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Partnership: 0
Story: 0
TrueEnd: Partnership > 5 && Story === 5
Bittersweet: Story === 5 && Partnership < 5
Lovestruck: Partnership > 5 && Story < 5
BadEnd: Partnership < 5 && Story < 5
--
<div class="TitlePage">
<h1>Ending Delano</h1>
*A Text Game inspired by "The Informant", by Sarah Black*
<h2>~*~*~*~</h2>
[[Start->Hope you survive!]]
[[Credits]]
</div>
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--
"Scorcher! I'm back!"
The door opens without a sound as [[I]] slip inside, the smell of mold and mildew mingling in the air threatening to choke me as I suck in as much air as possible, making for the stairs.
But he isn't waiting for me at the top.
Just the soft scurry of rodents and the quiet coo of a pidgeon somewhere in the rafters. Rain continues to patter on the roof.
"[[Grayson]]?"
Something in the cold wind that beckons me forward is familiar, bringing with it a sharp tang that makes the hairs on my neck stand on end. Claws dig into my ribcage, knives fashioned from fear that tear into my lungs.
My body tenses.
*get out*
*GET OUT NOW*.
But the further I go, the more I recognize the twinge of iron hidden within the fresh rain and rotten floorboards.
[[I can't hold back anymore]]
I slam into the door separating me from my partner. Shoulder going numb in the process but I'm on too much adrenaline to care, gun out and up.
*Green* eyes meet my sights within the second, smug face dancing across my vision as my gaze darts to [[the slumped figure]] next to his feet.
The one laying in a pool of his own blood.
Skin decorated in black and blue and snaking gashes.
I never thought it would be like this. I thought I'd stand tall, voice steady as I put a bullet between those green eyes and finally shut them out, finally put an end to the two decades of violence.
But this..?
I feel like I'm back in the closet.
I take a shaky step forward.
"{reveal link: 'G-' , text:'Grayson..?'}"
"It's good to see you again. Maeve, isn't it?"
And just like that, all my fear, all my worry is swallowed by the burn of *rage*. Eyes glowing behind the dripping strands of darkened hair as I pull my shoulders back. Reclining to full height as I take in the man who'd caused everything.
[["Delano."]]My name is Meave, head of a low level mafia in New York City.
We aren't exactly legal, but we keep more scum off the streets than the local police department, half of which are in bed with the very flea-bitten dogs I'm working to take down. My family hasn't harmed a single innocent since I rose in the ranks.
[[Good to know->Hope you survive!]] Grayson's a Scorcher, albeit a better man than the rest of the ants infesting the department.
I've been informing for him for quite a while now, however it's only recently I've revealed myself from being entirely anonymous. We've fallen into an absolute pit of a case, but hopefully... it'll soon come to an end.
[[I think I jinxed us->Hope you survive!]] Green: 0
Reading: false
Hat: false
Binoculars: false
Lookyloo: false
--
That same smirk from all those years ago spread across his cheeks, a spark igniting in his cold green gaze as he placed a hand to his suit speckled with red. "The one and the only, at your service."
"I’ll kill you-"
"Ah, ah." Waving his gun in the air, Delano lowered it so it was pointed directly at my chest. “I wouldn’t if I were you. You’re too late anyway. He shouldn’t have been playing around with a dame like you; maybe then I could’ve left him be. Truth be told I only kept this patsy around to make sure he kept his nose where it belonged. His prying was a nuisance, but it was manageable before he met you and got the stupid idea to become a real detective.”
The chamber of Delano's gun clicks smoothly and he bestows upon me a toothy grin that has my eyes darting around for someplace to hide, someplace to take shelter, waiting for that familiar yank in my gut to tell me it's time to fire.
[[There is nothing.]]I'd only have one shot at killing this son-of-a-bitch.
[[I refuse to miss.->the cabinet]]
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Cabinet: Binoculars && Reading
Steadied: Binoculars && Reading && Hat
--
If I'm going to make it out of this alive I need to steady my nerves, collect my thoughts, and fire *one* clean shot.
I need to decide what to focus on.
[[Green eyes]] send shudders down my spine. A primitive fear clawing at my insides. It's all I have to not drop the gun.
[if !Cabinet]
I force myself to look away, [[the cabinet]] behind Delano is coated in a layer of dust, It's more like an extra table nowadays... as is every empty surface in the abandoned office.
[continued]
[if Cabinet]
The dust covered cabinet rests in the corner.
