Riot

Growing numbers of resentful and provocative Kathuz civilians increased by the thousands, huddling and crowding the Albastor Courthouse and the Albastor Pavillion. Their belligerent attitudes, combined with the frustration of being forced to survive underground in poverty, initiated a mass protest seeking equal rights after being isolated in plagued darkness for years. The masses charged toward the pavilion, surrounding the massive stage chanting and seeking accountability in the form of a representative to help support their ideals.

The idea that was absurd to them was the mechanism that allowed them to escape the underground, built underneath Kathuz. It was a scandal that they had never imagined before, and someone responsible had hell to pay.

"What the fuck is this shit?!" One of the burly civilians shouted in tandem with others around him. "You're telling me that the entire time we lived in this shithole, it was all part of a plan?! What the fuck!?"

"My family is dead because of them, and now this happens? They're murderers! They knew this all along!" A mother of six yelled with their remaining family members.

"They used us!" A female civilian cried, holding a sign to protest. "They knew that we wouldn't do anything, and they played us like fools! But we're not going to stand here and let it all happen! They don't speak for us! We want the same rights as everyone else has in Aries!"

"Same rights!" The crowd chanted in unison. "Same rights! Same rights!"

"You pieces of shits! Come out! Come out, you fucking cowards!" Another cry split through the air.

But no one came.

The bitterness of the Kathuz civilians increased in irritation and hostility, tossing junk and shouting additional vulgarity seeking someone to blame. Several civilians attempted to break through the courthouse after realizing that they had not been doing their job to govern their city properly. They assumed that the scandal had been knowledge to the courthouse for years, and they had done nothing to protect their citizenship and rights.

Ryo, Natia, Jinrai, and Claire landed on the rooftop of a five-story building, watching the chaos unfold beneath their eyes. This was the groundbreaking moment where all of Kathuz had joined together as a society to battle the ones responsible, and they could feel their pain for how long they lived in isolated poison. Their loved ones died in their arms and could not be buried for fear of losing their lives in return.

"Albastor... knew all along?" Claire whispered. "The Seraphians have been trying to justify their legal order to protect Kathuz when in reality, they knew about the structure to carry the city about the surface?"

"Looks like you've been working for total shitbags," Natia muttered, thinking about her home. "You can't trust anyone who doesn't know what it's like to live in death. I know what it feels to lose everything..."

Ryo patted Natia's shoulder to comfort her. "You haven't lost everything. Not yet." He reassured.

A news helicopter soared above their building, recording and broadcasting the riot at the Albastor Pavillion. News station camera drones scattered across the skies, taking photos and recording the battle from different angles.

Jinrai observed the stage from a distance, seeing the curtains unfold to reveal the same courthouse representative whose money pouch he snatched from. The crooked-back grumpy man approached the front of the stage alone, pretending not to be phased by the uproar of the crowd criticizing his pride.

But deep down, Ryo knew that the man was scared for his life in the presence of the people of Kathuz.

Before Ryo could focus on the corrupt representative, the Albastor Courthouse still seemed to drastically discomfort him. The tall bronze statue, the one that he had visions of when he had dreamt of April Springwell was visible from where he kneeled in secrecy. And the robed acolyte depicted in the statue still had its momentous shrilling sound to it whenever he focused his eyes on it.

It was then that he realized that there was something wrong.

But the microphone feedback overpowered the cries and complaints of the crowd as the corrupt representative set up a podium in the center of the stage. Ryo, Natia, Jinrai, and Claire both observed how he would handle the situation. Ryo fixated his attention on the corrupt man, leaving the statue aside. It would not be long before more chaos ensued, they predicted.

"My friends-" The representative croaked, and feedback from the microphone immediately shut down his train of thought. The crowd covered their ears in response, followed by immediate criticism over the representative's opening lines to address their problem.

"Did he just say, friends? He thinks of us as his friends?" A voice in the crowd erupted.

"Fuck you!" An enraged civilian yelled, tossing a beer can on the stage. "We're not your fucking friends!"

The representative fixed the microphone and started over. "Citizens of Kathuz, I speak to all of you as a representative of the Albastor Courthouse, the government of our home. You stand before us today seeking equal rights that span across all of Aries. The underground civilization that we have created together has been sullied. Sullied beyond the point of return with this... this change in structure."

"Change in structure? It's a whole fucking mess!" A woman shouted at the representative.

Claire clenched her fists and whispered into Jinrai's ears. "I have to do something. We have to change this." She said.

"You can't," Jinrai said. "Not yet, at least."

"I can't watch as the people of Kathuz lose hope in their homes! Everything can change if we just can change their mindsets and focus on the people responsible!" Claire yelled.

"Calm yourself," Natia said to Claire. "We'll find out who's digging this grave. Not long before we do."

The representative continued speaking, gesturing with his fingers and pointing at the crowd. "But you must all know, that it is your responsibility that we have not changed!" He shouted through the microphone. "It is your responsibility that we have regressed backward! It is your duty as civilians to address these concerns!"

