's attention. Before long, Luckyjt, ActionDan, Feirei, and RainbowDash seemingly had the entire nation's eyes directly on them as they stepped out of the building, shielding their eyes from the late-day sun to take in the sight of all the people.
"...Did you know about this?" Feirei asks no one in particular.
"I don't think any of us could've," Rainbowdash sighs. "But we're alive, at least."
"Amen," Lucky murmurs.
It took a couple days of interviews, private talks, and public investigations to really sort most of the happenings out. The police Chief's death, unfortunately, couldn't be solved, as the 13's self-imposed isolation helped decay the body enough that most methods of investigation were most useless, a lack of closure the four undoubtedly wished they had. The "old friend", despite it being clear to them that he was the one who killed the chief, was still able to escape.
The experience, though, had bonded the four, in a way. They couldn't exactly call each other "friends" (not that some of them didn't form that pairing), but they had a sort of mutual understanding of each other that came from. It was enough to help each other cope with what happened, at least, and that would have to suffice.
They all attended the chief's funeral service a couple days later, able to at least share this one last moment with their fallen comrade. While closure was still out of their grasp, this last moment they have with him, will have to do.
MagnaofIllusion,
Mafia Rolecop
, was lynched Day 5
The Town of Luckyjt, ActionDan, and Feirei--
Vanilla Townies
--and Rainbowdash--
Mistrusted Vanilla Townie (AKA Miller)
--have survived to endgame and live!
