Battle for Some Actual Peace and Quiet for Once

Episode 12 - Solving a Solved Mystery

The day started off like any other: with the sound of screaming.

Ice Cube was the first one from Team Not Prawn to wake up. She struggled a bit to get herself up without causing the others to wake up as well, and then took a moment or so to get used to being back on her feet again. As she did so, she swung her head (or her entire body, anyway) around, looking at everyone sleeping before her. Only... Not everybody was soundly asleep. Blocky and Snowball were snoring like pigs, of course, but it seemed like around half the team had disappeared off the face of the Earth. Pen was gone, but he was one of *their* pals, so she couldn't care less about that. Her attention was immediately fixated on Bubbles bed, which had a complete lack of Bubble in it. Her eyes began to dart around nervously, in fear of what could've possibly happened. Perhaps Bubble had woken up earlier and had already gone out of the house? She wanted to remain optimistic, yet she very well knew Bubble didn't exactly have the intellectual capacity to manage a sneaky exit. She probably would've swung the door too loudly on the way out. She thought she may have just been sleeping on another bed, but a quick look around the house easily disproved that. She had to confront the truth: that Bubble just wasn't there. And if she wasn't there, and she was too incompetent to sneakily exit the house, then that left only a single possibility, the worst one out of all of them.

Ice Cube's ear-piercing scream immediately woke up everyone else. Even Pencil, which, as an attentive reader would know, was quite some distance away. But even she would desperately try using her pillows to cover her ears. That's just how deafening it was. Her screaming was immediately followed by Blocky shouting in anger, clearly having had a good dream that was ruined by reality crashing down upon him. "*ICE CUBE*!" He shouted. "SHUT IT! PEOPLE ARE SLEEPING HERE!" Snowball was quick to also shout, joining Blocky against what they perceived was a complete nuisance. As the shouting match continued as Ice Cube defended herself, Pencil would groan and get up, quickly doing her morning stretches. Pen would do much the same, but would awkwardly stumble a bit, making sure not to accidentally brush up against Pencil, because that would be a bit awkward. After managing to finally get himself fully upright after a bit of a struggle, Pen would sigh. "Another day, another challenge, huh?" He'd chuckle. Pencil sighed in disappointment, much to Pens dismay. "Yeah. Another day." She rubbed her eyes. "You wanna get out first, or..." Pen blushed in embarrassment. "...Alright, alright." He'd carefully make his way out, making sure not to make too much noise on his way out, just in case people were somehow listening in. He *really* didn't feel like answering questions about why he was with Pencil, especially given the truth.

Pencil would eventually leave the hangout place as well after mentally preparing herself for the day. By then, a few more minutes had passed, enough time for several of the contestants from Team Sharp Minds to go outside to investigate the commotion. "What are those guys up to?" Golf Ball asked as she peered out of Team Not Prawns' houses back window, being lifted up by a disgruntled Leafy. "I don't know. If this is another prank, then I swear..." As she thought about it, she'd tighten her grip on Golf Ball slightly, causing her to wince in pain. "Hey! Watch it, Leafy!" Leafy would sigh quietly. "...Sorry. They just get on my nerves, you know?" Pencil would be watching that whole scene unfold before she'd begin flailing her arms around to get their attention. "HEY! GUYS!" She'd shout. Immediately, Leafy would turn to face her, causing Golf Ball to do the same as well, due to being carried and all. "What?" They'd both ask at the same time, much like in a horror movie of sorts. "Can you get them to shut up and get over here? Today's contest is about to start!" Golf Ball would smile, while Leafy would actually frown slightly, looking *visibly* angry. "No-" "Of course!" Golf Ball replied. "HEY! DORKS!" She then shouted. "BE QUIET!" "EXCUSE ME?" Blocky shouted back. "COME HERE YOU-" His attention would be immediately drawn away from Ice Cube, and would quickly get up to chase after Golf Ball, who would, along with Leafy, begin running towards Pencil.

