This fanfiction is set in the universe of the Among Us game by Innersloth.
The Impostors have sent one of their best executioners to make sure the Skeld never reaches Mira HQ. Vicious and manipulative, Purple looks forward to picking off the crewmates one by one.
But Lime is keeping her eyes open, and when the first crewmate dies, she knows the enemy. She must make sure to arrive safely. Whatever it takes.
This was heavily inspired by the Among Us song Just be watching you by Chi-Chi and @Genuine (the voices are great and the animation is amazing). You could say the characters of Lime and Purple and the concept are theirs? The worldbuilding, characters' motivation and details are mine, though.
This story is also available on AO3.
I'm also writing a version with an alternative ending taking place instead of chapter 4: Battle Scars.
"Hey. You alright?"
Lime whipped round from the window panel to see Red, who was watching her with her head tilted to the side with concern. Lime suddenly became aware again of the cafeteria around her, and of the humming and the soft vibration of the Skeld, flying through space back to Mira HQ.
"You've been staring at the stars for ages," Red went on.
"Sorry, I know I should be doing my part. The sooner we arrive the better." She sighed. "It's just… The war has this way of getting to you, you know?"
Red nodded slowly. Of course she knew. Who didn't? She couldn't suppress a shiver, which she promptly hid under a nonchalant shrug –or something which tried to pass for one. "You think there might be an Impostor on board? Nah, they'd have had time to kill someone already."
Lime didn't answer, simply running a wary gaze around the room and at the corridors. "I just wish a day would come when I feel truly safe," she said softly before shaking herself. "I'd better get started, tasks won't do themselves. Thanks for snapping me out of it, Red."
"No problem. And remember, I'm always here if you need to talk."
With a friendly gesture of her hand, Red turned away, but she paused as Lime called out after her: "Be careful, alright? Try to tell people where you go, and avoid Purple as much as you can."
Red let out a laugh. "You keep talking of him, I wonder whether you like him too little or too much."
"I don't trust him," Lime bristled. "I don't trust the way he follows people around, and I certainly don't trust the hungry air with which he looks at us. You know what they say about Impostors and the flesh of their victims."
Red hesitated, then shrugged. "I didn't really notice anything special with him. I understand you're afraid, but you shouldn't let your imagination run wild. It doesn't help anyone. There's a good chance we'll arrive safe and sound, and we'll all laugh about it afterwards. Except we won't if we let the Skeld fall apart. Back to work," she smiled before heading towards storage.
Lime watched her leave, sighed again, and went to the engine rooms.
Brown hummed softly to keep herself company as she struggled to unlock the reactor's manifolds. Not that it was a particularly difficult task, but she'd always found it intimidating for some reason. Probably because she kept making mistakes for trying to go too fast. Or because she had to stand right next to a vent to do it. She wished she'd had to start the reactor instead, honestly, but oh well, that one had been Red's.
Brown had just finished with the manifolds when a nearby presence made her jump. "Oh, hi Purple," she greeted him, a bit too fast. Behind him in the corridor, she spotted Lime peering into the room, and she waved to her.
After a glance to Lime as well, Purple returned his attention to Brown. "Did I startle you?" he asked, a smile in his voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."
Brown shuffled on her feet and rubbed the back of her head. "Eeeeh, well, I might've been scaring myself on my own," she admitted. She threw an accusing glare to the vent. "I learnt Impostors can travel through the ventilation system. Someone could just pop from engine while I'm working, murder me and leave the way they came."
"Or I could've killed you, escaped through the vent and pretended I never went to reactor at all?"
"Exactly!" Brown nodded, adding in a hurry, "Not that I'm accusing you. You've been alone with plenty of people, and we're all still breathing. You could've killed Yellow in electrical while Orange was in storage. Everyone knows what a death trap electrical is, yet you've both survived. So yep, I think you're good," she concluded, straightening up.
Purple chuckled. "My, are you keeping tabs on everyone?"
"Not really," she shrugged. "Orange just happened to mention the two of you in electrical when I passed her in storage. And you said you had wires to fix, so it made sense. Speaking of which, I'm done with the manifolds, I'd better get going."
"Right, and I've got work as well," Purple answered. "See you later in caf'?"
"Sure!" she nodded with conviction before leaving.
At the doorway to admin, Blue's gaze bore into Yellow and Orange for a couple of seconds before he decided to risk approaching.
"Paranoid much?" Orange teased.
"Excuse me if I care about staying alive."
Orange raised her hands to placate him. "Alright, alright. Sorry."
"Why do you actively avoid other people's company if you think we have an Impostor on the Skeld? That's just making you an easier target," Yellow stepped in. He glanced to his friend. "Orange and I can both watch each other's backs and confirm our innocence to the others."
