Broken Wings

~9~

There was silence as each approached, no one having the courage to speak. Big-B had been awoken, and sleepily made his way over. 

No one spoke for a long time, nor dared to move. This lasted only, until Phoenix felt it all wash away.

Like the water, it left him and reminded him of how he had to get revenge, and of how he would stop this killer no matter what.

He remembered the ledge, the fall, and began to walk.

Away from the crowd, and away from the death and despair now creeping into his friend's minds. The knowledge that one of them had done this, and twice before.

He left for the ladder, the climb up to the ledge lasting forever, time seeming to be slowed. He reached the top, and pulled himself over, the ledge whispering death in his ears and his mind.

He shook it away, knowing that he had to look for clues, something that might be evidence.

He saw it, and his eyes went wide, the headband glinting in the light.

MCA's headband rested on the ledge, knocked off to the side, discarded. He walked over, picking it up, and inspecting it.

There was no mistaking it, no way this could be wrong, that MCA pushed Keke off the ledge. It made so much more sense now, or so he felt, that this was the answer. There was even black hair on the headband to prove it was his.

He climbed back down, the silence shattering as people started to argue, yelling at each other, accusing one another all through tears of greif. As he climbed off, everyone stared at him, and then the headband in his hands.

"You found it?" MCA asked, taking a step closer. As he did, everyone stepped away from him.

"What? Guys, it's okay-"

"You must have done it!"

Star cried out, her finger aimed straight at him.

"That's why it was up there, you shoved her off!"

"But I-"

"You killed her! You're a murderer! You're a murderer..."

She collapsed onto the ground in a puddle of tears, sobbing; broken. MCA looked shocked as he  took his headband and placed it back on.

"Star... I'd never kill-"

"We don't know that."

Haze interrupted him.

"Huh?"

"Any one of us could be the murderer. It could be Phoenix, it could be Star, it could be any of us, including you."

"I'd never hurt you guys..."

"I'm sorry MCA, but none of us know who to trust. All the evidence points to you, and-"

"It's Phoenix."

"Huh?"

"Phoenix killed Keke, just like he killed Mini and Jake! It's obvious! He killed Mini in the tunnels of their map, and then he killed Jake because he accused him!"

"MCA, that doesn't make sense, what reason would he have to kill Keke?"

"Earlier, I was talking to Keke, and she told me that she thought it had to be Phoe. We turn around, and he's right there listening! Now she's dead!"

MCA looked like he was about to cry, tears forming in his eyes.

"Phoenix is the real murderer here!"

"We all need to stop yelling at each other, and start thinking rationally! Plus, I need to... do something... You guys need to get away from each other. Everyone spend the night in a different map, or something... Star follow me."

Phoenix sighed, watching Big-B leave with Keke's body in his arms, and Star by his side. He turned to face the others, waiting for someone to speak.

"Well, Who's going where?"

Haze asked, and Phoe looked him in the eye.

"I'll stay in this map, and I'm guessing you'll want to go to Grounded Haze."

"I guess that leaves me the flooded map."

MCA sighed, accepting the fact that he'd be sleeping in a soaking wet bed.

"Well should we get going?"

"I guess so..."

Phoenix watched them leave, and then turned his back, heading into the warehouse to find a bed. He knew he wouldn't sleep tonight...