016 ♪ video ♪ the battle of one

[chosenfake]

[The camera is lopsided and apparently on the ground outside Building 1. It catches two sets of identical shoes shuffling around each other, two sets of white coats (though one is stained with rainbow paint?), two voices raised against each other in argument. The first voice is slightly more shrill, but also more teasing, more desperate. It's Luke

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[4llth3just1c3]

[She's been watching the Network, so she has a pretty good idea what this is, and to be honest, she's worried about him. Just a little.]

Luke?

[She heard that murderer comment, and it makes her curious. Was the clone telling the truth? Who had Luke murdered? And why were all of her friends killing people?]

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[chosenfake]

Hey... Terezi. [The sound of scraping pavement. He cradles the communicator, which has seen so much abuse recently, and flops onto some steps. He could ask what she heard, but he kinda doesn't want to know.]

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[4llth3just1c3]

What happened?

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[chosenfake]

There are replicas of people running around. They were... attacking things underground before, but I guess they wanted to meet us really badly. [He runs a hand through his hair.] I have a bad feeling about all of this.

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[4llth3just1c3]

Yesss, so I have seen!

[There's a pause as she debates whether or not to ask the obvious question.]

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[chosenfake]

[Awkward awkward awkward. In the meantime, he's stripping off his coat. He needs to get this thing washed, but he's not sure the stains will come out. He sighs and folds it up under his arm.]

... I guess you heard all that, huh.

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[4llth3just1c3]

...Of course.

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[chosenfake]

[He's quiet for a long moment.]

I'm... not really a good person.

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[4llth3just1c3]

Who did you kill?

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[chosenfake]

[He inhales sharply at the bluntness of the question. He hasn't gone into specifics about it since... well... never, and it hurts even now.

His voice is a little rough, and he's definitely not letting Terezi see the face he's making.]

I shouldn't talk about it.

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[4llth3just1c3]

[She pauses. This is bothering him, clearly - and yes, that might be just a twinge of pity she's feeling - but she needs to know.]

Why?

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[chosenfake]

[No, she doesn't.

His voice is quiet, his tone laced with regret even though he's trying to keep it even.]

Talking about it means you'll want me to justify it, right? But I can't do that to them. There's no justification for what I did.

[He lets out a shaky sigh.]

I'm sorry.

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[4llth3just1c3]

[She frowns, resting her chin in her hand.]

Why are you apologizing to me?

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[chosenfake]

[Reflex.]

... I didn't want to hurt your feelings by not telling you.

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[4llth3just1c3]

[She blinks in surprise, then laughs.]

You aren't lying about it.

[Another pause. She knows this isn't the same as Vriska, but she wants to be sure.]

Why did you kill them?

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[chosenfake]

[The 'why', too, is complicated. It takes him a while to respond.]

I was trying to be a hero.

I was so stupid.