The town is quiet, eerily so. All animals, all chatter, all gusts of wind have come to a complete stop this morning. A tumbleweed passes by through the center of town and the rocking chair on the Sheriff's porch sways but remains silent. Everything is muted and as the door of the hotel opens, the only sensation that rings utterly true today is this:
This is the end.
Suddenly, the church bells ring -- twelve rings to mark the hour and the door to the Sheriff's station swings open on the twelfth. The Sheriff tucks his thumbs into his belt loops and walks across the strip of town right to the door of the Saloon. A moment later, he knocks on the door frame, loud enough to alert anyone who might be inside.
"Alright, folks. Come on out. Time to end this."
And then he turns his back and walks back into the middle of the street, waiting.
[ And then the Sheriff intervenes because god damnit, it's like neither of them is paying attention. It's like no one read the rules. The Sheriff looks genuinely surprised for a moment at the choice they're making before swearing -- loudly -- and his hand jumps to the gun at his hip.
Two bullets is all it takes -- bang, bang, right into the skulls of both Barnham and Damian. They'll crumple like a heap a moment later and the Sheriff swears again, pressing his free hand to his face and his gun hand to his hip. ]
[Of everything that has happened in this game, this was the most grueling moment of his life. He knew what was happening and he couldn't stop it. But then he didn't know what was happening and still couldn't stop it. He thinks of Barnham and the look of defeat he gave Percy almost a week ago. He thinks of Damian only hours before. They didn't deserve this.
"Fixing your mistakes are a wasted effort."
These are, in fact, his mistakes. But there's panic in the moments his friends lift the guns to their heads, and then relief when Hal steps in. He's silent. Whole Ass is silent now. He stares at the crumpled, bloodied and broken figures of two people he trusted to end this game right...and he turns to the Sheriff.]
...thank you for stopping them. They don't deserve to be disqualified. [He bows his head.] Is it instantaneous? Are they on the train now?
[ The Sheriff steps closer to the closest of the two bodies, Barnham, and nudges him with a foot. He'll glance over to the porch of the saloon where Pennyworth is now mysteriously absent. From there, he looks to the collapsed bonfire and sunken hotel. Then behind him, to the train.
All seems to be in order.
Finally, he turns to Percy and pulls out his pipe from his pocket. He takes a moment to load it with tobacco and light it up with a match, placing it between his lips. ]
I'll let 'em join when you do. Tomorrow, when we depart. It's a long trip so ain't a reason to overwhelm them so suddenly, and it'll give the rest of 'em a moment to cool off.
[ Small circles of smoke leave his pipe and he rocks on his heels slightly, fingers tapping against his belt. ]
So, my Coal Miner won the competition, eh? Pretty interesting, gotta say. Since your role is a nothing role. Disposal, at most. Guess it shows how much the rest of 'em fucked up that you're the one standing here.
[His eyes drift to Damian's body then. He notices the lack of Pennyworth and wonders if Constantine is gone now, too. He glares at the dirt for a moment. A winner? Is this what victory really felt like? He didn't think it would be like this. Weeks of hoping and trying and fighting for...what? A fraud to win the game? He nods to himself.]
That's not fair, but if they're safe that's all I ask. I don't care about when I join the train. I think the reaction is going to be the same.
...my mind didn't change, Hal. I'd like everyone to go home, or to the place they would consider home now. I'd like this to never happen to them again. And I'd like you to ask them if they wish to keep their memories or not. I'm keeping mine. But I don't think it's something that should be forced, since your asshole employers forced us in the first place.
...and man, don't say that about them. If anyone fucked up it was me. But I...my choices led us here. Everyone is safe now, right?
[ The Sheriff doesn't seem too bothered by anything Percy says. Nothing about it surprises him and he just nods, feeling fine with how everything played out. What a fun game.
So, he nods and looks pleased with himself. ]
S'a lot of stops to make, Percy, but you got it. Hope they all thought about it, where they want to go, what they want to keep. Would be a shame if they got stuck on the train 'cause they were indecisive.
[ A snort. ]
Safe as houses, kid. Only one thing left to do now that the decision is made. Everything else you'll get once you're on the train.
[ And so, he unholsters his gun and holds it out for Percy to take. ]
I asked you to deliver a message to them. Honor that. Tell them what I just said about how this game will end. Give them that choice. [His tone is sharp and bitter, but resigned. He has no reason to be angry now. What's done is done. He was coerced into playing this game and somehow he knew this would always come to him. He hates it. His friends shouldn't have died for him. What if he didn't pick the right choice?
But it was never a question. He's thought about this from the beginning. They're safe now.
Everyone will be safe now. This won't happen again. It's not ideal, there's so much more he wishes to fix, more he had argued about days ago...but this will do. Not for the first time in the face of doom, he thinks of Annabeth. He looks at the offered gun and thinks of Annabeth.
"I've put way too much time and effort into keeping you in one piece to let someone shoot you? We wouldn't want me to have to start from scratch."
People did this for him. He's a disappointment, he knows. A hero? He doesn't know. But he knows he can't waste their sacrifices. He has to end this right.
He takes the gun and lifts it to his temple, staring the Sheriff in the eye.]