[continued]
[if !Hat]
My gaze hesitantly drops to [[Grayson,->look at the hat]] motionless. Only two hours ago we were escaping a Chopper Squad and tossing jokes. I feel sick.
[continued]
[if Hat]
Grayson isn't moving... I feel sick.
[continued]
[if Steadied]
[[Time to fire]]
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Green: Green + 1
--
[if Green === 1]
He reeks of [[Cigar Smoke]]
[continued]
[if Green === 2]
[[My grip on the gun shakes.->There is nothing.]]
[continued]
[if Green === 3]
The walls are closing in, lights dimming, I'm back in the closet again.
I shake my head clear...[[Delano chuckles.->There is nothing.]]
[continued]
[if Green === 4]
[[I can't move->4]]
Hat: true
--
His hat didn't leave his head -it almost never did- set askew over messy brown hair.
I thank whatever I can that it's obscuring the majority of his face, though that makes it difficult to see exactly what Delano's done to him.
I at least know the recent hole in the brim is from our recent [[encounter with the Chopper Squad.->encounter with the chopper squad.]]
Those eyes that once glared down at my parents as he left me to hide in the closet, *left me to watch.*
*Can't breathe.*
[after 3 seconds]
The shirt I'd pressed against my mouth to muffle my cries. Father's.. smelling of pine and aftershave. Not strong enough to overpower the cigar smoke and sickening tang of *iron*.
*Can't do anything but stand there and wait for him*
[after 7 seconds]
The chuckle at a job well done as he left the door standing wide open.
[[*He’s going to get me-*]]config.style.page.font: "Iowan Old Style/Constantia/Georgia/serif 18"
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--
He never told me not to watch.
Granted, he didn’t even know I was there. He knew I existed, knew that I should have been there. Yet, he never looked in the closet. He never heard the staggered breathing or the muffled cries as tiny hands covered an even smaller mouth.
The screams, the begging, engulfed it all, erasing all his common sense as he slashed and prodded until even his questions fell away. Questions that would never have any answers, at least not from them. My parents who squirmed and twisted and tried their best not to look my way. And even when gunshots cried through the night, he didn't care about the cowering child with her father’s shirt shoved against her face, pine and aftershave mixed with iron that made her eyes water faster.
He just chuckled at a job well done and left the door standing wide open. Hours later, when I finally did leave that closet, there was nothing left to do but run. Run and run until he couldn’t find me.
The man with hard green eyes who smelled of cigar smoke and ash.
[[The man with the golden badge on his belt.->There is nothing.]]
[if !Lookyloo]
If I'm going to look to calm my thoughts, I need to keep Delano talking.
"You can’t get enough, can you, Delano? Don’t you control enough now?" I lower my voice to a snarl, baring my teeth as [[I grip the gun in both hands,->I grip my gun in both hands.]]
Delono laughs, and the chills it sends down my spine has ice pouring into my veins, it's nothing like Grayson's; there is no warmth in it, just a vague emptiness that chews away at my courage even as I plant my feet and hold myself steady. His voice couldn't sound more calm.
"Someone’s got to get this city under his belt. I wrangled the station under control and it took me years to get the underbelly to listen to me. Only your little clan of misfits refuses to behave. So, once I bump you off, maybe then? But who knows? I’ve gotta do what I need to in order to make people act like they should."
[continued]
[if !Binoculars]
Sitting on the cabinet are a pair of [[binoculars]] we haven't touched in weeks, as coated in dust as the cabinet.
[continued]
[if Binoculars]
Sitting on the cabinet are a pair of binoculars we haven't touched in weeks, as coated in dust as the cabinet.
[continued]
[if !Reading]
Next to them, sits the only [[file]] I keep out of the drawers, an obessessively reread island of clean in an sea of grime.
[continued]
[if Reading]
Next to them, sits the only file I keep out of the drawers, an obessessively reread island of clean in an sea of grime.
[continued]
[if Cabinet]
[[Look Away->There is nothing.]] TrueEnd: Partnership > 5 && Story === 5
Bittersweet: Story === 5 && Partnership < 5
Lovestruck: Partnership > 5 && Story < 5
BadEnd: Partnership < 5 && Story < 5
--
Delano grows impatient with my stalling.
