The message comes by carrier pigeon actually, which is a pretty weird way to deliver a message but of course, it's thematic. A very pretty looking brown pigeon swoops down out of the sky to wherever you just so happen to be that afternoon and holds out its leg. The message is short and simple:
You've been picked. Head to the Church this evening so we can talk.
- Hal
P.S. Might wanna burn the note. Ain't gonna help you any to share it.
And that's it. Of course, if you choose to listen to the message, you'll find the Sheriff sitting in the front pew at dusk. You'll be greeted with a tip of his hat and one word:
"Bandit."
And then he holds out a small notebook. Looks like you've been chosen to be the killer this week. Good luck.
The notebook only contains a few short rules as follows:
You are a Bandit. Your partner is also a Bandit. The two of you have been chosen to kill one of the townsfolk this week.
If you kill and get away with your kill, you will be rewarded.
If your partner kills and you help them to get away with it during the trial, you will be rewarded.
The one who kills may not reveal their victim to the other Bandit. You must tell me privately who your target is.
If one of you refuses to participate, neither of you will be rewarded.
If both of you refuse to participate, you will both be killed.
Both of you are allowed to kill.
You are allowed to kill each other instead.
You may not tell anyone you were here tonight or you will be killed.
... You're serious. [ well, it sounds like bullshit, but he'd dragged them here, hadn't he? And Ezio had said something about his family being threatened.
Sara doesn't really give a damn about bringing anyone back from the dead or changing her past or wiping herself from existence or living forever-- any wish or regret she has isn't one she wants to leave to the hands of who-knows-what.
Still, she sighs unhappily. Because that's a valid threat. ]
I was hoping you'd like me enough not to drag me into this, Hal... there aren't a lot of people right now I want dead. [ Or any, but-- ] Can you namedrop one of the killers from before or something?
[He's not exactly surprised. Honestly, he was just kinda waiting for it. The rewards don't interest him, not one bit. No matter how bullshit impossible they are.
But the threats... He doesn't give a damn what anyone does to him, but he'll do what he needs to protect his team. It wouldn't... be the first time he's killed for them. He was hoping that was gonna be the last. No such luck.]
...There's no one here I want dead either. But I guess that's... something.
[Maybe it'll feel less awful if he kills someone who maybe slightly has it coming, even if this isn't. what he does anymore. Welp.]
Well, I do like ya a lot, Sara. Same for you, Eliot. [ HAHA SUCK IT. ] I have positive opinions towards everyone here 'cept Ash. Ain't a soul I dislike.
[ A shrug. ]
But that's not how this works. I have a job to do, information to deliver, and a game to orchestrate. Just gotta do it.
I can give you the name of a killer as long as you assure me that it will be that specific killer you end up taking the like of. No asking and not following through or changing your mind when you hear who did it. Then I gotta punish you for not committing.
I can give Annabeth's killer since I know that's important to ya, Sara. Same for Lust, Eliot. You'd just have to assure me that you both kill them. That would be two bodies.
[ A hesitation and then, this is clearly an offering -- ]
... Annabeth's killer will be the easiest, this week.
[ Ugh. She's not happy about this, but taking care of Annabeth's killer means at least Percy will have one less burden on his shoulders. Even if she ends up being caught, she thinks, at least there's that. ]
All right, fine. I'd be happier if we only had to kill one person, but I'll leave that to Eliot. I agree.
[He rolls his eyes at the comment about how he likes Eliot, like ugh. Ugh, no, that's not what he wants to hear man. And man he wants to ready some snarky comment about all of this, when he mentions Lust.
So that... that makes him go quiet.
They have to kill anyway, that part's... kinda set in stone, isn't it? What's a little extra blood on his hands if it'll avenge her, right? That's no way to think, but the frustration of the past few weeks is really getting to him.
...Not like he's not going to hell already anyway, yeah?]
...
[Give him like a few more seconds to stand there like the stoic grump he is, okay.]
...Okay. [He can't even believe he's saying that.] Yeah. Lust's killer, I'll do that.
[ And then his expression falls flat again and -- ]
Russell killed Annabeth. He's in the stocks this week, so you have your choice over killing him or not. Chane killed Lust. If you don't kill them both this week now that you know this, I'll have you killed.
You have to tell me how you plan to kill them, folks. I can't be left in the dark about this. If you want to tell me in private, you may, but you have to tell me.
[Yeah neither of them are very happy right now. But this is familiar territory in some ways. "Need to know basis", all that crap, just... more sadistic.]
...I don't care about the location. Just need enough space.