Several more minutes would pass, and all 8 remaining (alive) contestants would eventually make their way to Pencil. She'd quickly count them in her head, making sure that all of them were there, and would immediately notice that they were one short. "...Guys?" She quickly raised her hand, indicating them to be quiet, which they would do promptly. They didn't really need to do that, given that she couldn't do anything, but the contestants have had relatively bad memories about disobeying the hosts. After they remained silent for a few more seconds, Pencil continued. "...Where's Bubble?" She asked. Immediately, Blocky and Snowball would begin to sweat. They knew what had unfolded last night, and they would most like be considered as the most likely suspect given their behavior towards Bubble. Blocky gulped as Ice Cube would be quick to go through the relatively small crowd, approaching Pencil. "Pencil! Pencil!" She'd shout. Pencil would crouch down to be level with her. "What is it, Icy?" She'd ask. "She's gone!" Ice Cube replied. Pencil tried her best not to sigh. "We already know that." She replied. "But *why* is she gone?" "I don't know!" Ice Cube replied. "She just disappeared during the night! When I woke up, she was already gone!" Pencil nodded as she continued. "I don't know what happened, but when I find out who did it..." She began to shake slightly. "I'll get *REVENGE*!"

Ice Cube would then make her way back to the crowd, and Pencil would get back up. "Anyone else have any ideas as to where she could be?" She'd ask. The rest of Team Not Prawn wouldn't say anything, especially Pen, who would gradually distance himself from the others. Golf Ball would raise her foot. "I have a theory!" She said. "Well? Tell us!" Pencil replied. "I mean, we all saw that Bubble was alive last night, and that Bubble was already gone by the time we began waking up..." She would pause to breathe in. "...Perhaps she was popped during the night! It makes sense!" "Yeah, but..." Leafy interrupted. "*How* would she be popped?" Golf Ball would stare at her, somewhat displeased that she had interrupted her, but chose not to let it out because she's just so friendly. "...I suppose that's a fair point." She remarked. "Perhaps a loose nail just fell off from somewhere in the house, and it just so happened to hit Bubble? I've read books on architecture-" "Archi- *what*?" Blocky quickly interrupted, much to the displeasure of Golf Ball. "Sorry, GB, but not everyone here's as much of a nerd as you are." He continued. Golf Ball grumbled. "I've read books on *building things*..." She stared at Blocky in particular. "...And I know that sharp things like nails are used in it!" "I don't really think so." Tennis Ball replied. "That host guy has done many bad things, but bad buildings definitely aren't one of them. These things are sturdy! Trust me, I know."

"Well, that only really leaves one option..." Golf Ball continued. "If it wasn't a stray nail, then Bubble had to be..." She gulped, fearing the possible implications of what she was about to say. "Murdered!" She'd finally let out, earning the gasps of pretty much everyone, with the exception of Blocky. "Murdered?" Pencil asked. "The only person we know of that has murderous tendencies was that Triangle dude. But he's not here, is he?" "It could be someone else." Golf Ball replied. "I know a lot of people that hate Bubble, including..." She'd stare at Blocky again, who would immediately jump to protect himself. "Hey, you can't just say that I murdered her!" He protested. "You don't even have any proof that I did it!" Golf Ball sighed. "...He's right..." She remarked. "The burden of proof lies in the accuser." Pencil rolled her eyes. She didn't really want to listen to any more of Golf Ball using her big words. One of her friends could've been murdered, dangit. "...You know what?" She'd interrupt. Golf Ball seethed. "Are you-" "That's the next challenge, alright?" Pencil continued. "We have to take this whole 'murder' situation seriously, and that means everyone has to help in figuring out just what happened." She'd take one quick glance at the contestants. "I know that some of you hated her, but any one of you could be next! We all have to cooperate to make sure no one else ends up like her. If she *did* end up being..." She shivered. "Whoever can bring me the most convincing evidence wins. Now go! *GO*!"

The two teams would immediately rush out and disperse throughout the living quarters to look for clues, with the exception of Pen. He would wait around for a few seconds to make sure no one was sticking around, and would then approach Pencil. "Hey, uh... Pencil?" He'd ask. "What?" She'd reply. "Now's kinda not the time, you know. What with the..." "I know, I know." He'd interrupt. "It's just..." He looked around, making sure once more that nobody's around, before sighing. "You know why I decided to hang around your place for the night, right?" He'd ask. Pencil nodded. "Uh... Yeah. You couldn't sleep because Blocky and Snowball were talking about stuff. What's that got to do with anything?" "Well..." Pens heartbeat quickly quickened. It wasn't because he was talking to *Pencil* of all people, but because he feared the possibility of possibly losing the favor of his long-time pals. What he was currently thinking was only a theory, but he very well knew how Blocky reacted when such a word was used around him. "...I'm just thinking..." He'd sigh. "I think Blocky may have done it." Pencil raised an eyebrow. "Blocky? Your *friend*? What makes you think that?" Pen sighed yet again. "It's kinda obvious, don't you think? The guy absolutely *hates* Bubble. And what with the two of them sharing the same house... It would've been a piece of cake."

