A group of people (your POV character and Persons A-F) rush into a small village, alarmed.
Person B: *Pant*.. *Pant*... This is... your town...? Person A: Dad! Mom! Where are you?!
A villager is there in the plaza.
Villager: What, that's... [Person A]?! Person A: Where are my parents?! Speak! Villager: Eep! Person A: Why won't you answer?!
Another person approaches.
Village Chief: Stay away from my villagers! Person A: You're the village chief, right? Village Chief: Get out of here, transgressor. Your presence here is going to get us all condemned as collaborators! Person C: THAT's what you're worried about? Person B: Rgh. Okay, everyone, please calm down for a minute! We just came here to rescue [Person A]'s parents! Person A: Please, at least tell me where they are! I'm begging you! Villager 1: Yeah, bad news for you, pal. There's no way they haven't been eliminated yet. Person A: What?! Villager 1: They were running all around town, begging folks to help hide them. So selfish! Shield a transgressor and you'll end up as a transgressor too. So we sent them packing--no way we were going to let that happen to us! You can beg and plead all you want, but it won't get you anything. We don't want any part of this! Person F: Silence. One more word out of your mouth, and I'm going to become upset. Villager 1: Wh-Who the hell...? Person A: It can't be true... My parents, are they... Are they really... Answer me, chief! Village Chief: Your parents were further disgracing themselves by attempting to flee from the enforcers. So we tied them up. Person A: Wh-why would you... Village Chief: You know exactly why! We needed to make it clear to the world that we are not in league with transgressor scum like yourself and your parents. The only reward that awaits those who help a transgressor is a stain of guilt of their own! That's the last thing any of us want! Person A: ...... Person B: So [Person A]'s parents... They're really gone...? Village Chief: They were bound and fettered and expelled from the village. I'm sure it did not take long for the enforcers to enact justice. Person A: .... Village Chief: You have your answer, [Person A]. Now leave. And take your cronies with you. And remember that this village does not tolerate the presence of filthy transgressors! Person A: ...Why? Village Chief: Did you not hear me, [Person A]? Or do we need to tie you up, too, just like we did to those unseemly wretches who raised you?! Villager 1: This is what happens when the poors think their kid'll lift them out of the gutter. They shouldn't have gotten so cocky about their little knight. Villager 2: Get out of here, [Person A]. Do not bring your treachery to our peaceful town. Village Chief: We should burn their house down, to make it clear that we are no friends to that cursed family. Hahaha. Yes, that's a great idea. Let's do it. Person A: Why...? Why? Why would you act like this?!
Person A draws a weapon from nowhere. He looks incandescently furious.
Person A: Unseemly? Wretches? Those are my parents you're talking about! Village Chief: Urk! Person A: You think I'm just going to let you say that about them?! You think I'm not going to make you pay for this? I am going to kill every last one of you!
Person B steps between Person A and the chief, and the chief retreats.
Person B: [Person A], calm down! Person A: Do not interfere, [Person B]! These are not human beings we're dealing with here! Person B: [Person A]... Person E: This doesn't seem like the sorta thing we're gonna be able to reason him out of. Person B: [Person A], I know how you feel right now, but... Person A: Move, [Person B]! Person B: No! I won't move! This isn't you, [Person A]! Person A: I don't care! Stay out of my way, [Person B]! Move! Person B: No! You need to snap out of this! I don't want to have to fight you! Person A: Then. Get. Out. Of. My. Way. Person B: No! I won't! Because if I step aside, you're as good as dead! Person A: I'M as good as dead? ME? Person B: Yes! If you cut down these people, the righteousness within you will die! You'll regret it forever! And I don't want to have to see you suffering even worse than you already are! Person A: What the hell do you know about anything?! Person B: I know that your parents wouldn't want to see you like this! Person A: Spare me your trite platitudes, [Person B]! Person B: They may be trite, but they're still--
The POV character of the memory finally steps up to intervene. With guns.
POV: Move. Person B: [POV]?
Person B moves.