[if TrueEnd]
"Maybe you’ll feel better knowing I told Grayson what actually happened to his father. A deadman deserves to know the truth, and there was no harm in detailing my part behind the break in that little ‘smuggling’ operation~"
[continued]
[if Lovestruck]
"Maybe you’ll feel better knowing I told Grayson what actually happened on the docks. A deadman deserves to know the truth, and there was no harm in detailing my part behind the break in that little ‘smuggling’ operation~ the information I almost got our of your father."
[continued]
[if Bittersweet]
"Maybe you’ll feel better knowing I told Grayson what actually happened to his father. A deadman deserves to know the truth, and there was no harm in detailing my part behind the break in that little ‘smuggling’ operation~"
I take a breath, gaze flicking down to my partner.
"What'd you tell him about my parents?"
"Only why they were subject to such thorough..interrogation."
[continued]
[if BadEnd]
"Maybe you'll feek better knowing he died quickly. He never was as tough as he wanted everyone to think he was." an overconfident shoe knocks Grayson's body to the side. My grip tenses on the gun.
[continued]
“You killed innocent people!”
“There are no innocents!” He barks the words and it takes everything I have not to dive for the floor or fire my weapon. My eyes narrow as I take a deep breath and praise the crisp scent of rain behind the iron; it clears my mind, makes it easier to steady my hands.
“You’re insane.”
“No, you don’t understand how the world works. But I’m merciful enough to [[take you out of it.]]” Binoculars: true
Lookyloo: true
--
I last used these to play scout.
I had warned him of a false tip-off, and given him the actual address to bust.
"What…?"
"You heard me."
See, we hadn't been partners for very long by this point, so Mr. Straightlaced didn't exactly trust me. All daunting 6'1" of him... *I was quaking in my boots.*
..
You can laugh now, because he sure didn't.
“It was an anonymous tip- how do- how do you even know that?”
[[Crickets->ReallyGrayson]]
[[stare->ReallyGrayson]]
[["um.. Duh"->ReallyGrayson]]
Reading: true
Article1: false
Article2: false
Article3: false
Lookyloo: true
--
The oldest file on the Delano case. [[I can recite the contents cover to cover.]]
[[Look away->There is nothing.]] Wellread: Article1 && Article2 && Article3
--
Rudementary information I collected before reaching out to the Scorcher. 3 stolen newspapers from the library stuffed into amatuer case files of *evidence*
[if !Article1]
[[February 1899]]
[continued]
[if Article1]
February 1899
[continued]
[if !Article2]
[[May 1908]]
[continued]
[if Article2]
January 1908
[continued]
[if !Article3]
[[October 1911]]
[continued]
[if Article3]
October 1911
[continued]
[if Wellread]
[[LookAway->There is nothing.]]
Article1: true
--
"Decorated Sergeant Delano has been appointed Police Chief..."
And so his reign of terror began.. It's surprising it took that long for him to get the position after coming home, seeing as he seemed to be gunning for it the moment his boots hit his home shore.
He was swiftly promoted in war, but his bloodlust was hidden from his superiors and apparently... never reached the ears of the mayor.
[[Back to the articles->I can recite the contents cover to cover.]] Article2: true
--
The death of my parents..
"This morning a horrific scene was discovered by..." who cares? They weren't the first.
"The department is transparent that they had a warrant out for their arrest in connection to the smuggling racket that's been terrorising the local harbor."
[if Green > 0]
[[Delano you son of a bitch->I can recite the contents cover to cover.]]
[continued]
[if Green === 0]
[[Back to the files->I can recite the contents cover to cover.]] Story: Story + 1
Article3: true
--
The Great *Smuggler Bust*, spearheaded by Chief Delano.
With the help of "anonymous informants and the peak investigative skills of our new Chief one of the largest smuggling rings was shut down. Unfortunately, the bust came with casualties as the cornered criminals took their fear out on the innocent locals."
The Newshawks are just as wrapped up in Delano's game as the department.
I pulled a kid out of that hellscape.. but his father wasn't so fotunate.
[if Story > 1]
[[This sounds familiar]]
[[But I don't have time to reminisce...->I can recite the contents cover to cover.]]
[continued]
[if Story === 1]
[[Back to the file->I can recite the contents cover to cover.]]
TruthPath: 1
Story: 5
--
{embed passage: 'Night on the Docks'}
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--
The distand sound of gunfire, and I know I should stay away. The pops have my heart racing, hair on end and I know my mentor would tell me to mind my own. To leave before anyone noticed I was there.
