Author's note: Man have things been crazy! Work has been going extremely well, I've been also making a cake for a party at work which I have to tell you guys, I haven't done much baking since high school; but this cake I had a lot of fun making! The cake I made to look like a roasted turkey since this was work's version of Thanksgiving. But otherwise I've been busy with my own thing and busy writing two novels I am hoping to get done by early 2020! Last week was a tad bit stressful for me so I had to put this chapter on the back burner; however, I wanted to get this up before thanksgiving so everyone can enjoy it. So lets get back to the story!
Warning: intense violence
Chapter 8: The Debate from Hell: Part 2
The stage lights shined down on the stage and began to show the crowd the debate pedestals. The ones where both nominees stood. Ready for the questions for this debate. Touka could literally feel a large lump developing in her throat, making her nervous and doing her best to keep a level head. The announcer looked around the room and began to speak into the microphone, ready to start this long waited debate.
"Everyone gets one question." he explained "Due to the recent threats, we plan to keep this debate short, so I ask the crowd to keep your questions to a minimum. Who would like to go first?" A woman in the front raised her hand at and the announcer made his way to her, giving her the microphone.
"My name is Jenny Realight." said the woman "And my question for the candidates is what do you plan to do about the recent crime wave?"
"Mind if I go first Ms. White?" Jose asked in a too polite tone.
"Feel free." Touka smiled a little bit uneasily. Jose cleared his throat before speaking into the microphone.
"People of Oak Town," he began "I know that for years on end our great city's crime wave has been unstoppable and I know it seems to everyone I've done nothing to stop this; but I want to make amends for that. I want to be able to fix the wrongs that were done onto our beautiful city and make it whole again. First will be to check all cargo that passes in and out of Hargeon Harbor. We start with the drugs that run rampant on our streets and build our way to the top."
"I somewhat agree with Mayor Porla's ideas;" Touka explained "however; I think it the crime wave is to end, we need to get jobs back on the market and I heavily recommend extra funding into our police force. That way they can get armored trucks and be able to handle criminals who are more deadly."
The crowd clapped at both candidates answers before the announcer made their way to another member of the crowd.
"My name is Bacchus Groh." A man that was picked spoke "And I wanted to ask what do you plan to do to gangs like Liberus?"
The room grew silent at those words considering this was a situation people wanted to end but also wanted to avoid. Jose didn't even speak at first but Touka decided to go first.
"Liberius isn't a gang." She began "They're a cult. The idea of 'dying this town white.' Is extremely concerning and tells me they plan to do something horrific in the future. We seen on the tv they intended to torture multiple individuals for what they see is justice? If I'm elected as your mayor, I intend to pursue Liberus at full force and hopefully capture The White Mage."
"Fah!" Jose huffed "That won't last five minutes! The best thing to do is kill them! Find them and have them executed immediately!"
"That won't solve anything!" Touka argued "Violence being solved with violence will never solve a single thing in this world!"
"And that is where you're wrong! This is a cult we're dealing with! What's next? Them enslaving our whole town? Forcing us into mass suicide? Face it sweetheart you don't have the balls to even consider-"
Bang!
Jose suddenly grew silent for a moment as the whole crowd and Touka stared in pure horror at the sight of a bloodied dot appearing on his forehead and finally collapsing on the ground. Horrifying everyone in the room. A security guard made his way to Jose and checked his pulse.
"My God," he hollered "he's dead!" the crowd screamed in horror. Touka stared down at the now fresh corpse of what was once her competitor, her eyes looked terrified, her knees shaking, sweat dropping from her brow. She had to get out of there and quick!
Touka suddenly felt control in her legs again and tried to bolt for the side of the stage, only for three men in white robes covered in hoods grab her and drag her back to the stage.
"You're not going anywhere." said one of the hooded men as he forced her to kneel on her legs in front of the crowd.
"You're going to be an example tonight."
Four people dressed in the same white cloaks appeared and pulled down the presentation screen and connected the laptop they had with them to a projector. A cultist took the microphone from the announcer and looked to the crowd.
