Zachary quietly approached the counter, collecting himself before the inevitable showdown that was about to unfold. He had to ask himself if he'd truly have the same stance were it another individual put into that situation. He imagined it. Again, what if it were Cyrus instead of Krista there? At the moment, Zachary hadn't any reason to personally dislike anybody more than him, and even that wasn't very genuine. So in that hypothetical scenario...
...He couldn't let Cyrus die, and he still would not allow himself to sit idly by and watch somebody sacrifice themself in vain! Given the situation at hand, Zachary had absolutely no reason to trust that it would end with anything other than two deaths instead of one. Perhaps if he were the odd man out, he could reluctantly back down, but that wasn't the case. He wasn't the odd man out! He wasn't crazy! And so, a fire in his heart, he knew he couldn't back down. Even if it hurt to argue with his only friend.
Jezebel approached with her head up, eyes locked with Zachary's. There was no uncertainty lingering in her eyes. If anything, she looked outraged that someone would dare suggest to go through with this rescue. The trickster was shorter than Zachary, but height meant nothing in a battle of ideas. Jezebel had proven herself far better than Zachary at arguing her points in the last trial. This had the potential to end very poorly.
“So...” Jezebel began.
“Like, you totally think it's a good idea to risk everyone for that little liar?” She gave Zachary a sideways glance.
“Like, do we even know Krista is going to die?”"Are you saying that she's not worth trying to save because she's lied before?" he instead asked. "She's locked up with the 'sister' of a robot that tried to turn a competition into a bloodbath, and who doesn't seem to be above tricking people into captivity. You shouldn't have to even ask that. It's not a matter of 'if", it's 'when'."
“If we can't trust emo bot, then we totally can't trust killer teddy. Cyrus didn't even bat an eye when the fur ball offered his help.” Jezebel unfolded her arms and placed them on the counter. Her hands were closed into fists.
“As for Krista, It's not like she was hiding baby pictures. She hid something very important from all of us.” She fret her brow.
“Let that sink in okay? She totally trusted that robot over all of us. I wouldn't be surprised if she was working with them. Nobody can be that stupid, right? If so, it’s not like we can stop this sort of thing from happening again. Betty keeps walking into trap after trap.”Zachary nodded. “I won’t disagree with you there. I also don’t like the idea of placing any amount of trust on someone who is keeping us in here.” Had he any alternative options when Geina attacked him, the Archer would not have relied on the bear to get him out of that mess. But the doctor wasn’t the priority right now. “But moving on,” he stole a glance at the robot before returning to Jez. “I can understand that she has not been entirely honest with the group over something fairly severe, but again, is that really enough to warrant abandoning her to her death? Or, even in the best-case scenario, leaving her and another to be confined with that killer bucket of bolts until it decides it just wants to kill them? As Cyrus mentioned earlier, there’s a very real possibility that it’ll only continue asking for more and more sacrifices, then what? We’re down two people at the very least and in the same predicament?”
Jezebel folded her arms up with a groan.
“Like, to be totally honest with you, I don't think Aleecia should turn herself in and junk. But if that's what she wants to do, like, who are we to stop her?” She gave the archer a sideways glance.
“Like, going to your point about what Krista deserves. I don't think it's that she deserves to be condemned, I don't think she's done a lot to earn her rescue.” The clown's face suddenly scrunched up in anger.
“Like oh my god! Even if you can forgive her for running into Nariko's loving embrace, she still insisted on being Erin's ally. And before that, she totally ran away from the people who were protecting her to be with some barf bag. That was how the first murderer in this killing game happened. She got one of her protectors killed. Is it all coincidence that it just happens to always be her?” She threw up her hands in mock submission.
“I'm sure, I'm so sure.”Zachary found himself grinding his teeth to the point it was almost audible to everybody around him. He had been as calm as one could really be while arguing with a life or two on the line, but Jez's statement had obviously touched something the Archer couldn't address without exploding. His fist collided with the counter quite with a loud thud.