Turning on my heel to do just that, a high-pitched scream carries betwen the buildings, carried on {reveal link: 'the wind', text: 'the wind. A salty tang in the back of my throat, a bitter taste.'}
[["DAD!"]]By the time I realize what I'm doing I've already broken cover. {reveal link: 'Sprinting faster.' , text: 'Sprinting faster toward the short bursts of light, the shouts of agony.'}
I turn the corner of a warehouse just in time to see {reveal link: 'a boy' , text: 'a boy, not much older than me,'} go down in a spray of his own blood, a puddle of scarlet pooling under his body.
I paused, there in the shadows of the buildings and the boxes, {reveal link: 'waiting' , text: 'waiting for something to move'}.
{reveal link: 'Waiting.' , text: 'Something to tell me to run away because it is too late, that I can’t do anything.'}
[after 8 seconds]
[[But the shouts of victory come from the other side of the dock.]]I dove forward, almost proud of the fact I don't strain to lift the deadweight of a child onto my back. Shaking off the hand of the man who had fallen nearby, I don't so much as gag at [[his face]]. I don't even fall in the blood that slips down my arms as I carry the boy away, more than grateful for the darkness that swallows us when I hide our forms behind a stack of crates. The men swarm where we'd been standing a few seconds prior..
[[like ants.]][[Stained with his own grey matter and shocked fear->But the shouts of victory come from the other side of the dock.]]
I watched the men in golden badges kick around the dead man, jokes thrown back and forth before the sharp click of shoes sent them scattering, finally deciding to stand rimrod straight, thin noses pointed to the air.
I turn
And any air that had been in my lungs escaped in something akin to a dying whimper. My muscles screamed, telling me to run before it’s too late, as hard {reveal link: 'eyes' , text: '*green* eyes'} scanned the destruction and death, landing on mine with a halt.
Every hair on my body stood on end as I recognized the {reveal link: 'face' , text: 'thin face'} and messy stubble. My mind demanded I listen to reason. I knew I needed to move, do something other than stand there, feet glued to the ground.
*I couldn't move.*
[after 7 seconds]
Those eyes that once glared down at my parents as he left me to hide in the closet, *left me to watch.*
*Couldn't breathe.*
[after 10 seconds]
The shirt I'd pressed against my mouth to muffle my cries. Father's.. smelling of pine and aftershave. Not strong enough to overpower the cigar smoke and sickening tang of *iron*.
*Couldn't do anything but stand there and wait for him*
[after 13 seconds]
The chuckle at a job well done as he left the door standing wide open.
[[*He’s going to get me-*->Memoryend]]config.style.page.font: "Iowan Old Style/Constantia/Georgia/serif 18"
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--
[if TruthPath === 1]
{embed passage: 'Truth1'}
[continued]
[if TruthPath === 2]
{embed passage: 'Truth2'}
But he didn’t. He merely shook his head and turned back to his fellow ants, a sickening upturn to his lips as he joined in the celebration dedicated to the death of the ‘smugglers’.
I waited as long as I could force myself to before lifting the boy onto my shoulders and giving to my instincts. Booking it back to my little hovel in the backroom of one of the most feared mafia groups in the entire city.
No one would find us there.
[[...]]My mind freezes on the information. He was.. this whole time..
My eyes flick down to his still body, willing, *praying* for his side to move.
I only snap back when a dark chuckle has my blood boiling all over again.
[[Look Away->I can recite the contents cover to cover.]] Story: Story + 1
--
"Mae, I’m okay. It’s an old injury that acts up sometimes, especially when it’s cold and wet. None of this is your fault."
His hand was trembling.The guilt eating away at me had demanded a distraction.
"When did you get shot again?"
He'd laughed, a chest-full sound.
"You never were one to hold back~ There was a shoot-out down on the dock my father worked on; the police had cornered some smugglers as they were packing up their cargo. My dad and I got caught up in the middle of it." And as quickly as it had appeared, the smirk faded. "My dad and I both got hit, but he... didn’t make it."
[if Story > 1]
[[Wait...]]
[continued]
[if Story === 1]
[[And that's when the Chopper Squad got wise and doubled back->ChoppersAgain]]People say that when you’re about to die..
[After 2 seconds]
[[time slows down.]]
