Murder Tale V: The Grand Hotel

[Verite]

And none the wiser, Saitama gave an indifferent shrug as the people were taken out of the hotel.

"Well, at least it's over now."

The hotel really might as well be under fire as he said this.​

 

[CrunchyCHEEZIT]

Gaster was standing in the audience as they phased through him to leave the building, watching as the others get off the stage. He seemed to be holding another drink, smiling widely and standing still in his normal formal stance.

DID I MISS THE ENDING?

A SHAME

​

 

[Minerva]

Random Epilogue: The Lies of the Media

Three Days after the Hotel Incident...

Riley Peterson was on leave. After the valor he had received in returning, after the length of time that he had gone missing, the Brotherhood put him on leave.

Riley sat in the Mess Hall eating a bowl of Sugar Bombs. He poured a glass of Brahmin Milk into the cereal after running it through his purifier. He was reading a book he had found, and just enjoying his time off.

A pissed off Sarah Cheng ran up to him. She had been angry with him since finding out he had returned.

"Riley! What the hell is this?" She shouted angrily.

Riley squinted and raised an eyebrow. "What the hell is what?" He asked.

She slammed a Multiversal Newspaper called 'The Multiverse Times' on the table. "This." She pointed to something.

"A... Buy one get one free sale at Multiverse Mart?" He answered, still a bit confused. "I don't see why-"

"No, this!" She said pointing to an article.

Riley read it for a moment. "UN places sanctions... Da da da da... Wow, that seems incredibly harsh. Sanctions for that? Still don't see why you're angry at me, though." The Paladin began eating his chocolate cereal again.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "No, THIS!" She pointed to a Headline and the article under it:

Riley read it for a moment. "What the fuck?" He asked. "Why are you showing me this?"

"You don't remember any of this? Were you at the hotel at all?"

"Yes, I was, but I just..." Riley panicked. "What are you angry about?"

"The fact that you fell back in love with her!"

"So, it's not the part where they say I was dead? Because no, I did not return from the dead."

"Riley, stop dodging my questions!" Sarah demanded.

Riley finished his cereal. "The Media is full of lies. Yes, I was there. Yes, I did see her. No, we are not in love again, quite the opposite, in fact." He said. Riley stood up from the table, and ran off to hide himself from Sarah, and everyone else.

There were tabloids there at the hotel. They did twist the story.

Not even Riley was safe.

@Atomyk @I'm done with this. @nobody @Oh God, why?

 

[Atomyk]

Melodia cocked her head to the side slightly before giving Sarah a smile.

"That sounds like something you may wish to speak with Jade about. But thank you for your compliments! The Prinnies will see to the cleaning." Whether Melodia was truly unaware or not was not clear. She sure had a poker face on her.

@The Silver Paladin​

 

[Minerva]

Melodia cocked her head to the side slightly before giving Sarah a smile.

"That sounds like something you may wish to speak with Jade about. But thank you for your compliments! The Prinnies will see to the cleaning." Whether Melodia was truly unaware or not was not clear. She sure had a poker face on her.

@The Silver Paladin​

Sarah nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Where did Jade go, if I may ask. I will tell him myself about the UN if required." Sarah looked back, and felt like she was being watched by someone she knew, but it was nothing. "Alright, good to know." She said about the Prinnies.

 

[York]

Yeah, it's definitely not his style. If he had had it his way, he wouldn't have stopped with just one, or two, or even three... It would have been everyone here if that monster had his way.

"Strong? That's not a word I would use to describe me, Slavya, not by a long shot..."

It seemed the situation was causing him to close himself off a bit, quieting as the trial wound down at last.​

Continued from here.

EPILOGUE
"Final Performance"

Jade let out a labored sigh. "Well, it would seem we participated in a gripping drama more than an actual trial! Rather... unfortunate." Everyone on stage knew that a real murder had occurred. Such lax voting and consideration felt like a mockery of the girl that was murdered. Jade had hoped for more of a... passionate display. "It seems that our chosen culprits are ChromeSkull and Ghostface... We'll have to assume they were working together, considering their... relationship."

Kieran didn't seem convinced, but he had to follow where the votes had led. It wasn't like he had any real choice in the matter, considering the resources available to him. He wasn't quite sure he understood what the deal with the needle was, when he could have sworn it wasn't in Mary's possession earlier in the evening. It had been found on the body, right? So why would Mary take it? Regardless, Kieran began to move before that matter was settled on stage. He faced the two serial killers, a look of determination on his face. "I work with a group called the Coalition. I'm going to take you in for questioning, and we will determine if you two truly did this or not." Jumping off the stage, Kieran approached the pair who had been mostly avoiding the discussion up to this point. "If you're innocent, neither of you will have anything to worry about."

It seemed to ChromeSkull that his fear had come to pass. So it seemed ChromeSkull's fear had come to pass. Both him and Mickey had been accused of Rita's murder. On any other day, they might have been right. People who wore the Ghostface moniker and ChromeSkull didn't have too many specifics when picking out victims.

But they both firmly believed that they were innocent and Ghostface wasn't going to go without a fight. Leaping on top of his table, Ghostface drew his knife and tilted his head towards Kieran.

"The guy who looks like a lady has got it all pegged down! This wasn't a trial! This was a flimsy ramshackle shit-show with finger pointing and people who didn't have a goddamn clue of what they're talking about! I've committed murder, sure! But I never touched a hair upon Rita's head! If I did? I would have cut through her little neck until I felt bone! This isn't what was supposed to happen to me! I was supposed to have a big extravagant trial and I'd blame it all on the movies! Not be investigated for a murder I can't even claim as my own! So, why don't you take your Coalition and shove it right up your-"

Before Ghostface could possibly attack Kieran, ChromeSkull decided things had already gone south for them. No need to throw more fuel on the fire. Drawing his pistol, he held it to the back of Ghostface's head.

"C-Chrome..?

IT'S OVER, MICKEY. THE VOTES HAVE SPOKEN. NOW, LOWER THE KNIFE AND GET YOUR STUPID OVERZEALOUS ASS OFF THE TABLE. OR I'LL PUT ONE IN YOUR RIGHT NOW AND GO BY MYSELF. I AIN'T GOT NOTHING TO HIDE.

"But we're innocent! I know that and you know that!" Ghostface protested although he would heed his partner's orders and climbed off the table and sheathed his knife.

IT DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER WHAT WE THINK. WE LOST, END OF STORY. IT'S THE WAY THE DICE ROLLED AND THEY ENDED UP ROLLING AGAINST US. WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST TIME, I'LL MAKE SURE IT WON'T BE THE LAST. BESIDES. I ALREADY LOST THE COLLECTION OF MY LIFE'S WORK TO THAT GODDAMN BEAR. DON'T FEEL INCLINED TO THROW MY LIFE AWAY EITHER.

Still clearly agitated from having been singled out, Ghostface sighed and removed his mask as he held his hand out towards Kieran. "Fine, fine. Take us away then! Wouldn't be the first time I was questioned for a murder.."

NOT. HELPING.

As Kieran moved to grab the pair of them, Jade spoke up.

"Hold up, Kieran."

Armor clinking, Kieran stopped and looked back toward the stage. He looked around at everyone gathered, realizing now that a change had been made in the votes within the last minute. He saw that everyone was looking at a young girl. They didn't think... "This is a joke, right?" Kieran looked back to the two masked men. "These two are grown men who've admitted to killing people! That's just a little girl! The Coalition will not--"

"It is what has been decided," Jade said, shaking his head. "And there's no harm in questioning the girl further, is there? Hopefully the right decision has been made, regardless."

His hands balled into fists at his side. Kieran seethed in anger, but complied with what was being asked of him nonetheless. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to come with me." Jumping back on tot he stage, he held a hand out to Mary.

Meanwhile, Jeen wasn't sure he was hearing things correctly. While it was somewhat of a relief to know that he ultimately didn't throw his new pal entirely under the bus, this all somehow felt... wrong. Completely and utterly wrong. Were they insane?

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me... you all think a kid did this? Jesus Christ, what is wrong with you people? You think she's the only person who could have had a sewing needle on her? They're not exactly in high demand, you know." He turned a dazed eye toward Kieran and Jade.

"... Why are you even taking these people seriously? We're not detectives. Look at us, for fuck's sake." He fixed his gaze fully at Kieran. "Coalition? What kind of law enforcement are you if you have to take our word before you do anything? How about you use your own fuckin' head?"

