PARASITIC (Among Us)

Five: Just a Bunch of Hooha, if You Ask Me

        "We're waiting, Morbid," Cole taps her finger on her arm. "How do you plead?"

"Not guilty," I declare. "If you wanna talk about cake eating, it's the same way for you. I may not have evidence that you're the Imposter, and you don't have evidence that I am either. Whatever grudge we have against each other: Drop it. Bygones and all of that. Baby steps, though. We have to find out who killed Po."

"Right," Cole sighs. "I guess we got a little out of hand."

"I still think you did it," Nakii coldly says.

"Well, I don't," Con pats my arm. "Prerogative applies to everyone, believe what you will."

Everyone knows that that can't be the case. We all have to be on the same page when it comes to pointing out a killer. As much as I wanted to persist in accusing Cole, I shouldn't keep her too far away from me. She still needs me, and I'm sure she won't be able to coerce another crewmate into submission the same way she did me. Everyone already thinks I'm crazy, so I might as well try to keep my alliance with Cole for the time being. I turn back to Minty. "Don't think you're out of the woods yet."

"Hmm, am I allowed to speak now?" She asserts. "I've been trying to tell all of you that I was emptying the chute in O2 and in Storage this entire time while you were having your quarrel. I heard your argument and didn't want to get involved so I slipt past all of you and went into Electrical to find the dead body."

"That sounds like a lie," Nakii opposes.

"I didn't kill Po. I don't know how to make you believe that," she sighs.

Eyes dart from around the table, Battery clearing her throat. "Let's think for a moment, gang. How should we go about detaining the perpetrator, given that we find them? If we point the finger and find the Imposter, what's going to stop them from killing us at the drop of a hat? I'm not convicting Minty, but I'm not vouching for innocence either. We simply don't have enough things figured out."

"Making an arrest now obviously is a stupid decision," Con taps his chin. "I'd hate to be the one to suggest it, but we should skip out on voting for the moment."

"But," Runky starts, "I wanna thank whoever made Po into Spooky Season decor."

"That's all you're going to boil her down to be?" Meep scoffs, disgusted. "We were friends and coworkers, Runky, almost family! All you're concerned about is thanking whoever killed her? We can't skip out, we have to find out who did this to her."

"I understand your sentiment, Cyan, but there simply isn't enough evidence or witness accounts to point us toward a strong lead. Unless whoever did it wants to come out and say it outright?... Didn't think so," Uni adds. "I don't think the Imposter left any damning evidence either. I also choose to skip."

"Two groups of five?" Ten asks. "I'd of course still be in Medbay."

"Ten, that makes you an easy target," I put my hand on her shoulder. "You should really pair up with either group. Everyone is held accountable. It's for your safety and also witness accounts of your innocence."

She shrugs. "I guess..."

"I still can't believe you guys are abandoning the search like that," Meep crosses their arms and furrows their brows. "I feel like it's my fault she's dead since I freaked her out and made her go out there alone. I just wanna do the right thing and find out who killed her. I still think you did it, Minty."

"Then so be it. I'll have you know I'd be your most valuable asset as I did some private investigations with the Committee. I was sent here as a contingency, so I'd be your best bet of finding out who the Imposter is."