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Sara doesn't really give a damn about bringing anyone back from the dead or changing her past or wiping herself from existence or living forever-- any wish or regret she has isn't one she wants to leave to the hands of who-knows-what.
Still, she sighs unhappily. Because that's a valid threat. ]
I was hoping you'd like me enough not to drag me into this, Hal... there aren't a lot of people right now I want dead. [ Or any, but-- ] Can you namedrop one of the killers from before or something?
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[He's not exactly surprised. Honestly, he was just kinda waiting for it. The rewards don't interest him, not one bit. No matter how bullshit impossible they are.
But the threats... He doesn't give a damn what anyone does to him, but he'll do what he needs to protect his team. It wouldn't... be the first time he's killed for them. He was hoping that was gonna be the last. No such luck.]
...There's no one here I want dead either. But I guess that's... something.
[Maybe it'll feel less awful if he kills someone who maybe slightly has it coming, even if this isn't. what he does anymore. Welp.]
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[ A shrug. ]
But that's not how this works. I have a job to do, information to deliver, and a game to orchestrate. Just gotta do it.
I can give you the name of a killer as long as you assure me that it will be that specific killer you end up taking the like of. No asking and not following through or changing your mind when you hear who did it. Then I gotta punish you for not committing.
I can give Annabeth's killer since I know that's important to ya, Sara. Same for Lust, Eliot. You'd just have to assure me that you both kill them. That would be two bodies.
[ A hesitation and then, this is clearly an offering -- ]
... Annabeth's killer will be the easiest, this week.
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[ Ugh. She's not happy about this, but taking care of Annabeth's killer means at least Percy will have one less burden on his shoulders. Even if she ends up being caught, she thinks, at least there's that. ]
All right, fine. I'd be happier if we only had to kill one person, but I'll leave that to Eliot. I agree.
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So that... that makes him go quiet.
They have to kill anyway, that part's... kinda set in stone, isn't it? What's a little extra blood on his hands if it'll avenge her, right? That's no way to think, but the frustration of the past few weeks is really getting to him.
...Not like he's not going to hell already anyway, yeah?]
...
[Give him like a few more seconds to stand there like the stoic grump he is, okay.]
...Okay. [He can't even believe he's saying that.] Yeah. Lust's killer, I'll do that.
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The selfish choice. I like it.
[ And then his expression falls flat again and -- ]
Russell killed Annabeth. He's in the stocks this week, so you have your choice over killing him or not. Chane killed Lust. If you don't kill them both this week now that you know this, I'll have you killed.
[ Yeah, you just got fucked. ]
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On the bright side, she was pretty sure that kid had killed someone.
But on the other hand-- ]
Shit.
[ NO????? ]
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Chane. [Well. Weeeeell. Damn. Okay.] ...Fine.
[Time to look at this like he did back when he still worked for Damien Moreau.
...Meaning ha ha time to be in denial and fucking hate himself you know how it is.]
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So, Sara kills Russell. Eliot kills Chane. Sounds about right? Any weapon preferences? Could set the kid on fire, if ya wanna be thematic.
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[ Look, the kid killed Percy's girlfriend, but she's not about to set a kid on fire. ]
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[Forgive him for being a little tense right now.
...Okay let's be real not that it's much different than normal, he's always kind of eternally pissed, so. Really.]
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I can't let you two just have two gunshot murders on the same night.
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[ Ugh. Okay, Sara, you're a calm adult. ]
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Kid's gonna be in the stocks, Sara.
[ . . . ]
Gonna use your hands, Eliot?
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[ Why is she here ]
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[what the fuck is a "chill" because he sure doesn't have any right now]
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You have to tell me how you plan to kill them, folks. I can't be left in the dark about this. If you want to tell me in private, you may, but you have to tell me.
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Never had to deal with this with Moreau.
[Eliot don't start ranking the people who tell you to kill.]
Yeah, I'm going in unarmed, does that work for you? Come on.
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Sara gets the gun. Eliot uses his hands. Alright. I can do that.
[ ... Then a slight pause and he scratches his beard. ]
I may need you to pick a location for the murder preemptively. [ ... ] It's a busy night for me, y'see.
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Why is it a busy night for you?
[ WHAT ARE YOU DOING, HAL ]
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Don't like the sound of that one bit.
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Just a busy night for me. Got stuff going on. Ducks in a row and all that.
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That about right?
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[ SHE'S SO NOT HAPPY. ]
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[Yeah neither of them are very happy right now. But this is familiar territory in some ways. "Need to know basis", all that crap, just... more sadistic.]
...I don't care about the location. Just need enough space.
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[ He pauses, considering. ]
Is that it?
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