Jeen was just the wrong amount of drunk to be witnessing this.

Already incensed by the vote himself, it didn't take much to get Kieran yelling. He turned on Jeen like the guy had pissed in his cereal. "I'm not in a position to take all of you back with me! Look-- Jade was right, the party's just about over. Even we keep all of you locked in here-- Even if I could single-handedly keep track of every single one of you, it's been hours since the murder occurred with all of you pawing all over the place!"

Kieran aimed a finger Jade's way. "Want someone to blame? Blame him for insisting the party went on. Or, what, do you want me to take you too? Maybe even the two killers like we should have--"

Jade clapped his hands together, drowning out Kieran's voice. "I admire you both for maintaining the drama! As Kieran has said, he doesn't have the resources to bring any more in. The Coalition is no mighty force is it?" He waited a moment, smiling as Kieran glared at him. "But what's done is done! I'd like to thank all of our guests for joining us this evening! I promise you, Melodia has had a wonderful time."

[BCOLOR=#090909]The crowd, who up to this point had been rather awed into silence, broke out into applause. What a performance! Jade thanked them profusely once again before telling them that their evening had come to a close. Prinnies would see to getting them back on their ways back home. Soon, the crowd was dispersing quickly, their attention away from Mary's 'arrest'.[/BCOLOR]

Unlike the two notorious killers, Mary didn't put up a fight when Kieran asked her to come with him. As he held his hand towards her, the little girl's lips formed a small shy smile. She remembered when her uncle Glenn visited her when her father wasn't around, reading her stories... She especially loved the stuffed penguin that he gave her. It was something nice that someone could have done for the little girl since he was the only relative she had. It seemed like no one else ever knew she existed.

Reaching for the man's hand, Mary would accept going with them. It was logical. She had a needle with her. It should have been obvious that she was the one who could have done it... but why was it that Mary couldn't remember whether or not she did do it?

As soon as her palm touched Kieran's, another voice whispered in her ear. The voice itself made Mary stand there in fear as she remembered who the voice belonged to...

H e he he h e he he h eeheeh
Y o u' r e
M i n e
N o w …

"N-Noo!" Mary screamed, slapping Kieran's hand away from her. The little girl would run away from them as her eyes constantly looked for the "pink path." The host on Radio Night Night warned her. The host said that they wouldn't be able to help her if she was in another universe. The child continued to scream as she kept finding anything that contained the color pink. She wanted to get out of there. She needed to get back to her normal dream. She needed to escape.

"P-Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... P.. i ... nk..."

Mary fell on her knees to the ground as her palms reached for her ears, blocking any sound that could try to get into her head once more. Her whole body began to tremble as her eyes stared at the ground.

"Yeah, sure, you can't take everyone, so just go ahead and take the fuckin' kid?! For Christ's sake, look at her!" He suddenly found himself stumbling toward Kieran. "Yeah, that's not a bad idea. How about I give you a reason to arrest two people tonight, you son of a-"

Unfortunately, Jeen wasn't in a condition to move very fast. He ungracefully tripped over his own feet and let out a pained gasp as the edge of an end table conked him square in the forehead. He collapsed in a heap, his hands practically glued to his face as he yelled out one last half-hearted threat to the... whatever the hell Kieran's position was.

"I swear to God, I'll.." Jeen trailed off. He was pretty dazed, both from the impact of his fall and the scene unfolding around him. The way the circumstances played out, mixed with the commotion of the crowd, made for an incredibly surreal scene. It was unsettling - and Jeen hadn't felt unsettled in a long, long time.

Ignoring Jeen, Kieran dropped down to the ground, hands reaching to grab the girl by the arms. He didn't know what she could do or what she was capable of, so all he could do was attempt to restrain her. It's not like he had handcuffs to put her, so Kieran was forced to just hold on to her. "Get a hold of yourself!" he snapped. "Calm down-- I won't hurt you!"

[BCOLOR=#090909]The little girl's body stopped trembling once Kieran's hands grabbed her arms, looking at him with weary eyes as she whispered. "Don't let him get me... Please." It didn't matter whether or not Mary was being taken away. She just wanted to have some kind of safe place away from whoever was unsettling her.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=#090909]As the scene seemed to change drastically, Ghostface chuckled before his chuckling broke out into full on maniacal laughter. Slipping his mask back on, Ghostface gave a mocking pat on the shoulder to Mary as he glanced down at her.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=#090909] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=#090909]

[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=#090909] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=#090909]"Aww, I'm so sorry kid! Apparently Lady Luck's got a real stick up her ass tonight. But don't worry I'm sure you'll be just fine, hehehehe.." The serial killer taunted before turning to make his way back towards ChromeSkull.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=#090909] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=#090909]The other killer was relieved that they'd been spared what likely would have been a tedious process of questioning. But at the risk of a child? He supposed it didn't really make much of a difference if the other suspect was a child or full-grown. If they had killed Rita then they deserved the hand dealt to them. Just as he and Ghostface had. Even if they were completely innocent.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=#090909] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=#090909]But ChromeSkull had seen enough. He didn't desire to be at this shitshow of a party anymore. What was supposed to be an opportunity for the two killers to lay low after being defeated by Kido and her friends had turned into a giant clusterfuck. One that he had no intention of sticking around for.[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=#090909] [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=#090909]

KEEP YOUR FUCKIN SUSPECT. MICKEY AND I DON'T WANT ANYTHING MORE TO DO WITH YOUR GODDAMN PARTY. WE'RE OUT OF HERE.

[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=#090909]But if he could help it, he wasn't going back to Japan. Where Mickey and him would be hunted like dogs. Making his way towards Wado and Sal, ChromeSkull stood by them. Giving a clear indication that whenever they decided to split? He was throwing his lot in with them. Ghostface however made his way over to Jeen and reached down to give the man a hand.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=#090909] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=#090909]"Looks like I'll be sticking around after all, huh Jeen? Maybe we'll be able to finally catch that drink...Away from this fucking crazy place. I think I've had enough partying for one day."[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=#090909] [/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=#090909]

[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=#090909]Grunting, Kieran pulled Mary tightly his chest, holding her in place with one arm. She was just a child, after all. He whispered apologies to the girl as he practically dragged her away.[/BCOLOR]

"Now that the fun's over~" Jade turned to the others still on stage and gestured to the exit of the banquet hall. "Thank you all for the cooperation." With that, Jade left the stage. The Prinnies moved about in an attempt to make sure everyone left and didn't decide to wander the halls. The entrance hall would be crowded for a while still while people slowly left to their own worlds, ensuring that everyone would be able to say their goodbyes.

Melodia and Rowen were still in the hall, happy to talk with any of the leaving guests. It seemed Junko was nowhere to be seen, probably looking for Brad...

~CAST LIST~
@Alyto as Peashy [Hyperdimension Neptunia]
@Hazel-rah as Jeen [Super Mario RPG (AU)]
@The Yuletide Tactician as Hajime Hinata [Danganronpa]
@Savannah-Clause as Yvaine [Stardust] and 'Ryan' Duchannes [Caster Chronicles]
@TheSpringwoodSlasher as Ghostface [Scream] and ChromeSkull [Laid to Rest]
@DapperDogman as The Bogeyman [Silent Hill] and Papyrus [Undertale (AU)]
@Verite as Saitama [One Punch Man]
@Mighty Roman as Gilderoy Lockhart [Harry Potter] and Osgood [Doctor Who]
@Saint Guillotine as Sweet [Buffy the Vampire Slayer] and Isayama Yomi [Ga-Rei Zero]
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as W.D. Gaster [Undertale]
@Cromartie Sarkissian as The 11th Doctor and The 6th Doctor [Doctor Who]
@Jeremi as Mephista [Marvel Comics] and Morrigan Aensland [Darkstalkers]
@The Great Detective as Neopolitan [RWBY]
@The Silver Paladin as Sarah Cheng [Fallout]
@Archmage Jeremiah as Coraline Fenn [Fallout]
@Gen. Magic Senpai as Kiritsugu Emiya and Gilgamesh [Fate Zero/Stay Night]
@Kaykay as Tsubomi Kido [Kagerou Project]
@C.T. as Anya Corazon [Marvel Comics] and Kilgrave [MCU]
@OrlandoBloomers as Death of the Endless [Sandman] and Brad Armstrong [Lisa]
@Lizzy as Arisu [Original Character]
@CCC Kouhai as Mary [Dreaming Mary]
@Schnee Corp Lawyer as Cirno [Touhou]
@york as Yulia and Slavya [Everlasting Summer]
@Raven as Raven A. Roth and Rose Wilson [Teen Titans]
@Mari as Jen Yu [Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon]
@Sen as Sal/Syakesan [Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea]
@Sav as Mathilda and Leon [Leon The Professional]
@Arlathina as Morrighan [Mabinogi/Celtic Mythology]
@Hana as Wadanohara [Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea]
@Librarian Cat as Nyanta [Log Horizon]
@Krieg as Lena Oxton/Tracer [Overwatch]​