Blue snorted derisively. "Sure, throwing myself into a potential Impostor's arms, what a brilliant idea."
Orange shook her head. "Yellow and I have watched out for each other since we left Polus' orbit. He could've killed me ten times over if he'd meant to, and same for me killing him. But hey, you do you. We'll leave you to your lonely misery, we're done here anyway."
Blue only let out a breath of relief once the two of them had stepped out, and he was alone in the room. There was an Impostor among them. He could feel it. But who? Were Orange and Yellow sticking together for protection, or was one of them an Impostor cultivating their alibi? What about Red, with her constant insistence the Skeld was safe? She could be trying to make them lower their guard. Was Brown genuinely naive and clumsy, or was she putting on a show? Why did Lime constantly cast doubt on Purple; was she right about him, or trying to throw them off her scent?
If only Blue could find out who the Impostor was before the monster had time to strike.
Purple had taken his time. Walking through the corridors, pretending to help keep the ship in working order, chatting with the oblivious crewmates around him, he had analysed how to best fulfil his mission. He was as patient as he was deadly, and he intended to win.
He didn't mind his superiors had sent him alone to take care of the Skeld and its crew. Quite the contrary in fact; he took pride in their confidence in his skill. He was the best infiltrator in recent memory, with half a dozen victories to his name. He knew when to wait and when to strike, when to sabotage and when to manipulate. Even more than the crewmates' succulent flesh itself, he delighted in their fear and that fleeting moment when they realised they'd been played, right before they died.
By now, he knew enough to get started for good. Brown's inexperience was deceptive, as her memory and intelligence would make up for her freshness when it came to identifying culprits. She would be one of Purple's first targets.
Orange and Yellow found comfort in each other's company, and were often seen together. They would be hard to drive apart, but easier to avoid, and their illusion of security made them less likely to look too deeply into his claims. Unless he found an unexpected opportunity to kill one and frame the other, Purple would keep them as unwitting pawns in his schemes.
Almost their polar opposite, Blue distrusted everyone and kept to himself. Most of the others disliked his lack of manners. Purple knew better than to murder him directly; instead, he would use him as a scapegoat when the time came. Seeing innocent crewmates float away in the cold emptiness of space, wrongly executed by an angry mob, was almost as satisfying to the Impostor as feasting on their body.
He turned his thoughts to Red, the one who tried to fend off fear with lightheartedness. Her forced smiles often came off to the rest of the crew as a manipulative attempt to lull them into complacency, which made her almost as suspicious as Blue in their eyes. She, too, could serve to take the blame for the Impostor's crimes.
Which left Lime. Like Blue, she stayed on her guard at all times; but unlike him, she fraternised with her fellow crewmates. Like Red, she hid her fears under a varnish of confidence; but unlike her, she never forgot the dangers. Like Orange and Yellow, she promoted safety in numbers; but unlike them, she spent time crossing from one side of the ship to the other. Like Brown, she performed her duties with careful dedication; but unlike her, she paid attention to her surroundings.
And like Purple, she seemed to be conducting prying of her own. The Impostor had felt her gaze on his back more than once, when he was following someone or allowing himself to daydream of the feast to come. The way she looked at the vents and hidden corners of the rooms, the advice she gave the others, the attention she paid to everyone's whereabouts –she knew to play the score.
Purple smirked discreetly: it felt almost refreshing to have someone who would keep him on his toes. Such a small crew would've been boringly easy to take out. He promised to himself to kill Lime last –provided he found a way to eliminate Yellow and Orange before–, and to make it memorable.
With the threat of Impostor attacks lurking in the back of her mind, Brown was glad she could at least trust some of her crewmates. Seated at a table in the cafeteria with a drink in hand, she waited for Purple eagerly. Perhaps they could pair up like Orange and Yellow? She would feel better knowing someone had her back. On the other hand, sympathising between coworkers was frowned upon for a reason: it was already hard enough when it was strangers brutally murdered around you –not to mention when you had to eject them into space at the first sign of suspicious behaviour, often with only incidental evidence. She idly turned the bottle in her hands; part of her wished she had resisted her parents' pressure and never joined Mira.
She perked up as she saw the purple-suited figure come join her.
"Oh, these tasks are so mind-numbing. I wish Mira would fix the ships once and for all before departure already," he complained theatrically, making her laugh.
"I know, right! They seem to think it's a way to assess people's loyalty and spot Impostors more easily but it's really just making our lives harder." As Blue scuttled through the cafeteria and threw them a hostile look along the way –at least, she supposed it was a hostile look; with the helmets you couldn't tell–, she raised her drink for him to see. "Yes, I'm taking a break," she proclaimed defiantly. "I'll return to work once I've finished my drink."