"We have been! For fucking years!"

"Is he really blaming us for all of this? What a fucking joke!"

"Take him down! He doesn't deserve to breathe our air!" The enraged crowd continued.

The representative straightened his crooked tie, swallowing a lump filled with lies and hesitation. Sweat dripped from above the man's forehead, leaking down to his eyebrows as he contemplated speaking out once more. "Our government, the Albastor Courthouse, has determined that as a result of the ensuing chaos, we will begin the deconstruction of all Kathuz-wide buildings. That includes your homes. The resulting construction will take approximately two years, and in the meantime, you are all advised to seek shelter in Aries-"

"We don't have the fucking money, you idiot!" A rebellious crowd member yelled. "You gave us nothing but scraps!"

"What kind of bullshit is this? We're losing our homes too!?"

"You don't speak for us, you monster!"

The representative stammered, letting the crowd's hail of insults strike his pride as a representative of the government. He increased his volume and hostility toward the crowd without holding back. "We are giving you sustenance, you damn primates!" He shouted through the microphone. "You should all be grateful that we, as a government, are providing the right countermeasures for"

The whizzing sound of a sniper bullet rippled through the air, piercing through the corrupt representative's left cheek. His head jerked backward, eyes closed, and immediately went into a brief moment of shock. He toppled backward and laid on the stage, assassinated and dead in the span of a mere five seconds.

The crowd went from raging at the abhorrent countermeasures of their city to fleeing immediately. Screams of panicked hysteria cried as the crowd crushed each other, hurrying out of the pavilion to safety. But with each civilian rushing to exit, no one would make a quick escape.

Claire jolted back in response to the representative's assassination, covering her mouth in absolute terror. Ryo, Natia, and Jinrai remained sane, watching and observing to see what would happen. Natia, despite not showing any sign of retaliation, bubbled a need to support the civilians below her. It is what she wanted to do to her friends and family in Iran.

The stage's curtains opened, revealing two Seething Vipers armed with assault rifles. They fired their bullets in the air to silence the crowd. "Nobody move!" One of them shouted at the microphone. "If anyone leaves, they die!"

The crowd halted, acknowledging the villainous deal that was just made. Natia muttered to herself, "God, please don't move. They don't deserve to die..."

"There she is." Jinrai acknowledged. Ryo grunted, focusing upfront. Claire's puzzled reaction transformed into a serious gaze. Her heart rate briskly increased beyond her caliber.

The curtains opened once again with Weiss stepping down the center of the stage with pure erraticness. Her steps were sluggish and loud, indicating her peeved attitude at the moment. As she approached the microphone, she chuckled at the crowd while scanning her eyes across. Her elongated brown ponytail with its hot streak flailed behind her. The vipers cleared the path for her while she placed her foot on the back of the assassinated representative. She forced his corpse off of the stage, watching and delighting in its collapse on the ground with scarlet blood seeping out of his cheek.

Weiss tapped her slender fingers on the microphone, triggering a response to see if it was still in order. He giggled lightly before speaking. "Now... where we were?" The insanity of her voice was already present with how simpleminded she treated the corpse of the fallen man. "Oh, yes. I believe he was just finished with presenting the stupidest fucking plan of all time to ruin all of your lives."

The crowd remained quiet, believing the Jester to be on their side.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Kathuz City," Weiss continued. "I am the Jester. I am the one in your fables, your little tales, your bedtime stories..." She paused before filling in a menacing statement. "I am all of it. And what a fantastic occasion this is, to be standing in front of so many of you wanting justice for what this shitfest you call a government has led you towards. They poisoned you for many years, wanting nothing but money in return. They made you; the lower class."

The crowd murmured with one another, seeking reason and logic within the Jester's words.

"They took everything from you. Your families... your homes... the lives of your loved ones... everything. And I too, know how it feels to lose a family. Especially when you have no control of it at all."

Claire exhaled a silent breath, sensing that her words were targeting her.

"But you...!" Weiss continued speaking through the microphone. "You all have the power to stand up for your rights! You deserve as much! And for that reason, I stand here to tell you, that starting today, I will be in charge of Kathuz City's courthouse. We will rise and create a structure that's fit for all of you so that none of you have to live in poverty ever again!"

The crowd, instead of questioning the Jester's morales, cheered at her critically impactful words of reason and honor. Many of them lifted their arms in the air, inspired by the Jester's rally.

"Yes, yes, it's all a wonderful deal," Weiss continued, closing her inspirational side with a menacing smirk. A smirk so wide that many of the crowd members caught in on her total insanity. "But you all owe me for this. You all have to do your part to help me. You see, I will do what you all say, but some sacrifices need to be made." She moved her body aside, pointing toward the curtain to signal its movement.