Slavya & Yulia
@The Tactician @Atomyk @Others

There was a different look on Slavya's this time as she spoke, despite the fact that she was trying to smile, there was almost a turmoil of emotions she was trying to express at the same time... When she finally spoke, her words seemed to harbor a tone that she hadn't ever been heard use before "Even if it doesn't fit you in your eyes... It doesn't change what I think... And... I think you're strong..." she said, it looked like she was about to say more, but, it looked like the trail was coming to a close... "We'll... Talk more when this is over... Okay?" she said, it was a little uncertain what she was thinking at the moment, but, maybe a later discussion may give some insight? Yulia seemed to don an indifferent expression, seeming to be trying to keep her cool as she waited for the final results of the trail...

....
......
....

After The Trail

@The Tactician

Slavya seemed a bit shaken up after the trail, but, she looked towards Hajime for a moment, as if remembering something... However, she was a little hesitant to speak at first, but, finally, she seemed to gather herself up, grabbing his hand as she tried to lead him to a more secluded place... It seemed like she really wanted to talk to him about something, but... That something was a mystery at the moment... Though, it seemed like it had something to do with what she had said before.

@Atomyk

Yulia in the meantime looked a little gloomy after the trail was over... Sure, they caught the culprit, or at least that seemed to be the case, but, she couldn't help but feel as if they had been missing out on something very cruicial, but, for the time being, she seemed to be looking for Idoun, maybe it was curiousity, or, maybe she wanted to find out something about that strange woman... But, nonetheless, she didn't seem like she was going to be leaving anytime soon, as long as she was on the lookout for Idoun that is.

​

 

[Atomyk]

"That's nice," she said, almost too sweetly. "But I believe Jade has already retired to his quarters... Oh, do you know of that Coalition thing? I believe someone from there was here tonight... Maybe they would know what you're going on about, huh?"

@The Christmas Paladin​

 

[Atomyk]

Despite all that had happened around her, Idoun still sat in her chair, hands folded in her lap. When she saw Yulia approach, the so-called dark dragon gave her a bored glance.

"Back AGAIN, are you? What a BORE you are. Truly, I have met NO EQUAL this evening. Not since that CAMP OF DOOM has such a MOMENTOUS EVENT occurred."

@york​

 

[Minerva]

"That's nice," she said, almost too sweetly. "But I believe Jade has already retired to his quarters... Oh, do you know of that Coalition thing? I believe someone from there was here tonight... Maybe they would know what you're going on about, huh?"

@The Christmas Paladin​

Sarah nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. I do. I am a member of the Brotherhood of Steel. We are allied with the Coalition." She pointed to the symbol on the chest of her combat armor, which was also that of the Coalition's. "I was invited as the Brotherhood's Representative, I believe. I will see if I can talk to the Coalition about it, though. See what they have to say about it."

 

[Hana]

​

"Ohoho, well, since the evidence seems to be pointing towards poor Mary's direction. I'll change my vote to her~ We can't have dangerous, murdering girls like you around."

"Sorry, dear."

@Atomyk​

The witch's eyes shot to Sal's as he changed his vote. Wadanohara's expression was still for a few moments, before she took her place beside him and spoke. "Murdering little girls? You can't have them?" There was something manic in her voice as she thought this to him, her red eyes flashing at him for a second. "And just when I told Miss Jezebel that we don't make impulsive decisions," she sighed wistfully, shaking her head and looking onwards to Mary. This isn't going to go well... For her... One by one, more and more votes had pointed against the pink-haired child. Until she was the one they made step forward, the witch only watching with a blank expression.

Reaching for the man's hand, Mary would accept going with them. It was logical. She had a needle with her. It should have been obvious that she was the one who could have done it... but why was it that Mary couldn't remember whether or not she did do it?

As soon as her palm touched Kieran's, another voice whispered in her ear. The voice itself made Mary stand there in fear as she remembered who the voice belonged to...

H e he he h e he he h eeheeh
Y o u' r e
M i n e
N o w …

"N-Noo!" Mary screamed, slapping Kieran's hand away from her. The little girl would run away from them as her eyes constantly looked for the "pink path." The host on Radio Night Night warned her. The host said that they wouldn't be able to help her if she was in another universe. The child continued to scream as she kept finding anything that contained the color pink. She wanted to get out of there. She needed to get back to her normal dream. She needed to escape.

"P-Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... Pink... P.. i ... nk..."

Mary fell on her knees to the ground as her palms reached for her ears, blocking any sound that could try to get into her head once more. Her whole body began to tremble as her eyes stared at the ground.

"Yeah, sure, you can't take everyone, so just go ahead and take the fuckin' kid?! For Christ's sake, look at her!" He suddenly found himself stumbling toward Kieran. "Yeah, that's not a bad idea. How about I give you a reason to arrest two people tonight, you son of a-"

Unfortunately, Jeen wasn't in a condition to move very fast. He ungracefully tripped over his own feet and let out a pained gasp as the edge of an end table conked him square in the forehead. He collapsed in a heap, his hands practically glued to his face as he yelled out one last half-hearted threat to the... whatever the hell Kieran's position was.

"I swear to God, I'll.." Jeen trailed off. He was pretty dazed, both from the impact of his fall and the scene unfolding around him. The way the circumstances played out, mixed with the commotion of the crowd, made for an incredibly surreal scene. It was unsettling - and Jeen hadn't felt unsettled in a long, long time.

Ignoring Jeen, Kieran dropped down to the ground, hands reaching to grab the girl by the arms. He didn't know what she could do or what she was capable of, so all he could do was attempt to restrain her. It's not like he had handcuffs to put her, so Kieran was forced to just hold on to her. "Get a hold of yourself!" he snapped. "Calm down-- I won't hurt you!"

[BCOLOR=#090909]The little girl's body stopped trembling once Kieran's hands grabbed her arms, looking at him with weary eyes as she whispered. "Don't let him get me... Please." It didn't matter whether or not Mary was being taken away. She just wanted to have some kind of safe place away from whoever was unsettling her.[/BCOLOR]

"Doesn't this remind you of something?" With the way things had gone, there was nothing that could be done for Mary. Wadanohara shifted her position on her staff, looking over her shoulder at Sal with a coy look. This feeling, the way Mary was beginning to shake in fear and denial. Her horror and her lack of memories. It was almost nostalgic, the witch felt like she was looking at the naiver, weaker version of herself, so long buried in the past. The small part of the witch that had earlier nearly felt sympathetic for Mary's plight died another death as she saw herself in Mary's place. Except they were different. Where Mary would probably fight and crumble to the way her ghosts and her monsters were haunting and hurting her, the Red Witch had embraced her fall. Was there any other action she could have done, back then?

Could they really blame her?

"Sal?" This time, the Witch spoke lightly, hopping off of her staff and holding on to it. She walked towards him, and with her little pale fingers ran a hand down his face. Leaning in, Wadanohara looked into his eyes which were still dripping blood red tears. She took in his poisonous little smile, and found herself entranced. Yes, this was her home, alright. The shades of red that formed the Sea of Death also shone in her partner's eyes. And as her home's most powerful witch, it would only be reasonable to help the Ambassador. There were a lot of other worlds that were interesting out there... "Let me come with you next time you visit another world, okay? This party is boring, maybe there are other worlds out there that are more fun." She let go of him, turning around and watching as Ghostface burst into maniacal laughter.

