1. Thanks to anyone reading (:
2. Disclaimer: I do not own the Westing Game or any Marvel property
"Please sit at the table with your name on the card," Grant Ward orders. There were eight tables, two heirs per table, in the room. One of the tables only had one chair- the empty space was obviously meant for Bruce Banner. All the rest had two chairs. While they were not the most comfortable, the wooden chairs were at least better than the plastic monstrosities found in hospitals. All the heirs had exemplary experience in the hospital environment, and therefore all (other than Bruce because he was, as always, in his wheelchair) were silently grateful for this.
The room itself was quite interesting, especially after being in a place of mourning. This room, with its ancient board games and battered sports equipment. But any intrigue was covered in a thick layer of nerves. Everything from the curtains to a deck of cards seemed like plausible murder weapons to the jumpy heirs.
Lincoln moved over to a table in the corner of the room- the only table without any chairs at all. While everyone else was trying to find their name, he inspected the single sheet of paper laid out on the wooden tabletop. There was a hashtag drawn on it, with an X marked in the center square. Someone was laying Tic-Tac-Toe. Lincoln smirked, putting an O in the space directly to the left. The he turns around and goes to find his seat before someone notices what he is doing.
When all are seated, Ward begins to shuffle his papers, getting ready to start. Darcy takes out her IPod again, setting it to record.
SEVEN. My dears, it's here. The Waters Game is about to begin. Henthsforth, we will have to say 'begun' because now it has. And, as will all games, there are a certain set of rules by which you must abide.
-The sixteen heirs have been divided into 8 pairs. Pairs have been pre-decided, and may not be changed or traded.
-Each pair will receive a sum of $500,000 and an envelope containing their clues.
"Ебена мать," Natasha Romanoff mutters, ignoring Jiaying Johnson's sniff of distain. The lady was probably mad her youngest daughter got paired with the Russian. "Did he just say five hundred thousand?"
"I believe so, little lady," Coulson says, equally exited. He turns to his partner. "Aren't you glad you came now, May?"
The silent woman remains silent, staring straight ahead and allowing Ward to continue.
-There are two instances that would result in a forfeit. One: a player drops out. His or her pair must also leave the game and the pair must give up their money. Two: a player does not show up to a session. Their money will be forfeited and the clues will be held until the next session.
-Two days' notice will be given to the next session. Only then may pairs give their answer. Only one answer per pair.
-Object of the game: to win.
"Well, then. Now I'm supposed to give you the envelopes with the clues," Ward mumbles, fumbling with his papers once again. "Oh, wait I have to read the pairs out loud. Mr. Waters wanted to make sure no one cheats," he explains.
EIGHT. 1. CALVIN JOHNSON: vet
WANDA MACKENZIE-MAXIMOFF: cook
Jiaying and Mack both attempt to get the money from- uh for their absent spouses, but Ward shakes his head. "Mr. Waters was very clear."
2. TREMORS JOHNSON: lumberjack
NATASHA ROMANOFF: seamstress
3.BRUCE BANNER: cake decorator
DR. LEOPALD FITZ: lab tech and assistant to Dr. Franklin Hall on the hominid research project
4.PHIL COULSON: doorman
RAINA Z.: partner at Hand, Peterson and Sif
5.JIAYING JOHNSON: heiress
ALPHONSO MACKENZIE: restaurant owner
6.MELINDA MAY: cleaner
NICK FURY: delivery boy
7.LINCOLN CAMPBELL: student
ANTOINE TRIPLETT: track star
8.DARCY LEWIS: paid intern
JEMMA SIMMONS-JOHNSON: fiancé
Everyone looks around, wondering if anyone had been stupid enough to try fooling Waters. No one had.
"Okay then," Ward says. "I'll just pass these out." He gives each pair an envelope, only stumbling twice over the slightly uneven carpet. "Right. Don't open them yet, please." He says this to Tremors, whose hand had been reaching out towards her team's envelope.
NINTH. Now, time for what you are all here for. The lawyer will now hand out the checks. Please note that while they can be cashed in at any time and split any way you wish, the money can only be received if both heirs have signed it. Fear not, my heirs, not one of you will need to sell your hair in the near future.
'Good' Tremors thinks. 'Cause that's not happening.' She does think the words sound familiar, though. Perhaps a quote.
TEN. Good job, my dears. Those of you who have managed to wake up on this fine day have made money. Let me promise you it will not be so easy from here on out.
Ward looks up, pleased with himself. He jumps a little when he notices the heirs are all staring at him. "Oh!" He exclaims. "You can open the envelopes now."
"What in the world…" Fitz mutters, glancing up at his partner. There are six scraps of paper in front of them, each word more baffling than the last.
Bruce smiles at him, trying to rearrange the words in to some sort of grammatical order. One of the papers flies of the table, landing next to Tremors and Natasha. Instinctively, Natasha picks it up, smiling at Bruce as she hands it to him. "Promise I didn't read it," she says lightly, shifting her gaze to the doctor- or was it assistant? - who was the boy's partner.
Leo nods at her, taking care to hide the rest of their clues.
Natasha rolls her eyes and turns back to Tremors, whispering the word to her partner. "Chance"
The other heirs were also more careful with their clues. In fact, one pair had not even opened their envelope. At the last table, Jemma and Darcy sat staring at the other heirs and trying to get clues as to what their clues were.
Nick Fury, with a straight face for once, turns to his partner. "How depressing. But kinda obvious."
Melinda just shakes her head.
"Row, row, row your boat," Trip hums, making Lincoln hit his arm. Trip hisses. "Careful, man. You're turning into Tremors."
The girl in question whips around, ready to get up and hit both fools, but Natasha holds her back, pointing to one of their clues. "I don't think this is spelled correctly."
"You know what it means?"
"I think the usual terms are 'crap' and 'shit'."
"Oh!" Turtle exclaims, and switches a couple words around.
"No sense," Mack mutters. "Can we get a look at the will?" he asks loudly.
Raina answers him before Ward can. "A copy will be at the-"
"Actually, no. I was given strict instructions not to hand over a copy of the will until the game is over."
They couldn't see the will? How unfair, how horrible! How were they ever to figure out the clues without a- but they did have a copy, didn't they? A recorded version.
The heirs turned to Darcy in unison, looking at her beloved IPod with undisguised interest. She smiles as them, taking special care as she slipped it into her bag. "What? Me?" she asked coyly. "Well, Jemma and I must get going, I have a doctor's visit in half an hour."
"Wait!" The lawyer calls. "Before you go, I have to read the final statement."
ELEVEN. Don't understand a thing I've said? Well, by the time this will is being read to you all I'm already dead and almost cremated, so what do I know? Answer: everything you want to know. Do not fear, my dears. All will be known in due time. The blurred face of my killer will slowly come into sharp perspective, and he or she will be found!
In the meantime, I ask you this question: Would you ever kill someone, or something?
Whatever the answer, always remember: Buy Waters' water, the cleanest water in Watersville!
Note: Ебена мать is "Holy shit" in Russian.
Tell me what you think (:
