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[Zeta Eight is accusing the reaper.]

Really, she had no interest in who she would be after this ordeal. She heard in someone's shout, (had it been Harry's?) that it wouldn't be worth it, to live with yourself after it all, knowing and doing what you've done. She hadn't been listening, at this point. Everything was going to s**t. Everything. Chaos was descending, and she could feel it clutching at her chest, ripping at her fragile mind. And it was fragile -- she could pretend otherwise, but really, none of them could deny any different! They were all coping with a situation that made them animals, and their humanity couldn't cope. She couldn't cope. Zeta Eight, whoever she was, had clung to rational and order and an unbiased, unfeeling cynical outlook. Eta 'Hermione' had effectively butchered that sanctuary, and Gamma 'Harry' was propagating the crack. She wanted her mace in her hand. She wanted control. But it was not going to happen. At this point, things had degenerated too much.

They were all going to die.

No. No. No.

"I will kill you all... if you don't shut up..."

Digging her fingertips into the surface of the table, she clawed at it as she brought them inward, turning her hand into a fist. In an only vaguely active part of her brain, she heard the sounds of some of the other Phoenixes speaking up, accusing the reaper. It wasn't smart -- she remembered what had happened when they'd gone against death pony -- but it was something. So she straightened, forcing herself into steely composure, staring hard at the hooded figure.

Ask not for whom the bell tolls.

[Zeta Eleven is accusing the cloaked figure! I'm out of order? YOU'RE OUT OF ORDER.]

Whoever Zeta Eleven was, it probably wasn't a big moment kind of guy.

He had been perfectly happy to listen to everyone argue, screaming over one another, alternating between accusing and defending. The furor was angry, frustrated, full of raw nerves, but the sheer amount of facts being presented were like music to Eleven's ears. He felt like he could lose himself in them, and spend the next five days trying to figure out who among them was a traitor. It seemed like a solvable problem, a puzzle he could figure out that wouldn't have to involve him shooting anyone. Someone would still be dead by the end of it, but it would at least be very hands off.

But of course, all good things had to come to an end... Zeta Eleven could only watch as Gamma Three climbed the table.. followed by Eta Four.. and Alpha Seven... and a coalition of children of all different colors and creeds, singing in unison and holding hands as the power of love burst forth from their chests and slayed all the discrimination in the world.

Maybe that last part didn't happen, but it might as well have. Zeta Eleven wasn't exactly moved. He remembered the last time he had tried to maneuver outside of the island's set of rules. It had resulted in fire. Very bad, very hurtful fire. The entire reason he had shot Alpha Ten in the first place. Survival at all costs. The logical choice. Nothing personal.

And yet...

He remembered the guilt. He thought he had claimed the life of another human being, all to obey the rules of some game he didn't understand the rules of. The regret tore at him, ate away at the edges of his mind, intruding on every thought. He couldn't escape it, and as much as he was shocked and horrified to discover that Alpha Ten was still alive, there was the smallest part of him that was relieved.

Zeta Eleven grit his teeth. Reaching across the table, making sure to avoid the pairs of legs now cluttered around the paper and pens, he grabbed a note card from the stack. He wasn't one for rousing speeches or bold declarations. He wrote a simple 'Cloaked Figure' across the card before pushing his vote forward, quietly throwing his lot in with the more vocal members of this little rebellion.

So... did this mean they weren't doing the wizard thing anymore? No commitment, these people.

(( A5 is changing his vote and accusing Gamma Three ))

Now that was just childish. Fiver blinked for a moment and then he started laughing. Laughing at the idiot flipping him off. This whole entire thing was like some kind of ******** up soap opera at this point.

Reaching into the middle of the table, he grabbed his piece of paper back, scribbled out "E-13" and wrote instead, "Gamma Three". Somebody wanted to draw lines in the sand? Fine. He could do that. But hopefully in a more permanent way than just holding up a middle finger and name-calling.

He hadn't seen personally what happened to those who tried to argue with and attack the Death Pony, but Three had told him about it later. Play with fire ... get burned. No way was he accusing the cloaked guy.

As for the other idiot spouting off at him. "I don't care if anyone wants to live in a fantasy or whatever. My POINT is that none of us remember a damn thing. So how does she? It's not about the pretending. It's about remembering the thing to pretend. Learn to listen before just going off at me, kay?"

With both arms slung hastily around Alpha Seven's neck, Eta IV grappled higher to get a wide view of the room. She paused for a moment when he recognized her poetic verbiage. "I know," she said sagely, nodding.

Crawling up so that one leg was draped over each of his shoulders, Eta IV tried to survey their domain. What she got was an earful of insults hurled between Gamma III and Alpha Five -- and G3 was throwing out some colorful stuff. Eta IV leaned in to A7's ear and whispered, "Is she allowed to say that?" She didn't know if there were any rules of verbal banter. She also doubted she would have been able to come up with 'sopping bag on v****a' on her own.

Was Alpha Five still talking? "Alpha Five," she said, pointing one hand at him. "Douche." The jury was still out on her identity -- be it fantastic wizard or otherwise -- but she knew one thing:

She was so not on that guy's team.

Whatever the rulemaker had to say to them, Eta IV was ready to hear it. She had snatched an extra piece of cardstock before scaling the shoulders of Alpha Seven. Using a pen and her own arm for support, she scrawled "The Cloaked Rule-Giver" down on the paper and folded it, tossing it into the box.

Hey. She still followed rules, okay. Even if she was tempting fate by throwing the impossibility of the situation back in the face of the figure that had brought them all here.

A-Two thrilled as person after person stood up in agreement - agreement! - with her. Ah, yes, people chorusing in agreement with her... yes, she remembered that. And she liked it.

"Like, deal with it!" she announced, standing up and leveling one finger at the hooded figure.

Wankersville: Population - Alpha Five and Zeta Eleven.

How could you, Cho?

Didn't she remember?

(Zeta Five is Accusing Alpha Four)

Zeta Five's head felt like it was exploding. First fighting about everything then suddenly they all accusing their host? He said one of THEM were the traitor. It made no sense to turn on him! Hadn't they learned their lessons? They were literally playing with fire.

He didn't know who the traitor was. Not really. All he knew was that one of them was going to die. Someone would fall prey to his scythe and it would be the person with the most votes. It didn't matter who choose what or who really was the triator. This was just like how they were going to kill before by drawing straws. Who ever had the most ballads had the short end of the stick.

And what he wanted was revenge for Fiver's death. He was tired and wanted this to be over. He took paper in hand and scrawled Alpha Four on his paper before folding it and slipping it in the ballad.

He hoped no one he was with died. His fingers landed on Fiver and Three's legs. Just to know that they were still there. To comfort them even though he was the one needing comforted.

Fiver needed to stop making an a** out of himself. He watched the proceedings with tired and sad eyes. No one really deserved to die. Or maybe they all did. Maybe they were all criminals and this was their punishment. To fight each other to the death and who ever came out on top was just... the most evil of the lot.

He didn't know but it made him shut his eyes and wait. He would listen. Hope he picked right and hold onto his friends like they were his lifeline.

They were.