It's been a real pleasure, Sheriff. [There's a lingering moment that he stares again.] See you soon. [And before he can take another breath, he narrows his eyes and pulls the trigger.]
Percy crumples to the floor and the Sheriff watches, expression unchanging aside from a raised eyebrow at how easily he goes. Blood splashes to his face but he doesn't mind it, only pulls his pipe out a moment later and presses it out with a thumb. It goes back into his pocket as he crouches down to take his gun from Percy's still warm fingertips.
The decision is made and the winner is dead. There's nothing left to do now.
He looks over at the other two bodies, Barnham and Damian, before back to the train again. A hand lifts in a single wave and he holsters his gun before turning and heading back for the station.
Slow steps up the porch and through the door and he closes it behind him with a soft click. The town continues to remain silent, nothing and no one left to stir it. They're all gone, after all. They're all ready to go home. Which means with that --
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sheriffexe) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
robowest2017-03-03 06:00 pm
no subject
... Oh.
[ Oh!!! ]
Y'all...!
[ And then the Sheriff intervenes because god damnit, it's like neither of them is paying attention. It's like no one read the rules. The Sheriff looks genuinely surprised for a moment at the choice they're making before swearing -- loudly -- and his hand jumps to the gun at his hip.
Two bullets is all it takes -- bang, bang, right into the skulls of both Barnham and Damian. They'll crumple like a heap a moment later and the Sheriff swears again, pressing his free hand to his face and his gun hand to his hip. ]
The hell did I say about suicide, ya morons?
[ Damian Wayne and Zacharias Barnham are dead. ]
no subject
"Fixing your mistakes are a wasted effort."
These are, in fact, his mistakes. But there's panic in the moments his friends lift the guns to their heads, and then relief when Hal steps in. He's silent. Whole Ass is silent now. He stares at the crumpled, bloodied and broken figures of two people he trusted to end this game right...and he turns to the Sheriff.]
...thank you for stopping them. They don't deserve to be disqualified. [He bows his head.] Is it instantaneous? Are they on the train now?
no subject
All seems to be in order.
Finally, he turns to Percy and pulls out his pipe from his pocket. He takes a moment to load it with tobacco and light it up with a match, placing it between his lips. ]
I'll let 'em join when you do. Tomorrow, when we depart. It's a long trip so ain't a reason to overwhelm them so suddenly, and it'll give the rest of 'em a moment to cool off.
[ Small circles of smoke leave his pipe and he rocks on his heels slightly, fingers tapping against his belt. ]
So, my Coal Miner won the competition, eh? Pretty interesting, gotta say. Since your role is a nothing role. Disposal, at most. Guess it shows how much the rest of 'em fucked up that you're the one standing here.
[ Pretty funny, honestly. ]
What's it gonna be then, winner?
no subject
That's not fair, but if they're safe that's all I ask. I don't care about when I join the train. I think the reaction is going to be the same.
...my mind didn't change, Hal. I'd like everyone to go home, or to the place they would consider home now. I'd like this to never happen to them again. And I'd like you to ask them if they wish to keep their memories or not. I'm keeping mine. But I don't think it's something that should be forced, since your asshole employers forced us in the first place.
...and man, don't say that about them. If anyone fucked up it was me. But I...my choices led us here. Everyone is safe now, right?
no subject
So, he nods and looks pleased with himself. ]
S'a lot of stops to make, Percy, but you got it. Hope they all thought about it, where they want to go, what they want to keep. Would be a shame if they got stuck on the train 'cause they were indecisive.
[ A snort. ]
Safe as houses, kid. Only one thing left to do now that the decision is made. Everything else you'll get once you're on the train.
[ And so, he unholsters his gun and holds it out for Percy to take. ]
Thanks for playing.
no subject
But it was never a question. He's thought about this from the beginning. They're safe now.
Everyone will be safe now. This won't happen again. It's not ideal, there's so much more he wishes to fix, more he had argued about days ago...but this will do. Not for the first time in the face of doom, he thinks of Annabeth. He looks at the offered gun and thinks of Annabeth.
"I've put way too much time and effort into keeping you in one piece to let someone shoot you? We wouldn't want me to have to start from scratch."
People did this for him. He's a disappointment, he knows. A hero? He doesn't know. But he knows he can't waste their sacrifices. He has to end this right.
He takes the gun and lifts it to his temple, staring the Sheriff in the eye.]
It's been a real pleasure, Sheriff. [There's a lingering moment that he stares again.] See you soon. [And before he can take another breath, he narrows his eyes and pulls the trigger.]
no subject
Percy crumples to the floor and the Sheriff watches, expression unchanging aside from a raised eyebrow at how easily he goes. Blood splashes to his face but he doesn't mind it, only pulls his pipe out a moment later and presses it out with a thumb. It goes back into his pocket as he crouches down to take his gun from Percy's still warm fingertips.
The decision is made and the winner is dead. There's nothing left to do now.
He looks over at the other two bodies, Barnham and Damian, before back to the train again. A hand lifts in a single wave and he holsters his gun before turning and heading back for the station.
Slow steps up the porch and through the door and he closes it behind him with a soft click. The town continues to remain silent, nothing and no one left to stir it. They're all gone, after all. They're all ready to go home. Which means with that --
The game is over. ]