[BCOLOR=#090909]"Aww, I'm so sorry kid! Apparently Lady Luck's got a real stick up her ass tonight. But don't worry I'm sure you'll be just fine, hehehehe.." The serial killer taunted before turning to make his way back towards ChromeSkull.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=#090909]The other killer was relieved that they'd been spared what likely would have been a tedious process of questioning. But at the risk of a child? He supposed it didn't really make much of a difference if the other suspect was a child or full-grown. If they had killed Rita then they deserved the hand dealt to them. Just as he and Ghostface had. Even if they were completely innocent.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=#090909]But ChromeSkull had seen enough. He didn't desire to be at this shitshow of a party anymore. What was supposed to be an opportunity for the two killers to lay low after being defeated by Kido and her friends had turned into a giant clusterfuck. One that he had no intention of sticking around for.[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=#090909]KEEP YOUR FUCKIN SUSPECT. MICKEY AND I DON'T WANT ANYTHING MORE TO DO WITH YOUR GODDAMN PARTY. WE'RE OUT OF HERE.[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=#090909]But if he could help it, he wasn't going back to Japan. Where Mickey and him would be hunted like dogs. Making his way towards Wado and Sal, ChromeSkull stood by them. Giving a clear indication that whenever they decided to split? He was throwing his lot in with them. Ghostface however made his way over to Jeen and reached down to give the man a hand.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=#090909]"Looks like I'll be sticking around after all, huh Jeen? Maybe we'll be able to finally catch that drink...Away from this fucking crazy place. I think I've had enough partying for one day."[/BCOLOR]​

"Isn't this a relief, Chromeskull? You and Ghostface had a close call," the witch piped up as Chromeskull walked over to her and Sal. She was smiling at him out of amusement, and maybe she was a little pleased. Just that short display of him standing by her and her partner would mark the pair out as either being as suspicious as the two serial killers, or being misled by them. Still, despite this, Chromeskull and Ghostface were the two people they had 'befriended' in the party. The Red Witch wasn't about to judge them for their life choices as killers, unlike most of the others in this farce of a party. "It's a shame for poor little Mary, though," she murmured as they watched the girl get dragged away. The rest of the partygoers were left in the room to talk amongst themselves, murmurs heard in the crowd as Jade left them alone.

"After all," she stated quietly, only for Sal and Chromeskull to hear, "The killer is not among the partygoers." But that was none of her concern now. Mary would be the sacrificial lamb, the unfortunate one to bear the title of 'killer' for this 'murder mystery roleplay'. A murder mystery roleplay that had gotten a little too real for everyone involved. But in the end? It was still just a murder mystery roleplay. A game. And those who knew that, knew all too well despite not knowing all the rules, not too take everything too seriously.

"Do you have any place to go, after this? And can I call you Chrome?" Asking the last part with a teasing lilt in her voice, Wadanohara smiled up at the serial killer. "I have an offer you and Ghostface may like to hear. Because everyone wouldn't be too pleased with you now, you can come with me and Sal. How does a stay at the Sea of Death sound? Sal can travel between worlds, so there are other places to go if you don't want to go there, though."

@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Atomyk @Sen @CCC Kouhai @Verite @Alyto @The Silver Paladin @Kaykay @aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

 

[Jeremi]

Epilogue

And it was over. Was Mary the killer? Probably not, but that was out of their hands now as they headed towards their exit.

As they were close to the portal Morrigan would turn towards Jezebel. "Could you hold on for a moment? There's something I have to do." The red demoness would just let out an exacerbated sigh and rolled her eyes.

"Oh just get it over with already."

Morrigan would just give her a pleasant smile before heading off, luckily she didn't have to look very far.

And none the wiser, Saitama gave an indifferent shrug as the people were taken out of the hotel.

"Well, at least it's over now."

The hotel really might as well be under fire as he said this.​

"There you are!" Morrigan would walk up to Saitama. "If you're ever in my side of the universe you should give me a call." She'd lean in and give him a kiss on the cheek...maybe a little life force, it's not like he's going to miss it. As she did her thing Morrigan would feel a sudden overwhelming sensation coming over her.

*GASP*

She'd push back from him and pant heavily. What was the deal with this guy? Morrigan thought he was just some hunky guy in a goofy costume...but that power inside of him. "W-Well I've kept you long enough. Safe journey to your own universe." A wave of her hand was sent his wave before she would return to Jezebel.

"You're the absolute worst." Jezebel replied before both of them entered through the portal back to Aensland castle.

"Well it's as dull as ever here I see." Morrigan replied as they walked in the halls. Jezebel however seemed uneasy.

"It's like there's something else going on...there's no one running ar-" She'd be cut off by Morrigan.

"What is that going on outside?" Sure enough as they looked through a nearby window they'd see a sinister swirl of dark clouds and lighting up in the sky.

Suddenly something would emerge from it and land on the ground.

It seems the World Devourer has found a new world to feast on.​

"Oh..."

"Crap."

 

[York]

Despite all that had happened around her, Idoun still sat in her chair, hands folded in her lap. When she saw Yulia approach, the so-called dark dragon gave her a bored glance.

"Back AGAIN, are you? What a BORE you are. Truly, I have met NO EQUAL this evening. Not since that CAMP OF DOOM has such a MOMENTOUS EVENT occurred."

@york​

Yulia
@Atomyk

"What if I told you I run the camp now? Well... I mean, I did before but uh... Long story." Yulia said, she cocked her head for a moment looking at Idoun thoughtfully "Wait... You're not talking about... HIM, are you?" she asked, playing the pronoun game all of a sudden... Maybe as a precaution or something, on the off-chance Idoun wasn't referring to who she thought she was referring to...​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

"Isn't this a relief, Chromeskull? You and Ghostface had a close call," the witch piped up as Chromeskull walked over to her and Sal. She was smiling at him out of amusement, and maybe she was a little pleased. Just that short display of him standing by her and her partner would mark the pair out as either being as suspicious as the two serial killers, or being misled by them. Still, despite this, Chromeskull and Ghostface were the two people they had 'befriended' in the party. The Red Witch wasn't about to judge them for their life choices as killers, unlike most of the others in this farce of a party. "It's a shame for poor little Mary, though," she murmured as they watched the girl get dragged away. The rest of the partygoers were left in the room to talk amongst themselves, murmurs heard in the crowd as Jade left them alone.

"After all," she stated quietly, only for Sal and Chromeskull to hear, "The killer is not among the partygoers." But that was none of her concern now. Mary would be the sacrificial lamb, the unfortunate one to bear the title of 'killer' for this 'murder mystery roleplay'. A murder mystery roleplay that had gotten a little too real for everyone involved. But in the end? It was still just a murder mystery roleplay. A game. And those who knew that, knew all too well despite not knowing all the rules, not too take everything too seriously.

"Do you have any place to go, after this? And can I call you Chrome?" Asking the last part with a teasing lilt in her voice, Wadanohara smiled up at the serial killer. "I have an offer you and Ghostface may like to hear. Because everyone wouldn't be too pleased with you now, you can come with me and Sal. How does a stay at the Sea of Death sound? Sal can travel between worlds, so there are other places to go if you don't want to go there, though."

@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Atomyk @Sen @CCC Kouhai @Verite @Alyto @The Silver Paladin @Kaykay @aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

ChromeSkull hadn't come to this party with the intentions of making friends. If this was truly a multiverse hotel then he doubted there'd be too many people who would have recognized him and Mickey. With the exception of Kido but there wasn't much he could do about that. As Wada spoke up to him, ChromeSkull nodded.

SHAME ABOUT THE KID. BUT DIDN'T REALLY INTERACT WITH HER SO NOT GONNA PRETEND LIKE I REALLY CARE. MICKEY AND I WERE INNOCENT. SEEMS LIKE SOMEONE ELSE ENDED UP TAKING THE FALL THOUGH. PRETTY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. MIGHT HAVE HAD TO SHOOT MICKEY OTHERWISE.

ChromeSkull had never been joking around when he told Ghostface that he'd kill him if it meant protecting his own rear. Mickey was just your run of the mill serial killer who had delusions of grandeur. Seriously? Blaming your killing spree on horror movies? He'd be slapped with life if not outright executed. Though, given how persistent Sidney Prescott was, she might have done the executing before the Feds even got their hands on him. ChromeSkull however couldn't afford to be arrested. He had too much stuff left behind him like his organization, his minions, his lovely assistant: Spann. At least with the police in his town, he basically owned them given how many were on his payroll.

IF THE CHILD'S NOT THE MURDERER THEN I IMAGINE WHOEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE DEATHS IS HAVING A GOOD LAUGH TO THEMSELVES. I JUST WISH I'D BEEN ABLE TO CUT THEIR HEAD OFF. TOO MANY COOKS IN THE KITCHEN RUINS THE STEW IF YOU CATCH MY MEANING.

At the witch's request to call him Chrome, the slasher shrugged his shoulders in an exaggerated manner.

