At this point, Emmet never felt more smaller, standing before all these master builders, each more talented and qualified than him to be the Special. The Piece of Resistance stuck to his back felt a little more heavier to him. Still, Emmet knew he had to say something, anything at all.
...Nope, still drawing a blank.
Looking up, Emmet looked around at the crowd watching him. In their eyes, he could see judgement, but he also saw fear and hope in all of them, even the tall scary metal pirate. Looking back at Wyldstyle and the others, they looked at him with the same expression. Emmet looked back, before breathing in deep and exhaling.
He wasn't used to people counting on him, but either way, he wasn't going to let them down.
"WELL, WHAT SAY YE, LANDLUBBER!" Metalbeard growled as he stepped so close, Emmet could reach out and touch that metal beard. Even though he could feel his knees getting weak, he stood tall.
"Well, can I take as a 'no, I will not fight.'?" Metalbeard nodded.
"Aye, we will run...and we will live."
Emmet simply nodded as he turned away.
"Yeah, I suppose that's right. BUT!" Emmet said as he turned back to Metalbeard.
"I ask, what will the worlds see of the Master Builders? Scared wimps cowering in a giant doggie? NO, THEY'LL SEE FREE PEOPLE, AND FREEDOM!"
At this, even Metalbeard fell silent. That was a good sign.
"Sure, we might have lost the other time, and the other time, and the time before that."
The crowd murmured in agreement.
"But we are not losing this time. SO I ASK YOU!"
The assembled master builders stood a bit straighter, their eyes beginning to fill with hope.
"Today, at the edge of our hope, at the edge of our world, I ask that you believe in me, and you believe in you..."
The energy in the air began to shift.
"Sure, a day may come when we finally pee our pants and run away, but I ask all of you to not make this day!"
"Your friend's pretty good at this." Batman whispered to Wyldstyle, who only nodded.
"So I ask all of you to stand, to join me celebrate a new holiday. It is a day in which all master builders and those who do not like President Business stood up with one voice and cried out 'WE WILL NOT GO QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT!'"
Emmet shouted, pumping his fist in the air.
"'WE WILL NOT VANISH WITHOUT A FIGHT!'"
Vitruvius smiled.
"'WE'RE GOING TO LIVE ON!'"
The master builders felt their spirits rise.
"'FOR TODAY, WE CELEBRATE...FREEDOM FRIDAY!"
The crowd erupted in cheers as they felt the first dregs of hope in a long time. Emmet turned back to look at Wyldstyle and the others. Then he heard someone gasp.
"What's that on his leg?"