POV: If he ain't gonna listen, we'll have to beat it into him. Hyah! Person A: [POV]... Why would you of all people stop me?! You're always telling us to do what we want! And what I want to do is cut these vermin to shreds! What right do you have to stop me?! POV: I don't like it.
POV shoots Person A in the arm.
Person A: Urgh! POV: I tell ya, I don't like it!
He shoots twice more.
Person A: Nggh! POV: Is this what you want? Is this who you are, [Person A]? What happened to the snooty knight preachin' about justice from atop his high horse? He's gonna start murderin' folk now? You're tellin' me that's really what you wanna do? Person A: ..... POV: Then I was wrong about you, [Person A]. You ain't worthy to wield a ███ after all.
POV does something, and Person A's weapon vanishes.
Person A: M-My ███... It's gone?! POV: Seeya.
POV knocks Person A out.
Person A: Hyarrggghh! POV: Don't make me laugh. How bout you sleep it off over there for a while. Village Chief: Ha! Even your friends have forsaken you now? This is what you get, [Person A]. That dirt is exactly where criminals deserve to be. Person C: That man just won't stop. POV: All right.
POV approaches the village chief.
POV: Aaaaaall right. Village Chief: Wh-What are YOU coming this way for?! POV: [Person A] pisses me off sometimes, but when it comes to being an ass, he's got nothin' on you lot. Die, you little worm.
POV shoots him.
Village Chief: Gah! Arggggghhhh!!! Y-You shot my foot! Aaahhh! Th-there's so much blood! Person B: [POV], what are you doing?! POV: Not another step! Person B: ...! POV: Unlike him, I wasn't never no knight of justice. Killing a town full of jerks, that ain't nothin' to me at this point. I'm the ██████. Every inch of me is already fouled with sin.
POV moves to the next villager.
Villager 1: St-Stop this! POV: Shut up!
He shoots him.
Villager 1: AAARRGGGGHHHH! It hurts! It huuuuuuurts! POV: What, that didn't even kill ya? I swear, it's always trash like you that don't know when to die. Villager 2: R-Run for your lives! POV: Ain't no one runnin' nowhere!
The group seems distressed by this and calls for him to stop, but after that doesn't work, they just take cover.
Village Chief: D-Don't do this! We didn't do anything wrong! POV: Nah, you didn't, didja? You just did what you were supposed to do, right? Just let the consensus free ya from the burden of havin' to think for yerself. Everyone teamin' up to beat on that mean ol' couple together. Bet that felt good, didn't it? Got so drunk on the joy of it all that you didn't even realize you'd just murdered two people. Village Chief: N-No! We're not the ones who killed them! POV: That doesn't mean ya ain't guilty. Village Chief: ..... POV: Ain't no murder uglier than the one you tell yourself you're not committin'. You wanna kill someone, the least you owe 'em is to be honest yourself that you're doin' it. Feel yourself in the bullet that punches through their flesh. See yourself in the reflection of that blood-soaked blade. Now THAT's killing. And that's somethin' a big softie like [Person A] could never do. That's why I'm gonna kill the whole lot of you for him. Village Chief: St-Stop, please! Please! POV: Sorry. The die is cast. So die.
Person A, conscious again, jumps in between them, and the chief flees again.
Person A: Stop! POV: What was that? Person A: [POV], stop this. You have to stop! POV: These are scumbags who need to die. You said that yourself, [Person A]. Person A: Yes... I did. They're thugs who killed my parents and then spat on their memories. What they did is unforgivable. But even still... Even in spite of that... Do not kill them! POV: Why not? Person A: Because revenge is not justice! POV: ...... Person A: I understand that now, [POV], thanks to you. Seeing them writhing in pain, soaked in their own blood... It's wrong. It's so clearly wrong! My mother and father believed in me until the end. They said I was their pride and joy. That belief is something I don't want to betray. POV: .....Huh.
POV smiles slightly and relaxes.
Person B: [Person C], go heal the people he shot. Person C: Okay. Person E: Sooo... We can come out now I guess? Person D: *Sigh*... You certainly know 'ow to keep us in suspense, [POV].
HANGED MAN
Person B: *Pant*.. *Pant*... This is... your town...?
