r/whowouldwin • u/7thSonOfSons • Jan 20 '18
Special Character Scramble IX Round 2B: Collapse of the Eternal Empire
The Character Scramble is a bloodmatch tournament where people compete to analyze unique matchups and scenarios and write the best story they can. At the beginning, everyone submits characters that meet the guidelines, then those characters are randomized and distributed evenly. From then on, each week there's a new writing prompt for everyone to follow. At the end of the week, everyone votes for who they think should advance, until we have our winner at the end. The winner at the end of the tournament gets to choose the theme, tier, and rules of the next scramble, along with a sweet custom flair as their reward. The current theme is based on the mobile game Fate: Grand Order, and the current tier is anywhere from 2/10 to 8/10 DCEU Wonder Woman, using only feats from her standalone movie.
Next Round’s the much discussed “Pick-Up” round, so get an idea of what character you might like to add to your collection. You might find yourself with the opportunity to get the one you want!
Without further ado, here we go!
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Pairings and Road to Redemption
This Round will only be for Matches 27 through 32, as well as Road to Redemption Match 2: /u/ckbrothers VS /u/rangernumberx
Following your teams romp through China and subsequent elimination of the enemy master, again are you taken back to the present, to the people directing you. Having now completed two so-called “singularities”, you are given some semblance of your purpose here. Whether they tell you the honest truth or a convenient lie, who is to say, but at least you now have a goal in mind. And with that goal, and your completion of these tasks, more liberties and freedoms with the facility as a whole. After all, not everyone sent into a strange time comes back alive, and not everyone stands by the facilities ideals.
Either way, with another job out of your way, some downtime is permitted. A chance to convene with the group you’ve found yourself working for, with your teammates, or to relax and let your injuries subside, to come up with a plan of action. But eventually, such restfulness must end, and you’re sent well on your way to the third singularity, with an instruction to “Ensure Timeline Accuracy”...
Rome, 44 BC
The capital of the grandest empire of its time. A marvel of architecture and advancement and learning without compare. As your team comes to within this grand expanse, all seems well, all seems right. As they traverse through the metropolis, things are truly serene, a day seemingly without issue. But somehow, through their own knowledge of history or heresay and rumors, a fact becomes clear to them: The death of Caesar had been stopped.
In the grand Colosseum, the new heroes of the empire are heralded for stopping the death of the beloved monarch. And who should those heroes be but your enemy master and their servants. A grand contest it being held in their honor, where they may watch and compete at their leisure as the esteemed guests of the Emperor. And it’s evident that said Emperor is your next mark. Oh joy.
Normal Rules
Who Art Thou: Look at all these obscure characters in the scramble! Give a brief summary of your characters in your post. Be sure to mention things like powers, personality, weaknesses, just stuff that the average reader should know before reading.
Crit Happens: The Scramble is a game, and in the end the player always wins the game. This time the player is you, champ! That means that when your write your story, your team always comes out victorious. Even if the odds of you winning are 1 in 100, explain those odds in the analysis and then show us that 1 miracle run.
Unfamiliar Arms: Characters are assumed to be at the same power level they started the tournament at at all times. To clarify, this means you would not be able to loot Wonder Woman of her lasso if you beat her in a previous round, or otherwise gain a competitive advantage based on anything that happened in a previous round. This is to aid your opponent in research of your character.
Thou Art My Master: Such powerful servants and such fragile masters, how could the master hope to survive? Well, they had better, at all costs. If the master dies, all their servants go with them. So like it or not, your servants might have to put in the extra work to protect the master. But those command seals on their hand are a powerful tool...
Due Date: January 28th bout a week, so get to work! Do to unforseen circumstances, this round has been extended to the 30th!
Round Specific Rules
Round Goal: We Should Totally Just Stab Caesar: As with all good things, the reign of Julius Caesar has run its course. Today is the day you make that inevitability fact. And the only thing standing between your team and that goal of killing an old, beloved king is the enemy master and their servants.
Those Who Stand Against the Ides: Whether because of their apparent might or because they’ve already saved his life, the enemy master and their servants are considered as close friends and guardians to Caesar. They are not likely to leave his side, unless something were to draw them out…
When In Rome, Gladiators: In Celebration of his saviours, the Emperor has taken up a holiday within the Colosseum. Lions, Chariots, Gladiators, Sport, and Drama alike allot the time on the Emperor’s grand stage. Plenty of opportunities for your own dramatic appearance.