Blue huffed before leaving for the front of the ship, and Purple shook his head with amusement while Brown took an angry gulp. Maybe Blue's silent reproach had affected her more than she wanted to admit.
"So, what's your next assignment?" Purple asked.
"I've got to swipe my card, then a download in comms. You?"
"Ah, I'm going the other way, to medbay."
Brown straightened up. "Oh, you're doing a scan? I can come with you before I go to my tasks, this way I can clear you to the others if something happens."
He shook his head without missing a beat. "Samples to test, actually. Sorry."
"Oh. Okay."
Seeing her deflate and finish her beverage without a word, lost in her thoughts, he wondered whether a part of her still refused to trust him no matter how much his soft-spoken voice and mild manners soothed her. Young, but wise. Not that it would save her.
Purple was a natural. Unlike too many of his kind, he had never needed the threat of execution to himself and his family to fulfil his missions with flying colours. He took pride in serving the greater good of his kind, and enjoyed manipulating and killing the naive crews he infiltrated. Eating their warm corpses was his reward for a job well done. The prospect made his mouth water. Soon, now. Very soon.
As Brown stood and took her leave, he waved her goodbye and went to medbay just when Yellow was about to walk out. The Impostor briefly contemplated going for an early extra murder, before rejecting the idea. Yellow would be of more use to confirm his alibi.
Purple walked to the back of the medbay, checked he was alone, and hopped into the vent.
Lime followed Purple as often as performing her own tasks allowed, all the while also trying to make sure nobody remained isolated in an area easily reached via a vent. Unfortunately, with the crew's tendency to scatter throughout the Skeld, she had to rely on the others' sense of observation more than she wished. That Purple hadn't yet made his move frustrated her even more: the Impostors had very obviously sent one of their most cunning agents. Of course. They hadn't wanted to leave anything to chance. Even if it made the situation even more terrifying, Lime knew she needed to keep a cool head to prevail.
From the other side of the cafeteria, she eyed with suspicion Purple enter the medbay. However, she relaxed as Yellow walked out and was soon joined by Orange to talk in the hallway. Enough people had seen Purple's whereabouts to discourage any immediate murder attempt. With a sigh, Lime went to the front of the ship to correct the steering in navigation.
She found Blue apparently shooting asteroids in weapons. Instead of replying to her greeting, he jumped out of his seat and watched her pass from the opposite side the room. Way to make himself appear suspicious; it was a good thing she already trusted his innocence. Further down the corridor, Red proved, as usual, more talkative.
"Hey Lime. See, nothing bad has happened, and I'm more than half-way through my tasks already! If we keep up the good work, we should arrive in no time."
Lime shook her head. "I wish you were right, but…" The blinking of the camera caught her eye, and she tensed. Who was watching? Neither Blue, Red nor Lime herself, obviously. Orange and Yellow wouldn't bother. That only left Brown… or Purple.
Oblivious to Lime's train of thought, Red followed her gaze and chuckled. "See? Someone's even keeping a watchful eye on us. Nothing to fear."
Lime didn't bother to sound convinced as she answered, "Right. Well I'll still feel safer once we reach HQ. In the meantime, I've got to go make sure the ship flies straight. See you around."
She hurried to perform her task in navigation, and with a bye and a shrug, Red walked into oxygen.
It didn't take long for Lime's fears to be confirmed by the lights abruptly switching off. She rushed out, glanced into oxygen to check on Red, made sure to announce herself to Blue –who, again, stopped shooting asteroids to stay away from her– and ran to admin, where she found Yellow struggling to swipe his card into the reader.
"I'm checking the table!" she explained. She just knew they'd all need an alibi very soon. The only question was where the first murder would happen.
Brown's download in communications had just started when the room around her turned so dark she could barely see her own feet. "Come on come on come on," she whispered urgently to the tablet. Was it her or was the download even slower than usual? She tried reassuring herself that while she was all alone, the Impostor, whoever it was, might not come her way. The sabotage was obviously meant to attract people to electrical and kill them there. It made the most sense.
The moment her download finished, she ran out, only to hesitate in the corridor. She really, really didn't want to go to electrical. But she really, really didn't want to stay in the dark either, and what if nobody fixed the lights?
She was never given the chance to make up her mind. She barely had time to register a presence go past her as Purple grabbed the sides of her head and twisted hard. Before her lifeless body even had time to fall, his chest split open into a huge, grotesque maw, and he bit off the top half of his prey.
