Accountability.

[ratingspoint]

"Killswitch? I 'left Alphys to die'? Please, darlings, don't tell me you actually buy all these tired old storylines..." It's been a few weeks since that particular voice has been heard by anyone in the Vault; it's sharp, flamboyant and incredibly familiar, and it's coming from the same place the Kingmaker's always seems to - nowhere and everywhere at once, piped in through some unseen system. "You know, normally I'd balk a bit at being dragged out in front of all of you for another trial, because I think you all know by now how much I hate repeat performances. Fortunately, there's a difference, isn't there? Between now and then... And if the crowd cries for an encore, who am I to deny it!" There's a panel of wall behind that balcony, one that slides open quickly and easily; the pair of people that emerge from it...well, they're different than anything the Vault has seen so far, that much is obvious. The first is reasonably slight in frame, his hair and his clothing bright in color; he's resplendant in...just about every tacky accessory Caren unwittingly brought with her to the Vault - with the exception of the bra, naturally. Because we've got to have some dignity here, clearly, even if that dignity doesn't extend to the fucking leopard-print bucket hat currently sitting on his head at a jaunty as hell angle. His expression is intense and deeply manic, his body shaking a bit and fists clenched at his sides as though he's trying to keep himself from laughing, from lashing out and hitting the wall, from doing something to relieve some of it, but his eyes... ...His eyes, though. His eyes are dead as hell, his stare cutting and utterly devoid of emotion all at once. And the second...well, he's familiar, though it seems his avatar has changed quite a bit since the last time you saw him. It's something more suiting, let's put it that way. He's the one leaning over to greet you now, hands braced tight against that railing spanning the length of the balcony. "Beauties and gentlebeauties, I'm pleased to introduce to you our hosts for the evening! First of all, the Kingmaker, without whom none of this would have been possible!" And that gets a sweeping gesture to his side, where the ginger just...enthusiastically pumps his fist in the air, and that's when the laugh escapes him, harsh and uncontrolled. "It's about time!" Mettaton tosses his head a bit at that; he doesn't laugh himself, but he seems pleased enough with it before he continues. "As for me? Well, I'd like to wish you good evening and good luck - both sentiments straight from the King of the Underground! Try to make this good for us, all right?" "Make it cool!" "...Sweetheart, really." ...Right, well! Let's begin, shall we?

Comments

[ratingspoint]

...She's right.

[And that's...quieter, really.]

I said during my trial a few weeks ago that a human killed the strongest we had. They killed multiple monsters that were trying to spare them.

It has nothing to do with lying down and dying, or expecting forgiveness, and everything to do with the fact that I fully expect to die at the end of this because that's just what you do. Even if we were to repent and spare you, who cares?

It doesn't matter. Think what you want. You don't care and neither do I, and that's how things are going to be.

[cherryblooded]

...I'm so sorry, my dear.

[He could argue against it - that he's different, he doesn't want Mettaton to die. And he doesn't. But it doesn't matter.

Because he knows he's one man against nine, and if it comes down to that, there's nothing he can do.]

[notjustawriter]

I.....

[That cuts him off, quickly. He doesn't know what to say, knows there's nothing he can say.]

[isafraid]

... Can I ask something?

[ratingspoint]

...Of course, sweetheart.

[isafraid]

... [He breaths in and out.] The point of this show you've thrown. Was it about revenge?

[amygdalae]

[The question has Bruce going very, very still.

Better answer well, Mettaton.

He's listening.]

[ratingspoint]

...If you want me to be honest, I don't know.

[And that's...again, it's quieter, and it's a bit slower, like he's trying to actually put thought behind it instead of manufacturing some sort of answer out of nowhere.]

It was...I think it was always intended to be my last show. I have nothing to go back to, and the one person I might have genuinely cared about at the time was dead for the second time. And I...there wasn't any waking her up, either, after she died.

[He shrugs a bit at that.]

Your friends are still alive somewhere. I can see their souls. But hers was gone.

After you've killed people as long as I have, and after you've had as many important people die as I have...you stop caring. You want to inflict some pain back. Is that revenge? I genuinely don't know. But it was never anything personal against any of you, and it wasn't part of some convoluted plan of mine to take revenge on humanity. I just...I wanted to go out performing for people, and I wanted to hurt someone. I don't know.

I don't know.

[greatestcool]

Mettaton...