Fluff Goals
Reputation with the Compound: Well the words got around, your team has accomplished quite the feats. How do those you work for see this progress? And what of the other occupants, be there any at all?
...While Rome Burned: The last thing your team needs to coincide with their slaying of a beloved ruler is for panic and riots to set in. Whether that means a covert killing, distracting the masses in the colosseum, or through some other means, you’ll want to be long gone when that news breaks. Chaos can lead to blood
Faces of the Age: Beyond his excellency himself, Rome is not lacking in the way of grand names and historical relevance. Cleopatra, Spartacus, Caligula, Nero, Augustus, and the (would be) assassin Brutus occupy this time as well. How do such names and faces tie to your tale, if at all?
Who Are We Fighting Again?: Where are these enemy masters and servants coming from? Is this some kind of competition arranged by your handlers, or is something more sinister going on behind the scenes? Or are these answers still out of your reach?
3
u/TheMightyBox72 Jan 27 '18
"The girl was certainly odd, but I had much more pressing matters on my mind, so I wandered away from the door. But, oh, I did definitely see the cart just outside the room before I left. A little while later, maybe 15 minutes or so, I wandered back. Nothing much looked different, but the cart had disappeared."
"That would mean that the murder probably took place in those 15 minutes."
"Exactly in the time frame when the defendant was in the room." Edgeworth noted.
"Objection. There's a massive gap in the witness's testimony. There's no saying that Dokuro didn't leave the room in that time."
"She'd have cut it awful close in that case."
"Anything's possible."
"Including the possibility that she killed Caesar."
"Ah, yes," Cicero added wistfully. "The uncertainty of the existence of all possible occurrences. You see, when an event occurs outside of the observation of any person, than all possible occurrences exist within that timefrane simultaneously and equally as-"
"Hold on there Cicero." Bravestarr said. "Before we start talking about that, I had a few other questions to ask you."
"Yes, of course."
"How long were you watching the door before leaving to wander?"
Cicero gave it some thought.
"Probably... 30 minutes. Perhaps a little longer."
"And did you see anyone else enter the room in that time?"
"No, I can't say that I did."
"No one? Not a single other person?"
"Is this a riddle? I'll have you know, I'm very good at figuring those out. Let's see..."
"It's not that complicated. I just mean, if Caesar was killed in that studio, then shouldn't you have seen him enter?"
"Objection." Edgeworth said. "Caesar could've easily entered in the 15 minute gap."
"Objection. Caesar's hand print was found on the far wall, how would it get there if he entered second, putting him closer to the door than Dokuro?"
"She could've easily lulled him into a false sense of security, allowing him to move around the room before the murder occurred."
"...All right. I have something else to ask anyways. Cicero, what exactly were you doing in this 15 minute gap?"
"Well, that was about when I stumbled on Mr. Edgeworth and we struck up a conversation."
Bravestarr's eyebrows shot straight up.
"Don't look so surprised, Marshall. My cohorts and I arrived here a few days ago, of course we would think to visit the Pompey Theater."
Bravestarr quietly noted the real reason Edgeworth would have for wanting to visit the theater on this day.
"And I'm glad you did." Cicero said. "Our conversation on the role of the law was quite thought provoking."
"Who all was with Mr. Edgeworth when you talked to him? I see he has all three of his... cohorts with him now."
"I believe it was just the two young girls that were with him at the time. The frightening man with the blue face paint wasn't present for our conversation, though I would've loved to hear his input."
"Marshall, you best not be suggesting-"
"That with as heavily involved in the investigation as you were, it would be easy for one of your cohorts to have committed the crime and slipped back with you before anyone could notice? I might be."
The crowd flew into an uproar. The Judge practically had to scream to quiet them all down again.
"Objection!" Edgeworth yelled. "Have you forgotten Marshall, that the only possible murder weapon that we've found so far is the girl's bat?"
"Now, Mr. Edgeworth, what did we just finish saying about possibilities? There was another murder weapon, and it was left at the scene even."
"What are you- GUH!"
"I think you get the picture. There were two instruments of murder present in that room that would've allowed anyone to commit the crime. One being gravity, the other being a top heavy statue just waiting to get pushed over."
"Order!" the Judge yelled, straining to be heard over the crowd. "I said, order! Mr. Edgeworth, what is this statue?"