Delicious little Brown. Such a shame her death had to be so quick.
Savouring the lingering taste on his tongue, but mindful to appear as frightened as suited an innocent crewmate, Purple trotted towards electrical.
It was Red who found the body when proper lighting was restored throughout the ship. As the survivors sat around the meeting table in the cafeteria and peered at one another with suspicion, she broke the heavy silence in a wavering voice: "I–I found Brown just outside of comms…" She swallowed. "What was left of her. I was on my way to storage but still in shields, I saw it when the lights came back. I didn't see anyone, and I know I don't have an alibi, but I'm innocent, I swear! I was alone in O2 but I was working!"
Yellow raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Let's go about this rationally. It's safe to assume it happened during the blackout, so, where was everyone? I was in admin almost the entire time, Lime can confirm I was there when she arrived." Lime nodded, and he went on, "Then when I left, I met Purple in storage and we joined Orange in electrical, but she was already done when we arrived. Speaking of her, I saw her get a medscan earlier. She's 100% clear. Lime, did you get anything on the admin table?"
Lime sighed in frustration and she answered with a cautious tone, her eyes boring into Purple, "I wish. When I arrived, I saw Blue leave weapons and go to caf'. Red had already left O2, I just saw her arrive to shields right before the report. Purple only showed up in storage, where you joined him, and obviously Brown didn't appear on the table since her body was in a hallway."
Purple spread out his hands, the perfect image of a frightened, wrongly suspected crewmate. "I just came from the cafeteria; with the lights off Yellow must've been right behind me without us seeing each other! I was mostly in the back of the ship: Yellow, you saw me go into medbay to scan samples. I went to fix wires in caf' while the analysis ran, then I returned to medbay, then to electrical through caf' and storage, which is where I met Yellow while I was bumping into crates in the dark."
"I think it's a self-report," Blue hissed, glaring at Red. "She realised she might get caught when you lot fixed the lights."
Red pointed a trembling finger at him. "Or maybe you did it! You could've used the vent to nav', then to shields, murdered poor Brown and come back to weapons before Lime even had time to reach the admin table!"
"I was blasting asteroids! You know, so they don't crash into the shields you may or may not have primed!"
"I didn't, I saw what you left of Brown before I could!"
"Please, everyone, calm down!" Lime interrupted, forcing her voice louder to make herself heard over the back-and-forth accusations. "I'm fairly sure you're both telling the truth. It's Purple who's been suspicious from the start."
"Do you have any proof?" Orange asked, unconvinced. "Anything more solid than a hunch?"
Lime lowered her gaze. "No. But I can confirm Red was still in oxygen when I left nav', and I think I saw Blue really shoot an asteroid before he ran from me."
Orange shook her head reprovingly. "You think?"
"It was dark, I couldn't really see, and I didn't stay."
"Well, I'm voting Blue," Red proclaimed through clenched teeth.
"And I'm voting you," he retorted.
Purple let his gaze run between the two of them before finally settling on Red. "I have to agree with him. He might not have had the time to reach Brown from weapons, but you did."
Yellow cast his own vote as well. "I'm sorry Red, but you're the most likely suspect."
Orange hesitated. "Actually, I don't think it's her. The lights were off too long for a self-report. It had to be Blue." She selected Blue with an apologetic look to Red: "Not that it'll change much, but I do believe you."
Yellow crossed his arms. "Well, that's three for Red versus two for Blue, plus Lime for Purple. Let's get this over with–" He interrupted himself: why wasn't the result revealed yet? He realised Lime's vote was actually still missing.
Red spoke first, with stifled sobs in her voice: "Lime, honey, you need to vote. Thank you for defending me, but withholding your choice won't save me."
Without a word, Lime nodded, and pressed her finger on Blue's icon.
Yellow shook his head at Lime in dismay. "Why did you vote Blue if you think Purple's the Impostor?"
Red was trembling wordlessly, incredulous to have escaped immediate sentencing for a crime she didn't commit, while Blue now hesitated whom he distrusted more between her and Lime. "Opinions were made clear enough," he tried. "We can still eject Red."
"No," Orange countered, "the law's firm about it. Only votes matter, and it's a tie between the two of you."
Blue glowered at Red. "Fine. You get another chance to live. But if anyone else dies…"
There was nothing more to say, so everyone scuttled away to their next task –except Purple, who came closer to Lime.
"Well played, Lime," he purred in a silky voice, smooth and dangerous, almost making her lose her temper there and then. "Clever clever… I look forward to getting to know you more in depth once I've gone through the rest of my tasks." And just like that, he turned away and left the cafeteria, as if nothing had happened.