[He looks really worried, but he'll turn his attention to Speedwagon.]

Yeah, I might as well confirm it wasn't revenge for me either. I didn't even realize I was hurt by Silver's death until after everything was said and done. I was just here because I couldn't go home and this sounded like fun.

[cherryblooded]

[...]

May I come up there?

[amygdalae]

...that is revenge.

[Bruce's voice is quiet. Very quiet.]

You want to hurt others because you want them to notice, you want them to know. You want somebody to know what you feel, what you experienced, what you've lost. You want them to suffer so that you don't suffer by yourself. You want them to hurt because it might lessen the pain you feel inside.

[He knows this feeling so well... so very well. All too well. It's why the Hulk exists, why there's always the anger, the pain, the hurt. It'll never fade as much as he wishes it would.]

You just wanted somebody to notice you... and to understand you again, like she did.

[sleepingkogoro]

...what you feel happens way more often than most people think.

[Yeah, Mouri has heard it before...cases like those spread through the police force and in the media. Being a detective has its perks when it's about hearing deeper stuff about cases]

I won't ever say what you and Uryuu-san did here was right in any way, no matter what you felt, but it isn't completely your fault or Uryuu-san's.

What I said in your trial to you still stands, Mettaton-kun. I don't know how this game will end, but if it somehow ends well enough for you and Uryuu-san there's still a chance you won't feel as hopeless as you feel right now. It may not be just after it ends, it may not be in the day or that week, but it is bound to happen.

For now me and the rest will try to see what is there to be done in this last trial, so I suppose there's nothing else to be said for now about this, at least from me.

[isafraid]

...You might call it revenge. Or vengeance, one or the other. It all depends on how you're looking at it.

[He wasn't sure. Maybe they just blend together.]

It's the need to get one last stab at the world that wronged you. It took away what you loved, so you had to do something about it, anything that would matter at least in the end... And, I'm sorry. Honestly, I'm sorry for what's happened to you, Mettaton.

[Looking at Mettaton now - right now, he's... it's hard to describe.]

And from what I've heard, your Alphys didn't deserve one whit of what happened to her.

[goodforsomething]

It doesn't matter, because you're not gonna suddenly spare us outta the blue.

What that human did was fucked up. But we've got nothin' to do with them. This is between us and you, and you're the ones who put us all in this situation to begin with! You even put Cherry in it, and you know how he feels! If you're plannin' on makin' us kill you to live, then that's on you.

[cherryblooded]

Really, it's...

[He has no idea what he was going to say, so he falls silent.]

[notjustawriter]

...Even if we did spare him, he'd just turn around and kill us, wouldn't he?

[sleepingkogoro]

The current king decides what to do with the past kings. If we win the trial we would be able to decide what to do with them, because I suppose we'd gain control of Glory. Glory could follow the order we give her, and she'd deal with these two in the way we choose.

I suppose this only ends when one or more of us manage to reach that title. We already know more than one person can win the game. I don't know how serious is the danger we are in once we win, but that is something we'll have to deal with once we get there.

The problem is how we'll triumph here.

[Because that is what Mouri is not sure about right now, yeah]

[notjustawriter]

How the hell are we even crowned "king" here, anyway? There are ten of us.

[captainobnoxious]

And there's two of them right now. It doesn't matter how many people have the title, that's all it is.

[... As for how, who knows.]

[sleepingkogoro]

That is what we will have to find out, I suppose.

[ratingspoint]

I never said that I was planning on anything. If Ryuunosuke said that, I didn't catch it.

[goodforsomething]

Piss off, you implied it. Unless you were just talkin' like that to fuck with Cherry.

[In which case, still piss off.]

[ratingspoint]

I asked why I would offer anything like that. Given that you're all so bent on killing me anyway, why would I offer something like that is a completely valid question.

[notjustawriter]

I.....

I killed one of the only people who has ever genuinely understood me. He was my friend, I was his friend.

It was a fucked up situation, I regret doing it. I regret that I didn't have a choice. He knew I didn't, I'm sure he was just as intent to kill me for the same reason.

Survival, nothing else.

[goodforsomething]

There you go. [Stan gestures at Gabriel.] If you wanted to, you could give the people that do care a choice.

You're right - I don't care about either of you. But I care about them. Not promisin' they could change my mind, but if it was important to them, I'd at least hear 'em out.