But in my experience,
[after 500ms]
[[it only speeds up.]]TrueEnd: Partnership > 5 && Story === 5
Bittersweet: Story === 5 && Partnership < 5
Lovestruck: Partnership > 5 && Story < 5
BadEnd: Partnership < 5 && Story < 5
--
One second Delano was going to pull the trigger, my knees bending so I could jump to the side, my finger getting ready to fire the first shot.
[if TrueEnd]
[[...->lunge]]
[continued]
[if Lovestruck]
[[...->grab]]
[continued]
[if Bittersweet]
[[...->grapple]]
[continued]
[if BadEnd]
[[...->bang]]config.style.page.font: "Iowan Old Style/Constantia/Georgia/serif 18"
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--
And Grayson [[lunged]]config.style.page.font: "Iowan Old Style/Constantia/Georgia/serif 18"
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--
Grayson lets out a howl, Delano's leg jerked out from under him.
Scortcher gets the older male in a pin, whaling on him. I let him... he'd just learned who killed his father after all these years of believing a lie from the lips of the very same man.
I should've known Delano was toying with him, but by the time the cackle rang out through the building it was too late.
"There's your Bite! You were beginning to bore me!"
I can't get a clear shot.
[[wait]]
[[Fire->ShootGrayson]] config.style.page.font: "Iowan Old Style/Constantia/Georgia/serif 18"
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--
The ring of a gunshot goes unheard by anyone except Delano, brows curving in delight at the blood splatter. There was nothing like the thrill of the kill.
A passion he honed as a soldier, now a fine craft with which to maintain order over the city, and now that the two biggest thorns in his side were dealt with, he feels a fleeting sense of loss for the entertainment of it all.
"Oh well, I can always make new playthings. Vengeance is a very predictable aspect of human nature. Isn't it Meave? You could've prospered with me, it's why I let you live you know, all those years ago. You were full of spirit. All it needed was a push in the right direction, and you wasted it on hunting me with this mangy mutt. Así es la vida!"
He chuckles to himself, straightening his blood patterned tie as he exits the musty office.
**BAD ENDING**
(Ending 1/4)config.style.page.font: "Iowan Old Style/Constantia/Georgia/serif 18"
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--
A groan has Delano's eyes flick down. Two weary hands grasp his ankle.
"Grayson!" I couldn't hold it back. Brown eyes lifting to meet mine, only to raise in defiance towards Delano.
"You're going to have to go through me you unhinged Phychopath."
"When will this dog learn to sit."
His finger flexes on the trigger.
[[I wan't fast enough]]Delano smiles wide.
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--
We'd been had, an ambush awaiting us on what was supposed to be a simple surveillance mission.
Grayson had been lagging behind me.
[[I'd turned around and pulled my gun to lay cover fire]]
[[I'd barked at him to move his ass]]Partnership: Partnership + 1
--
I had his back, he had mine, pulling us to cover in an abandoned building.
{embed passage: 'stairwell'}He didn't bark back, instead grabbing my arm to hide us both in cover.
{embed passage: 'stairwell'}"I've got you Mae"
It was closer proximity than I would usually allow, but hiding in a thin line of shadow from a Chopper Squad that had us hilariously outgunned wasn't exactly a usual occurence, so I let it slide, for that moment.
But then there was the *hand* over my mouth when one of the lackeys approched.
I still couldn't yell at him, and I'll admit it saved us from the soft gasp that tried to escape when a barrel was pointed at my head in the Chopper's blind search.
But When the cronies had left..
[[I smacked his hand away]]
[[I bit him]]
[[I let it go]]
"Do you think I'm a sap?!"
"Just thought to avoid taking any chances. Most people tend to gasp when a gun is aimed at their face."
touche... but I did have a question for him
"what did you do to your leg?"
{embed passage: 'limping'}
Partnership: Partnership + 1
--
My teeth took one of his fingers and I clamped down just enough to send the appendage jerking away.
"You're welcome," he snickered, gaze almost sparkling with the sarcastic smugness overtaking his features.
"You were the one keeping up your little limp act that almost got us killed."
{embed passage: 'limping'}
Partnership: Partnership + 1
--
We've been working together long enough that I'm used to how he functions, he was only acting to keep us from leaving the alley in a pair of Wooden Kimonos.
But then there was his little lame leg act that had gotten us into trouble in the first place
"What's with the wounded bird act? Think they'll stop chasing you if they think you're a cripple?"
{embed passage: 'limping'}
"I was shot as a kid and the nerves haven’t worked right since. I can run for a while, but eventually…"
[if Partnership > 0]
I'd frozen for a moment, finally noticing the sweat over his brow, the way he'd favored his foot even while he was keeping us from lead poisoning.