Fists clenched, Lime took a few intentional breaths to calm herself down. She wanted to kill him. She wanted to kill him so badly. If there had been any justice in the universe, it was his blood that should've stained the Skeld's floor. But she needed to remain more cautious than ever. Purple had underestimated her once; next time he wouldn't be as careless. With every passing moment, he might murder another of the crew. With every emergency meeting, he might condemn an innocent soul to die in the cold vacuum of space.
She had to stop him.
The early insouciance had all but vanished, and a shroud of horror and paranoia had fallen upon the Skeld. Yellow and Orange remained closer than ever, refusing to leave each other's side for even a second. Blue jumped at the sight of his own shadow, and Red fumbled through her tasks, blinded by mixed tears of relief and fear. Lime wanted oh so desperately to keep a constant eye on Purple, but she also knew she couldn't afford to dawdle. And Purple was in no hurry to claim his next victim: his priority was to appear as harmless as ever until he found the right opportunity.
For the time being, the only thing Lime could do was make her path around the ship difficult for Purple to predict so he wouldn't feel safe killing anywhere. She also started to worry: she hadn't seen Red in a while. Scouring the Skeld faster and faster, dread tightening its grip around her throat, she finally found her huddled in oxygen, weeping silently.
The sound of Lime's sigh made Red start with fright, and for a frozen moment, she stared at the new arrival with no movement nor sound. She slumped when her brain finally registered it was Lime, who was doing her best to break through the wall of thoughtless terror with kind words and placating body language.
Red stood up and started mumbling incoherently. "I'm sorry I didn't recognise you I can't go on I just can't I thought I was doing to die I prepared myself but I'm so scared I know I should be thankful I'm just so scared I don't know what to do I don't want to die oh Lime I don't want to die!"
Lime gently put her hands on Red's shoulders. "Hey, hey. Red, look at me. It's alright to be afraid. We all are. But I need you to remain strong a little longer, okay? We still have work to do, and the longer we delay, the later we'll arrive at Mira HQ."
Red nodded, sniffing. "How do you do it?…"
Lime let go and answered, perplexed, "Huh? Do what?"
"Keep yourself together. Before Brown's death, I thought you were being overly dramatic, but now you seem so calm!"
"I'm… really not?" She just stayed focused on her goals, honestly.
Without a warning, Red leapt at her to embrace her in a tight hug. "I owe you my life! I wouldn't be there anymore if it weren't for you!"
After a second to process her surprise, Lime patted Red's back. Now this was awkward. How did you comfort an overwrought crewmate when all your thoughts were turned to the still lurking threat?
Thankfully, the physical contact itself seemed to calm Red down, and after a short while, she took a step back and briefly opened her helmet to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'll never thank you enough, Lime. For everything." She forced a laugh. "I still think you're wrong about Purple, though. It must've been Blue."
As there was no point in debating now, Lime changed the subject: "Shall we resume our work?" Reassured by Red's nod, she went on, "Where's your next task?"
"Electrical," Red answered in a tiny voice.
"I can come with you if you want."
Red looked up, and for the first time since she'd found Brown's remains, she sounded genuinely hopeful: "Yes, please!" It didn't last, however, as she grabbed Lime's hand to go left instead of right: "Can… can we make the detour via weapons? Please?…"
Lime silenced her frustration. Even if it slowed them down, she understood where the request came from. "Of course," she agreed.
Blue couldn't get over Lime's betrayal. Orange's vote was understandable, she was clueless. And either Red was the Impostor, or the shock of discovering half a body had finally put some sense into that thick skull of hers –as unfortunate as her suspicion of Blue was. But Lime? Something didn't add up. He just couldn't put his finger on what was bothering him, besides the obvious resentment for her vote.
For a while, he walked round and round in the ship, neglecting his tasks to spy on the others, check the admin table, watch the cameras. Should he call an emergency meeting? But without a compelling argument, the crew would be quick to vote him out. Should he keep his thoughts to himself and wait for the next murder, hoping it wouldn't be him? Or should he confront Lime directly?
The decision was cut out for him as he came face-to-face with her and Red in the cafeteria.
"You!" he accused. "What's your game! I want an explanation!"
Lime paused. "I'm sorry, I don't understand. Do you mean the vote?" Red fearfully hid behind her.
"All this talk about Purple being an Impostor, and then you try to get me ejected?"
"I was saving Red!" Lime defended herself, turning an open palm toward her protegee. "I let everyone else vote first so I had a chance to block the vote because I knew you were both innocent."
"So you say," he shot back. "Or maybe you hoped more people would vote me out, with your half-hearted argument you'd seen me do asteroids."
"That makes no sense! I was doing what I could to protect you, too!"