DON'T SEE WHY NOT. MICKEY CALLS ME IT AND BOTH YOU AND YOUR PARTNER HAVE EARNED MY RESPECT. SO THE LEAST I COULD DO IS ACCEPT THAT SMALL REQUEST. BUT AS FOR WHERE WE HAVE TO GO, WELL BEFORE WE ARRIVED HERE. WE WERE ON THE RUN SINCE THE GIRL OVER THERE MANAGED TO DEFEAT US AND ALMOST GOT US CAUGHT BY THE JAPANESE POLICE. WAS IN JAPAN ON BUSINESS AND MICKEY DIDN'T LIKE HOW KIDO DIDN'T SEEM AFRAID OF HIM LIKE HIS USUAL VICTIMS. SO HE TRIED KILLING HER BY HIMSELF AND FUCKED IT UP. HENCE I HAD TO GET INVOLVED TO TIE UP A LOOSE END. DIDN'T WORK OUT SO WELL SO WE WERE LUCKY TO GET THE INVITATION TO COME HERE WHEN WE DID. BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY DESIRE TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THIS MURDER MYSTERY NONSENSE. OUR PLAN WAS TO JUST LINGER AROUND HERE AND THEN LEAVE WHEN THE PARTY ENDED. MAYBE THE HEAT ON US WOULD HAVE DIED DOWN BY THEN AND THE TWO OF US COULD FIND A CONTACT OF MINE TO LAY LOW WITH. THOUGH, SINCE I MET YOU? I'VE BEEN RECONSIDERING THAT IDEA.

As ChromeSkull started up a new message to explain his intentions, Ghostface approached his partner and clapped him on the back. All the while leaning over his shoulder so he could get a good look at his previous messages.

"Aw, c'mon Chrome! You don't think the kid murdered the other kid? I mean take a look at Michael Myers from Halloween! He stabbed his older sister until she was blood sprinkler and he was a little kid! Besides, it's a lot better than us going down isn't it?"

YEAH, BUT HE WAS FICTIONAL, MICKEY. HE WAS DESCRIBED AS BEING 'PURE EVIL.' DON'T THINK THAT APPLIES TO THE KID. SHE SEEMED FRIGHTENED, UNSURE OF JUST WHAT WAS HAPPENING. MAYBE SHE'S CRAZY, MAYBE SHE'S GOT THE DEVIL IN HER. I DUNNO BUT I'M NOT A MEMBER OF THIS SO CALLED 'COALITION' SO IT'S NOT MY JOB TO KNOW. BUT ENOUGH OF THAT, YOU GOT ANY IDEAS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO DO NOW, MICKEY?

"Do? Well, I mean I have a couple of ideas. Jez offered me earlier to go meet her dad who I'm like 99% sure is the Devil so no-thank you! Then you have Jeen who might have wanted drinks with me but if you had plans, I'd be willing to hear them. We're going back to Japan, right? I mean the whole revenge angle is pretty outdated but I think we could make it work, Chrome! Get back at those little bastards-"

NO.

"I was actually thinking we could-What? What do you mean, no?! They almost got us caught by the police, Chrome! Do you know what they would have done to us?!"

I'M WELL AWARE OF WHAT WOULD LIKELY HAPPEN. I'D BE EXECUTED AND YOU'D BE EITHER TOSSED IN JAIL OR THE MAD HOUSE. BOTH WOULD BE FITTING FOR SOMEONE LIKE YOU. BUT I'M NOT INTERESTED IN REVENGE. WE TRIED TO MURDER HER, WE FAILED, THAT'S THE END OF THAT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. I'M A BUSINESSMAN BEFORE I'M A KILLER. YOU'RE JUST A GUY WITH A KNIFE AND A COSTUME. I'M A GUY WITH A KNIFE AND A ORGANIZATION HE'S GOTTA RUN. HOLDING GRUDGES JUST GETS IN THE WAY, FOGS UP THE MIND. DON'T NEED THAT WHEN I'M TRYING TO DO MY JOB, MICKEY. IF THAT DISAPPOINTS YOU. WHY DON'T YOU TRY DOING IT YOURSELF?

Ghostface hated to admit it but Chrome was the miracle that he'd been looking for. He was a veteran serial killer who could teach him the ropes about the what to dos and what NOT to dos about being a murderer. So, while he was heavily disappointed he wouldn't get another chance to cut Kido with his blade, he'd probably kill just as many people if he stuck around with Chrome.

"Okay, okay. I'll stick with you. But where did you want to go, Chrome?"

I WAS FIGURING YOU'D SAY THAT, MICKEY. YOU NEED SOMEONE TO TEACH YOU THE ROPES. SO YOU DON'T END UP DEAD AT THE HANDS OF A POTENTIAL VICTIM OR DRAG ME DOWN BY BEING SUCH A FUCK-UP. AS FOR A LOCATION, WELL SAL AND WADANOHARA ACTUALLY OFFERED US AN INVITATION TO GO BACK TO THEIR WORLD. MY ASSISTANT WILL KEEP ME INFORMED IF ANY THERE ARE ANY MAJOR CHANGES IN MY ORGANIZATION AND SAL CAN TAKE US BACK IF WE NEED TO SORT SOMETHING OUT. BESIDES, WADANOHARA DID A FAVOR FOR ME AND SO I FIGURED IF WE HANG AROUND WITH HER, I CAN HELP HER OUT WHENEVER SHE NEEDS IT AND FULFILL MY OBLIGATION. YOU GET WHAT I'M SAYING?

Ghostface brightened up at the idea and slipped an arm around Sal and began to laugh.

"Oh, I love that idea, Chrome! Screw whatever I had in mind! This will be so exciting! We can learn so much about worlds beyond our own and maybe learn more about our friends here!"

NOW, NOW LET'S NOT GET TOO OVERENTHUSIASTIC, MICKEY. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THESE TWO OFFERING US A PLACE TO GO. BUT DON'T TREAT THIS LIKE A VACATION. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN TO BE THE BEST SERIAL KILLER YOU CAN BE, IT'LL TAKE LOTS OF PRACTICE AND YOU'RE GONNA DO WHATEVER THE WITCH ASKS OF YOU. IF YOU DON'T? THEN THERE'LL BE HELL TO PAY. SO, NOW THAT WE GOT THAT OUT OF THE WAY...

Chrome extended a hand towards the little witch in red and Ghostface offered his to Sal's..er fin.

WE'LL TAKE YOUR GRACIOUS OFFER.

@Kaykay @CCC Kouhai @Atomyk @Sen @Hana ​

 

[Verite]

Saitama: Epilogue - Being A Hero for Fun is Boring

Well, that was unexpected. Unexpected enough that even someone as emotionally dead as Saitama would react to. Then again, who wouldn't react to being so suddenly kissed on the cheek. When Morrigan gave him a quick smooch on the cheek, catching the hero off-guard admittedly, he would only blink in surprise, too preoccupied with the fact that he had been acknowledged in such a positive manner to notice Morrigan's sudden gasp at being overwhelmed and so on.

Was he... finally getting the recognition he ought to be getting? Well, not to be full of himself or anything... Still, it was something! He always did secretly want a girl (or a few twenty of them) fawning over him like they would the other heroes like Genos, just like how he always preferred it when people didn't act all annoying and rude to him... like they did with Genos.

Ugh.

Still, he would recover just in time to give a small farewell wave.

"Ah... Yeah, sure. We'll see. See ya then," he simply said, before the succubus and her companion would be on their way.

Well, if that was it, then it was time to go back home. Back to his ordinary, boring life.

- - -

E-City was a place that you could describe to be just like any other place. It had a residential area, an industrial area, and so on. In this regard, it was almost like Z-City. Except... part of it wasn't completely destroyed and devastated as a result of multiple Dragon-level threats assaulting it and being dealt with in a less than clean manner.

Well, not yet anyway.

That was why we were following this random, quiet, peaceful city that was about to lose it sense of quiet peace.

CRASH!

BOOM!

A giant, three-headed mechanical dragon raged through E-City, devastating the buildings and sending the poor residents and civilians of the place screaming in fear as they ran away for their lives, hoping to get away. People of all ages practically trampled each other in this time of chaos, like they did with most other events like this. They trampled over each other, over cars, over cats, over trees, and so on.

News spread fast throughout the subcontinent that connected all of the cities together. Anchormen reporting desperately that not even S-Class Heroes like Metal Bat or Child Emperor were a match for it. This could only mean one thing. Whatever was rampaging through the city, it was strong. Really strong.

