Continuation of the previous chapter...
Arbiter of Light snapped his fingers, and the Angel of Light appeared, pushing a board laden with red balloons.
"These are the balloons we'll be using for this game! Aren't you excited?" The Angel of Light chirped, clapping her hands with childlike enthusiasm.
"Now, you must choose: the balloons on the left, or the balloons on the right. After that, we can finally begin," Arbiter of Light stated, his tone devoid of warmth, as he gestured towards the board. "Make it quick," he added, a chilling edge to his voice.
"What if we decide not to play? What would you fucking do then?" Gyro spat, his voice thick with rage and despair.
"Well, then..." The Angel of Light's demeanor shifted, her voice turning glacial as she produced a remote from her pocket. "This is the detonator for your collars. We can kill you both right here, right now!" A sadistic smile stretched across her face as a chilling laugh escaped her lips.
The two men flinched, their jaws clenching.
Arnold: Damn it... why? Why is this happening to us? Fuck it!
Gyro: Those motherfuckers! They've really set this up to ensure we can't escape. We can't even negotiate our survival here! There's no other choice!
"Now, would you rather die without even trying? We are granting one of you a chance to live your life to the fullest!" Arbiter of Light sneered, a cold laugh echoing in the confined space.
"Fine," Gyro conceded, his voice tight with anxiety as he fought to maintain a semblance of composure. "We'll play the game!" His words were a mixture of rage and grim determination.
"What the fuck are you doing, Gyro?!" Arnold exclaimed, his frustration palpable. "God damn it! Can't you see? One of us will die here! I don't want to fucking die yet, and I don't want to fucking kill either! Think this through, you idiot!" Arnold's voice was laced with fury and fear.
"Stop it! We don't have any other fucking choice! What choice do we have?! We won't survive if we don't abide by their rules! What do you expect us to do, huh?" Gyro's voice rose, irritation and anxiety battling for dominance. He let out a frustrated groan, then a weary sigh. "We need to do this... we might find a loophole somehow, and survive without having to kill each other." He tried to project a calm he clearly didn't feel, hoping to soothe Arnold's rising panic.
"There's no surviving this! This is hopeless!" Tears streamed down Arnold's face, a testament to his terror.
Arbiter of Light: Great, just as planned. Things are slowly falling apart for them. I know Gyro is just trying to soothe Arnold, to convince him to play. He's confident that he'll be the one to survive, certain he'll be the one who remains alive. We'll see if you truly live up to my expectations.
"Now, kindly pick which side of the board you would like. Those will be your balloons! That way, we can finally begin our..." The Angel of Light's voice dripped with sarcasm, "...wonderfully fun game." A chilling chuckle punctuated her words.
Gyro's gaze darted between the two sides of the board, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously.
"I'll pick the right side of the board. Those will be my balloons," Gyro announced, his voice tight with anxiety.
"Damn it! I have no choice but to play now as well! Fine, mine is the left!" Arnold spat, his voice filled with impotent rage as he expelled a frustrated sigh.
"Since the two of you have finally picked your balloons, we can finally begin our game!" Arbiter of Light announced, his voice a chilling blend of coldness and barely contained exhilaration. "Welcome, viewers, to the first game of our 'Judgement Game' series!" He and the Angel of Light clapped their hands in synchronized mockery.
"Woo-hoo!" The Angel of Light squealed, her excitement a grotesque counterpoint to the grim reality of the situation.
"Now," Arbiter of Light cleared his throat, his expression shifting to one of calm seriousness. "Let the game begin!"
[Scene change]
In the Salmon Road district of Metropolis, Raven and her team continued their investigation... (as established in the first chapter).
Raven and her team regrouped inside her car.
"Alright," Raven said calmly as she started the engine and pulled away from the curb. "While I drive us back to Headquarters, let's review the information and evidence we've gathered in our investigation."
"I'll start with what I've found," Naomi said confidently. "I investigated outside the car, looking for any clues that might help us locate the perpetrator or identify the victims."
"And what did you find?" Raven asked, her voice expectant.
"Nothing but a simple message. They used blood to write it on the road." Naomi said, her brow furrowed in curiosity. "I don't even recognize the language, but it's written there: 'L'espoir'." She scratched her head. "That's all."
Raven: L'espoir? Isn't that a French word?
"That word means 'Hope'," Saku said, his voice calm but serious, reflecting his confusion. "But what's the connection to the disappearances?" He sighed. "Anyway, since I've already spoken, I might as well be the next to report."
"Go on, Saku," Raven replied.
