The White Elephant in the Room Playground

[IFBench]

He clutched onto Abigail tightly.

 

[IFBench]

More tears hit the floor.

 

[IFBench]

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.

 

[IFBench]

He was so, so scared.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Abigail squeezed Gen back and sighed.

"I suppose Tabitha wasn't kidding when he said he had a kill redirecting power..."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"So, I guess the question at this point is what to do with Tabitha... Technically speaking, he passed Palkia's test of being honest about his power... albeit in a bit of a grim manner. So... What do we do with him now?"

 

[Fusion]

"Even If I have to tear Tabitha's limbs from his body, I will kill Tabitha," Lee growled lowly. Palkia was probably the third most tolerable person here. Were Lee not instantly thrown through a loop after Squirt's death, he wouldn't been almost as coy as that space deity.

"If anyone has any other suggestions, I highly recommend that they Speak. Up." Lee looked at Abigail and Gen, before more closely glaring at the Oshawatt. "We are down to three innocents. One of which has been mostly silent and self loathing than the rest. I will certainly hope that they will find the power to get over their mistakes in order help save everyone else that they can."

He crossed his arms. "I reiterate. If anyone has any possible suggestions, for the sake of doing the right thing, I ask that they Speak. Up."

 

[IFBench]

"I-I-I-I...I think I might have a-an idea of what might have happened," Gen said, trembling under Lee's glare. The tears kept flowing.

 

[Fusion]

Lee took a breath, trying to calm himself. He was still dealing with a child, after all. "Then fill us in, please."

 

[IFBench]

"I-I don't think what just happened was Tabitha's doing. A-a-a few days ago, Palkia said that he had some abilities that had to do with p-phases of the moon," Gen began.

"Omamori are for protection, but the names of the abilities... all having to do with the phases of the moon. Manipulation of day and night. The Solar Eclipse... I can't help wondering if that's what cut yesterday short."

"I-I think Palkia used one of those abilities, one that he didn't know what it did, judging by his reaction..."

"Well! That wasn't how I expected that to work."

"a-and that ability forced him to do...that," Gen finished.

 

[Starlight Aurate]

Tabitha looked at the microwave that had taken Palauans place and surveyed the rest of the room. He smiled.

“Yes, since I’ve been here, I have not lied. Palkia tried to kill me—and instead killed himself.”

He addressed the Oshawott. “I don’t know if the phases of the moon had anything to do with this or not, but I will claim credit for Palkias demise. I was honest when I told him that I couldn’t be killed. I didn’t tell him that attempts to kill me were redirected back onto the killer.”

He looked up at the ghost Lycanroc hanging in the air, simmering with rage. “You want to kill me, and understandably so. Come on, then.” His voice dropped to a lower register and came out as a deep growl. “Try.”

 

[Fusion]

"Regardless of whether or not it was Tabitha's doing, Palkia is dead because of that mutt. You know you're safe, you know Abigail's safe, and whether or not you know I am safe, you know that Jesse and Palkia believed me to be," Lee said, trying his best to keep his anger manageable. "Tabitha is the only one we need to get rid of, Gen."

“You want to kill me, and understandably so. Come on, then.” His voice dropped to a lower register and came out as a deep growl. “Try.”

Lee's snarl cracked along his snout, revealing the jagged fangs beneath. His eyes fell on Tabitha. If looks could kill, this game would have been over already. "You can try to infuriate me further all you want, and lord knows how much I relish the idea of slicing through that neck of yours--" Lee shut his eyes, gripping his arms even tighter. Dark wisps fell from where his claws dug into his body, "--but I will wait until after this is over. I care not about where your world or universe is, I will find you all the same."

 

[IFBench]

"I-if we vote for him, though, what if we all died instead?" Gen asked, clutching his reunion cape.

 

[Starlight Aurate]

"Regardless of whether or not it was Tabitha's doing, Palkia is dead because of that mutt. You know you're safe, you know Abigail's safe, and whether or not you know I am safe, you know that Jesse and Palkia believed me to be," Lee said, trying his best to keep his anger manageable. "Tabitha is the only one we need to get rid of, Gen."

Lee's snarl cracked along his snout, revealing the jagged fangs beneath. His eyes fell on Tabitha. If looks could kill, this game would have been over already. "You can try to infuriate me further all you want, and lord knows how much I relish the idea of slicing through that neck of yours--" Lee shut his eyes, gripping his arms even tighter. Dark wisps fell from where his claws dug into his body, "--but I will wait until after this is over. I care not about where your world or universe is, I will find you all the same."

"Sorry to break it to you, but I've had Hoenn police and Team Aqua on my tail over the course of several years. None of them have been able to detain me, so I wish you the best of luck."

He looked at the Ralts clutching the tiny Oshawott. Getting up, he slunk over to her, his vermillion gaze locked on her.

"But I have a question that no one has brought up in quite a while. You said some time ago that you had a 'partner' working with you. But since then, we've heard nothing else about this. Have you found your partner?"

 

[Fusion]

"You'll find I am far more competent than any police force, unfortunately," Lee snarled. "Push comes to shove, I see no problem leaving your world in ruin."

Lee let out a sigh of wisps before glancing back to Gen. "Call me crazy, but I doubt whatever it is that allows us to vote others out would be subject to the gifts we were given. How else would we eliminate filth like him?"

 

[IFBench]

"I-I think Palkia might have been Abigail's partner," Gen said. "B-back when I revealed what my power was, Palkia said that he thought that I was the other survivor."

"You know, you really had me fooled! I thought for certain you were the other survivor."

"I-I'm pretty sure that this means that Palkia was a s-survivor themself, and didn't know who the other one is. I-I think the 'other survivor' is Abigail," Gen finished.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Have you found your partner?

Abigail glowered at Tabitha. "I can't say anything about my partner for their own protection, stop asking me about it!"

 

[Fusion]

Lee let out a growl. "Is it not obvious that Abigail's partner is either dead or Gen?" he huffed. "Quit wasting our time, mutt. You aren't buying any more time for yourself."

"I am voting for Tabitha again, as I press the rest of you to do, and if this fails, I will simply do things the old fashioned way." Lee let go of his arms, flashing a black substance off his claws. It fizzled away in seconds, regardless of what it might have landed on. "

 

[IFBench]

"I-I...I'll vote for Tabitha, too," Gen said, making his first non-skip vote. Hopefully it would be the last.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Goodbye, Tabitha."