CROSSPOSTS |FROM MY AO3|

DEATH DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE | AMONG US

Red sighs, feeling like all the matter in the ship has decided to descend onto his shoulders. He steps into his personal chamber, which is really just a glorified closet- only about four standard measures long and six SMs wide. There's a metal bed attatched to the wall with a sterile mattress and pressurized blanket, a small wash station with a small, grimy mirror, a few empty shelves, and an uncomfortable chair bolted to the floor. He stands in front of the sink- if you can even call it that- and unscrews his helmet, relishing for a second the feeling of breathing fresh air, or at least as fresh as you can get aboard a space cruiser, instead of stale recycled oxygen from his tank.

He runs his head over his hair, feeling the itch of the regulation buzz cut, admiring for a bit Black's boldness. She always keeps her hair a little longer than the standard and dyes it using spare fluorescent paint.

No. Not keeps. Kept. Because Black's gone, and it's all his fault.

He remembers in his mind's eye, how two days ago today, he was sitting at the head of a metal table in the main hull, hearing a shaken Cyan reporting that Yellow's dead, murdered by the looks of it, and how he thought he heard someone crawling away through the vents.

"It was Black," Blue immediately accuses. "I... I saw her, in the vents. Said she was doing maintenance checks, but it looked like she had something shiny in her belt- oh gosh, that was a knife, wasn't it?" Brown agreed, saying that he'd also seen Black rush to hide something earlier that morning.

Orange had recording footage. It was only in monochrome, but the suit was one of the darkest shades of grey. It looked like Black. The evidence all pointed towards Black. Red remembers the sinking feeling in his chest, because of everyone, how on earth could it be Black, his best friend? But he's the crew leader. He can't let emotions get in his way.

"Black, what do you have to say for yourself?" Red asked, his heart feeling like it was about to jump out of his chest.

Black crossed her arms and scowled, adopting her usual defensive manner. "I can't believe this!" she shouted. "I know you guys hate me, but accusing me of murder?! I'd never kill Yellow! Yellow was my friend too! I wasn't even in the area at the time! Let me go!"

"Explain the cam footage," Brown growled.

"I- I don't know! It wasn't me! I swear!" Black was panting, her hands having migrated from her chest to her visor.

"Is that all?" whispered Pink. Pink and Yellow were best friends. "Are we- are we voting now?"

"Yes," sighed Red.

Blue votes first. "Sus," he called.

Purple shook her head. "This isn't enough proof to go on. Not sus."

Slowly, all the crewmates, minus Red and Black, have casted their votes. Brown, Blue, Orange, Cyan, and Lime had voted sus. Purple, Pink, Green, White, and Tan voted not sus.

It was down to Red. He remembers mulling the evidence over in his mind- Blue's testimony (he knew Blue, the guy couldn't lie to save his life), and Brown's too. And the recording footage. You couldn't argue with recording footage. Also, he hadn't exactly seen her around that day. Red remembers deciding what decision to make. And because he knew that sometimes sacrifices had to be made for the good of the crew, he made it.

"Sus."

"That carries the vote," Blue said. "Get the traitor to the airlock."

"No! No! Red, I swear it wasn't me!" Black's voice shook. "It wasn't me! Please, Red! Please!"

Red heard the hissing of the door mixed with Black's desperate screams. He forced himself to look away as Black was shoved out of the airlock and into oblivion.