84

[perfectsymmetry]

[ACTION: Are you new in town? Wandering around looking lost? Staring and gawking at the drones and identical houses with a growing look of dread across your face?

If so, a tall teenager will shyly approach you. He's carrying a newspaper bag, but instead of the daily news, there are pamphlets poking out. He has a quiet voice and a light Irish accent.]

Ah, um, excuse me. Couldn't help but notice that you, um, seem to be feeling your out of place. I can explain, if you's like.

--

[PHONE:]

Um.

N-No one's seriously considering the position of police chief, right? It's so suspicious... what if you get droned into the role, like Grad-- er, Evan Olney probably was?

Comments

Calleo is Irish, HE'S THE CHOSEN ONE

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

... Speakin' of which, what kept Grady from "respawnin'" like everyone else, anyway? I mean, the woman that apparently got murdered came back like nothin' happened, didn't she? What did that guy call her, Jane Smith? Samantha Achewood? ... Somethin' looked off about her though.

/(yea) emote. wait, no!

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

It's not the same woman, though. They replaced her with another. I'm surprised they just didn't bring in another drone like that to be police chief. Any normal citizen who gets this job m-might be able to drone us like Grady did. H-He was really powerful, you know. More than people realize, I-I think.

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

... So wait, that Smith—or Samantha, whichever—died for real, too?

... Guess that explains why she looks different.

[A beat.]

Yeah, I figured'a town'd give'a new chief'a same powers Grady had, judgin' from'a posters. Whoever they make'a new chief, at least.

[Though, Grady was stronger than people realize? Interesting ...]

... D'you got personal experience with Grady or what?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Seems that way. I didn't really think it was possible here. I-It gives you a lot to think about.

[Crowe's died seven times in his long Mayfield stint. Will one of those times be the last? An unnerving thought.]

Maybe. O-Or maybe they're just filling in the spot for appearance sake.


Um. Yeah, a-a little more than I wish I did.

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[Balin sounds like he's writing something down.]

What kinda stuff did you see him pull?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

[Crowe's all about sharing info. But it's obvious as he talks that he's been through some pretty bad trauma. Forgive his stammering and rambling, it gets worse the more nervous he gets.]

Um. Well. He was able to teleport, make someone's weapon disappear a-and drone someone, all without batting an eye. I-I say that happen to one of my former "fathers" here. Ah. B-Besides that, there was the time my friends and I broke into city hall a-at night. Turns out the Mayor was still in there - because, i-if you think about it, they didn't have homes in town, Grady o-o the Mayor, yeah? B-But anyway, he caught us - the Mayor - a-and called Grady in. He somehow froze Kay and I a-and we couldn't move. I-I tried reasoning with him but he... he was insane. He was ranting at me, b-but I don't think it was me he was really seeing. Then he... Then he pulled a machete out of nowhere a-and cut off my head, a-and then Kay's. Poor girl h-had to watch when he...

[He clears his throat.] Anyway, we hadn't gotten far, but learned that the Mayor was afraid of Grady. H-He ran off when Grady was about to get, um, violent. N-Now that he's dead, that's why the Mayor has been out more, e-enjoying himself...

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[As Calleo speaks, Balin continues writing without comment—he'd wondered why the kid stammered so much, but when Calleo gets to the part about having his head lopped off, well. That certainly explained it, at least in Balin's mind.]

Sonuvabitch.

Ahright, just so I'm clear—was it'a Mayor that froze ya in place, or Grady?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Um, i-it was the Mayor. They had caught me i-in the hallway. Kay was in another room trying to g-get out, but they found her and dragged her over to me. W-We were dead for longer than a day after that too...

[That was because Grady had mailed Kay and Crowe's heads to Zidane, their other accomplice, the next day. But Zidane has never told them this.]

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[Balin writes some more ... then sighs.]

Ahright ... so Grady had'a ability to teleport anywhere, disarm, an' drone anyone instantly. And ... keep people dead for longer'an usual, maybe.

An'a Mayor can freeze people ... but he an' Grady weren't on'a best of terms.

Do you know if Grady had'a same instant freeze power, too? Or if'a Mayor can drone people?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Right. The Mayor was definitely afraid of him. W-With good reason.

Not that I'm aware of, in either case.

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[Balin is silent for a few seconds; he's busy squeezing his lips together with a hand while in thought.]

So it's kinda like our captors ain't all on'a same team, then. Maybe.

