«And our cameraman was witness of how Wonder Tweek suddenly attacked the people he was supposed to protect! There are forty-seven injured, two of them critically!»
Butters was clearing off the table after lunch when the television showed those really horrific images. Children, parents, school staff, police and EMTs lying on the ground, their bodies fried, screaming in pain, confusion and terror. He stopped, dishes in hand, and watched how Wonder Tweek looked around and fled. The horror in his own eyes, no smaller that his victims'...
He couldn't help his lips curving upwards. He didn't have what it took, to be one with electricity, the biggest power in nature, inside all beings, what made life run; take that power and use it for his own benefit.
«With all the scandals going on lately, debate has risen about the heroism of the Freedom Pals. Are they here to protect us or it is from them from whom we should be protected?»
And the curve descended, that amusing thought losing all of its fun.
As soon as Jimmy stopped his supersonic race by their side, creating a cloud of dust, Token asked him: "Nothing?"
"N-No. I've gone around South Park four times and n-no signs of him or Craig, either." Jimmy replied.
"Sigh, their parents keep asking me if I know where they are..." Token said, phone in hand, since he was communicating with Wendy too at that moment. "Wendy says she can't locate them, they left their phones behind..."
["This is my fault, I should have..."] Timmy shook his head. In his leg was the scar of a bolt that got him, attracted by the metal of his chair.
"Don't say that. This is only those reporters' fault. That bunch of assholes..." Token replied. "Okay, we'll try again, in case they walked out of whatever hole they hid into..."
Clyde nodded and took flight to look for his friends from the skies.
He had not spoken in a long while, ever since he heard and saw the horrific news. What could he say? What was going on was certainly enough to make anyone anxious and Tweek had to be the one losing his mind. He had made things way worse for the team, but nobody blamed him. The only thing that mattered then was to find him safe and sound. His guilty conscience and angst could have made him do something really stupid...
Things had gone to the dogs, certainly...People spotted him from below but he didn't hear cheers anymore. They did call him, to insult him, make him angry questions. "Off to kill more civilians?"—that sort of questions. Those at the windows closed them the very moment they saw him, like he was the plague or something. He avoided looking at all of them.
He landed on Bebe's yard and gazed at her window. A light turned on. She surely heard the zooming of his wings. Seconds later, he saw her.
She had not tried to be rescued in some time, so he decided to go see her this time.
Her lips parted. Her hand moved to the lift to open the window. She doubted. She wasn't smiling, as she always did when she saw him.
After some seconds standing still, she just drew back, not turning her back on him, and the light switched off.
Clyde lowered his head, sighed and flew off, since Bebe was kindly asking him to leave...
Those charming children knew much more about social media than her. Sheila knew that spreading information was very important, so she left that task to them. But there was something as crucial that an adult had to do, and that was getting the help of the institutions. She had a lot of influence in the town council...
"I understand your concerns, Mrs. Broflovski. I must say these last scandals have taken me by surprise." Mayor McDaniels said, sitting on her armchair.
"It has been a terrible blow to all of us, certainly. The Freedom Pals were so admired, them letting us down is such a disappointment." Sheila said, taking a seat in front of her. "They have proved to be the real danger. Think about it, Mayor: they come out of nowhere, start saving people for free, because it's the 'right thing' and they are 'selfless', and once they got us eating from the palm of our hands, they start using us as their sex dolls and hunting trophies!"
Mayor McDaniels put her fingertips together, squinting in thought.
"And believe me when I tell you I don't want to let them go around like they own the town any longer and I am very interested in bringing these people to justice for what they have done, but there is a problem." She said. "A very simple problem, actually: they are superheroes. Just one of them is way stronger than all of our police department working together with all of their equipment. they are too powerful to just obey us. They will simply kill us and subdue us. And they've got secret identities. Nobody knows who they are. And good luck finding out, because they are not going to give up their anonymity..."
"Not willingly, that's for sure, but if we make them, they will." Sheila leaned forward, hands on the desk.
"And how will we do that? "
"Not by force, that's true. But there is another way. Convincing them that they've got no choice. Fencing them. Exposing them. Making them see that South Park is not their amusement park and we will fight them with all of our willpower and courage."
