Intense Struggle! (Round 7 - The Database)

Originally posted on MSPA by Ixcalibur.

---

Aph floated up from the sand, righting herself in the air. She opened her mouth to defend herself from Larus' crazed and paranoid accusations, when a loud boom rolled out across the desert, blowing sand and dust in it's wake. The contestants heads all turned towards the source of the explosion, a building that was now reduced to ashes in a crater. Aph was the first to break the silence.

"I suppose you're all gonna blame me for that?" she asked wearily. "What about the kid? He's unaccounted for. Why couldn't he be the spy?" She paused. "You know, assuming you aren't all just paranoid."

Larus was a little less sure than he had been. Aph was different. Not acting like she should be. Surely if the spy had taken her form he would imitate her a little better than he had done so far. Though of course that could just be a double bluff. He was keeping his options open until he had more evidence.

"You have a point." Larus said eventually. "But it's not paranoia. There is a spy, a shapeshifter. Back in the swamp, he was practically bragging about how great a spy he was."

"And then what happened? You just let him go? Bright idea Larus!" Aph snidely remarked. "I knew you were dumb but I don't know you were this dumb. Were you dropped on your head as a child much?"

Sister Clara removed the blade from her walking stick and walked over to Aph, she raised it provocatively.

"You are not Aph." she said coldly. "I know because Aph was a kind person... more or less. Her heart was full of love, not of cruelty, and of snide remarks. You are the spy, and I can only presume the fact that you have taken the guise of my friend means you have killed her and taken her place." Clara paused for a moment, closing her eyes and thinking of Aph, whose only desire had been wanting to leave this battle. "I will kill you for that."

---------

In the chaos D'Neya had slipped away from the group. She cared little about news of a potential spy, except to identify which of her opponents would be more dangerous, and despite being identified as a spy, she still couldn't take the pink lady seriously as a threat. So she made her way down the side of the sand dune and towards the facility that Aegis had fallen into. She wasn't done with him yet.