A/N: this chapter is dedicated to Rose of the West for her crazy review. caught me off guard and realized I needed to be more obvious with my characters intent. Just a note on that these characters are EXTREME. Like seriosuly, I've got nothing against either side of the battle, just with Stephen Harper. So you can pretend all the lame ass jerks are him LOL.
ALSO guess what? Like three four chapters to go I think? Oh yes here's the climax and then on to some mush and some revelations. and a bit more ;) heheh. Hope you enjoy (and I hope Rose is okay with the direction? No? yes?)
Chapter 10
Ali led the group of primarily Arabic people towards the tent, he began to snap photos as well as other photographers there for the event.
'Let's deal with some real issues!' Ali yelled, 'Like who killed Adeela!' another man, Adeela's older brother it seemed, shouted back. The crowd agreed and brought forward signs that read things like "Show the Real America!".
'This is not allowed!' Andrew shouted.
'Shut it you stupid rich bitch!' Ali cried out. Severus lowered his camera as Mathilde stood with all the others at the front table, most hurriedly left while she remained.
'That's not fair he's doing his job, you're not permitted here!' she shouted.
'What's not fair is how my people are treated by our government and the general public!' Ali shouted back. Many behind him yelled in agreement.
'Ali calm down, make your point and keep your tongue!' Severus snapped stepping forward.
'How can you side with them? You've lived in our homes, heard on the news how they capture our people, torture them then come out with trash talking films where their the bloody heroes!' Ali screamed. He smelled of booze as did many of the other younger people behind him in the crowd. Many cameras began to go off wildly.
'Not every American in a uniform thinks that way. Its a JOB! People fight for their rights and yes that's important but you can assume we're all like the worst of our country!' Mathilde yelled.
'Ali!' cried an older woman behind him and to his left, Ali looked back at her and Severus knew, things were about to get worse, police sirens were then heard coming near them.
'I just want my daughter to be heard!' another weepy voice called out and a few others behind Ali murmured in agreement. He was losing them fast.
'If you want it then I'll ask our producer to pull the film, just please calm down!' Mathilde pleaded. Ali nodded and few others sighed in relief.
Ali lowered his sign and turned to the group seemingly calmer now, 'Shall we hold the vigil?'
As the police seemingly got closer Severus felt his skin prickle and he noticed a group of men coming closer to them, all holding bats and pipes. With another closer glance he realized with horror most were the men who attacked Ali, and were constant bigots from the local diner.
'I think the Police are a bit too slow.' One man called slyly.
'None of you are meant to be here now LEAVE!' Andrew shouted, it was all it took to set the second group off as one burly man with a long beard took aim with his pipe and struck a young girl furthest from Ali.
Screams sounded and the calm was broken. Replaced was instant pandemonium. Severus reacted with instinct, stashing his camera under his chair he pulled his wand out as another man from Ali's group took a chair over his head to protect the girl from further harm.
Severus easily protected the man from the chair bashing his skull in and took aim again to stop Ali's aunt from being clubbed. Most from his group had left running leaving Ali and a few others remaining to fight off the white men.
'Severus what are you doing?' Mathilde hissed pulling him by the sleeve and dragging him a way, 'Keep you wand hidden fool!'
'I'm not stopping until they're all in a ward for psychiatric help!' he snarled back sending the barber from his street across the yard stunned.
'Watch out!' she cried thrusting her own wand as a chair flew at him, she easily reduced to chair to dust.
'Thanks.' he said.
'HEY STOP THIS INSANT!' a commanding voice shouted above the cries and angry calls. It was officer Munro.
Severus flicked his wand as cops poured into the tented area (or what was left) and tasered a few of the larger men. Severus meanwhile flicked his wand causing the most of the free men to be wound suddenly by rope.
'Alright, let's round them up boys.' Munro said once the most trouble had been stopped.
He turned to both Severus and Mathilde. Ali, Severus could see out of the corner of his eye was knocked out.
'You did it again!' Munro said exasperatedly pointing to his wand. Severus pocketed it flushing slightly.
Most of the men were taken into the drunk tank while a few were transported to the hospital where the other victims were. Severus and Mathilde were pronounced safe and while they waited for her car to pick them up, Munro sat and mulled over his paperwork with them in his office.
'Double the extra work with you two brandishing your wands!' he said rubbing his temples.
'How did you know to come?' Mathilde asked.
'Well you know that little girl that was murdered?' he asked them. They both nodded and he continued, 'It may not be top in the news but we are looking into it, we hit some dead ends until we got a tip from a school yard boy who had actually witnessed a group of youth running from the scene. See what got DNA but had match so they weren't in the system. But with the boys claim, I guess he had been scared at first to come forward cause they were bullies, we got some names, you may noticed one of the last names from the second mob eh Severus?'
'Yes, most of them had a hatred for Ali because he was anti American.' Severus said.
'Yup, one boy was some broker's son, another was the nephew of that cougar hairdresser of Fifth Ave. and the main one who we got the DNA match to, was the son of the owner of the diner three blocks over.'
'That was once our favourite place to eat. And he was the head of the second mob it seemed' Severus muttered.
'Why did they do it?' Mathilde begged.
'It seemed it wasn't even race related. According to the boys they had always admired her scooted and when they tried to take it, her scarf caught and she struggled against the fence cutting her. They I guess tried to help but panicked so they ran away with the scooter. She struggled against the fence and strangled herself cutting her skin as she tried to free herself.'
Silence filled the room.
'It wasn't even because she was Arabic…' Mathilde whispered, looking horrified.
'I guess this is what happens when we all assume the worst of each other.' Severus said gloomily.
'Yeah I heard of the mob because I was looking for her parents and found out they were heading with Ali and some others to the promotion for that new flick. Looks like a bloody tear jerker rather then a pro-U.S type of movie to me.'
'Trust I cried more on camera then Julia Roberts has.' Mathilde said scathingly, 'everyone just, like this case, assumed the worst.'
'It did look pretty bad, killing the only black main lead first? isn't that what Hollywood always does?' Severus added.
'I guess Mr. Jackson made a career out of it.' Munro laughed.
'So Yeah we went towards it overhearing that another group of white men mostly were aiming to interfere and cause trouble, we've had issues with the same losers for years now.'
'Now down to business. You two are free to go, Ali after being woken up will be held accountable for disturbing the promotion as well as protesting without alerting the authorities or getting any permits. And for disorderly conduct for fighting back. As for the other mob, they'll all be held for hate crimes. Each and everyone of them.'
'Good.' both Mathilde and Severus said simultaneously. Munro nodded and sipped his coffee while signing another form.
'I hope we can all put this behind us now.' Mathilde said finally. Her voice tired, yet still so elegant.
'I hope so too.' Munro said sadly.
Severus spoke no words only thinking of how wrong Ali had been, and how the anger he was fuelled by, was corrupt and had spun out of control, could he pick up the pieces yet again? Could Ali?
Severus looked at Mathilde, her soft eyes seemingly stopping his thoughts and heart beat cold in its tracks. He felt the room grow warmer and he knew, she wouldn't be walking this easily.
He at least had her still with him, and he vowed right then, that he would not let her go, she would be his chance to break free completely.