And despite all the despair that the dragon spread as it rampaged through the city, it gave Saitama hope that he had finally discovered a monster worth a fight.

"Time to go, then," he simply murmured to himself as the hero began to suit up with the TV in his apartment continuing to blare on, warning citizens to evacuate to the nearest shelters as soon as possible.

- - -

"SCRRRRYYYYY!!"

The mechanical, three-headed dragon stood at roughly 492 feet tall, marking it as possibly the biggest threat, in both senses of the word, that had ever threatened the subcontinent in recent history, beating out even the recent humanoid titan that terrorized Z-City. Hope seemed to be all but lost, as not even the Association's strongest heroes that were able to be accounted for could do much.

As its leftmost head opened its mouth, firing out a gravity beam from it and idly destroying a building, a laugh would echo from inside the dragon, as though a man were inside it. Piloting it. Controlling it.

"Heheheh... Hahahahaha!" The man laughed, pleased at the new developments, "If evolution is something that humans cannot further achieve on their own, then I will devolve everything! I will destroy everything and send everything back to the most primitive stage! I, Dr. Genus, will destroy everything and create anew!!"

Dr. Genus was one who was familiar with the lovable Caped Baldy. Ever since the death of Carnage Kabuto, his former masterpiece and ultimate work, Genus had been lost for quite a while. Was he the one who needed to change? To evolve as a person? He wondered for a long time. Even after the Deep Sea attacked, and even after Lord Boros attacked. And then, he eventually found his answer.

Saitama was not the only one who discovered interdimensional travel from the technology of Lord Boros.

After discovering this power and harnessing it, Dr. Genus tested it out and found something delightful. A world full of monsters that were ripe and ready to be controlled. So he captured one, a mostly robotic one, and made some... adjustments, most notably a cockpit inside its body that Genus could use to control it from the inside. Back in its native world, the dragon had been known as "Mecha-King Ghidorah," but Genus found it to be too tedious a name, so he just called it "Robot Dragon."

He lost his sense of naming after Carnage Kabuto died, though one could argue he never had it to begin with when he had minions like "Armored Gorilla" and "Mosquito Girl."

But that was beside the point.

As the monster that was formerly known as Mecha-King Ghidorah rampaged through E-City, which had become evacuated and deserted in a manner of minutes, destroying every building and obstruction in its path, a lone hero with a yellow costume and red gloves stood in its way, patting his white cape briefly. Genus found the man to be vaguely familiar-looking, but even so, he had to ask through the microphone...

"Hey, get outta the way! Do you think you can take on the might of my new Robot Dragon?! Who the hell do you think you are, peon?!"

And so the lone hero answered.

"Just a hero for fun... Well, actually, I guess I'm a professional hero now."

"Wh--" Genus only said, before comprehending who the hero was that stood in his way. Fear overtook his body and froze him for a minute as he would break into a cold sweat. It was him... the hero who took out Carnage Kabuto in only one punch! Why him?! Wait a minute... what did he have to fear?

After all, Carnage Kabuto didn't have even a hundredth of the strength that Mecha-King Ghidorah had! He had nothing to fear now! He may have been bested before, but that ended now! Now, he was a GOD! He was invincible!! With that being said, Dr. Genus broke into a mad laughter as he looked at Saitama on the screen display inside the cockpit.

"I see! You may not remember who I am, hero, but I remember you! Yet... that matters little, I suppose. After all, you will die here! I'll make sure of that personally!" Genus exclaimed, beginning to have the three-headed dragon move to look at Saitama menacingly, charging lasers in its three heads, "Once I destroy you, nothing will stand in my way! Not the Hero's Association, not random alien invaders, nobody! You'll see! You know, you really opened my eyes back then! I realized that human cannot evolve any more than they already have! Therefore, I will regress them to a more primitive state and recreate the cycle of life from there! I will--"

BLAM!!

Surpassing the speed of sound with little to no effort, Saitama suddenly disappeared from the ground. Genus didn't even have any time to realize Saitama was gone before he would realize what had just happened.

At godspeed, Saitama jumped into the air and dashed forward, punching through the entire body of the dragon and destroying it, the creature's blood flying everywhere as it screamed in pain. Small explosions rang out within the mechanical portion of its body, wounding Genus as well.

With that, the dragon, dead before it could regret its death, fell into the ground with a loud CRASH. Opening the cockpit hatch from inside, Genus could only pant heavily as the steam from inside was let out and he tried to comprehend what just happened. He gingerly stepped out of the cockpit and onto the body, but shock would render him unable to travel far before he would sink to his knees.

Did he just... one-punch my Robot Dragon? He could only ask himself in disbelief.

Did he just... destroy my chance at becoming God and resetting the balance of the world?

Genus despaired at his loss of power. That was it. No matter what, he was powerless. His power would always not be enough.

Meanwhile, Saitama, having landed safely onto a nearby building that had miraculously survived the ordeal, also despaired, but from a different reason. He despaired at his overabundance of power. He had too much power.

He was just... too powerful.

"Damn... I did it again... One punch was all it took."

"GODDAAAAAAMMIIIIIIT!"​

 

[Mu]

"Doesn't this remind you of something?" With the way things had gone, there was nothing that could be done for Mary. Wadanohara shifted her position on her staff, looking over her shoulder at Sal with a coy look. This feeling, the way Mary was beginning to shake in fear and denial. Her horror and her lack of memories. It was almost nostalgic, the witch felt like she was looking at the naiver, weaker version of herself, so long buried in the past. The small part of the witch that had earlier nearly felt sympathetic for Mary's plight died another death as she saw herself in Mary's place. Except they were different. Where Mary would probably fight and crumble to the way her ghosts and her monsters were haunting and hurting her, the Red Witch had embraced her fall. Was there any other action she could have done, back then?

"Brings back good memories, Wadda~" The way the little girl seemed to be panicking, running away from something she couldn't see. It was the face of someone being haunted by a power that not everyone would understand nor see themselves. Embedded in her mind, whatever dark thoughts she was having that might not be hers. Sal chuckled, it was much like Wadanohara's fate. The poor innocent sea witch with her little familiar friends in the Blue Sea, playing near the palace with cheery ol' Sal. Those memories were long gone, but they were still so vivid in his mind. It gave the shark that rush that he enjoyed so much. "I almost feel sorry for that girl, but at the same time I don't~ Heehee, I wonder what her future will be~?​

"Sal?" This time, the Witch spoke lightly, hopping off of her staff and holding on to it. She walked towards him, and with her little pale fingers ran a hand down his face. Leaning in, Wadanohara looked into his eyes which were still dripping blood red tears. She took in his poisonous little smile, and found herself entranced. Yes, this was her home, alright. The shades of red that formed the Sea of Death also shone in her partner's eyes. And as her home's most powerful witch, it would only be reasonable to help the Ambassador. There were a lot of other worlds that were interesting out there... "Let me come with you next time you visit another world, okay? This party is boring, maybe there are other worlds out there that are more fun." She let go of him, turning around and watching as Ghostface burst into maniacal laughter.

The white shark regarded her with his eyes, oozing the Sea of Death itself. "We'll see, dear~ It'll depend on the Princess and what my next visit details~" Sal looked almost joyous. Though sometimes he liked to travel himself, it wasn't like he would be able to stop Wadanohara in the first place. She had a tight grip on him in her own way, but even the Red Sea Witch knew that sometimes she needed to step down - just for a little.

"I have an offer you and Ghostface may like to hear. Because everyone wouldn't be too pleased with you now, you can come with me and Sal. How does a stay at the Sea of Death sound? Sal can travel between worlds, so there are other places to go if you don't want to go there, though."

"Yeeees~ You should come stay~ We have a wonderful ragtag of citizens." And of course the local punching bag, but Chrome and Ghostface really had no reason to visit that pile of trash. Oh, but they needed to give Samekichi that milk they had from the Doctor. A perfect concoction to get the reaction they needed!

Besides, people with bloodstained hands would fit perfectly in the Sea of Death. Arms wide open, accepting of whatever sins people have committed. Because sins are delicious.

Ghostface brightened up at the idea and slipped an arm around Sal and began to laugh.

"Oh, I love that idea, Chrome! Screw whatever I had in mind! This will be so exciting! We can learn so much about worlds beyond our own and maybe learn more about our friends here!"