"Along with Naomi, I also investigated outside the vehicle, but I focused on the cause of the car crash." Saku cleared his throat, his tone measured.
"What did you find?" Raven inquired, her voice betraying her anticipation.
"It was shot by a rifle. The flat tire that caused the 'accident' was the result of a bullet, indicating that these aren't just random disappearances. It's a staged crime, and that may be the case for the other missing victims as well." Saku stated, his arms crossed over his chest, a chill in his voice. "That's all."
"This is getting more complicated. If these are staged crimes, then we're dealing with a highly intelligent and calculating perpetrator," Raven said, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice, though she quickly regained her composure.
"I almost believed it was caused by some freaking supernatural entity, Bruh!" Hector interjected sarcastically, with a sigh.
"What are you? A fucking child? Get a life," Shion retorted, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Enough," Raven commanded, her voice cutting through the tension. "Let's focus on our objectives for now."
"As for me, I found nothing in that freaking trunk! Worthless as fuck! This is why I hate hide and seek!" Shion grumbled, resting her head against the car window, a deep scowl etched on her face. "I'm just gonna take a quick nap, buddies!" She shut her eyes, dismissing the rest of the conversation.
Raven sighed, her gaze momentarily softening.
"She's too hotheaded and complaining, but when we need her, she's always there!" Naomi muttered with an almost affectionate smile.
"Right. That's what matters, and that's what makes her special on our team," Raven agreed, a small smile gracing her lips before she cleared her throat. "Going back to the topic, how about you, Hector?"
"I found nothing in the backseat! Nothing but a bag of chips!" Hector said, feigning annoyance. "Not until... I found something that changes everything! Oooooh!" He adopted a spooky voice. "I found a credit card registered to someone named 'Arnold Wall,' which I think is a freaky name! A-woooo!" Hector continued his theatrics, clearly enjoying himself.
"Welp, you clearly don't know how to be serious, huh?" Naomi said with a sigh.
"A card? With a name registered to 'Arnold Wall'?" Raven asked, her interest piqued.
"Yeah, yeah!" Hector confirmed, pulling out his phone.
Raven: Arnold Wall? Another familiar name? What's going on? Where have I seen or heard these names before?
"How about you, Boss? Did you find anything?" Hector asked.
"Yeah, I found something," Raven said, pulling herself back to the present.
"What did you find?" Saku asked, his interest obviously piqued.
"I found a gun in the glove compartment, and a lot of cards like Hector did. The license for the gun is registered to a 'Gyro Kennedy'. For some reason, the names of these two individuals are familiar to me," Raven said, a note of confusion in her voice.
"Let's research them!" Naomi suggested.
"Please do. I have a feeling their identities will be key to finding them, or solving the case," Raven replied.
"Yes, let me handle it!" Naomi said confidently, pulling out her laptop and starting her search.
A moment of silence fell over the car. The drive was peaceful, yet in some ways, dreadful.
Hector yawned loudly while scrolling through his social media, until...
"OH. MY. FUCKING. GOD! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Hector exclaimed, his voice filled with shock. Raven and the others turned to him, Shion waking up from his outburst.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU, HUH?" Shion yelled, shaking Hector violently.
"Ouch, ouch! Sorry!" Hector said, irritated as he tried to break free. "Watch this!" He handed his phone to Raven.
"What is it?" Raven asked, stopping the car, taking the phone and looking at the screen. The others leaned in to see.
The screen displayed the live stream of the "Judgement Game."
"What is this?" they all said in unison, their voices a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"Wait, their faces are familiar!" Naomi said, her brow furrowed as she frantically typed on her laptop.
"Right, they are familiar!" Hector and Raven exclaimed in unison.
"Wait, where's the evidence? I mean, the cards! The cards!" Hector asked urgently. "Let me see them!"
Raven retrieved the cards they'd gathered from the crashed car.
"Wait... it's starting to make sense now!" Raven said, her voice tight with shock as she clenched her teeth.
"Shit! We realized it too late!" Hector exclaimed, his face a mask of frustration.
Naomi held up her laptop, displaying the results of her search.
"It's them!" Naomi confirmed, her voice barely a whisper.
"Buckle up! We're going back to Metropolis," Raven commanded, her voice cold as she slammed on the accelerator, turning the car around. "Hector and the others, keep me updated on that live stream!" She spoke with authority, her jaw tight.
Raven: I'm pretty sure they're the victims of the disappearances we're investigating: Arnold Wall and Gyro Kennedy! We need to act fast, or something terrible might happen!
—TO BE CONTINUED—