"Earn?!" he repeated, throwing his hand out to the side. "So we have to 'earn' our freedom and be 'worth it' to live? You and that ventriloquist are suggesting this, seriously? I can't agree with that kind of thinking, at all! I can agree that Krista has made some really stupid decisions, and I won't fault you or anybody else for being upset she's kept the truth hidden. But I refuse! I refuse to believe that a life should be ditched over something so miniscule, so insignifcant! A life is worth so much more than doubt or practical use!" wearing an expression that was hard to decipher, he continued quietly. "There's... only one equivalent."
His arm fell back to his side and his expression softened. "...Hate her. Shun her. Hell, interrogate her, I'll even help! But abandoning somebody to die is just too cruel, and the only other alternative to that is even more questionable than Krista herself. Even if there's a risk or hard feelings, we shouldn't willingly cull our numbers." Perhaps given his clearly emotion outburst seconds prior, the effect of Zach's subsequent attempt at a logical reasoning was diminished, but at the very least it would make it clear that he had chosen the side out of an actual investment rather than something not quite as solid.
“Like, willingly culling our numbers would be rescuing her.” Her hands were balled into tight fists. If it weren't for her gloves, Jezebel's knuckles might have shown up to be pure white.
“Even if Cyrus's radical plan saves everyone, it's just a matter of time before she gets someone else killed. Or are you okay with saving someone if it means someone else has to die down the road?” The clown looked Zachary in the eye.
“I'm so not abandoning anyone. I'm totally making the choice that protects the most of us. Because I care about everyone, Zachary. I'm not bad enough to risk everyone's life for some two-faced blond bimbo. Jezebel quickly fashioned a smile.
“Am I missing something Zachary? Is that what makes her worth our lives? You're so into blonds, aren't you?”His eyes cast downwards to the floor, Zachary gave potentially the longest, most drawn-out sigh ever conceived in the history of sighs. He shoulders slumped as though he'd finally given up. Slowly, the young man looked back up to his friend and opponent, and begun speaking.
"Yes." he said straight. "I don't think I need to tell you, but I really do take our promise as serious as a heart attack. Even if we're at a disagreement currently, I don't think any less of you and I still do trust in you. It might sound weird, but that's the truth. And another truth, Jezebel, is that I really want to make it so that you do not have trouble doing the same, which means I certainly do not want to lie to you." Ackerson gave himself a minute to think before continuing. "One of the only ways I can think of proving this to you is by telling the truth, even if it's difficult or won't lead to my ideal result in a given scenario. So, again, let me say 'yes'."
He rubbed the back of his neck softly. "Yes would be the answer to your last question. Aesthetically, I do find Krista, as a blonde, very physically attractive. I would even say, given our brief interaction before all of this, that I find her fairly pleasant to be around, but this is said by a man who had never cared enough about her before to really be affected personally by her deception, so take that for what you will.
However, this does not matter. I can only repeat what I've said before in that my stance would not change if it wasn't Krista up there. If it were Cyrus, if it were Max, and especially if it were you, I would still choose the attempt to save over the other two choices. So please, even if we cannot agree on this subject, at least do me a favor and take my opposition seriously! Because even if that weren't the case. Even if I were thinking with my dick and not my heart, Krista is most certainly not the first person I would jump headfirst into danger for just to get the chance to fuck."
Jezebel's sarcastic smile had disappeared sometime during Zachary's “confession.” The trickster was leaning against the counter with one elbow, while her other hand was on her hip.
“Like, do I want to know who you 'would' jump head first into a fight for? To fuck I mean?” The question must have been rhetorical because Jezebel did not give Zachary enough time to answer it. She folded her arms and stood with her shoulder and hip pointed towards the archer.
“We can totally stand here and argue, but neither of us are going to budge.” Jezebel looked at Zachary.
“Like, you'll just keep listening to your heart, and I'll so keep listening to my head. There's no point in discussing this further with you.” Her eyes softened.
”It's not that I don't understand how you feel. I totally get that. It's just... Jezebel trailed off.
“Bogus.” The trickster turned her back towards Zachary and walked away from the counter.
“So it seems.”
Zachary, too, decided to leave the counter, as there was simply nothing more he could do.
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