pti | The Army of Gluttony

The Compound

As the team leaves the Metaverse, they are near enough to the compound to hear loud screaming as it erupts into chaos, with children and adults running around.

Those that stick around will hear the sirens of Fire Engines within minutes, followed soon after by Ambulances, and then after that by police. Those with access to James will see a truly gruesome sight - his eyes have gone completely white and black fluid is streaming out of his eyes and mouth. His body is stiff, his hands like claws as they clutch his throat. He is lying on the ground in a puddle of black fluid, neither moving nor breathing.

As the paramedics arrive on the scene they move to give aid with strict professionalism, but they can be seen making phone calls. When the police arrive, both Tamara and Bartholomew, as well as the other adult workers, are being led away in handcuffs, with social services descending upon the compound to liberate the children, including any Phantom Thieves who are willing to linger.

The Safehouse

For those returning to the safehouse, Shinji is grim when he hears the news. He orders in some pizza and puts some tea on before getting out of the way and letting the Thieves debrief in the living room.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It was supposed to be a peaceful night as Cyan spends the rest of the day playing his handheld video game console. However, the peacefulness ends when he sees the Thieves who were in charge of steal James and Tamara's Treasure return, which they looked very distraught rather than relief from the battle.

It wasn't until they shared the news about it that caused his eyes widen in horror. "P-Pastor James... died?!"

"There was another phantom thief in the metaverse with us. He executed James's shadow before we had a chance to intervene." Her words measured and slow, she sounds and looks tired, the normal intensity in her countenance tempered by physical and emotional fatigue.

"By the time we made it back... it was already too late."

Cyan was a loss for words. He was warned that something may happen to the real person if their Shadow is killed. But he never expects the consequences are horrifying.

"So he uses the Metaverse to kill him instead of leaving him under the law..." He then hits on a nearby wall as his anger flares up. "That duwag... If he thinks he can get away with that heinous act, then he's dead wrong!"

They were all warned, but never given the context. She knows now why, and while there's some frustration with not knowing what to expect, it isn't worth getting bent out of shape for. Celeste hardly flinches when he punches his fist into a wall, pursing her lips instead, her brow deeply knitted.

"He assumed that he would, and that we would help him," She says simply, shifting her weight to one side before looking away. Crossing her arms, she pauses before speaking again. "I have to wonder if this wasn't planned. The fact that he didn't make his presence known to us before this point, this was a deliberate act. A test, maybe, to see what we would do in response."

"All I know is that he just made some enemies just by killing someone who doesn't deserve death!" He still hates that man for his treatment with the children at the Flock, but he knew murder isn't the answer. Regardless, he still curls his hand into a fist while enduring the pain that he made earlier.

"If we see his hooded face again, I swear, he's not going to get away so easily!"

"As it stands now, it's very likely that he knows more about us than we know about him."

"Them," She corrects herself with a pause, crossing her arms over her chest. Her expression distant and hard to read, she purses her lips together. "I'd like to believe that he acted alone, but I'm not so naive. He was too brazen to be a lone wolf."

"Well, he did enter the Palace no problem. He might be gotten some help like us. Besides, he couldn't follow us just like that."

The Army of Gluttony - Aftermath

The Safehouse

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work + family trip, sorry about the wait

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