"Sorry to interrupt your stupid little debate folks;" Spoke the cultist "but our leader The White Mage has something to say, to all of you. Especially to Miss White right here." Within seconds the video started playing and on the screen was a woman in a robe that looked similar to the ones the other cultists were wearing.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen." A woman with somewhat of a deep voice spoke in the video "My name is The White Mage and for those who don't know; I am the leader of Libeirus." The crowd gasped in horror and fear hearing her mention the name. People watching the broadcast such as the police force, Blue Pegasus Strip club, Sabertooth Inc., and Shadow Gear who were all sitting in the bar, staring in complete horror.
"I am here to tell you that these elections you hold to find your capable leader are frivolous." The White Mage continued "This city lost hope years ago when you elected that incapable moron Jose Porla as your Mayor. And now look at him, he's now a corpse with a hole in his head. He was too far gone to be dyed white so he had to be exterminated. There is no hope for those who fail to go by The White Doctrine."
"The fuck is she rambling about?" Gajeel asked Levy as they all watched the tv with the rest of the gang, staring in disbelief and horror.
"I have no idea." Levy admitted "White Doctrine? That makes literally no sense!"
"Nothing makes sense with this bitch!" Cana drunkenly pointed out which everyone nodded to.
"Do you think we need to do something?" Lisanna asked Levy.
"I don't know." Levy admitted "I want us to stay out of this; but at the same time, I want to see this end."
"It's up to you Levy." Erza nodded "Whatever you decide, we'll follow." Levy looked out to the TV and continued to watch.
"I am also here to tell you there is hope." The White Mage explained in her video "You can be saved Oak Town. You will be saved on one condition: You become White with us. If you're Dyed White with us, you will be helping this community by making it pure. All evil will be purged from your being and leave you as someone who is pure as white snow. I will give you an example. Would several of my White Mages come to the front?" when the projection made that order, ten cloaked beings made their way to the stage and faced the crowd, their hoods down and covering their faces.
"Reveal yourselves to the public." The White Mage ordered on the video, and with that said, the ten people removed their hoods, shocking the crowd and television audience, especially Touka, who was looking in horror.
"I-I can't believe it." Touka managed speak out "It's Diablos! She brainwashed Diablos!" there, standing before everyone and appeared listless was members of the Diablos gang.
"It's true," the white mage spoke in her video "before you is members of Diablos, now completely Dyed White. Soon, other 'gangs' will be Dyed White."
"What the fuck?" Gajeel breathed as he saw this, everyone in the room stared in horror at the tv screen.
"A-are we next?!" Droy suddenly hollered and began to stress eat thanks to his newfound fear of The White Mage. Levy stood there frozen in shock and fear, her knees shook before Gajeel places his hand on her shoulder, looking at her with reassurance. Levy knew what to do right then and there.
"Laxus! Thunder Legion!" She hollered "Grab your bullet proof gear and your weapons! As much as I wanted us to stay in the shadows like always; we need to show The White Mage we won't stand by as she tries to have her evil ways with us!" The crowd cheered at Levy's words as Laxus, and the Thunder Legion made their way to grab what will be needed.
"I'm going too." Gajeel announced.
"Gajeel no!" Levy hollered "It's too dangerous!"
"You sent those guys in like it's fucking nothing."
"That's because they have more experience!" Levy explained "Laxus is one of our best shooters; he once took down five helicopters in a chase with only a single clip." Gajeel's eyes widened in shock at that; he made a mental note not to piss Laxus off.
"Still, they're gonna need backup." Gajeel pointed out "I ain't gonna let those bastards at Liberius cau-" he stopped when Levy suddenly hugged him.
"I already feel like crap sending Laxus and our friends out there." Levy whispered "I didn't want to get involved but seeing this is just making me realize we have no choice. Please Gajeel, don't go out there." he looked down at Levy for a moment before returning the hug back.
"Alright," he spoke "I won't go." Levy smiled and a small tear fell from her eye.
"Thank you Gajeel." She whispered. They broke away from the hug and soon joined the rest of the gang as they all watched Laxus and The Thunder Legion drive away on their bikes to Town Hall, praying to God Bixlow decided to not run over a few people and get the cops after him.
The video The White Mage created ended and Liberius's members began to crowd town hall and hold assault rifles, middle launchers, hand guns and anything else against the crowd, forcing them to all stay seated and not do anything suspicious.
"Finally, we got everyone." A cultist named Skullion spoke out loud.