Pencil nodded in agreement. "...Fair point." She remarked. "But *why*?" She'd then ask. "He could've done that, like, a million times by this point. Why do it *now*, of all times?" Pen shrugged. "I dunno. Nobody really knows what goes on inside that mind of his." "Yeah, but..." Pencil interrupted. "*Now*, though? Now, when Bubble is currently on *his* team?" "I mean, she *did* betray him during that building contest." Pen remarked. "She and Ice Cube didn't do their part and didn't climb up the building. He probably thought that they were more trouble than they were worth." He'd sigh. "But... That's not what I'm here for." Pencils eyebrow raised even higher. "That's *not* why you're here?" She'd ask. "Then what is?" "Well..." He looked around the place again, just to make sure nothing had changed. "If I was right about my theory, Blocky would most likely be out to get me next. So I was just wondering..." He'd scratch his head and blush slightly, thinking about what he was going to ask. "...If I could hang out with you at night?" He'd ask. Pencil would be somewhat surprised by Pens question, having thought that Pen staying with her for the night was just a once-off thing. "...Hey, uh..." Pencil struggled to come up with a reply, a blush foring in her face as well. "...I need a good night's sleep, you know. A host has to be prepared." "I know, I know..." Pen sighed. "...I'll be quiet, I promise."

"You very well know that that's not what I meant." Pencil replied. "Hm?" Pen would raise an eyebrow. "...There's other places to sleep, you know. Places that *aren't* my own." "But..." Pen interrupted. "What's the problem with-" "I was thinking about what you said. You know, with people having feelings for others." "Yeah, and?" Pen asked. "I remember saying that *that* sort of stuff should wait until after the competition, you know? After all this mess." Pen nodded in agreement. "...Right." "I still stand by that." Pencil continued. "I just don't think now's the right time, what with all the fighting. And if you start hanging around me often..." Her blush would grow slightly. "...I feel like they'd start asking questions." Pens blush would also grow as well in return. "...Yeah, I guess." He'd then take a few steps back, already feeling the awkwardness build up. "...I'll just... Uh..." Pen scratched his head. "Sleep by a tree, or something. I can probably come up with some excuse to tell Blocky." Pencil nodded. "Yeah. You do you." The awkward atmosphere quickly built up as silence immediately dominated the air shortly afterwards. After what Pencil had said regarding the whole situation, it felt almost like a crime for the two of them to stand less than six feet away from each other. "...I'm gonna go... Look for clues, I guess." Pen would then quickly turn to make his leave. Pencil nodded. "Yeah, you go do that." They'd then go their separate ways, with Pencil going back inside the hangout place.

-

"Why are we going *here*, of all places?" Golf Ball asked. The members of Team Sharp Minds had been making their way to the Huge Loser Residence for all of 3 seconds before Golf Ball asked the question, much to the dismay of everyone else as they realized that they had to put up with her antics for yet another day. Golf Ball had initially taken the lead in leading the team around the living quarters in search of clues, but somehow, in the short span of time they were off-screen (or off-page, anyway), Tennis Ball had managed to take the reins from her. "You'll see." He replied. "I know someone who's smart in there." Golf Ball raised an eyebrow. "Someone else who's smart?" She asked. "But we all know that *we're* the only ones that are smart!" "I thought so as well!" Tennis Ball replied. "It was quite surprising when I first saw it. I couldn't believe my eyes! Or ears, anyway." Their footsteps would then finally bring them to the giant metal box which few ever dared to step into. "Well, here we are!" He'd exclaim. "Quick! Someone, open that door!" Golf Ball added. Leafy would be the one to comply, being the only one to have arms. She'd take the few remaining steps towards the door, and would immediately grab onto the doorknob. She'd notice that the metal walls of the former Tiny Loser Chamber had been well-cut, leaving smooth surfaces where the door would be installed. Leafy didn't know why she thought about it. Perhaps it was because it was most likely the result of a bunch of disgruntled eliminated contestants that hated serving under their master- er, host. She'd then open the door, and everyone's (invisible) noses would immediately be assaulted by a foul stench.