He's always been lagging behind me, I assumed he was out of shape or lazy.
he was in *pain*.. and I didn't even *ask*
[continued]
"Why didn't you say something?"
[if Partnership > 0]
He'd opened his mouth to retort only to freeze. Was my expression so obvious? When he did speak, his voice was soft.
"Never seemed like the right moment"
[[and that's when it became him comforting me rather than the other way around.->The injury]]
[continued]
[if Partnership === 0]
"Would it have mattered?"
He barked, and I recoiled. He'd never snapped at me like that...
[[Thankfully the Chopper Squad is there to fill the silence->ChoppersAgain]]
TruthPath: 2
Story: 5
--
{embed passage: 'Night on the Docks'}
"-aeve. Maeve!"
The memories are chased away by the firm shake of Grayson's grip and booming voice, pure gravel in desperation as I take him in: his chiseled jaw, defined and shadowed by the stubble across his chin, and his furrowed brows, set above deep brown eyes. How had I never seen it before?
I hadn't stopped to wonder at the boy who'd just lost his father, not until we were both locked away safe in the walls on my home, but nothing could change the messy, brown head of hair or the face that seems even younger than my own.
But I'm almost certain that if I keep staring, Grayson is only going to shake me again, and frankly if he does I'll fall. {reveal link: 'Fucking-' , text: 'Fucking- how hard had he been shaking me?'}
[["I-I’m fine, Scorcher, you can stop giving me whiplash now."]]I shoved him back into cover before he could react.
"Stay hidden. Meet me at the rendezvous once I lead them off."
"Mae-"
"I’ve got this Grayson. Stay off that leg until you can meet with me. Do you understand?"
[if Partnership > 1]
Despite my steel-hardened glare, Grayson hesitated.
“Be careful?”
As much as I fought to not let those words affect me, my face softened
"Of course. They’ll never catch me." I even threw in a wink to calm his nerves "Have faith, Scorcher. You catch the bad guys. I make sure they get caught by the right people."
[[And I was off->hatcomplete]]
[continued]
[if Partnership < 2]
While he meets my steely gaze with hesitation, he let's me go.
[[Sinking deeper into the shadows as I take off and lead the Squad into a maze of asphalt->hatcomplete]]
Partnership: Partnership + 1
--
“How… did you get away?” I caught the words leaving my mouth before I could think better of it. Stepping closer to eyes that were looking Through me, rather than at me.
"Don't remember much 'cause I blacked out, then to make things worse I got sick. If that girl hadn't showed up, I probably wouldn't be standing here." It was like diving headfirst into a frozen lake. Memories connecting faster than I can process.
And he just had to open his mouth again.
[["Mae. You really remind me of her sometimes."->Familiar2]]
I'd dusted him off, tried to escape his prying gaze, yet it only made him more suspicious. He took hold of my arm so I couldn't run.
"*It was you*"
"Grayson-"
"You saved me Maeve."
"Over here! They’re over here; I heard ‘em!"
[[A gunshot announced the end of that conversation.->ChoppersAgain]]
Grayson....
[[Please don't be dead..->There is nothing.]]shoving his body into Delano’s legs and sending the Chief of Police stumbling to the side with a face of shock that I will think about for years to come.
My bullet found its home in Delano’s brain, his in the plaster far to my right, and blood flew into the air, arcing through the first ray of sunlight that had broken through the storm clouds out the window.
[[...->silence]]Silence descended, broken only by my heavy panting and Grayson’s moan of agony as he clutched at his ribs and shoved himself into a sitting position. Tearing my gaze away from {reveal link:'green eyes' , text: 'now dull green eyes'}, I take a hesitant step forward, afraid that if I got too close Grayson would vanish or topple over. All he did was offer a smile that tears a sob from my throat, and I fight to keep my tears back as I drop my gun to the floor and feall to my knees in front of him.
“I.. I thought you’d want to take him in.” It's a very weak attempt at a joke, but frankly I mean it. I had fully expected Grayson to go against me in the end, [[to push against Delano’s murder.]]
Glancing at the former Police Chief, Grayson’s lips pulled into a thin line, disgust and hatred cold at the center of his normally warm brown eyes.
“Fuck him.”
and I laugh, a sound that's full and amused, a sound that hasn’t been heard since I was seven years old.