"Yes...That seems like the only way we can get rid of them..." Mayor McDaniels looked away for a moment. "Where should we start from?"
"Who are the people who know the most about them?" Sheila frowned.
"Officer Barbrady..."
In the past, the Mayor calling him to tell him some important things in her office, the two of them alone, meant that she wanted a quickie, and he had no problem doing that. But this time they were not alone. There was this lady, Mrs. Broflovski, if he remembered well, at the back of the room, watching, like she was studying all of his reactions closely. He didn't think he had been called for a little thrill—but he had the feeling that he was going to be fucked, nevertheless.
"You have been working very closely with the Freedom Pals ever since they appeared." Mayor McDaniels said, hands behind their back.
"...We...support each other, yeah." Barbrady reluctantly answered.
"Yes. You give them information, they do the hard work. But you sure know what's been going on lately..."
"The abuse, murders...?"
"That."
Barbrady paused.
"...I know none of that..."
"They have been infringing the law like criminals, and like criminals they must be brought to justice. I brought you here, Officer Barbrady, because you are the link between them and us. You must be able to deliver them to us."
"I know nothing about them..." Barbrady answered, dragging every word.
"You must know something, Barbrady, don't lie to me. Where they come from, their faces, real names, something." Mayor McDaniels got closer.
"Absolutely nothing. They trust me and I trust them. There's no need to make questions..."
The Mayor turned her head to Mrs. Broflovski. She gave her a nod.
"Very well. Since you are so close to the Freedom Pals, I have a mission for you: set them a trap, deliver them to us, so we can judge them."
Barbrady paused again, licking his lips. "I-I can't do that...You can't ask me to do that..."
"Sure I can. Don't forget that I sign your checks."
"They have been good to me..."
"They have been good to everyone, and see what they are doing now! Come on, Barbrady! I will fire you if you don't collaborate!"
For a second, she thought the threat got to convince him. She saw him going pale, look around like looking for an exit, his throat go up and down frenetically. But he eventually lowered his head and took deep breath.
"I can't..."
Mayor McDaniels sighed through her nose.
"Very well. You asked for it. Hand over your badge and your gun. You are not the Police Chief anymore."
As soon as the news that Chief Barbrady had been fired from his job were published, the Freedom Pals assembled. Barbrady had been a great help ever since their foundation. They just couldn't leave them alone in a moment like this.
When they knocked at his door, he surely didn't expect this visit.
"It's dangerous to be outside, come in." He whispered, and he let them inside.
"We...heard about your dismissal...We are very sorry..." Kyle said.
There were reasons to feel sorry for Barbrady. His house seemed like a mouse hole. He was too old to find a decent job, and his resume wouldn't help him much. He really needed that job.
"...It's okay...I am...proud I kept my integrity after all..." Barbrady said, scratching the back of his neck. "The Mayor thinks you are criminals...but I know you are not. You have done so much good to the community..."
"It would have been so much easier for you to just do what she said."
"Maybe, but the easiest option is not always the most correct...But you shouldn't have come. Haven't you heard the news? People are mad at you. They say horrible things about you. I mean, I've seen the photos, the videos...But there must be a mistake. I know you wouldn't..."
"We surely have made mistakes, but we are none of what the media accuses us to be." Scott said with determination.
"And I believe you. If you say you didn't do that, I believe you." Barbrady said. "You should be careful from now on. The Mayor wants to unmask you and put you in jail. I refused but there must be people out there who would sell you."
"...Thank you for your support, Officer. It means a lot." Wendy muttered.
"We won't leave you alone. We will do everything we can to help you get your job back." Kyle said.
Barbrady smiled.
"Thank you, people. You are too kind."
"I can't believe they did this to Barbrady." Back to the base, Token sat to sigh. "The one decent cop in South Park and they..."
"That's precisely why they did that. He didn't betray us." Kyle shook his head. "So now they are hunting us down..."
"I mean, of course, we committed murder, child abuse and assault, remember?" Stan played with his screwdriver on the table, making a hole in its surface distractedly.