"Maybe it was all an attempt to confuse us. Maybe you sneaked out of admin through the vent, murdered Brown and returned before the lights came back."
He took a step forward, and Lime a step back. So now he basically accused her, he didn't run from her anymore? If the situation hadn't been so dire, she might have burst out laughing at the sheer absurdity of it. Behind her, Red turned her gaze to the emergency button and started to move discreetly.
"No, Red, wait," Lime stopped her before returning her attention to Blue. "Look, I would never have had a chance to go to comms and come back, especially not without bumping into Red. I was only alone in admin for a brief moment, I talked with Yellow the entire time until he left." And for the very purpose of reinforcing her alibi, as a matter of fact.
"And why exactly should I believe you?"
"Just ask him! And how would I have known your movements if I hadn't been looking at the table? You did go from weapons to caf', didn't you?"
After a second of grudging silence, he nodded with a mutter, "Yes. Though you could simply have guessed." Still, despite the continuing hostility in his voice, at least he sounded more hesitant. Resentment about her vote aside, he was back to square one on Brown's murder.
She rubbed a hand on her tired forehead. "We're all on edge but I stand by what I've always said: Purple is the enemy. Not me, not Red, not you. He is the one we all need to be wary of."
With a grunt, Blue turned heels and went to seek Yellow. Lime sighed, and made her way with Red to electrical.
Purple was starting to feel really annoyed. Since Lime had found Red before him, everyone but Blue had paired up, leaving the Impostor no opening to kill someone and frame another. Not to mention his prey were paying way too much attention to the admin table and cameras now. As much as they had dismissed Lime's advice at the beginning of the trip, it had stuck. How irritating. At least, it slowed them in their tasks, which in turn gave him more time to plan out his move. While he could always pull a well-chosen sabotage, he wanted to score at least a kill or two before stirring the pot. An emergency meeting might give Lime a chance to poke holes in his defence.
Upon seeing Orange and Yellow go to the front of the ship not long after Lime and Red had entered electrical, an idea formed in his mind.
While Red calibrated the distributor, Lime positioned herself in such a way she could keep an eye both on the vent and the door.
"I don't know how I can ever make it up to you," Red was saying. "After I returned to shields to indeed prime them, I… I couldn't stop thinking about Brown." As Lime didn't know how to answer to that, Red continued after a second. "I really feel better knowing you're here with me."
"Eh, no problem. Just doing everything in my power to keep us all safe."
Red groaned as she missed the mark on the third dial and had to restart the process from the beginning. "I'm sorry about Blue. Now he's at your throat because of me."
"Not your fault," Lime asserted, sighing, "and I don't even blame him either. He is afraid, alone, and confronted to his own mortality. Anyone might snap in the circumstances. Anyone of us, at least." Purple, on the other hand, seemed to thrive on it.
Red shook her head without taking her eyes from the device before her. "You still think it's Purple?"
"I know, Red. I know. I simply don't have the means to prove it."
Silence fell between them until Red's exclamation of victory broke it. "Ha! Done!" She closed the panel, eager to go to a more open room. "Let's go, electrical gives me the creeps."
"Gladly," Lime chuckled. She checked the vent one last time before setting to follow Red out…
…and the door closed right before her, locking her in.
"Lime!" she just had time to hear Red yelp from the other side before the entrance was shut tight.
But Purple hadn't guessed the true significance of his mission. Lime had an ace up her sleeve. Perhaps she could still save Red.
She rushed to the back of the room, opened the vent, and jumped into the darkness.
Lime emerged in security –only to come face-to-face with Blue, running in to check the cameras. She reacted faster: she whipped out her tablet and locked the door before he could turn to leave. As she looked to him, he backed away with precipitation towards the camera monitors, not that the tiny room had any protection to offer. Lime opened her palms, desperate to show her peaceful intentions.
"Blue, I know how it looks but I beg you, please hear me out," she pleaded.
"You don't have anything to say to me, Impostor!" he spat in response.
Lime sighed. "Yes, I am what your people call an Impostor, but I'm on your side! I swear on everything I ever held dear that I mean you and the others no harm. I'm a defector. A few of us resist from the inside, and we were able to steal top-secret intelligence; I'm bringing it to Mira HQ."
She became more and more animated as she went on, "That's why you can't tell the others about me. I must not die before I have delivered the information to Mira. This is bigger than you, or me." She shook her head with conviction: "Think about it, Blue, with this information, Mira could hit our forces where it really counts. It could mean the end of the war!"
