Theatre Room
This room appears to be a massive theatre. Countless seats litter the room, more than the silly little cast could ever fill. You seem to have come in through the lower entrance, right next to the stage...there looks to be an entrance to the upper floor somewhere, but it's inaccessible for now.
The Destroyer: "Ooh, you all got here fast!" The Destroyer comments, seeing everyone line in. Most of them had a confused or annoyed look on them.
"Like Pavlov's dogs, you are! Conditioned to come when my bell tolls!"
Rue: "Who is Pavlov?"
The Destroyer: "Irrelevant!" It replies. "We have more...pressing matters. The fact that all of you seem to be at each other's throats, but nobody's dealt the killing blow!"
Clober: "I mean, someone tried to..." She speaks, her voice sounding slightly less confident then normal.
The Destroyer: "Well trying isn't doing, in my book!" He says. "You all need a push, a helping hand! And so, I'll give you...a second motive."
It spins in the air, giggling. "But, huhu...in reality, my motive has already taken effect! I've given one of you a special gift, after all!"
Ivan: "S-Special gift!?" Ivan chirps up. "What the hell is it? Can you tell us that at least!?"
The Destroyer:
The Destroyer: If he could wear a shit-eating grin in his current form, he would.
Firestarter: "Cmon! You can't just give us a motive and be this damn ominous about it!"
The Destroyer: "Oh yes I can! That's part of the motive, you know! The mystery, the intrigue...how about you discuss what this gift I've given one of you is? Surely the gift giver will be open to telling you..."
And with that, he poofed. He was just...gone. Like always.
Tarnish: "...So," Tarnish speaks first, turning towards everyone else with his hands on his hips, "Who has the gift? No need to be shy, we can strike down this motive just as easily!"
...
...
Nobody speaks up.
Arsenic: "Really!? Nobody!?" Arsenic cries. "Oh, I bet one of you's staying quiet because you want to kill us all!"
Don: "Gh-Gh!" Don seems to choke as he tries to speak. "Wait, didn't you want to kill me!? Maybe you got it, and are diverting the blame! Ahah..."
Arsenic: "Don't accuse me! Don't fucking accuse me!" Her tail clashes on the ground as she runs over to him. "I will beat the shit out of you, right here-!"
MX-Z0: Mixzo steps in front of Don, gun drawn again. She points it. "Stand down. Now."
Arsenic: She stops mid-sprint, growling. "...You two. Both of you! Just gonna keep defending that dumbass, huh!?"
MX-Z0: "He is my parental figure. I will not let him come in harm's way."
Don: "...Hhaaah-"
Arsenic: "Parental!? You're a goddamn robot!"
Hitori: Hitori peeps.
"Uh, guys-"
MX-Z0: ...There's a glint in her eyes. One that hasn't been seen before. Her voice sounds sharper as she responds.
"Stand. Down."
Stranger: "Mixzo..."
MX-Z0: She blinks, turning to look at Stranger.
Stranger: ...He has a worried look on his face, reaching a hand out slightly...but can't bring himself to say anything else.
MX-Z0: ....She glances back at Arsenic...and sighs.
"We are not going to start a fight here. With any of us."
Paradi: "...I don't think those wishes are going to last long."
MX-Z0: She instantly snaps her head to glare at Paradi. "What?"
Paradi: "Well, I do agree with Arsenic, somewhat." They waltz over.
"That whoever has this gift wants someone dead, and probably has for a while."
Ivan: "B-But why!? What motive would they have to kill, if it doesn't involve Don specifically!?"
His every feather is standing on end, with even his bad eye partially opening again with fear.
Paradi: ...They walk over to Ivan, now.
"We've been here for awhile, my former accomplice," Paradi purrs. "We've formed...friendships. Acquaintances...enemies."
Ivan: It's getting worse. The feeling is getting worse. As Paradi steps ever closer, to the point where he can see the small cuts and scars on their white face...
Hitori: "G...Guys! Uh-"
Paradi: ...They smile.
"Don't you remember what you killed for, Ivan? Trying to prevent everyone from learning about Lotus's involvement in the...oh, what were they called again?"
They twirl backwards, scratching their chin.
"...Ah! I remember. The Prophet Experiments."
Stranger: Everything goes quiet.
As if the air itself stopped blowing, the realization hits everyone's minds like a truck. And Stranger, with a tilt of his head, says in a hushed whisper:
"What...what is...?"
Paradi: They hear his quiet question, and smirk. "The Prophet Experiments. A series of experiments done by the faction's top scientists, intent on creating a prota able to commune with gods...which ended in the torture and death of 120 innocents. A famous scandal, publicized quite recently. And Lotus..."
They pause for a moment...as if to savor this final moment.
"...Lotus was the deciding vote to continue with the project."
Ivan: "Y-You..."
Ivan hisses with a screech, breaking the silence that had infected everyone. "How do you know that!?"
Paradi: "Because you just confirmed it for me, Ivan."
Ivan: ...
He can't take it anymore. "You...You motherFUCKER!"
He practically pounces on Paradi, his eye almost glazed over in pure, feral hate, as he claws Paradi across the face. Blood flies into the air, panic sweeping the onlookers.
Stranger: "IVAN!! STOP!!" Stranger cries, but it's on deaf ears. Ivan doesn't stop, scratching them again, and again, until-
Stranger: BAMN.
Stranger rams his entire body into Ivan, forcibly pushing him off of Paradi. Ivan yelps.
