THE FINALE - 【 ZERO 】 ESCAPE

[vivariummods]

It's been ten days since the so-called "anniversary" on Day 90. Every single trace of a makeshift casino has been cleared out, leaving this suspiciously identical second warehouse empty (and the doors within that lobby locked), and Calhoun has mysteriously stopped dropping by as often as he should have. In the rare times he did drop by, he hemmed and hawed about what was happening and outright avoided answering any questions, shrieking that he's a busy mouse and he shouldn't be harassed by test subjects. Thus, for nine whole days, not a single particular event has occurred. No Calhoun Hours, Ambidex Games, or even a little announcement. It's not until the morning of the tenth day that something finally transpired. A loud siren goes off and the sound of a heavy door being slid open echoes from the second warehouse's lobby. Within seconds, however, both nuances cease and silence returns...

Comments

[babel_hacker]

Take a good shot--no!

[Despite his anger, Atsuro doesn't have it in him to harm another person on purpose. And without being forced into it.]

Look, I want answers! After what you pulled, who wouldn't want to know what's going on in your head?

[toybombs]

Isn't it obvious enough already?

[Her voice is calm and to the point. Nothing like the stuttering, timid tone she used before.]

Zero offered me my freedom if I betrayed you. So, I took it.

[There isn't any sense of remorse. She did what she thought was right at the time, and it turns out, it wasn't.]

[babel_hacker]

And you believed him?

[Calhoun did say he would honour his word, so would the same goes for Zero himself? (Or herself).]

[toybombs]

We made the deal when we investigated that room with the alarms. He already knew about the robot. My job was to get it into the room so he could deal with it.

[Which... he presumably did, once it left through that door. He'd gotten her, at any rate.]

Whether or not I believed him, it was obvious we weren't going to be able to escape. On the other hand, I didn't have much to lose, and if he kept his end of the bargain, I could actually ensure my own survival.

So, I took a chance on his word.

[And now she pays the price.]

[babel_hacker]

You took a chance and now you're here with us.

[He can follow her reasoning. Morally speaking, he personally wouldn't go for it. But he knows why people would accept it, like her.]

You're still alive, but I guess this proves we shouldn't just make a deal with Zero so easily.

[toybombs]

He's about as trustworthy as you would expect.

[Honestly, this isn't so much a surprise as it is infuriating. Predictable? Yes. Annoying? Very.]

Either way, I don't plan to trust him again in a hurry, if that's what you're worried about. After that little blunder, I've decided to change my approach to all of this.

[babel_hacker]

[That's not surprising at all. So his next question is reasonable.]

What are you going to do next? Beside dealing with everyone who wants to talk with you.

[Or tie her up, but that's kind of unspoken.]

[toybombs]

I don't exactly have many options, do I? I can't trust Zero anymore, and if I want to get out of here alive, my best bet is to cooperate with the rest of you.

[She still wants to survive, after all. But more than that...]

...I don't plan to let him get away with this. I'll make him regret betraying me, no matter what it takes.

[babel_hacker]

... Okay. In that case, I'll at least try to cover for you. I don't want us to waste time fighting.

[Which they probably don't have a lot of. Or they do, but how would they know... But if Zero knew who cut off the power...]

So until we're out of here and deal with Zero, let's work together.

[toybombs]

[...Goodness. That didn't take much convincing. Not that she's about to complain, though.]

So, then... If the others come after me...

You won't let them hurt me, will you? I'm much more useful when I don't have to think through the pain.

[babel_hacker]

That's right... Whatever I think, I know that we can't afford to waste our time fighting each other. And... who knows, we might need your help later?

[Like some skill she only have. Or her size would help with, such as back when she crawl through the vents...]

So I'll help protect you, Rio.

[toybombs]

[That gets one of her old smiles back!

Although, is that really a good thing?]

You're a very kind person, Atsuro!

[Even if it's a relationship based on making use of the other, she's fine with that. It's a fair trade for being able to live.]

[babel_hacker]

[Should he feel happy about getting that smile? He doesn't know if he should, but he smiles back a bit.]

Thanks? [He'd still offer it, even if she didn't betray them.] At least I try to be!

[Necessity trumps personal feelings right now. And he's okay with mutually using each other. It's an easy to understand relationship he can expect most things from.

Assuming she won't betray again.]