Person A: Dad! Mom! Where are you?!
A villager is there in the plaza.
Villager: What, that's... [Person A]?!
Person A: Where are my parents?! Speak!
Villager: Eep!
Person A: Why won't you answer?!
Another person approaches.
Village Chief: Stay away from my villagers!
Person A: You're the village chief, right?
Village Chief: Get out of here, transgressor. Your presence here is going to get us all condemned as collaborators!
Person C: THAT's what you're worried about?
Person B: Rgh. Okay, everyone, please calm down for a minute! We just came here to rescue [Person A]'s parents!
Person A: Please, at least tell me where they are! I'm begging you!
Villager 1: Yeah, bad news for you, pal. There's no way they haven't been eliminated yet.
Person A: What?!
Villager 1: They were running all around town, begging folks to help hide them. So selfish! Shield a transgressor and you'll end up as a transgressor too. So we sent them packing--no way we were going to let that happen to us! You can beg and plead all you want, but it won't get you anything. We don't want any part of this!
Person F: Silence. One more word out of your mouth, and I'm going to become upset.
Villager 1: Wh-Who the hell...?
Person A: It can't be true... My parents, are they... Are they really... Answer me, chief!
Village Chief: Your parents were further disgracing themselves by attempting to flee from the enforcers. So we tied them up.
Person A: Wh-why would you...
Village Chief: You know exactly why! We needed to make it clear to the world that we are not in league with transgressor scum like yourself and your parents. The only reward that awaits those who help a transgressor is a stain of guilt of their own! That's the last thing any of us want!
Person A: ......
Person B: So [Person A]'s parents... They're really gone...?
Village Chief: They were bound and fettered and expelled from the village. I'm sure it did not take long for the enforcers to enact justice.
Person A: ....
Village Chief: You have your answer, [Person A]. Now leave. And take your cronies with you. And remember that this village does not tolerate the presence of filthy transgressors!
Person A: ...Why?
Village Chief: Did you not hear me, [Person A]? Or do we need to tie you up, too, just like we did to those unseemly wretches who raised you?!
Villager 1: This is what happens when the poors think their kid'll lift them out of the gutter. They shouldn't have gotten so cocky about their little knight.
Villager 2: Get out of here, [Person A]. Do not bring your treachery to our peaceful town.
Village Chief: We should burn their house down, to make it clear that we are no friends to that cursed family. Hahaha. Yes, that's a great idea. Let's do it.
Person A: Why...? Why? Why would you act like this?!
Person A draws a weapon from nowhere. He looks incandescently furious.
Person A: Unseemly? Wretches? Those are my parents you're talking about!
Village Chief: Urk!
Person A: You think I'm just going to let you say that about them?! You think I'm not going to make you pay for this? I am going to kill every last one of you!
Person B steps between Person A and the chief, and the chief retreats.
Person B: [Person A], calm down!
Person A: Do not interfere, [Person B]! These are not human beings we're dealing with here!
Person B: [Person A]...
Person E: This doesn't seem like the sorta thing we're gonna be able to reason him out of.
Person B: [Person A], I know how you feel right now, but...
Person A: Move, [Person B]!
Person B: No! I won't move! This isn't you, [Person A]!
Person A: I don't care! Stay out of my way, [Person B]! Move!
Person B: No! You need to snap out of this! I don't want to have to fight you!
Person A: Then. Get. Out. Of. My. Way.
Person B: No! I won't! Because if I step aside, you're as good as dead!
Person A: I'M as good as dead? ME?
Person B: Yes! If you cut down these people, the righteousness within you will die! You'll regret it forever! And I don't want to have to see you suffering even worse than you already are!
Person A: What the hell do you know about anything?!
Person B: I know that your parents wouldn't want to see you like this!
Person A: Spare me your trite platitudes, [Person B]!
Person B: They may be trite, but they're still--
The POV character of the memory finally steps up to intervene. With guns.
POV: Move.
Person B: [POV]?
Person B moves.
POV: If he ain't gonna listen, we'll have to beat it into him. Hyah!