**TRUE ENDING**
(Ending 4/4)Grayson was gone before Delano hit the ground, so I could take my time, unloading every last chamber.. only for silence to follow.
[[Complete silence]]...
...
...
[After 5 seconds]
It doesn't feel any better. Vengeance had lost it's meaning in this case a long time ago.
Delano's death will fix a lot of what's wrong with this city, but I lost my partner.
**PARTNERS ENDING**
(Ending 3/4)Grayson is knocked into the floor with a clock from Delano, who presses so hard on his wrists I can hear the bones creak.
[[wait->wait2]]
[[fire->SaveGrayson]]Grayson struggles, growling through gritted teach as he throws his weight despite the discomfort. Delano just doubles down, keeping him still.
[[and obscuring my shot]]The shot dies out in the musty room. Delano collapsing only for Grayson to gasp a breath of relief.
"Took you long enough"
"Did you want me to hit *you* Scorcher?"
"Like it'd be that out of the ordinary."
"I'd kick you if it didn't look like Delano beat me to your ribs."
"Very funny.. Could I get medical attention for said ribs?"
"I don't know.. you paying?"
"Mae~"
"Of course idiot, let me help you up."
**BITTERSWEET ENDING**
(Ending 3.1/4)
*Saving Grayson*
“Alright, fine. Mobster. I get it. But this is big, Maeve. Really big.”
“I’m aware, Mrs. Grundy. But, when your Ants get to that warehouse, they're isn’t going to be anyone inside.”
He'd leaned back, stroking his chin and for a moment I was actually worried he'd *try* to arrest me. But he merely sighed, shoulders heaving as he kicked at the ground, a crushed can sent spinning into the darkness of the alley we'd stowed away in for our little *talk*.
"You’re going to be the end of me."
“Hopefully not. You still have all us goons to catch.” Despite his eye roll, I take the time to fill him in on the location and security.
"I suggest sticking to surveillance; there’s a chopper squad inside. And they typically keep lookouts on the roof.”
"Damn… alright. Well, I’ll get going then before they send a squad after me. See you around?"
"If you don’t die.”
"Thanks Mae. I really appreciate the sentiment."
[[I hate when he calls me that->negativemae]]
[["Any time~"->positivemae]]
[[**Growl at him**->bonusmae]]
Partnership: Partnership + 1
--
He left before I could say a world to chastise him. Typical.
{embed passage: 'Thebust'}
Partnership: Partnership + 2
--
He simply sends an exasperated wave over his shoulder. He's the one giving me unauthorized nicknames.
{embed passage: 'Thebust'}
Partnership: Partnership + 3
--
He only snickers as he speeds away.
{embed passage: 'Thebust'}
But of course Sorcher is not the most careful, so I moved ahead and camped out to keep an eye on him.
He'd done fine, even going overboard with blending in as a stumbling drunk. The Squad didn't pay him any mind.
Their mistake, as a quick hobble into a call booth heralded the wailing of sirens within a matter of minutes
Gunfire was quick to follow, so I stuck it out just long enough to make sure my detective wasn't dead.
[[I snuck up on him as I escaped and tagged him]]
[[I snuck into the dark.. he'll never know I was there.]]Partnership: Partnership + 2
--
That was likely not the smartest thing to do, but his girlish yelp and no one believing him was prize enough.
[[Good times.->There is nothing.]]
Partnership: Partnership + 1
--
All I have to do is make sure my one in to the department doesn't get the daylight put into him. No need for risky games. My mentor would skin me.
[[Partners.->There is nothing.]]Hands lock around Grayson's throat. He's already winded, I can see the darkness creeping at the edges of his vision. but Delano know's I'm waiting to fire. He's at just enough of an angle to make it risky.
[[Take the risk->ShootGrayson]]
[After 5 seconds]
I feel a pull to wait...
[After 10 seconds]
[[Shoot steady->SaveGrayson]] Bleeding: true
--
Delano grins as Grayson's eyes go wide, leaning back to watch the detective go limp as I fire another round. Green eyes go dim. They don't matter.
"Grayson!"
I lift him into my arms, his hand weakly presses over the side of his neck.
"Always thought you'd be a terrible shot." he mutters, wincing when I cover his hand with mine.
There's a payphone just outside, maybe if I?
"Mae... It's over."
The case.. or him?