Ivan: "Why are you defending them!? WHY!?"
Stranger: "I'm not defending them! You're doing EXACTLY what that damn prawn WANTS!"
He's never spoken this loud, or with this much force, before. It hurts his voice, but he doesn't seem to care.
Ivan: "I DON'T CARE ANYMORE! I DON'T!" He snaps back, tears pouring down his face. "You...you made Lotus die for NOTHING! You BASTARD!"
He sprints into a full-on charge, racing out of the theatre room with reckless abandon. All that remains is everyone else, the blood on the carpet...and a tension that has yet to dissipate.
Stranger: He's panting. Simply that small confrontation looks to have taken a lot out of him, and he glances over at Paradi on the floor. Three large claw marks cover their face.
"...Someone get this guy some bandages. Please."
MX-Z0: "I will do so. Don, do assist me."
She walks over to pick Paradi up, while Don hesitates...before eventually following as well, letting out a murmur of a giggle despite it all.
Hitori: ...
Hitori also runs out, saying nothing. There's a determined look in that mimic of an eye they have.
Dax: "...What happened?" Dax asks. There's an air of innocence to their voice as they stare at everyone.
Stranger: "...Something, bad, Dax." He sighs. "...I don't want anyone here to get hurt, alright? Please...no more fighting."
Arsenic: ...She looks away, guilty, before glancing at Firestarter.
Firestarter: "...We can go burn more things if you'd like-"
Arsenic: "Please."
The two depart, their demeanor less confident than usual.
Tarnish: ...He's quiet. For once, Tarnish can't bring himself to say anything. He stares at his own two hands...and a little bit of a tear wells up in his eyes.
Stranger: "Tarnish."
Tarnish: "Huh?"
He quickly looks at him.
Stranger: "...You alright?"
Tarnish: "...I'll..."
He looks at Rue. And then, Dax. Rue's expression is unchanging, minus his gaze being towards the ground, and Dax is still questioning things in their mind.
Tarnish lets out a little smile.
"Oh, I'll be fine. I've got my "normal gang", after all!"
Dax: "...Yeah. We're that. I'm the leader~."
Rue: "Correct. And-"
Before Rue can continue speaking, Tarnish pulls both of them in for a hug. Rue gasps as he's pulled in.
Tarnish: "And nothing can keep our spirits down!"
He laughs...it's a bit hard to get it out, but he tries anyways. The sound of his jolly laughter seems to bring a smile to everyone still present...including Rue, however faint.
Stranger: "...Good, good." He replies, turning the other way "...The rest of you?"
Seven Stones: "...Tired," he says. "Mostly, at least...I'm gonna go lay down."
He departs, limping a little bit from the apparent grogginess.
Clober: "Uhm...W-Well, they, they deserved that...right?"
She was mumbling to herself as she also, slowly, wandered out of the room, biting the tip of her finger as she did.
Stranger: And after a bit of banter, the "Normal Gang" also heads out, heads held high despite the situation.
...Leaving Stranger alone.
...
...
He walks onto the stage. The ceiling is so high above him...it looks as though it could reach to the heavens.
...
Something about it...it overwhelms him. Tears fall from his eyes.
Then streams.
Then a waterfall.
He sits there, at the center of that dimly-lit stage, having burst into tears. The reality of it all hits him all at once. The treachery, the hopelessness, the violence, the fighting.
The hate.
It feels like an everpresent abyss, crushing his soul into nothing. He's felt bad before, but never this bad. It's too much. It's too much. It's...
...A hand. Someone touching his shoulder.
MX-Z0: Stranger lifts his head from where it was buried, and looks up to see the face of Mixzo.
"...Stranger? Are you okay?"
Don: "Is...Is he?"
Stranger: Upon seeing her face, he just bursts into tears all over again. He can't even find words; all that can come out are whimpers.
"I'm...so...stupid..." He manages to stutter out, all of his energy drained.
MX-Z0: "No you aren't," She responds, "You're doing your best. We all are. None of this is your fault, Stranger."
As the prota's tears continue to fall, she walks around him to meet Stranger in the eye. "Stranger...look at me."
Stranger: Slowly, he raised his head again....oh, those pink eyes of hers...
MX-Z0: "...You're my best friend, Stranger. I didn't know what it was like to have one of those...but I know it's you."
Stranger: "...Really?"
Don: "Oh, yes! I quite like you, too, ahah...!" Don chimes in, standing next to the two of them. "I-I don't know you too well...but despite the current climate, you're admirable...is that the right word?"
MX-Z0: "...Yes, dad."
She beeps a bit. "...That point is, you're not responsible for everyone, okay? I can't say everything will be fine...but for as long as it can, I will try to help you."
Stranger: ...He sniffles. "...Look at me, crying this much...I don't know why it feels so crushing, Mix. I really don't."
MX-Z0: ...
Wordlessly, she hugs him.
She tries to recall how he did it. How his embrace captivated her, and took all her worries away. She tries to replicate it, gripping this ball of a prota with a comforting force.
MX-Z0: "I don't know either. But I'm here. And...we're going to get through this, somehow."
Stranger: "..."
The cold metal up against him would normally be uncomfortable. But right now, it's something he can believe in. Something he can rely on. Slowly, he wraps his arms around her in return.
"Thank you."
Don: ...Don also joins in, hugging both of them at once in a rather awkward pose.
Stranger: "...Heh. Thank you too, Don."
Don: "...Hahahh..!"