Well, it wasn't really all that foul. It was just a strange scent, was all. The smell of moldy bread quickly overpowered any other odor in the air, even though they were all still outside. Leafy in particular would cover her mouth, not exactly being capable of covering her (possibly not existing) nose. The other members of the team would simply step away from the almost-visible cloud of bread smell, with the exception of Rocky, who would just stay put, not really minding. The Huge Loser Residence was well-lit, allowing them to see everything well at a glance. There were several windows that were carved out and installed on the walls, with most of them having already been cracked in some form. One side of the HLR was dominated by several mattresses laid out, presumably for the eliminated contestants to sleep in. They had an unknown quantity of questionable stains littered throughout its surface, which they wanted to believe was from the piles of soggy bread mush that were also strewn throughout the HLR. The other side seemed relatively clean in comparison. There were several chairs and several tables, presumably for people to hang out in, though they noticed that all the chairs had been moved to be facing away from the center of the room, not near any other chairs. Some would also notice that they felt like the layout of the place was different from the last time they saw it, but with their world growing ever weirder, and its events becoming more convoluted, they weren't sure anymore if that really was the case, or if it was a false memory, or perhaps the author of this fanfic slipping up and describing a place that was already described, and wrongly at that.

Leafy would finally step back as soon as she had more than enough of the place. Tennis Ball seemed undeterred by the sight of it all, however. He was filled with determination to win this contest, no matter how strange or insensitive it was. He would notice the reluctance of the others to get any closer, however. "...Am I the only that's going in?" He'd ask. Everyone would immediately nod in response. Tennis Ball sighed as he noticed that not everyone shared his enthusiasm, not even Golf Ball. He'd take a deep breath and hold it in in order to keep up their morale (perhaps, he thought, they'd be somewhat entertained by this) before making his way to the doorway and struggling to fit through it. As soon as he was fully inside, he would immediately gasp in relief, being free from a somewhat embarrassing fate. He'd take a good look around to make sure he hadn't somehow awoken some eldritch horror by making that much noise. He'd notice Flower and Woody still asleep on the mattresses in some rather uncomfortable positions. From that, he could reckon that it was clearly a pain to try and fall asleep in these things. He'd take a single step on the mattress and push it down, just to see if it would resist, which it would. It would barely move at all in response to him stepping on it. Tennis Ball nodded as he gained this insight, and would then proceed to make his way to the other side of the HLR, making sure not to wake up the two. There, resting on the opposite wall of the HLR, was Spongy. He looked incredibly exhausted, but still awake.

"...Spongy?" Tennis Ball whispered to him as he carefully approached him. He'd get no response from the massive yellow sponge before him. "...*Spongy*?" He'd repeat. "You alright?" He'd ask. Spongy finally seemed to respond, seemingly groaning in pain. "...You're not." Tennis Ball remarked. "Who hurt you? Was it Flower?" "No, no..." Spongy replied, his deep and muffled voice immediately sending chills down Tennis Balls spines. He didn't seem to expect such a grave tone from him. His voice didn't really change from the last time he heard it, yet it seemed different somehow. "...I'm not hurt. Just *tired*." Spongy continued. "...Tired?" Tennis Ball asked. "I've been awake for several days now." Spongy replied. "I couldn't really sleep on the mattresses, both because I couldn't get up afterwards and because the other eliminated contestants would probably tell me to go away." He breathed in for air, becoming a visible current of foul wind. "Since then, I haven't really done much. I've just been... Here, I guess." Tennis Ball nodded, understanding what he had just said. "...I can't sleep, TB. You know how cold this metal is? You know how hard it is to sleep while sitting? It's *painful*." Tennis Ball sighed. "...I understand. I've tried sleeping like that as well due to how I'm round, but it was a struggle because I didn't really *feel* like I was falling asleep. I decided to just sleep while laying down, legs dangling and all. It's somewhat of a struggle, but I can manage it."