Person A: [POV]... Why would you of all people stop me?! You're always telling us to do what we want! And what I want to do is cut these vermin to shreds! What right do you have to stop me?!
POV: I don't like it.
POV shoots Person A in the arm.
Person A: Urgh!
POV: I tell ya, I don't like it!
He shoots twice more.
Person A: Nggh!
POV: Is this what you want? Is this who you are, [Person A]? What happened to the snooty knight preachin' about justice from atop his high horse? He's gonna start murderin' folk now? You're tellin' me that's really what you wanna do?
Person A: .....
POV: Then I was wrong about you, [Person A]. You ain't worthy to wield a ███ after all.
POV does something, and Person A's weapon vanishes.
Person A: M-My ███... It's gone?!
POV: Seeya.
POV knocks Person A out.
Person A: Hyarrggghh!
POV: Don't make me laugh. How bout you sleep it off over there for a while.
Village Chief: Ha! Even your friends have forsaken you now? This is what you get, [Person A]. That dirt is exactly where criminals deserve to be.
Person C: That man just won't stop.
POV: All right.
POV approaches the village chief.
POV: Aaaaaall right.
Village Chief: Wh-What are YOU coming this way for?!
POV: [Person A] pisses me off sometimes, but when it comes to being an ass, he's got nothin' on you lot. Die, you little worm.
POV shoots him.
Village Chief: Gah! Arggggghhhh!!! Y-You shot my foot! Aaahhh! Th-there's so much blood!
Person B: [POV], what are you doing?!
POV: Not another step!
Person B: ...!
POV: Unlike him, I wasn't never no knight of justice. Killing a town full of jerks, that ain't nothin' to me at this point. I'm the ██████. Every inch of me is already fouled with sin.
POV moves to the next villager.
Villager 1: St-Stop this!
POV: Shut up!
He shoots him.
Villager 1: AAARRGGGGHHHH! It hurts! It huuuuuuurts!
POV: What, that didn't even kill ya? I swear, it's always trash like you that don't know when to die.
Villager 2: R-Run for your lives!
POV: Ain't no one runnin' nowhere!
The group seems distressed by this and calls for him to stop, but after that doesn't work, they just take cover.
Village Chief: D-Don't do this! We didn't do anything wrong!
POV: Nah, you didn't, didja? You just did what you were supposed to do, right? Just let the consensus free ya from the burden of havin' to think for yerself. Everyone teamin' up to beat on that mean ol' couple together. Bet that felt good, didn't it? Got so drunk on the joy of it all that you didn't even realize you'd just murdered two people.
Village Chief: N-No! We're not the ones who killed them!
POV: That doesn't mean ya ain't guilty.
Village Chief: .....
POV: Ain't no murder uglier than the one you tell yourself you're not committin'. You wanna kill someone, the least you owe 'em is to be honest yourself that you're doin' it. Feel yourself in the bullet that punches through their flesh. See yourself in the reflection of that blood-soaked blade. Now THAT's killing. And that's somethin' a big softie like [Person A] could never do. That's why I'm gonna kill the whole lot of you for him.
Village Chief: St-Stop, please! Please!
POV: Sorry. The die is cast. So die.
Person A, conscious again, jumps in between them, and the chief flees again.
Person A: Stop!
POV: What was that?
Person A: [POV], stop this. You have to stop!
POV: These are scumbags who need to die. You said that yourself, [Person A].
Person A: Yes... I did. They're thugs who killed my parents and then spat on their memories. What they did is unforgivable. But even still... Even in spite of that... Do not kill them!
POV: Why not?
Person A: Because revenge is not justice!
POV: ......
Person A: I understand that now, [POV], thanks to you. Seeing them writhing in pain, soaked in their own blood... It's wrong. It's so clearly wrong! My mother and father believed in me until the end. They said I was their pride and joy. That belief is something I don't want to betray.
POV: .....Huh.
POV smiles slightly and relaxes.
Person B: [Person C], go heal the people he shot.
Person C: Okay.
Person E: Sooo... We can come out now I guess?
Person D: *Sigh*... You certainly know 'ow to keep us in suspense, [POV].