[[Go for the phone->payphone]]
[[Look Around->bandage]]
[[Just stay with him->LosingGrayson]]
"Stay here Scorcher"
[if Bleeding]
"Mae-"
"Just keep pressure. I'll be back in a minute"
By his wheeze I don't have a moment to lose. The payphone is just as run down as the office, but it works and that's what counts.
One rushed phonecall later and I rush back into the building.
His hand is limp on the ground when I arrive.
"Nononono. Dammit Grayson!" My shout echoes off the walls as I fall to my knees to check if he's breathing. "I was barely a minute. You couldn't hold on?" I snap, only to crumple in on myself.
I should've stayed with him. He was looking for me when he-..
Doesn't matter now.
**BITTERSWEET ENDING**
(Ending 3.2/4)
*Losing Grayson*
[continued]
[if !Bleeding]
"Mae-"
"Just hang in there. I'll be back in a minute."
The payphone is just as run down as the office, but it works and that's what counts.
One rushed phonecall later and I rush back into the building. Brown eyes weak, but they register my presence.
"That was quick." He chuckles, and I fight the urge to thump him on the head as I settle back next to him. [[Sirens already begin to wail in the distance.->sirens]]
[continued]
Bleeding: false
--
My eyes search the room, settling on my shirt as I tear the sleeve.
"Don't-"
"Don't be an idiot Grayson, I need to staunch the bleeding."
I wrap the cloth over his neck and around under his arm, archoring it to remain in place as I keep it tight without strangling him. It's sloppy, but it'll hold. Maybe long enough that I can make a run for it.
[[Go for the phone->payphone]]
[[Just stay with him->LosingGrayson]]"It's okay" A rasped groan.
If I let go.. I'll just stay with him.
[if Bleeding]
His eyes fall half lidded, dulling in minutes, but I don't move. He won't be alone.
...
**BITTERSWEET ENDING**
(Ending 3.4/4)
*Losing Grayson*
[continued]
[if !Bleeding]
"You know Mae, you would've made a good detective."
A weak attempt at a joke on his part.
"And you would be a terrible mobster. You're too soft."
"Hey.. I can be tough."
"You're about as intimidating as a housecat Scorcher."
He coughs out a laugh.
"I suppose. Just never saw a need to be cold. Treat people like they're human, you almost always get somewhere."
"It makes you a good cop."
"Not calling us ants?"
"Not you."
"heh.. Thanks.."
As talk runs dry, the distant sound of sirens turn my head, someone must've reported the gunfire. I doubt they'd be here in time to make a difference.
...
**BITTERSWEET ENDING**
(Ending 3.5/4)
*Losing Grayson*
[continued]
"Oh?"
"You're not an ant to me Grayson, you know that."
"Where did that name come from anyway?"
"The way Delano and his croneys swarm after the wake of death their corruption leaves behind."
"It's fitting."
I find my nose scrunching, gaze flicking to the body across the floor, The sirens are on top of us now. A brief feeling of worry.
"It'll be alright. I'll explain" Grayson whispers.. "They won't harm you. I've got you, Mae."
"I used to hate it when you'd call me that."
Not anymore.
**BITTERSWEET ENDING**
(Ending 3.3/4)
*Saving Grayson*"You know Mae, you would've made a good detective."
A weak attempt at a joke on his part.
"And you would be a terrible mobster. You're too soft."
"Hey.. I can be tough."
"You're about as intimidating as a housecat Scorcher."
He coughs out a laugh.
"I suppose. Just never saw a need to be cold. Treat people like they're human, you almost always get somewhere."
"It makes you a good cop."
"Not calling us ants?"
[["Not you."]]TrueEnd: Partnership > 5 && Story === 5
Bittersweet: Story === 5 && Partnership < 5
Lovestruck: Partnership > 5 && Story < 5
BadEnd: Partnership < 5 && Story < 5
--
Welcome to The Informant Vanilla Extract Beta!
An actual beta of the game ended up being a good half hour experience and that was only half of the story. It shall become a personal project.
So! Enjoy an artistic rendition of what I like to call a Vanilla Extract Beta! Potent, packing a punch and a wafting aroma of the real product without smelling unfinished or fake..
Alright it may have fallen apart there. BUT! Without further Ado!
Welcome! Hope you survive!This game is an adaptation of *The Informant* by Sarah Black, used with permission and blessing.
Writing for the Game adaptation was done by Murdoch Longcoat with consult of Sarah Black to remain true to the source material.
[[Back to Menu->Delano's End]]