Day 1: Introduction

Dark gave the tiniest smile when Antoine walked back up to him, then regained his usual stoic expression. "No way out..." he muttered. He was somewhat conspicuously holding the knife in place by clutching his overcoat. "Xara. I not understand. What we can do?"

The students' bracelets vibrate a few times before the displays change to a blank screen.

"Attention students!" Subtitles flow along the bottom as the cheery voice rings out. "Dinner will be served in the banquet room now. Attendance is mandatory!"

Once the text finishes its scroll, the screens all switch to a map of the first floor.

Miranda stopped her assault on the elevator button.

Computer parts, clothes, painkillers.

Where was her bloody head?

She booked it, running like a bat out of hell into the butler's room, practically having to jump off the wall to make a turn.

ETA: The announcement couldn't have been at a better time- once that head was hers, she was going there.

"Well, shit. That ruins everything," she said as she heard the voice. Not wanting to risk anything, she tugged Avery along to the dining hall.

Finally, after a rather long time, McDorne calmed down. His hands still hook when he tried to rub between his eyes, but he didn't seem like he was about to lash out again. "Best say sorry..." He hmm'd at that.

Announcement happened. That all went to pieces.

"Well, that makes our job a lot easier," Patrick said. "But I'm a bit worried about who's enforcing this."

"Which sucks, because this kitchen looks really nice."

Avery groaned, "Well, fuck it, let's go."

He let himself be tugged, hilariously, even though he could easily keep up with Ariel.

Isaac looked a little scared as Claire turned to Jacob, hoping she did not just share the "pretty boy" thing with him.
Thankfully, it seemed like she didn't, when Claire signed back to him.

He stepped into the kitchen, and was about to see what food he could find when the bracelet vibrated.
Looks like food would have to wait until after dinner.

"This is suspicious, they better explain." Isaac signed to anyone who would see, waiting to follow others rather than leaving by himself. Seemed safer that way.

The students had made their way into the room, finding seats labeled with their names. The two at either head were left empty. Just when they finished settling, the door opened once again.

A black and white bear comes strolling in carrying a covered food tray.  

"Hello, hello!"  It hops up onto one of the empty chairs, then the end of the table.  "Welcome all, to your class retreat!  Now, what do you say we celebrate with a group dinner!"  It removes the lid with a flourish.




"...okay, I lied!  But not about the retreat.  It is a retreat!"  It places the tray down gently.

"A retreat of mutual killing!"

Miranda did a double take with the monohead on her lap. Similar. But the grand reveal made her audibly gasp. "There's the head! What happened? Who killed him!" She demanded, lightly tapping her hands on the table.

And then it sunk in.

"Wait what?"

Jacob sat in silence as he processed the turn of events, the expression on his face pensive but otherwise unfettered.

"That head must belong to the butler," he spoke, raising his voice just loudly enough for the others to hear him. Then he pinched his forehead.

"I won't question why our headmaster is a fucking bear of all things..." he began. "But I want to know what you mean by 'retreat of mutual killing'."

Patrick's breath of relief as he noticed the man's head was, in fact, not another student was short lived.

"W-w-what do you mean by 'mutual killing'? And who is that?"

"First of all, I never said I was your headmaster, Mr. Reyes!  No, no.  I am your chaperone, Monobear!  And yes, Ms. Tawfeek, this is indeed our helpful butler's head.  I wasn't too sure everyone would believe me having not seen the body, so I decided to go mobile!"  It ahems.

"Now then, I'm sure Mr. LaMonte isn't the only one confused.  But use your head a little!  Mutual.  Killing.  As in killing each other.  You will not be able to leave this trip unless you do one thing."



"Kill a classmate, and get away with it."  It pauses.  "Okay, I guess that's two things.  Details."

"We won't kill each other! That's- that's- there's no reason!" He stands up. "We can-no, we will find another way!" He looks around at the others. "Right?"

"Why would we want to kill someone anyways?" Jason seemed a bit too calm for this.

"Petty reasons aside, won't we get rescued eventually?"

"Th-th-That's a BEAR! " Martin exclaimed, seemingly more shocked by the talking animal than the severed head.

"That makes no sense." Martin growled, glaring at Monobear, "Why would we kill someone else? Just to leave? That's stupid, you can't hold us here. The police will find us."

His position in his chair relaxed as the bear seemed to start to explain what was going on. Crossing his arms, he gave monobear a wry look, then looked around to his fellow classmates.

"I thought Punk'd was cancelled years ago. Am I gonna get to meet Ashton?"

"Can't... leave...?"  Lisa clutched at her chair.

"Guys, I dunno... Rescues aren't always fast enough.  I mean, it happens on the news..."  She shook her head.  "Well, not this.  This is-"  She fell silent.

Claire made a point to have a different exasperated look on her face each time one of the other students spoke. "For goodness' sake, let the bear speak. You're all so embarrassing," she muttered. "Keep the commentary to yourselves." She gave a little huff and slunk into her seat a bit.

Isaac looked in disgust at the severed head, practically backing out of his seat and looking like he was about to run.

At...least he knew what happened to the body now.

"What's going on?" He signed, "Seriously, what's happening."
He absolutely could not read the bear's lips, he had no experience reading the lips of a talking animal.

"Oh, right, Mr. Arkwright.  Sorry, didn't mean to leave you out of the fun!"  He pointed at his own wrist, where a watch would be if he wore one.  Isaac's screen contained a transcript and backlog of what Monobear says.  

"And I can assure you all, no rescue is coming."  He looked at Judas.  "Neither is Ashton.  So get that out of your heads.  If you want out, you've got one option.  Murder.  Bludgeon, stab, poison, strangle, how doesn't matter!  I also have a little... incentive, if you will."  He raised a paw to his mouth, letting out a soft "upupu."

"It better fucking be Girls Gone Wild, you sentient black and white chode." Avery crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes.

Lux's eyebrows narrowed. "What kind of incentive could make us kill each other?"

Jason raised his hand like a good little boy and waited for Monobear to call on him to speak.