CHAPTER TWO ♔ a sigh escapes from heaven and worlds end

[savemyself]

♬ The Dream Within - Lara Fabian

WHO || Rafael Giovanni, Burt Becksworth, Isabella Alessandro, Finnick Odair, Myrilandel de Tanos, Buffy Summers, Spike, Elena Gilbert, Dawn Summers, Desmond Descant, Jeanne Gar, Kat Samcelot, Mark Sandazhard, Violet Fiore, Sterling Archer
WHAT || CHAPTER TWO: Following the traumatic and tragic events of Finnick and Rafael's concert, our heroes are taken to be interrogated at the police station
WHERE || Concert Hall > Chicago Police Department, Chicago, IL
WHEN || July 3rd, 2013 [ forward dated]
HOW || Actionspam

Nothing is okay.

What was meant to be the Knights' triumphant collaborative effort to cut off Chad Becksworth's bid for total control of NOVA Records, allowing them to follow the trail elsewhere, has descended into chaos. Rafael's songs triggered some kind of reaction in Jade that allowed her to regain her lost memories, only to have their reunion cut tragically short by the actions of a hitman who took her hostage on stage, demanding her necklace. While Myri and Violet attempted to convince him that the necklace did not lie with her, Jade signaled to Rafael that she meant to utilize the distraction to break free - but things went out of control and Rafael's bullets struck Jade instead. The Knights felled the hitman, as the world watched, and Rafael begged a distraught and enraged Des to end his life. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure that only Buffy & Spike could see assisted Myrilandel in healing Jade enough to hang on for a little time more...

Time for people to say goodbye.

In the meantime, the police have arrived, arresting Rafael, Archer, and Des (or attempting to), and preparing Jade to be taken to the hospital. Everyone else is being ordered to head outside to be taken down to the station for questioning. It's a hectic scene, but people can finally snatch a few moments amid the chaos to try to make sense of what just happened...

Comments

[behindcloseddoors]

So it was professional sabotage.

[nothingsodivine]

I ain't proud of it, but I'm pretty sure it's not illegal. Guy pays me to get the dirt, he turns around and sells it to the tabloids.

[behindcloseddoors]

And it's not exactly new for the Becksworths to be in the tabloids, think everyone knows that.

How far do you think they'd be willing to go?

[nothingsodivine]

Them or my employer? 'Cause the guy funding me's probably pissing himself right now. He's got a solid hit on his hands if he can drag the dog and pony show onto the B list, but he sure as hell ain't gonna shoot no one up to do it. Burt's just as harmless. Chad? Chad's a borderline psychopath. Couldn't prove it if you asked me, but he's got some serious shit on hand. [He leans forward] Worth getting a warrant on his office, if you know what I'm saying. [Bluff 17]

[behindcloseddoors]

You're convinced that his brother wouldn't stoop to his level?

[nothingsodivine]

I'm convinced that Burt loves money, has no consideration for life and death, and that he'd probably faint like a little girl if someone put a gun in his hand.

[behindcloseddoors]

That's not how these guys tend to work, which I'm sure you know. You think he has no moral scruples, however. That he might not be above, for example, staging something like we saw tonight?

[nothingsodivine]

Maybe, but I don't buy it, pal. Burt was at Ground Zero the whole time. If I was staging this? I'd be out of there before the fireworks. The guy even had a perfect excuse to leave. [He picks up the complimentary glass of water.] He's gonna be a daddy.

[behindcloseddoors]

No shit. [ he seems surprised but too tired to care much ] Ever consider maybe he was invested in what he thought was gonna go down, and things might have veered off plan?

[nothingsodivine]

Can't say I did. Look, I'm not here to condemn Burt or Chad. All I know is I've been in Burt's inner circle for awhile now and he hasn't given me the creeps. Chad has. Maybe I'm wrong. They didn't pay me to unearth some conspiracy. They paid me to catch one or the other doing heroin out of an underage hooker's- you know what, lemme just spare you the colorful imagery.

[behindcloseddoors]

Are you aware that Mr. Becksworth was poised to lose control over his company if he couldn't rake in enough funds to protect his shares with this concert?

[nothingsodivine]

Yeah, that was the whole point of the concert. Why? You think a tour's gonna sell better with one of the performers dead and the other potentially being convicted of murder? 'Cause lemme tell you, buddy, even if Giovanni gets out, the guy's a wreck. He ain't performing for shit. The amount of tabloid blow-up money Burt's gonna get isn't going to keep his shareholders at bay forever.

[behindcloseddoors]

I think the Becksworths have always known scandal sells. And there have been some allegations made to the effect that this was all pre-meditated.

[nothingsodivine]

That a fact?

[behindcloseddoors]

Can't say too much at this point. [ shrug ] But it looks like this thing's gonna be a bit of a circus.

[nothingsodivine]

Well, I'm not getting paid to be a ringmaster. That's all I know.