"The whole Internet is talking crap about us. Our reputation is really low, guys." Wendy's eyes moved quickly under her eyelids as she supervised the Twitter feed. "Everyone is questioning our intentions, and trying to get as much dirty laundry as possible...The PC children have a very popular Youtube account that has become a referent in the cause against us."
During her search, she found a hashtag: #CallGirlOut. Even though it made her skin crawl, she couldn't resist taking a look at it.
"And Tweek and Craig are still missing..." Scott lamented, sitting backwards on his chair. "We've got four less teammates now."
«Doesn't it scare you that Call Girl can control all of our digital life?»
«What would she use all that data for?», and the response «Take a guess.»
"Not really, Jimmy and Timmy still are available to help. Just not in public." Clyde pointed out.
«I am deleting all of my social media and going back to the old flip phone, I don't want people like Call Girl knowing what I am doing in every moment»
«How did no one point out that her name literally means 'prostitute'?»
«Sure she is working for China...»
There was a bump and the conversation was interrupted. Stan and Token quickly held Wendy, who had fallen from her seat.
"It's okay, it's okay...I'm okay..." She insisted, wobbling.
"You shouldn't be here. You should be at home, resting." Token said.
"I said I'm fine. This also concerns me." Wendy complained, sitting again.
Stan looked at her with worry, but she pushed him away when he tried to approach. The room was spinning so bad...But she still wanted to look into the hashtag. She had to give it up, because it made her sick again.
She only had the time to find a profile with much influence who was spreading these opinions like wildfire. Mitch Conner.
Mitch Conner...Where did she hear that name before? Her state didn't allow her to think much about it...She just closed her eyes and tried to take it easy.
"Can we do something about this? Like, grabbing a mic and explaining everything?" Scott asked.
"Who would believe us?" Kenny stood up, phone in hand. Someone was calling him. He said nothing more and walked away to reply.
"Yeah, all the guilty guys do all these press conferences to try to excuse themselves." Clyde shrugged, his arms crossed.
"We can't prove we didn't do any of those things because we did." Stan said.
"Then? Are we going to turn ourselves in?" Scott asked.
"No way, dude. Just imagine what would happen if all of our neighbors found out who we are." Kyle stood up and walked around the room. "Our lives would be over."
"When call out posts and accusations spread, there is nothing we can do. We can't explain anything. We can't try to make up for our wrongdoings...We just...have to lower our heads and let the wave pass..." Wendy said, touching her forehead.
"That doesn't sound like a good thing to do..." Clyde muttered.
"What else can we do?" Kyle shrugged.
They spent some seconds in silence. During this time, Kenny returned back to them. He actually stormed back in. He had his phone in hand and the little portion of his face one could see was red. He was muttering something. Suddenly, he kicked one of the pillars so hard it made dust fall from the ceiling and startled his partners.
"Dude, what are you doing? Do you want to bury as all?" Token protested, stood up.
"Fucking dammit!" Kenny complained at loud, walking in circles.
"What's the matter with you?" Stan asked.
"What happened, Kenny?" Kyle approached. Seeing his quiet, collected friend so full of rage could only mean something really bad.
"Not only do they have it in for us, or Barbrady...Now with those who support us! We've been cancelled, do you know what that means? That we are the pest, and everyone who comes near us is full of shit too...My sister Karen...She posted a pin she made herself with clay with my symbol the other day on Instagram...She...wanted to show her support...People started insulting her so bad she had to get off Internet for a long while...Still, she told us that some of her friends stopped talking to her because they couldn't be with someone who was on our side...And now...My dad just called me...She came back home crying today...The university has jumped on the political correctness band wagon. They don't want scandals in their institution or being signaled...They saw her post and called to tell her they couldn't let someone who proudly shows off her support to heroic brutality in their institution!"
He finally sat down, burying his face in his hands.
Even though everyone in the room was sympathetic to him and his sister, no one could feel the pain he felt. No one knew what Karen had had to do in order to get accepted into college. The jobs she had to take to pay herself extra classes in order to get excellent grades and apply for a scholarship. The nights without sleeping, just working to be the best student...
...All gone...And it was not her fault...It was his...