An Among Us Story - Live on The Skeld

PURPLE

Unlike the others who dash in all directions and exit Cafeteria, I make a beeline over to my tasks, which are to download data and empty the garbage. Boring, mundane tasks... I can't believe that the data download task is considered a short task in Among Us, judging by how long it takes to download AND upload data...

After what seems like forever, I finish downloading and head a bit south to empty the garbage. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight of Yellow who is occupied with shooting asteroids in Weapons. Moving closer to where Yellow is seated, I see the cannons firing.

Ahh... Yellow safe... I automatically register that in my mind.

Finishing up my garbage task which I had done halfway, I proceed to Admin to upload data, expecting that it would be empty. I mean, like, I took so long to do my tasks in Cafeteria... it does not seem humanly possible that anyone is still trying to swipe his/her card... right?

However, I am not in the least bit surprised when I come across Black, who looks like she is having a lot of trouble trying to swipe her card perfectly. Sniggering softly, I tap on the screen in Admin to upload my data.

Don't get me wrong here. I have absolutely nothing against her. It's just that she is a bit of... a noob when it comes to doing tasks and trusting the right people. During the previous game on Polus, Black literally stood up for Red, saying that he was safe and that I was sus. She explained that Red was safe because she, Red and Brown were all together in Office when the lights were off in the second round of the game and she totally neglected the fact that Red couldn't kill her in front of a fellow Crewmate (Brown). Honestly, it was really funny after I got voted out because when the new round started with 3 people left (Red, Brown and Black), Red decided to sabotage the reactor and kill Black.

Yeah, Black is pretty noob as a Crewmate and she has been a Crewmate for, like, the last 10 rounds? No reason to explain why she is not a Crewmate again this round...

Ding-ding! The task bar on my IPad screen moves up as I finish uploading.

But something's wrong...

Is Black still swiping her card? She is taking way too long (even for a noob)... I'd better keep an eye on her while looking at the Admin map.

As I stand opposite Black and stare at the Admin map, I try to hum a soft tune, to reassure myself and calm down. In spite of that, though, I cannot help but feel a chill starting to creep up my body.

Something is definitely wrong.

It is not just about the duration of which Black is swiping her card for... or even the fact that she looks strangely tranquil while doing the task, with no indication of impatience in her swipes or face whatsoever despite her numerous failed attempts at it.

It's also about the fact... that there is something missing in her card swipes. I just can't place my finger on it, for the love of me.

That is when realisation dawns on me - the error sound effect is not present when she swipes her card imperfectly! She is faking her card swipe! That can only mean that she's... she's...

She's An Impostor!

A tiny gasp escapes my lips before I can stop myself. As if that is some sort of cue for her, Black abruptly stops swiping her card. She looks up, locking her eyes on me. Me, who is her target. Me, who is going to be her first victim. Me, who was actually gullible enough to be fooled into thinking that she was spending such a long time in Admin because she is a huge noob at swiping her card, not because she wants to trap and cull her adversaries who are probably just irksome birds to her. I had clearly underestimated her...

Very, very slowly, I raise my head and look at her. Right now, I can see it all in her eyes as she advances towards me. She is clearly lusting for revenge on every single person who had thought of her as a nobody before. I can also see the sheer determination in her eyes to make me suffer before she really kills me.

My first instinct is to run. Run pell-mell in the direction of the emergency button (which is just in Cafeteria!) and get everyone to vote Black out. On first thought, that seems like a pretty solid plan. However, my body just has to decide to go against that instinct (at the wrong time!) and I involuntarily freeze. Also, even if I somehow get away from her, press the emergency button and say that she is going to kill me, my fellow Crewmates may laugh at that thought, and she will be on my tail for the entire game! Urgh...

As she draws nearer to me, relishing this moment, she pulls out something from her spacesuit pocket.

Shink!

I let out a silent scream as a blade is forced out of its handle. A retractable knife! My eyes widening in horror, I stumble away from Black, and in doing so, I am further away from the one thing that can save me - the emergency button!

Just great. Justtt great. I have officially cornered myself... and I am going to die!

Helplessly, I feel the walls behind me and look into the vent in front of me (in order to avoid looking into Black's beady eyes), hoping and wishing that everything that is happening to me is just a nightmare and that when I wake up, I will heave a sigh of relief and laugh at myself for actually thinking that I would die. However, I know, in my heart, that all of this is totally and indisputably real.

Black is just an arm's length away from me now. She licks her lips, purposefully exposing her needle-tongue, which looks even sharper than her knife. Closing my eyes, I start to slump to the floor, accepting my inevitable fate.

That is when the most shocking and unexpected thing happens.

Ka-plunk! I hear the sound of a vent opening. Shocked, I open my eyes to see... Blue coming out of the vent in front of me?

'What the... Why is my luck so crappy?' is the first thought that comes to my mind. Being cornered by one Impostor is already bad enough, but being cornered by both Impostors? That's the worst-case scenario that can happen to a Crewmate, ever.

In one swift motion, Blue pins me against the wall.

Bruh, that is so unnecessary...

Just then, I notice Black's reaction. It seems like Blue's sudden appearance in Admin had not been planned between them because she looks taken aback, just for a fleeting second. After a while, however, she clears her throat and begins to advance towards me again.

But this time, it is too late.

Hearing the resounding sounds of footsteps against the metal floor, I squint behind Black.

And see a blob of yellow. Behind her.