Tennis Ball sighed and looked out the door, where Golf Ball was already tapping her foot, already being impatient. He'd then look back at Spongy. "...I'm getting off-track, here." He'd sigh again. "Look, since you've been awake all night, can you help us with something?" He'd ask. "With what?" Spongy asked back. "A contest? I can't help you with *that*. You know..." Tennis Ball shaked his head. "...No. It's not a contest." He thought about it for a moment. "Well, technically, anyway." "What do you mean?" Spongy asked. "Bubble was killed last night, and Pencil just turned looking for clues about it into a challenge. It was somewhat weird, but..." He'd 'shrug' internally. "I'm not doing this to win that, but to help out a friend of ours. Can you help us with this?" Spongy sighed deeply. "...I don't know..." He'd reply. "I just said I was exhausted." "You don't have to help us look, or anything." Tennis Ball replied. "Just tell me... Last night, did you hear anything going on?" Spongy shrugged internally. "I dunno. These walls *are* pretty thick. Maybe even soundproof." He'd reply. "But I think I *did* hear something last night. I could've been hallucinating it, but whatever." "What was it?" Tennis Ball asked. "It was this... Sort of quiet grating noise. Like if someone was trying to cut prison bars with a file, you know?" Tennis Ball nodded. "From what I could hear, I think it was coming from... Behind me, I think." Spongy continued, and Tennis Ball nodded. "Great. Thanks." "You're welcome." Spongy replied. Tennis Ball would quickly head out, leaving Spongy to try and sleep once again.

"Well, what did that stinky Spongy have to say?" Golf Ball immediately asked as soon as Tennis Ball exited the HLR. "Don't be so rude, GB." Tennis Ball replied. "He might've just told us what we needed to win this contest!" "*Well*?" "Right, right." Tennis Ball sighed. "Spongy said he heard something last night. Some sort of... Noise." "Does he know where it came from?" Golf Ball asked. "Yeah, actually!" Tennis Ball replied. "It came from somewhere around..." Tennis Ball took a few steps towards the alleyway: the gap between the HLR and the hangout place. "...Somewhere around here, I think! Let's go!" He'd then quickly begin walking again, and the rest of Team Sharp Minds would quickly follow, obviously not wanting to get left behind and end up leaving a hint for Team Not Prawn as to where a potential clue could be. Tennis Ball and the others would eventually come across the fence, and they would look around in search of anything that could've possibly made the noise. After just a few seconds of searching, Golf Ball would find a potential clue. "Guys! Look!" She'd exclaim, and would take a few steps towards it. What she had found was a hole in the fence: a hole cut into its grating, with the section cut off now laying on the nearby grass. The two balls (and the rest of Team Sharp Minds) would look through the new opening, and began thinking. "This must've been where the murderer gone through to get inside." Tennis Ball remarked. "Let's retrace his steps!" He'd then quickly fit through the wide opening, and once again, the rest of Team Sharp Minds would follow.

It took them several minutes of walking in order to find what seemed like yet another clue. Tennis Ball and Leafy would be the first ones to see it, being the taller ones and therefore having eyes higher up, allowing them to see ever so slightly farther into the horizon. As soon as they noticed it, they'd immediately begin running towards it, and wouldn't stop until it was clearly in view, no longer being a mere speck in the horizon but a very much visible shape in the distance. It was a pile of scrap metal, or at least what looked like it. Upon closer inspection (once they got to a closer distance), they could make out the finer details. It wasn't just a pile of stuff, as they had expected given the shape, but a single large thing, dented and twisted to near-unrecognizability. Upon even closer inspection, to the point that you were literally right next to it, one could notice that it was riddled with tiny holes in several areas, clearly done with a knife. There were also some scratches that were imperceptible from a distance, as well as some tiny dust particles that had somehow stuck to the metal surface. A quick lap around the wreckage also shows that this was also done in the backside, clearing any possibility that this was only done to the front, for... Whatever reason.

Golf Ball, being her usual inquisitive self, would get close enough to a point that she was only mere microns away from actually touching the thing. She'd inspect it very thoroughly, taking note of every single imperfection on the very imperfect... Thing. Or something. She'd then pull back, being somewhat proud of herself, but knew that her task wasn't done. "Guys! We gotta flip this thing over!" She'd yell out. "But *why*?" Leafy would ask. "I've done a very thorough examination of..." She'd pause to think for a moment. "...Whatever this thing is, but only 5/6ths of its surface have actually been scanned by my eyes!" "Uh..." Leafy froze in trying to process whatever the heck she just said. She would sigh in defeat a few moments afterwards. "Uh... English, please?" "Maybe we're missing something that's currently pressed against the ground!" That seemed to clear things up for Leafy. "Oh! Alright!" She'd then look for something to grab onto amidst the sea of dents, and, once she managed to spot two places that protruded outward by a significant degree, would grab onto them and begin pushing. "Guys! We gotta help her!" Golf Ball exclaimed. She would quickly run up to her and help her out, desperately trying to push beside her, followed by Tennis Ball and Rocky. The whole struggle would take the better part of a minute or so, but they'd eventually manage to flip it over, revealing a section of the wreckage which was completely caked with dirt. Or was it mud? Whatever.

