The argument had gone on for several hours, but no conclusion was in sight. Just about everyone had left by now, and Elfilin was alone in his cell. Dedede just wanted to eat and go to bed, he was so frustrated. He opened the door to the kitchen and grabbed a container of leftovers from the day before. After shoveling all the contents into his mouth, he started walking back to his room. Maybe he'd be able to decipher that weird video he'd picked up in Dark Meta Knight's room.
He didn't make it there.
.-.. . - / - .... . / --. .- -- . / -... . --. .. -.
Dedede opened his eyes, and rubbed the back of his head. "Oww..." There wasn't much going on in his surroundings. Red walls, Red floor, a button, a blank screen, a few holes in the back, and a microphone. He was about to say something into the microphone, but he was interrupted by a jarringly unfamiliar voice.
"Ｗｅｌｃｏｍｅ， ｏｎｅ ａｎｄ ａｌｌ． Ｙｏｕ ｋｎｏｗ ｍｅ ａｓ ｔｈｅ ＯＳＯ， ａｎｄ Ｉ ｈａｖｅ ａｐｐｅａｒｅｄ ｂｅｆｏｒｅ ｙｏｕ ｔｏｄａｙ ｆｏｒ ａ ｇａｍｅ．"
A second later, he heard a different voice respond, though it also seemed to be heavily modulated. "𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕘𝕒𝕞𝕖?"
"Ｔｒｕｔｈ ｂｅ ｔｏｌｄ， Ｉ ｆｉｎｄ ｔｈｅ ｔｈｒｅｅ ｏｆ ｙｏｕ ｔｏ ｂｅ ｅｑｕａｌｌｙ ｔｒｏｕｂｌｅｓｏｍｅ． Ａｌｔｈｏｕｇｈ Ｉ ｃａｎ＇ｔ ｃｏｎｓｉｄｅｒ ｉｔ ｆａｉｒ ｔｏ ｂｅ ｒｅｍｏｖｉｎｇ ａｎｙ ｍｏｒｅ ｔｈａｎ ｏｎｅ ｏｆ ｙｏｕ， Ｉ ｗｉｌｌ ｌｅａｖｅ ｔｈｅ ｄｅｃｉｓｉｏｎ ａｓ ｔｏ ｗｈｏ ｇｅｔｓ ｅｘｔｒａｃｔｅｄ ｔｏ ｙｏｕ． Ｉ ｐｅｒｓｏｎａｌｌｙ ｃｏｕｌｄｎ＇ｔ ｃａｒｅ ｌｅｓｓ． Ｉ ｗｉｌｌ ｂｅ ａｓｋｉｎｇ ｙｏｕ ｔｗｅｎｔｙ ｆｉｖｅ ｑｕｅｓｔｉｏｎｓ， ｅａｃｈ ｒｅｌａｔｉｎｇ ｔｏ ｏｎｅ ｏｒ ｍｏｒｅ ｏｆ ｙｏｕｒ ｐｅｅｒｓ． Ｉｆ ｙｏｕ ｔｈｉｎｋ ｙｏｕ ｋｎｏｗ ｔｈｅ ａｎｓｗｅｒ， ｐｒｅｓｓ ｔｈｅ ｂｕｔｔｏｎ． Ｉｆ ｙｏｕ ａｒｅ ｃｏｒｒｅｃｔ， ｙｏｕ ｗｉｌｌ ｇｅｔ ａ ｐｏｉｎｔ． Ｉｆ ｎｏｔ， ｙｏｕ ｗｉｌｌ ｎｏｔ ｂｅ ａｌｌｏｗｅｄ ｔｏ ｔｒｙ ａｇａｉｎ ｕｎｔｉｌ ｂｏｔｈ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｏｔｈｅｒ ｐａｒｔｉｃｉｐａｎｔｓ ｈａｖｅ ａｌｓｏ ｇｉｖｅｎ ａｎ ａｎｓｗｅｒ． Ｔｈｅ ｐｅｒｓｏｎ ｗｉｔｈ ｔｈｅ ｌｅａｓｔ ａｍｏｕｎｔ ｏｆ ｐｏｉｎｔｓ ｂｙ ｔｈｅ ｅｎｄ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｑｕｉｚ ｗｉｌｌ ｎｏｔ ｂｅ ｗａｋｉｎｇ ｕｐ ｔｏｍｏｒｒｏｗ． Ｉｆ ｔｈｅｒｅ ｉｓ ａ ｔｉｅ， ｗｅ ｗｉｌｌ ｍｏｖｅ ｔｏ ａ ｔｉｅｂｒｅａｋｅｒ． Ｉｆ ｙｏｕ ｄｉｖｕｌｇｅ ａｎｙ ｕｎｎｅｃｅｓｓａｒｙ ｉｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎ， ｓｕｃｈ ａｓ ｙｏｕｒ ｉｄｅｎｔｉｔｙ ｏｒ ｗｈｙ ｙｏｕ ｂｅｌｉｅｖｅ ｙｏｕ ｈａｖｅ ｂｅｅｎ ｓｅｌｅｃｔｅｄ， ｙｏｕ ｗｉｌｌ ｂｅ．．． ｄｉｓｑｕａｌｉｆｉｅｄ． Ａｒｅ ｔｈｅ ｒｕｌｅｓ ｃｌｅａｒ？"
No one answered. "Ｓａｔｉｓｆａｃｔｏｒｙ．" Dedede saw the screen light up, showing a five by five grid that showed numbers from one to twenty five in a seemingly random arrangement. "Ｑｕｅｓｔｉｏｎ ｏｎｅ： Ｄｕｒｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ ｉｎｃｉｄｅｎｔ ｉｎｖｏｌｖｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ Ｓｋｕｌｌ ｇａｎｇ， ｈｏｗ ｍａｎｙ ｃｏｐｉｅｓ ｏｆ ｈｉｍｓｅｌｆ ｄｉｄ Ｋｉｒｂｙ ｇｅｔ ｓｐｌｉｔ ｉｎｔｏ？" A buzzer rang out. "Ｙｅｌｌｏｗ， ｙｏｕ ｗｅｒｅ ｔｈｅ ｆｉｒｓｔ ｔｏ ｈｉｔ ｔｈｅ ｂｕｔｔｏｎ． Ｗｈａｔ ｉｓ ｙｏｕｒ ａｎｓｗｅｒ？"
YOU ARE READING
The Arrow of Time
Mystery / ThrillerThe Star Allies have been kidnapped. As they try to sort out their situation, someone among their ranks is making them disappear, slowly but surely. Who is behind this, and why?