"This statue," Edgeworth growled. "Is a wobbling atrocity in the vague shape of Pluto, that has trouble staying upright when looked at too hard."
"I didn't think it was that bad." Cicero said.
"Unfortunately, Marshall, there was no blood found anywhere on the statue."
"The murderer could've easily wiped it away with the rug. There was no blood found in the cart either, but you seem to have accepted my theory that it was used to haul the body."
"That is merely a possibility, but it is a possibility that holds no evidence, unlike the one stating that the girl used her bat to kill the victim. Some possibilities, Marshall, are more likely than others I'm afraid."
"But you just admitted-"
"Mr. Worthington spends a lot of time on his own, so no, he was not with us at the time of the crime. By the fact that she was spotted at the scene of the crime, however, I'm guessing the same could be said about your cohort Ms. Mitsukai. Your Honor, I implore you, do not get caught up in the defense's faulty train of logic."
"But..." Bravestarr stammered. "But..."
"I do think there's a lot of holes present in this case." The Judge said. "However, as much of the tangible evidence points in one direction, I feel confident handing down my verdict. The defendant was seen entering the scene of the crime at the time of the crime, and was carrying a bloodstained murder weapon."
Bravestarr stole a glance towards Dokuro. Her teeth were grit and tears were welling up in her eyes.
"Bravestarr-san, please... Say something."
"I- I don't know what to say. I've asserted every point that I can think of, I thought the statue would be my ace in the hole, but that just got cast aside."
"And that was your mistake." Edgeworth said. "Putting your faith in faulty evidence and conjecture."
Bravestarr placed his face in his hands. What in the nebula was he supposed to do now? There had to be something, anything he could latch onto. Some piece of evidence, something the murderer left behind. But as the Judge finalized his thoughts, his mind became an absolute blank.
"Well, I mean, if he's not going to."
Bravestarr looked up just in time to see Archer pound his fist on the desk.
"Objection!"
In an instant, the entire theater fell into a deafening silence.
"Wow, that felt pretty good." Archer said.
"Archer, what're you-"
"Don't get the wrong idea or anything. It's just that Archangel's a dick, and I don't like the idea of him getting away with this."
The Judge seemed to have trouble following.
"Err, does the defense have any further statements?"
"Yeah, yeah it does. See, Bravestarr, you were doing pretty good, but your thinking's too narrow, you weren't asking the right questions."
Edgeworth pounded his hand against the desk.
"And what on earth does that mean?"
"Just, stick with me on this one, okay? Question one, how ignorant was Caesar actually to the murder plot? Maybe he was so full of himself that he didn't think for an instant his fellow Senators would turn on him."
"Seems likely to me." Cicero said.
"Or, maybe he didn't. Maybe he had his own suspicions, especially when he was being called to a meeting. Which brings me to question two, where did the knife in the cart come from? It wasn't Brutus', and given that the cart was found empty and we couldn't find any objects left behind in its absence, we can assume that it started empty as well. In which case, the knife most likely came from the scene of the crime, and was dumped in the cart by the murderer."
"What are you getting at Mr. Archer?" Edgeworth asked. "Need I remind you again that the victim was hit with a blunt object, not stabbed?"
"Hold your horses, I'm getting there. Question three, how long did the victim survive after being hit over the head? Whether it was the statue or the bat, getting clobbered doesn't always mean the person immediately dies. The only reason you thought he did is because there weren't signs of a struggle on Dokuro or in the curia. But of course, the scene of the crime wasn't the curia, we know that now. Question four, why was there blood on the cart's handle? Obviously it had to have been left there by the murderer, but for that to be the case, the murderer would have had to touch an open wound with their palm. In both scenarios, the victim was killed by a lengthy weapon that wouldn't cause enough splatter to leave a stain, least of all on the murderer's hand. The only wound the victim sustained was on his head, and trust me it's actually really hard to haul people around by their heads. The murderer would have no reason to do something like that, so we have to think instead about what wounds they would touch with their palm. Combine that with the fact that the victim was probably carrying a knife on him and might have lived for a while after being struck, and we come to my main point. Question five. Why is Archangel suddenly wearing a thick and heavy toga?"
The entire theater was dead silent. The quiet hung over the entire stadium like a veil, cushioning not only sound but seemingly movement and time in that one instant.
"What?" Archer asked. "Did I get something wrong?"