They'd then be hard at work at clearing the dirt off the metal surface, until they eventually found something strange. "Guys!" Leafy exclaimed. "I think I found something!" Immediately, everyone else would stop, and all eyes would turn to her as she seemed to uncover what might just be a crucial part of the puzzle. It was barely visible at first: a streak of black in a sea of light blue. Leafy had first thought it was yet another scratch, but as she cleared more of the dirt, it became clear that it wasn't actually a scratch. These black lines were more artificial, forming perfectly straight lines. Also, you couldn't feel it and clearly notice that it was a scratch: it felt entirely smooth. All this convoluted writing to describe what would be extremely easy to depict with pictures meant one thing: this was writing that was painted onto this strange object. It'd take yet another minute or so for Leafy to clear all the dirt to see whatever the writing was in its entirety. The other team members considered helping, but their feet were already dirty due to them walking, tipping this thing over, and then they also did some dirt removing beforehand, so they opted to just let her do her thing. Eventually, enough dirt had been cleared for them to realize just what this thing was. The writing was only partially revealed, but Golf Ball could already figure out what it said through context: 'Bubble Recovery Center'.

The discovery was very shocking, of course. It solved a part of the mystery which had been bugging them in their heads, yet never really left that place because they were already busy doing other things: The hosts of the prior competition had suddenly made a Recovery Center for Bubble appear during one of the contests, and ever since then, it had always been there to revive Bubble should she ever die. If she *was* killed, murdered or otherwise, it would've recovered her, and she would have more than enough time to get back to bed before morning. But as she wasn't there when Ice Cube had woken up, that begged the question: was she *really* murdered, or did she just decide to run away that night and not tell anybody? Seeing the wreckage of the BRC showed that if she was killed, she wouldn't have been recovered. This didn't really prove that she *didn't* run away into the night, but they didn't really care all that much about that. Immediately after this shocking revelation, everyone would take several steps back, as if staring at it this close could kill them instantly. "It's the Bubble Recovery Center!" Golf Ball exclaimed, stating what everyone already knew. "How does this change our theories, GB?" Tennis Ball asked. "Well, we now know that our murderer must've been very thorough! Someone who's cunning, clever, and..." She'd sigh. "Some other word starting with C. I dunno."

Tennis Ball thought about it for a moment and snickered. "Well, that rules out everyone but us as the murderer, no?" Golf Ball thought about it as well and chuckled. "...Yeah, but do we have a motive?" Meanwhile, Leafy would fold her arms, somewhat disgruntled by this insult to their intelligence. "...*Guys*?" She'd ask. "Oh!" Golf Ball would then immediately realize just what she had said, and would turn to face Leafy. "...Sorry. You know we were joking, right?" Leafy squinted at them. "...Right. Joking..." Awkward silence then filled the air for a while, before Golf Ball continued. "Alright, look. From what we know now, we can probably deduce who the murderer was!" "Well, let's get to deducing!" Tennis Ball replied. "To start, it *definitely* wasn't us. We were teammates in the last competition, so we don't have any tension." He continued. Golf Ball smirked. "Yeah. And if *I* was the murderer. I would've done this way better. I would leave no traces and-" "And *I* couldn't have been the murderer either!" Leafy interrupted. "I'm friends with everyone!" She'd then stare at Rocky. "Rocky, are you the murderer?" She'd ask. Rocky would obviously reply by shaking his head, to which Leafy would sigh in relief. "Pencil's also a friend of hers, so it couldn't have been her!" Tennis Ball remarked. "Well, that only leaves..." Golf Ball trailed off as she remembered Blocky and his mocking laugh. "...*The obvious candidates*."