She darkened. "But we have to stop Purple before he kills us all. He was sent precisely to prevent me from contacting Mira, though I don't think he suspects the truth about me." Which didn't surprise her. Information was always given on a need-to-know basis, and operatives didn't need to know what strategic importance their target held. Not to mention the mere existence of rebels within their ranks was in itself a state secret.
Blue's voice interrupted her train of thought. "The asteroids," he muttered with a bitter laugh.
"I'm sorry?"
He pointed an accusing finger at her. "That's what had been bugging me since the meeting. You shouldn't have been able to see me fire at the asteroids at all: the first time, because you arrived from behind, and the second time when lights were sabotaged, because you never came close enough for me to even see you. You shouldn't have been able to see Red in O2 without going all the way in either, or Yellow in admin."
"I may have underestimated how little your kind can see in the dark," she admitted. "But mostly, I wanted to reinforce your alibis. Red and you were the obvious targets for Purple to frame."
"Purple, Purple, Purple," he snorted. "Stop spinning your yarns, I see through it all now."
She felt a cold shiver run down her back. "Blue. Did you listen to anything I just said?"
"What a touching story, but that's all it is. A story. Did you also serve it to Brown? Did she look to you as a hero up until the moment you butchered her?"
"I didn't kill Brown!" Lime protested. "We already went through that: you know I couldn't possibly have had the time."
"Yes, yes, you gave yourself an airtight alibi during the blackout. You tried a little bit too hard, in fact. But she was already dead by the time you sabotaged the lights, wasn't she? After passing by me in weapons, you went to nav', vented to shields, murdered her, came back the same way, then cut the lights and made sure everyone could confirm how far from the body you were!"
She shook, jolted by his accusation. "What? No!" Why did it have to sound so plausible? And even worse, what if Purple concocted similar allegations! "I had no idea where Brown was at the time, and even if I'd had, I spent most of that time talking with Red in the hallway!"
Red could've confirmed it, if she hadn't likely been dead somewhere by now. Well, Red and… The cameras! Oh, the evidence had been staring her in the face the whole time! "Blue, I can prove Purple's an Impostor!"
"Humph. I'm all ears."
"Before Brown's murder, just before the lights sabotage, someone was watching the cameras."
Blue tautened his muscles in preparation. Any second now… "So?" he prompted her to elaborate.
"It was Purple! He vented–"
The moment the door opened, Blue dashed forward. Lime reacted in the blink of an eye: chest mouth gaping open, she hurled her hunting tongue at him. Blue didn't have time to suffer. The spear-like tip pierced visor, flesh and bone, and for a second, his body hung limply in the air before she retracted her tongue, bringing the taste of his blood into her mouth. The body slumped like a broken puppet.
Oh no. Please no. This couldn't be happening. Things couldn't possibly have gone worse.
"Forgive me…" Lime whimpered before devouring the top half of his body. If there had been anything left of him, she doubted he would have. She certainly wouldn't forgive herself.
She felt sick. She wanted to lie down and cry, or to vomit, or to throw herself out of the airlock. Probably all three in varying order. But she couldn't afford any.
Full of despair and self-loathing and bitterness in the back of her throat, she slipped into the vent.
Purple had taken his time with Red, and thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of chasing her while he left her a glimmer of hope, before finally closing a door before her to cut her escape. It had almost made up for the fact he'd had to chase her to begin with, instead of winning her trust to better crush it. Damn Lime had to spoil his fun, didn't she?
In the rush of the hunt, he had registered in the corner of his eye that the door to security was closed. Odd. He'd only shut the one to electrical, to keep Lime out of the way and better scapegoat Blue.
As he traced his steps back and discovered the bloody remains, he first felt a burst of anger. His superiors hadn't trusted him to succeed, and they'd sent someone else too? And without even informing him to boot! Oh, there would be explanations to be had once he got back! Someone was going to pay for his humiliation.
The second Impostor had to be Yellow, as he'd confirmed Orange's medscan. He likely kept her as a walking alibi, ready to vouch for him, and had only taken matters into his own hands when he'd deemed Purple too slow to carry out another murder. Fine. Purple could work with that. After all, it meant victory was already theirs. Oh, how he looked forward to Lime's reaction when she realised she had ignored a second Impostor the entire time.
He laughed. He'd gladly leave Orange to Yellow while he took care of Lime. This was going to be glorious.
Lime returned to electrical; of course the door had opened now. Even as she knew she needed to get as far away from the scene of her crime as possible, her feet brought her to the nearby engine room despite herself, and she peeked into the hallway leading to security.
Further away, Purple had discovered the corpse. To her relief, but confusion too, he didn't report it immediately. Instead, he glanced in the direction of… medbay? Did he think it was one of the others? Did he believe her too innocent to kill?