NOW, NOW LET'S NOT GET TOO OVERENTHUSIASTIC, MICKEY. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THESE TWO OFFERING US A PLACE TO GO. BUT DON'T TREAT THIS LIKE A VACATION. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN TO BE THE BEST SERIAL KILLER YOU CAN BE, IT'LL TAKE LOTS OF PRACTICE AND YOU'RE GONNA DO WHATEVER THE WITCH ASKS OF YOU. IF YOU DON'T? THEN THERE'LL BE HELL TO PAY. SO, NOW THAT WE GOT THAT OUT OF THE WAY...

Chrome extended a hand towards the little witch in red and Ghostface offered his to Sal's..er fin.

WE'LL TAKE YOUR GRACIOUS OFFER.​

Sal clasped the offered hand with both his fins, shaking it lightly. "Glad to have you to join us~ We'll make your stay worthwhile, right Wadda~? We don't usually have visitors." That stayed temporarily, of course. At least Ghostface seemed enthusiastic on travelling to another universe entirely and try to become a better serial killer. And on the other hand Chrome was taking his deal with Wadanohara very seriously. Admirable.

@Hana @TheSpringwoodSlasher
​

 

[Ringmaster]

Epilogue: The Shareholders

No matter the world one came from, certain phrases and echoes repeated themselves time and again.

Deal with a Devil.

Tomes of Eldritch Lore.

Dark Gods and the Cults that venerated them.

Each one bestowing power and harvesting that most valued of mystic commodities that every Hell dimension dealt in on a regular basis. Souls. Incredible Potential for great Infamy and Sainthood, often from the same soul. Precious, delightful things that enhanced the power of those who claimed them and increased the legions of these dark dimensions. And all it took was a few trinkets and power for a day.

Mephisto, Mr. Dark, the Shadow Demons of the Bayou, the Ruinous Powers, Cthulhu- The list went on and on, of these dark powers, these.... Shareholders. Naturally, it was inevitable that they would integrate themselves as the Murder Games continued to draw certain forces together, their attention piqued as they negotiated and made alliances, all the while as they watched from the shadows.

When Silent Hill hosted one of these infamous games, they watched on in interest.

When the Coalition formed together, when the Blood Institute and Darth Revan sought power, they saw opportunity.

Akibahara and his death was an amusing sideshow, as well as a cautionary tale. His lack of any form of subtlety and his open attempts to consume ended up in everyone uniting against him in the end. They watched and they learned and when they were finally ready? They sent an agent of their own to participate in a Murder Game.

The Demon Lord Sweet and Isayama Yomi as his bodyguard.

A deal was struck with the Murderer and in exchange for his aide, a little testing of the waters? Sweet would divert attention away from the killer, thereby ensuring that the Coalition was weakened in future for their plans, if only a little. Every little bit helps and who knew that better, than demons?

What they gained was far more important, in the immediate sense anyway.

Form and shape meant nothing to them, but for communications sake, all parties agreed to manifest according to the rules of the dimension they crafted for this singular purpose. Guarded by their combined powers and the site of their meetings, whenever the Shareholders needed to discuss anything. It had been an hour since the meeting had started, with several items on the agenda checked off to the approval of the others.

One of them, with the plaque before his and his colleagues seat reading simply "Wolfram and Hart", continued his report.

"-In other news, we've news from our Agent returned from the hotel. Success has been reported and we've what we wanted in the first place."

He removed from his folder two items, one of which he placed before the body as a whole.

"The complete records of the The Sovionok Camp Murder Game and its participants."

Including two particular figures that the Shareholders had their eye on, which was the purpose of gaining it in the first place. Nicodemus was a very capable agent after all, as was Cornelius Alba after they obtained his Soul.

And it would be remiss indeed of the Shareholders, to discard two dangerous potentials after they were made aware of the multiverse as their images flickered above the table. One clad in a red leather jacket and blue kimono, in a stance of battle and eyes blazing, even in illusion. A sharp contrast to the other, a well-dressed gentleman with a smile like a knife and eyes like a tiger.

Continuing, the representative of Wolfram and Hart brought out the secondary folder.

"Second, the complete schematics to the trans-dimensional, stable portals the Hotel uses."

Non-magical, stable as well as reliable. Certainly, they could use magic but why waste it when you could accomplish the same, with a little investment? Between these two trinkets, plans upon plans would snowball and shatter worlds- As was their wont. All in all, an investment that bore fruit and from the direction of another Shareholder opposite, a question was asked.

"And we are as of yet, unknown?"

"Yes Mr. Nyarlathotep. Its widely believed our agent, Sweet was acting on his own. He's a powerful demon in his own right, so it'd be far from anyone's mind that he was working for us."

That seemed to be in order and at the table head, a soft spoken figure spoke into his mic.

"We'll put it to a vote then. All in favor of approving the new portal installments?"

Every hand raised without hesitation and the figure smiled contentedly.

Demons, Outsiders, Sadistic Fae and Ascended Psychopathic Gods. Lawyers.

The greatest collective of Stock Market traders and shareholders in the commodity of souls, all of whom were here tonight as an organization. Something to thank the Coalition for, in their paving the way for these team ups.

And this was just the beginning.


[Second Epilogue Incoming...]
​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

Slavya & Yulia
@The Tactician @Atomyk @Others

There was a different look on Slavya's this time as she spoke, despite the fact that she was trying to smile, there was almost a turmoil of emotions she was trying to express at the same time... When she finally spoke, her words seemed to harbor a tone that she hadn't ever been heard use before "Even if it doesn't fit you in your eyes... It doesn't change what I think... And... I think you're strong..." she said, it looked like she was about to say more, but, it looked like the trail was coming to a close... "We'll... Talk more when this is over... Okay?" she said, it was a little uncertain what she was thinking at the moment, but, maybe a later discussion may give some insight? Yulia seemed to don an indifferent expression, seeming to be trying to keep her cool as she waited for the final results of the trail...

....
......
....

After The Trail

@The Tactician

Slavya seemed a bit shaken up after the trail, but, she looked towards Hajime for a moment, as if remembering something... However, she was a little hesitant to speak at first, but, finally, she seemed to gather herself up, grabbing his hand as she tried to lead him to a more secluded place... It seemed like she really wanted to talk to him about something, but... That something was a mystery at the moment... Though, it seemed like it had something to do with what she had said before.

@Atomyk

Yulia in the meantime looked a little gloomy after the trail was over... Sure, they caught the culprit, or at least that seemed to be the case, but, she couldn't help but feel as if they had been missing out on something very cruicial, but, for the time being, she seemed to be looking for Idoun, maybe it was curiousity, or, maybe she wanted to find out something about that strange woman... But, nonetheless, she didn't seem like she was going to be leaving anytime soon, as long as she was on the lookout for Idoun that is.

​

As the trial drew to a close, he pushed away the end result of the debacle. He didn't wish to think of what would happen to Mary now, instead locking it away and focusing on Slavya. He didn't fight her as she led the both of them off to a secluded place, instead waiting until they were out of earshot of the others before speaking, "So.. Whatever this is about, it must be important, right? You usually don't act this shaken up or secretive..."

@york​

 

[C.T.]

Epilogue AKA Part One

"Ha. So some of you do have sense. Remarkable. You lot could have fooled me, but bravo. You have your justice. Hopefully." Kilgrave simply smirked, swiveling on his heel. "Come along Anya." He made note of the fact that she hadn't carved her wrists...a decision he was in line with. His earlier command had been too rash, he could still use this Spider-Girl in many ways. One of the hero types, under his sway. Like the good old days.

Clasping her hand tightly, he strolled right through the portal back to his world, bringing her right along. No goodbyes for anyone there, that would imply he cared the slightest for any of those people. The milquetoast, the violent, the arrogant, the crazy. Even the obedient, refreshing as they were, were only an indication that his control affected a small percentage. A sign of his weakness. That wouldn't do.

Popping back into New York amidst a crowded street, several dozen onlookers stopping in place at the sight of the portal. Kilgrave just continued on without breaking his stride. "You all saw nothing!" He bellowed over the din of traffic to all of them, letting that take care of itself. "Go about your day." A quick glance at the street names and he nodded, hailing for a taxi.

"Corner of 59th and Cherry."

With that done, he finally turned to his companion. "Well, Anya. That certainly could have gone better, don't you think?"

"Yes."

"How could that have gone better, hmm?"

"...If you died."