Golf Ball would remain silent for the better part of yet another minute, which would be the time until it became *too* awkward. "Uh..." Tennis Ball would be the first one to try and kick her back into action. "...Golf Ball?" He'd call out to her. "Are you-" "AHA!" Golf Ball would suddenly shout, catching everyone by surprise. "I got it!" She continued. "Well, I think I got it, anyway." "What do you have in mind?" Tennis Ball asked. "After much deliberation, I have managed to reduce the number of possibilities in which Bubble could be killed into two! A 3994020% decrease from before!" "How'd you do it?" Tennis Ball asked, obviously just acting as Golf Balls #1 fan at this point. "Well, first, I did some further deducing. It's highly unlikely that Bubble would want to off herself, and it was also unlikely that Ice Cube would kill her, as they were good friends!" Golf Ball would pause to breathe. "From this, I managed to conclude with these two possibilities: either Blocky had killed Bubble as some sort of sick 'prank', or a stray nail just happened to fall into Bubble and pop her!" She'd pause for another moment. "Personally, I'm still a fan of that second theory." She concluded. "Wow!" Tennis Ball exclaimed. "You've done it again, GB! Another mystery solved by you!" Meanwhile, Leafy would stare at them in confusion, and Rocky would just stand there, being the only one in their team to consider the possibility of her just running away, but was unable to voice his opinion.

"Well, we now have both the evidence and the hypothesis." Golf Ball continued. "Now all we have to do is to present our findings to Pencil, and we'll win instantly!" She'd smile with glee. Team Sharp Minds had been in a losing streak recently, and this was the first time they had a chance of possibly winning for once. "Well, what are we waiting for?" Tennis Ball asked. "Let's go!" They would then begin the walk back to the living quarters, anticipating their inevitable victory.

-

Blocky stared at the knife, feeling slightly disgusted.

He'd pick it up from where he had it that night, that being underneath his pillow. It was the only reasonable hiding spot, he supposed. He looked around cautiously, making sure that no one was around to see him handling the murder weapon. It was just him and Snowball inside the Team Not Prawn house at that moment. Ice Cube was obviously gone, being very much angry about the situation, and Pen hadn't been inside the house since the night prior. That was somewhat suspicious, but he had far greater concerns to look into. He'd watch Snowball frantically pace around the opposite side of the house, and would carefully bring the knife closer to him, fearing that doing it too quickly might cause him to cut himself by accident. He'd take a careful sniff, feeling as if taking in too much air could be a crime in itself, and the sickeningly sweet smell of soap dominated the air he breathed for just a brief moment. The smell made him feel sick, which prompted him to immediately put the knife back down, covering it with the pillow about as quickly as a teenager hiding whatever teenagers usually watch in their computers.

Blocky couldn't stop thinking about what had happened the night prior. The fact that he had seemingly done *that* seemed to be too far, even for him. He'd popped Bubble before, of course. But none of those previous times ever had such a sinister intent. For the first time, Blocky seemed to feel guilty for his actions. His heartbeat was increasing fast, his palms drenched in sweat, and his eyes couldn't help but frantically look around, searching for a set of eyes looking down upon him, disappointed at him for his sins. He couldn't help but think about why he was feeling those sorts of emotions. He'd done pranks before, everyone knew that, and not once did he ever feel like this afterwards. They were done for his entertainment, of course. What made this one so different? He couldn't reach a satisfying conclusion on either front: on why he did it, why he was feeling this sort of emotion, and most importantly, *how was he was going to get out of this situation*. It seemed that what made this particular case special was partly due to the fact that he had done it during such a tense competition. Everyone was seemingly against everyone else, and one small slip of the tongue (or hand, rather) could banish them from this little corner of the world they'd established. And with him being a candidate for leadership, they'd probably do so harsher than on any other contestant. Of course, Blocky thought, he could just be overthinking it. Perhaps the stress of the competition was just getting to him. But he couldn't help but ponder if he was overthinking it, or perhaps he was thinking about it *too little*.