Purple's low, cruel laugh ignited a bout of unadulterated hatred. Focus. Right now, he thought he'd won, so he would take his time. Should she report the bodies? But he might accuse her once he realised his error, and she was unsure she could sound convincing with the weight of Blue's death on her conscience. She needed to expose her proof to Yellow and Orange first.
She turned away and ran to find them.
Lime didn't have to go far: she met with Yellow and Orange in storage. "Have you seen Red?" she asked as if she didn't already know. At least her anguish could easily pass for worry. "The door slammed on me in electrical. I just got out and I don't know which way she went."
The other two exchanged a worried look. "We should go looking together. I don't want to worry you, but…" Yellow hesitated.
"No, I'll call an emergency meeting, it's our best chance to stop Purple if she's still alive." As Yellow was about to speak, she cut him short: "I remembered something. Before the lights sabotage, I noticed the cameras were recording. But Blue was in weapons, Red and me in the corridor between O2 and nav', and we now know Brown must've been in comms or on her way. Same for you in admin, Yellow."
He nodded, "Now that you mention it, I remember noticing the cam was on."
Orange shivered. "I thought my eyes had been playing a trick on me because it didn't last and when I reached security, it was empty," she added in a hollow voice.
"Purple was supposed to be making trips between medbay and caf'. But he never actually returned to caf'. The vent," Lime announced with perhaps more glee than she should. "It's the only explanation. He vented from medbay to security, checked on cam where we all were, then I suppose he vented to electrical, cut the lights and got to Brown. He spent a lot of time with her before, she must've told him where she was going."
Orange nodded tensely. "I saw them together in caf'." She turned to Yellow. "Just before he went to medbay and she towards storage…"
After everything that had happened, Lime allowed herself to revel in the excitement bubbling within her. "Let's call an emergency meeting before he has time to kill someone else."
Purple was almost singing as he walked casually to the meeting table, belly full but mouth salivating in anticipation for his last meal of the mission. He glanced to Yellow: did the other Impostor want to play this game and let the suspense drag until he revealed himself at the last moment? Worked for him.
Orange gasped under her breath when she realised two more people were now dead. "Red and Blue?…"
Hands pressed on the table, Lime leaned forward and looked daggers at Purple. "There's no point in pretending anymore. We all know."
"Oh, well. Congrats. You got me." He crossed his hands behind his head in a relaxed stance. "Red tasted absolutely scrumptious, by the way. Did you know she called your name right up until the moment I shot her cold? Poor Lime, all alone in electrical, powerless to save your friend this time. How did it feel?"
Lime couldn't help but let a slightly distorted growl escape her throat as she struggled to keep her self-control –and her form. Thankfully, both Orange and Yellow were too busy reeling in horror to notice, and Purple too blinded by his own arrogance. She shook violently as she willed herself to press a finger, and not a claw, on his icon.
"Do we even need a vote?" Yellow asked in a coarse voice.
Purple's confidence wavered and he glanced to him. What was the other Impostor waiting for? Now would be a good time for the dramatic reveal.
In response to her friend's question, Orange stood up. "Yellow, with me."
By the time Purple processed his incomprehension, the two of them held his arms firmly in a grip. They dragged him to the airlock in storage, Lime marching behind them with grim determination. It was over. Purple was about to reap what he'd sown.
Realisation dawned on him just as Lime opened the inner airlock. His people hadn't sent Yellow to watch his back. They had sent Purple after a filthy traitor. Lime had vented in an attempt to save her precious Red. The rest was obvious.
Enraged at having been played, he opened his maw and hurled his tongue at her; but she'd expected the attack and easily dodged out of the way. Without giving him time to try again, Yellow and Orange shoved him into the airlock and the door closed before him. A split-second later, he was sucked into the vacuum of space. Not for an instant did his glare leave Lime.
After Yellow and Orange had left, Lime stayed behind to let her anger subside. Despite the tragic deaths of their comrades, despite the grief of her failure to save Red, despite the indelible stain of Blue's murder on her conscience, the Skeld was safe now. She was safe, and more importantly, so was the information she carried.
As she threw one last look to her enemy's body floating in the void of space, her mouth twisted into a nasty grin. Finally, perhaps she understood what Purple and his ilk enjoyed in deceiving hapless crewmates. His air of betrayed shock, in the fleeting moment when he'd finally understood the truth before being sent to his death, had been delectable. She simply disagreed on who was an acceptable target.
Before going to help Orange and Yellow bring the Skeld safely to its destination, Lime took a moment to savour the the sweet, sweet taste of victory on her tongue.
THE END
Among Us fanfictions.
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Last update: 13th April 2021.