... So what's there'a stop us from doin' somethin' now that Grady's dead? What about'a other guys in town in'at pamphlet Dist wrote? Like'a Postman an'a Milkman?

[Speaking of which ... Balin just connected the dots on something else.]

And ... I'm guessin' if'at "Samantha Achewood" lady was also Jane Smith, then that musta been Lucy Smith on'a news durin'a truth gas bullshit? Since she was talkin' about losin' her mom.

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

The Postman showed up last summer. He seems to be on his own side as well...

Um, the Milkman is just a puppet for Lucy, I believe. I've watched him do his deliveries - when he's done, his car pulls up next to the dairy, and he actually disappears. Right into thin air.

Yes, that was her. She often will get on the TV or radio a-and do things like that...

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[At first Balin's writing things down, until Calleo gets to the part about the Milkman being a puppet.]

—Say what? ...

Okay, so the Milkman's just, what, an avatar for Lucy? So "he" oughta have'a same powers as her ... Shit. There goes plan A. ... Does "he" even enter'a Dairy at all? Or does'a milk just "spawn" right in'a van?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

I think so. Something like that. I, um, cased him for awhile, I guess you can say. He leaves the dairy at 5AM, then does all the deliveries. When he drives the truck back, he parks it, and doesn't get out. Just vanishes.

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[More scribbly-scribbly over he phone.]

... 'Kay, so he does leave'a Dairy, physically, at 5 AM? Like, you see him walk out'a front door? Or does he just pop in outta nowhere an' take off?

With'a operators an' shit, I ain't sure how secure'is line is, so I dunno if I should tell you why I'm askin'.

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Yeah. He leaves it, locks it up, then gets in the van.

...I think I have an idea. Um. Let me know if you need any other help, yeah? My name's Crowe.

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[Balin writes some more ... then it sounds like he's tapping the pen against the paper in thought toward the end.]

Ahright, an' you're—wait.

[He remembers back to when Riza showed him her notebook ... wasn't there someone named "Crowe" she talked to?]

You by any chance know a Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye?

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. She's my, ah, "mother" here. I take it you know her?

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

Holy shit this is a small town.

Yeah; she's'a one that talked to me'a day I showed up. Showed me'a pamphlet Dist wrote an' everything. She ever mention me? I'm Sergeant First Class Balin Wilbur.

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

She hasn't, but it's nice to meet you, sir. Um, I-I hope that information was helpful to you.

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

It has, yeah. Thanks for lettin' me know. [And then in a sympathetic tone,] I, uh ... Sorry if askin' opened some old wounds. I ain't gonna say I'm used to that kinda shit, but I've seen a lot of it back home.

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

N-No, it's okay. Um, i-it's best if everyone is up to speed a-and knows what's going on, yeah?

[Oh, the things this town has done to this kid. There's a list a mile long.]

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

With half'a shit this town pulls? Definitely.

Speakin'a which ... How many times have you been attacked by'a other people in'is town? I'd found out about'a "spring culling" when I first arrived, see, an' recently I got pointed to'a "trophy room" at'a roller rink.

Fuckin' disgusting. But I still don't know who killed who an' what for, aside from gettin' tormented into doin' it.

[perfektsymmetry.livejournal.com]

Um. A-A lot. Someone killed me during that event. I-I've died seven times in my time here. I-It happens more often than it should.

[There's a pause. He hates admitting that. It never gets easier, and it makes him feel weak.]

There was no reason during that particular incident to kill anyone. I-If everyone would have j-just ignored it a-and realized it was just another one of Mayfields tricks--

[Crowe died early on, and didn't know about people's fears being brought to life in order to make them participate. He cuts himself off there, though, with a short sigh.] Sorry.

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

... Holy shit. People really do lose their minds around here a lot, don't'ey?

[This kid lives with Riza and he doesn't seem like the type to be a murderer at all; and he never saw a "Crowe" at the trophy room, so that confirms what he'd just said about dying early on in the incident ...]

[Balin's only conclusion is that the town is full of sick fucks who see him as a nice, easy target.]

You're right, though. I haven't met many people so far who said'ey got a letter an' didn't act on it. Just two, uh ... Yuri Hyuga an' Hong Meiling. I figure they've got their heads screwed on tight if they ain't'a type to give in to what'a town wants, even with all'a hallucinations an' shit.

—Ahright, Crowe, listen. I'ma Demolitionist back home. I'm workin' on some plans for defendin' my own household, but I'll see if I can do'a same for you guys. You had'a deal with gettin' attacked at home a lot, right?