The curtain parted open, revealing the bruised, battered, yet alive bodies of the Seraphians that Claire used to work with. They were bound by the eyes, gagged by the mouth, and tied with their hands with cuffs. All of them lined up in an orderly fashion, bleeding by the head until it dripped down their blindfolds. The crowd stopped cheering, shocked by the extent that which the Jester was willing to go to create order.

"NO!" Claire screamed, pushing herself off of the rooftop to support her comrades. "NO! NO!!!" Jinrai snatched her waist and pulled her back. She kicked her legs out in an attempt to wriggle and squirm out of his grasp. Wrinkles formed on her forehead, and her face exploded in somberness. She cried out and exhaled breaths of agony, wrestling for Jinrai to release her. She cried and cried until her voice was inaudible, collapsing on the ground with her side vulnerable and her wounds tingling again.

"Stop it, stop it..." Jinrai whispered, calming her down.

Natia watched her outburst unfold, only angering her even further. She was only an inch away from seeking vengeance for Claire by murdering the Jester entirely without curing her. She had to remind herself that Weiss was not the one responsible; she was being controlled. Even so, Natia could not stand watching Claire suffer without her doing something about it.

"Sacrifices such as these!" Weiss continued, pointing at them while speaking through the microphone. "You see, these freaks are the ones responsible for all this bullshit that you've all been through. They bring their orders to your courthouse hoping to keep you all down here so that they can rule the riches! Fucking pricks. There's about one... two... three... eight of them here today. If you want change in your homes starting today, I ask that you call upon someone's name. You see, I'm looking for someone who has something of mine..."

Jinrai touched his back pocket, feeling the extractor that she desired within.

"And I think she's here with us!" Weiss cried, gesturing for the crowd to cheer with her. She sped across both sides of the stage like an idol, rallying the people to fight for their homes, despite the Seraphians wanting to support Kathuz. It was nothing but a lie. "Her name is Claire! Call her! Call her, you motherfuckers!"

"Claire! Claire! Claire!" The crowd chanted in unison.

Jinrai shook his head, stopping Claire from moving any further.

"This is all my fault..." Claire whispered.

"None of it is your fault!" Jinrai enforced.

Natia clenched her teeth, close to the breaking point of lashing out at the ones who were truly responsible.

"Claire! Claire! Claire!" The crowd continued calling.

"Yes! She has something of mine that I want! And for every minute that's spent waiting," Weiss drew her pistol and fired it into the air. "I'm gonna kill these people and carve out their insides. One. By. One."

"Yeah!" The Kathuz crowd insisted on mass murder to reinvigorate their spirits to live in Aries.

Weiss's wide impish smile was seemingly praised by the crowd who treasured her insanity. She rotated herself around the stage, gesturing her arms up in the air. "I love you all! And I love you!" She cried at the top of her lungs. She placed her pistol beside her hip and aimed it up in the sky. "You know what, if Claire doesn't show herself on the count of three, I'll kill everyone single fucking one of them!"

Claire failed to breathe because of the endless torture that her sister was punishing her with. She could not bear to watch any longer. Ryo was on the point of intervention as well, but there was no perfect time to strike.

"Let's count together!" Weiss encouraged through the microphone. "ONE!" She screamed, having the crowd follow with her.

Jinrai held back Claire. Even he was close to the point of intervention.

"TWO!"

Ryo clenched his fists and tried his best not to intervene. He could not, for it was life or death.

Weiss's dull and emotionless expression in the light of death rising from the ashes was pure terror. She turned around and aimed her pistol directly at the first Seraphian bound in chains. The crowd's fanatical cheers only empowered Weiss even further to execute them publically. The terrifying ways that they would go towards restoring their homes to their rightful state were dehumanizing.

A shadow slipped beneath Ryo and Jinrai's attention. Ryo reached for his hand out, hoping to grab the shadow before they regretted their decision. "No, wait!" He cried.

"Three."

"EDELWEISS!" An overpowering voice was created by amplifying one of the communication devices on their ear connected with the pavilion's speakers, relaying their voice so that the entire Kathuz crowd could hear. Silence filled the tense air as the crowd parted to reveal one brave woman standing in front to defy the Jester's cruel demands.

Weiss, after hearing her real name, turned around to face the brave individual. Her imagination ran rampant, hoping to see Claire's reveal so that she could execute her instead of the Seraphians. The little girl, a figment of Weiss's imagination, clutched onto her thigh and chuckled in modesty. Weiss approached the end of the stage where she could see everything in her wake. As soon as her eyes connected with the one who called her true name, she was heavily mistaken and taken aback.

"You..." Weiss whispered. "You're not Claire. Yet you know my name. Who are you?"

After she breathed heavily at the stress and panic of not being able to protect those around her, she revealed her face to the crowd with her voice directly impacting the pavilion speakers. "You don't remember me?" She said. "You tried to kill me months ago, you fucking whore!" Natia exclaimed, standing tall and mighty to confront the Jester from a distance.