Evil Dead

*Her leg is squeezed in the elevator doors for a moment before the automatic safety feature kicks in, which most likely causes her to panic. In the lobby, the various students heading in & out now stop to briefly stare at them. Vanessa starts jamming the Door Close button, looking mad.*

Lara<I'm afraid that button does nothing.>
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Jane<Vaguely.>
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"Hey!"

*Down the hall, Euryale spots Mimiru, waves, & does a little jog to get to her, casting a wary glance at a passing cop & slowing down, as if she might get a ticket.*
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*There is nothing particularly out of the ordinary about the streets today. Occasionally, a few cars will pass by, heading in their general direction. Heading opposite from their general direction is a girl in a blue dress with a matching head scarf & a black bag. Up ahead, some guy in jeans & a black t-shirt sporting a ponytail & a fedora crosses the street, heading away from them.*

*Eve stares at the ground*
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Cameron:<You guys never found enough evidence that a break in occurred, right? And their daughter was attacked at about the same time. Again nothing. I don't think anything will be pursued in this case ether.>

*He looks right at her*

<Because there's something going on here. Those girls did exist.>

Astarte sulked in the corner.

It's a merry stroll.

Mimiru: "I guess we got done first."

S"...We've been in this elevator for a while. Where are we going?"

Lara<You should know by now, secrecy is invaluable. Ira has eyes & ears everywhere.>

*When the elevator stops, she steps out with Vanessa in tow & heads straight for the stairwell. Senthose, Thiera, & Lilith raise eyebrows & follow.*
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Jane<Are you accusing the department of corruption? Of a cover-up?>
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"Looks that way. Or maybe the priest & his lackey are already done, but they left? Or maybe--!"

*She looks around at all of the police.*

E"...When we get our stuff back, do you think anything will be taken as evidence?"

Cameron:<I don't know who's behind this, and I really don't want to believe it's you guys.>
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*Eve looks at the others then follows*

<I understand completely, I apologize for my earlier actions.>

Mimiru: "Anything seen as a weapon probably will be."

Astarte trailed after them.

Whenever Grimm and Stefan ended up at Astarte's home, they noticed her father's car still outside as he wouldn't have gone into work yet. After quietly telling Stefan not to say anything and to stay behind him, Grimm walked to the door and knocked sharply.

Jane<And who else would have the resources to do the kinds of things you're suggesting?>
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*She takes the stairs up instead of down & slides a card through the lock on the door marked "To Roof, Staff Only."

T"Are we allowed up there?"

Lara<Technically, the one who has the key is.>

*She pushes the door open & heads into the light.*
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"That would be bad. Do you think they can take our phones & stuff?"

Mimiru shrugs.

Mimiru: "I don't know. I suppose we'll find out at the door."

*Cameron shrugs, looking away*
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*Eve follows*

Astarte bit her lip and followed, anticipating some kind of calamity at any moment.

Jane<...If that's all, you're free to go.>
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"I guess you're right. That would be really bad. I don't think I have a replacement plan that covers things getting confiscated by the police."
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*It's windy & cold. The calamity! Lara shuts the door & walks around the stairwell that they just came through.*

Lara<There should be a vent down there. Shine a light into it to make sure you don't see any microphones, would you?>

*Lilith heads over & does that.*

L"All clear!"

S"So you took us up here so we couldn't be heard?"

Lara<And because we can see everything.>

S"And I suppose you have something for if the Shadow shows up?"

Lara<Bullets, laced with a little something special from the radiobiology lab.>

*Cameron gets up*

<Thanks...for everything.>

*I guess he leaves and heads out to Euryale and Mimiru*

<So how'd it go?>
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Eve:<Someone in the Black Forest may have had bullets like that.>

*She shakes her head*

<Anyway, could you explain your role in all of this?>

Mimiru: "Uncomfortable."

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Taiyo shivers, instinctively covering her stomach which should be covered if it's winter.

Astarte gripped her arms against the cold and waited for the explanation.

When Astarte's dad finally answered the door he told Grimm he wasn't buying anything, and was punched in the head. Stefan looked around to see if anybody was watching while Grimm beat the guy onto the floor just inside the door and kept going until he was unconscious.

S<You've been involved longer than you're telling us, haven't you? You had to have known about these things since before the beginning of this semester. You know way too much to have just learned about them.>

*She rounds the corner, crossing her arms.*

Lara<Yes, but I had no way of knowing that there would be an attack. You know, I can't simply say that I can't do my job because I might run into ghouls & goblins, but I still need the money.>

L"So that was you in the forest? Why didn't you show yourself?"

Lara<I was pursuing my own investigation, & not ready to leave yet.>
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*Grimm & Stefan may be surprised to see the darkness in the hallway drifting towards them as the Shadow comes into view.*
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E"They didn't say much to me. We should talk about this outside. I'll go get our stuff."

*She points her thumb back at the front desk.*
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*Azuma awakens to a stabbing, burning pain in his side. He then sees the doctor twisting his fingers into the wound in his side. Said doctor pulls off his mask & hair cap to reveal Roatha, who grins.*

"How does that feel, Mutt?"