Blocky watched as Snowball would then approach him, visibly angry. The white ball of fluff would stare at him directly in the eye, before frantically looking around to make sure that no one was eavesdropping, then looking at him again. "What are we going to do, Blocky?" He'd finally begin in a sharp tone. "We're most likely about to be driven out of this competition, all because of you!" Blocky would immediately be surprised by this accusation, having been caught off-guard by all the stuff that he was already thinking about. "*Me*?" He'd reply. "You did most of the heavy lifting!" "What are you talking about?" Snowball quickly interrupted. "You came up with the plan! I thought that if you've decided to do something so drastic, you'd have a plan on how to get away with it!" He'd point at the red block threateningly. "Now we're going to be hated *even more*, and it's all your fault!" Blocky began to sweat. It was probably incredibly easy to deflect all the claims against him, given that Snowball was known for being somewhat lacking in his intellectual abilities. But with all the stuff that was plaguing his mind, he couldn't come up with any sort of witty reply back. "...Let's not be too hasty here!" Blocky would just about manage to form a cohesive reply, however. "W-We can just-" "*NO*!" Snowball shouted. "I've had enough of blindly following you around! I have my own plan to get myself out of *your* punishment!" Without another word, Snowballs fist would come swinging in towards Blocky, but he would manage to avoid it, evading his wrath by a nearly-imperceptible distance.

Snowballs fist would instead plunge into the wooden walls of the house, causing waves of pure force that would reverberate throughout, resulting in the houses framework shaking slightly. The force was enough to actually do the slightest bit of damage to the house, though not much would be seen, besides a small crack from where the fist had landed. Elsewhere, a stray nail, which had just been minding its own business hanging out in the support beams of the houses roof, would come off and fall down, hitting the floor in a noise that was loud enough to draw Blocky and Snowballs attention away from each other. They'd stare at it for several seconds, the awkwardness building up quickly, before Blocky would smirk. "Trust me, SB." He'd finally say. "I *do* have a plan."

-

Pencil had decided to step outside of the hangout place for just a minute, wanting to take in the fresh air before the contestants would come back to her, shouting about clues that they had found, but unfortunately, exactly that would happen right after. The entirety of Team Sharp Minds would quickly come up to her, with the two balls quickly interrupting each other in rapid succession as they tried to explain what they found, and was then followed by a panicked Blocky who would immediately shout at her to check out their teams house. As the cacophony of noise surrounded her, she'd sigh deeply before raising a hand, which would promptly silence them. After a few seconds passed, Pencil would finally begin. "One at a time." She'd sigh again. "*Please*." Several more seconds would then pass, before Golf Ball would be the one to break the uncomfortable silence. "We found the Bubble Recovery Center! It's been destroyed!" Pencil nodded, indicating that she understood. "Blocky?" She'd ask. "We found that nail thing GB was talking about!" Blocky immediately replied. "What nail thing?" Golf Ball interrupted. "You talked about a nail thing!" Blocky responded. "I thought your memory was supposed to be perfect? Not so smart after all, huh?" Golf Ball and Blocky would immediately lock eyes in an intense staring contest, glaring at each other in a non-romantic fashion.

Pencil sighed one more time, for good measure. "Where did you guys find these clues?" She'd ask. "We found this gap in the fence and we went through it!" Golf Ball would quickly reply back. "If you follow us, we can-" "In our house, duh." Blocky interrupted, much to the dismay of Golf Ball. "*YOU CAN'T JUST*-" "Let's take a look at what Blocky found first." Pencil would interrupt Golf Ball yet again, causing her to grow even angrier than she already was. "BUT WE-" "*It's nearer*." Pencil protested. "It just makes sense to look at it first, alright?" She'd then look at Blocky. "Lead the way." He would immediately do so, and everyone else would follow him, although Team Sharp Minds would do so with a bit of anger in their step. After going inside, Blocky would immediately draw their attention to the nail in question. It was laying down in Bubbles bed, minding its own business. Pencil would walk up to it, and would wince slightly as she grabbed it to inspect it further. After a few seconds of this, Pencil would put it back down on the bed, trying to replicate its original position to the best of her ability. Excellent writing at work, folks. She'd then nod and look back at the contestants. "Well, it is certainly a nail, alright." She remarked. She'd then pause to think for a few seconds. "...Team Not Prawn wins, I guess. This is some conclusive evidence."

Golf Ball, who was already angered by all the nonsense that was going on, would be broken by this announcement. "*W-WHAT*?" She'd shout, the volume of it almost being enough to shatter everyone's eardrums. She would then immediately go on a furious tirade on how the competition had been rigged from the start, on how Pencil was probably cooperating with Team Not Prawn, and how she was destined to become their leader eventually. Everyone else would stare at her in concern, but wouldn't actually listen to her ramblings. Pencil would do so especially, with a disgruntled look on her face, thinking about how she just wanted this darn competition over with.