"Now now. That's not quite the hero thing to wish for, is it? Someone's death?"

"...No."

"So why then? A turn of hypocrisy?"

"Because you're not a man. You're a monster. The kinds mi padre used to tell me about in bedtime stories, the ones always vanquished in the end, no matter what. He always used to tell me that there was no way to get a good story, to do a good job, without embedding yourself in the dirt. And I haven't found anyone with a mind as dirty and wrong as yours. So when I get out--"

"Oh please. That's your justification? Flimsy hero bullshit? Hope all you want, Anya Corazon. No one has ever broken free from my control without my letting them...save one." His eyes glinted at the thought of her. "...You know what? Let's do that. After I get out of this hogwash outfit and into real clothes, I can see it now. You and her. We'll see how well your vaunted heroism works in that situation, won't we?"

He smiled.

She wished she could punch him in the face.

----------------------------

He could hear her now, drunken mumblings about crazy neighbors. The scent of heavy alcohol wafting off her person. The heavy thud as her door shut behind her. The piercing crash as her bottle of booze slipped through her fingers and shattered. Kilgrave could only find it in himself to chuckle at that, leaning on her desk.

Her first impulse was to run. But it was too late for that. He knew where she lived. No plane ride out of here. Her second impulse...also not good. If nothing else, she knew enough about this cold and calculating psychopath that he'd have safeguards in place if she made a move. If he got in here, he could have gotten any of her neighbors. Annoying as they are, they don't deserve that. As a result, she relaxed slightly. But only slightly. "What the hell do you want? I don't imagine it's to pay me for the bottle you just broke?" She snapped caustically.

"Oh Jessica, you can't blame me for that. You let the bottle slip, not me. Besides, that swill is where it belongs now."

"So what the hell do you want?" She growled, already having heard enough of his voice.

"We came here for fun. I came here for a show."

"...we?"

"Anya." His eyes shot upward for a split second. Before she could react, she felt something ensnare her on the back of the head, yoinked up a few feet before a resounding blow to the back of her skull sent her crashing back to the floor. "What the fuck??" She coughed out, rising unsteadily to her feet. Her eyes narrowed. Kilgrave was now standing, flanked by someone else. Black and silver, full body suit.

"Jessica Jones, Anya Corazon. Anya Corazon, Jessica Jones. It's funny, isn't it Jessica? You gave me something I had never experienced before. Wanting. A challenge. I thought you were special. The only one in the world who could match me. Inevitable. But imagine my surprise when I find out that this one-" He clapped Anya on the shoulder. "-She comes from a whole different world! Can you imagine. From what I've heard, there's a whole buffet of worlds out there. Endless. I got to thinking...just how special are you, really? Anya here has told me in fact, that you exist there too. Except there, you don't have black hair, you're a mousy brown haired woman. And she tells me my skin is actually purple there, can you even imagine?"

"Bullshit."

"Oh, believe what you will Jessica. That's not why we're here anyway. As I said, I came for a show. Anya here, this wonderful Spider-Girl, will be testing you. I must admit, I'm not sure who would win."

"I'm not fighting anyone that's not you."

"Well then, you'll be dying, Jessica. Are your heroic values locked away deep inside...worth more to you than your own selfish little existence? Also heads up--"

"-Whoops. Might I have forgot to mention she has a mean left hook? And a remarkable ability to blend into shadows. Spiders, such pests."

"You son of a bitch. If you're trying to manipulate me into fighting back--"

"Let me stop you right there, Jessica. Remember."

"If you don't fight back, no skin off my bones. You'll die, Anya will be dying inside her head with every blow she throws and I find out the truth. Which of you is truly better. You're both marvelous. Shame I can't have both, but what can you do?"

Kilgrave stood up, sliding on his newly gotten jacket and calmly striding off out the front door. "Anya, don't let her leave! And finish this, one way or another." He ordered over his shoulder.

"..." She exhaled. She had just gotten her window fixed and this time it was her body going through and shattering the window. Alright, this Spider-Girl needed to be dealt with before she got herself too deep into Kilgrave's clutches. A decisive blow to knock her out should do it. "Easier said than done." Jessica snarked, Anya already blending into the darkness quite well.
​

 

[Takumi]

Epilogue: Home Sweet Home

Arisu wasn't pleased that the person who got the mist votes was Mary, but what's done is done and it was over now. With a sigh the girl scratched the back of her while shaking it. She took a glance at those left and the few she had talked to during this crazy party got a small wave from the brunette before she entered a portal that would take her home.

She ended up walking out of her closet into her room. From the looks of it, it was just as she left it. After changing into something more casual and putting the dress away for another day, she made her way downstairs and went to the kitchen, found something to snack on and on her way up the stairs she paused once she heard a car in the driveway. This was soon followed by rushing footsteps and someone having a small struggle with getting the key to turn in the front door. Moments later, Arisu's sister entered with their mother following behind carrying bags.

"Hey, you're back! So, how was that party?....you didn't meet any gross boys did you?" Her sister asked with a frown at the thought of a boy talking to her sister.

Arisu smiled at the young girl.

"It was pretty memorable, but I was a bit busy solving a fake murder to focus on boys, Sinoji." She replied to the younger girl.

"Why don't you tell us about it after you help us put these groceries away?" Their mother smiled.

"Sure, but it's a pretty crazy story." Arisu chuckled as she followed the two into the kitchen and set her snack aside so she could help.

Maybe leaving some things out was the best option? Maybe just tweaking the story would be better. It's not like she'd ever end up in a situation like that again in her lifetime, right?

End

 

[CrunchyCHEEZIT]

-|| G A S T E R E P I L O G U E ||-
"Cut Content"

Welp.

That was it, it seems; the timeline has met its ending and the good doctors business was done. Everything seemed to go exactly as expected, even with the few "surprises" that emerged. He himself had no involvement in it at all, he was just a mere spectator.

Everything went perfectly fine, all the variables turned the right way and the experiment met the hypothesis.

Everything was exactly the same, and he didn't exist.

Ha, ha, that seems to be the theme of this story, isn't it?

The apparition gave a sigh and finished his drink, looking down at the ground in shattered thought. The world around him faded out as if it was never truly there in the first place. A presence that is stuck in a cruel limbo of existence and non-existence, life and death and everything in between. A distorted, hybrid face of time and space that can see, hear, feel, touch and smell everything across the withered book that you would perceive as reality.

Beyond every arch-demon

Beyond every sick, twisted bear

Every hero, every villian, every saint, every sinner, every innocent and guilty SOUL that ever walked the face of reality

All of this power, and yet he didn't exist, and he never existed, despite everything that they-- that you were told.

...

Well, there was still something left behind

Memory

...dad, whats that supposed to be?

YOU NEED NOT WORRY ABOUT IT

it looks pretty cool

WELL, IT WILL BE COOL ONCE I FINISH IT

DAD! SANS! LOOK, I MADE SPAGHETTI AGAIN! NYEH HEH HEH!

hey, do you smell smoke?

GOOD GRIEF..

The tiny piece of legacy that defies every rule of reality.

Legacy

..W.D., are you certain this will work?

YES, YES, ASGORE, I HAVE ALREADY TESTED IT

...And, your certain it will power the entire underground?

OF COURSE, DESPITE THE AMBITIOUS BLUEPRINTS, THIS INVENTION WILL BRING US ONE STEP CLOSER TO FREEDOM

If you say so, Gaster, I trust you. I..haven't doubted you before, I know better than to doubt you here.

Well, I will leave you to it. I believe I have another speech to make!

I WISH YOU LUCK, KING FLUFFYBUNS

Gaster...

HA HA HA!

ONLY JOKING WITH YOU, FRIEND.

Hmph!

Yet, in the end, it all becomes regrets and mistakes.

Regret

THIS ISNT GOING AS PLANNED

THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED

YET

I..

I DON'T THINK THIS IS GOING TO END WELL

...
...

ENTRY NUMBER SEVENTEEN

Well.

None of that really matters, does it? Just backstory and exposition for the future..but its all useless; why would you give backstory to something that never existed?

Gaster walked through the crowd, past Papyrus and past Melodia. He was clearly not in the mood for talking, or anything of the sort. Standing at the entrance, he turned around and gave one last look out at the crowd

Out at Papyrus.

The skeleton could make out only make out 4 words, and only Papyrus could make them out. No one else could understand it..

PLEASE
FORGET
ABOUT
ME

And he was gone.

But was he really ever there?

||THE END||

​