*In the window behind Roatha, the moon shoots through the sky as though hours are passing by in seconds. As the shadows shift, & the room becomes brighter, he sees Grimm & Stefan in the corners of the room, both wearing surgeon's scrubs, similar to Roatha. In the silence between his screams & Roatha's speech, he hears clanking & muffled screaming.*

"I can't operate with all this god damned noise! Do me a favor & tell them to shut up."

*Roatha grabs Azuma by the hair & yanks his head so he looks over to the other bed. Aroma, Sab, & 3 adult males have been thrown onto the bed haphazardly & strapped in. The clanking is caused by them shaking the bed in their vain attempts to get free, & it becomes clear that the muffling effect is because duct tape has been applied in large X's over their eyes & mouth/noise region.*
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*Tirea instead finds herself in the cemetary, standing in front of the Aakin-Nense grave stone, or at least as close as she can get, considering that the plot of land has been left wide open. Grimm is standing behind the headstone, with Roatha & Stefan on either side, holding shovels. Grimm continues to stare solemnly into the grave, but Roatha looks towards her.*

R"Finally! We knew you were coming, so we left it open. Sorry, the doctor had to go to a meeting. Oh, but Stefan has something you'll need."

*At that moment, Stefan throws down the shovel, withdraws the bloody bayonet, & charges at her, raising it over his head in a gesture to stab down at her.*

Eve:<Why didn't you at least help us get out before returning to your research?>
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*Tirea runs the fuck away from the asshole with the pointing object*

So Mimiru goes with Euryale to retrieve her shit.

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This isn't real.

Azuma tries to take a swing at Roatha.

*Roatha grabs his fist.*

R"How would you know? Maybe I can read minds. Or maybe--just maybe--there's a little bit of truth in all of your nightmares."

*Stefan & Grimm advance, pulling out a hacksaw & a syringe, respectively.*
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*...And right into the Shadow. It shoves her in the grave. While she coughs up blood & blood also sprays out of her wound, she sees the face of her mother staring at her, gaunt, mouth open, eyes misty & unresponsive. Up above, Roatha & Stefan begin shoveling dirt on her, as Grimm sneers down at her.*

Grimm<God has a plan. And you're not part of it.>

*Her fingers & toes grow numb, & cold.*

Woman<We're losing her!>

Man<Why is she thrashing?>
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<I did. I shot the Shadow & led Azuma away from that large white creature.>
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*The lady cop looks up. Euryale gives a nervous wave.*

E"Um, hi. I was wondering if we could have our bags back?"

<What are your names?>

E"Well, I'm Euryale Rakshashi, she's Mimiru--"

<Stop. I see your names on the computer. I'm afraid that your bags have been confiscated as evidence, along with all of their contents. This includes the 2 who were taken to the hospital. There's a note saying that I should inform you that you won't need your phones, because we can always find a way to get in touch with you. Not sure what that's about.>

To be expected.

*Cameron shrugs and looks at the others two*
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*Eve looks at the ground to avoid looking at the doctor. She voice cracks a bit when she speaks*

<I...I see. How did you come to be involved in this in the first place?>
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*Tirea tries to stand up again, likely still coughing up blood, and looks down at her mother*

I'm sorry!

*She looks up at Grimm and the other two*

<I don't give a damn about your god or his plan!>

"Wait, is that really all you could do for us?" Astarte asked irritably. "Someone died out there."

Stefan yelped but Grimm reached out and grabbed his sleeve to stop him running away, and backed out of the door, "Go away, I need this one."

Mimiru: "Right...."

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None of this is real.

Azuma: "You're full of shit."

R"Oh? So I guess you're not REALLY hurt, we're not REALLY after you, & I'm not REALLY killing Aroma & Sab. Y'see? Truth in advertising. And I'll tell you something else: This is still gonna REALLY hurt."

*Stefan buries the hacksaw into Azuma's leg, & starts grating it back & forth, against the top of his kneecap. Meanwhile, Grimm jabs him in the neck & he feels like fire is spreading through his throat.*

R"Sleeping or waking, it really makes no difference, you'll suffer either way. There is no escape. And while we're here, what do you think the so-called 'real me' is up to? How long do you think it will take him to get around to playing with Mimiru, & what do you think he'll do to her?"
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*She falls back down, & is covered by dirt.*

???<Her breathing's stopping!>
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"I see...thank you, I guess."

*Euryale turns & heads out.*
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Lara<He wasn't the first or the last. I had a few close calls myself.>

*She pulls down her left stocking slightly to show a series of scars running down most of her calf.*

Lara<Deal with it. I wasn't unlike you when I first ran into monsters in the woods on a routine trip. I learned how to survive.>
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*They're going nowhere, because the door slams shut when they try. Notably, the Shadow's feet are not visible & it is gliding above the carpet instead of touching it. Once it's a few feet from them, it extends its hand.*

Mimiru heads out.

Mimiru: "What now?"

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He kicks at Stefan or whatever his name is.

Azuma: "I'll kill you!"