"White Mage is going to be pretty pleased we got a huge amount to Dye White." A girl named Kiria spoke as she licked her lips. "Going to be a good meal when it happens." Touka sat in the floor nearby, shaking in fear and tears forming from the corners of her eyes. None of this was supposed to happen, none. And she had to get brave and do this damn mayor debate.
Curse this White Mage, curse them beyond belief. First thing she was going to do was end the White Mage once and for all. Kiria suddenly noticed Touka's muffled cries and made her way over to her.
"I don't get why The White Mage wants her alive." Kiria admitted "She told us to kill Porla; but why keep White alive?"
"Maybe the leader likes her last name?" A man named Madmole asked "It is White isn't it?"
"That's crazy enough to be a good theory." Kiria openly admitted "But still, we should kill her already. She isn't part of The White Mage's plans as far as I'm aware."
"She ordered to keep her alive." Skullion hissed "We have to listen to The White Mage and the White Doctrine."
"But she isn't truly white and isn't going to go for the White Doctrine." Kiria shrugged "So let's just kill her! The White Mage will thank me later!" She pulled out a 9 mm. handgun and pointed it at Touka "Time to die Miss White." Touka stared at the end of the barrel in pure fear and despair, was this really it? Was this going to be the end? She did everything in her power to make this town safer only to meet a horrific end.
Kiria took her gun and turned the safety off, just when she was about to pull the trigger, bang! The gun was shot out of Kiria's hand. Everyone in the room looked to find Laxus and The Thunder Legion, carrying multiple weapons and ready to fight.
"H-holy crap!" Someone hollered "It's Laxus and the Thunder Legion from Shadow Gear!"
"Impossible!" Skullion hollered "How did they get through our guards in the front?!"
"Oh those dweebs?" Evergreen asked as she lit her cigarette "I saw them leave for some coffee and to the local strip club. Now everyone on the ground! We ain't letting any of these white mage bastards take you hostage!" Everyone followed her lead and watched as Laxus and his team began to shoot at members of Liberus, either disarming them or maiming them.
The cultists took cover or began to shoot back at Laxus and his friends. Everyone watched on the television in anticipation and fear for their teammates.
"Holy crap they're winning!" Jet hollered as he watched the Tv in shock.
"That's Laxus," Levy smirked "We don't call him The Lightning Shooter for nothing."
"LAXUS AND THE THUNDER LEGION ARE MANLY!" Elfman hollered happily.
"They're gonna pull those off holy shit." Gajeel whispered. Everyone's eyes became glued to the tv as they watched Laxus and The Thunder Legion conquer the entire town hall, scaring away members of Liberus and helping the hostages get out of the building.
"Everyone get the fuck out!" Laxus hollered on live tv "We'll handle Liberus just get out of here!"
"Dye White?" Bixlow pondered with his tongue out "We're not killers; but we don't mind a few bloodstains here are there if it's necessary!" he then let out a few bullets into the air.
"And tell your White Mage or whatever she calls herself to fix her marketing campaign and her dress robes! Those things are ugly!" Evergreen hollered The hostages ran out of the building in a large crowd. Touka managed to sneak her way through the crowd and caught a glimpse of Laxus, nodding to him a nod of thanks for this. Laxus soon spotted something and made his way to a camera that was still broadcasting that night's events on tv and shut it down, leaving the audiences in shock.
The sounds of motor cycles pulling into the front of Shadow Gear's hide out could be heard and eventually the door opened up, revealing Laxus, Freed, Bixlow and Evergreen. Shadow Gear cheered merrily at the safe return of their comrades and pulled them into the building while slamming and locking the door shut.
"You made it back!" Mira smiled happily.
"That was insane!" Gray admitted "But you showed those bastards who's boss!"
"Sorry were late." Laxus cooly spoke "We we're trying to avoid the police and the news teams."
"No need to explain." Levy waved "You did great out there. Anything happen after you turned off the cameras?"
"Liberus ran off." Freed admitted "They weren't expecting us to pop in so they high tailed it when they realized we outmatched them."
"Everyone made it out safely though." Bixlow confirmed "Porla however's dead." the room grew silent at Bixlow's reveal, this wasn't good either way.
"What about Touka White?" Erza asked them.
"She made it out safely." Laxus confirmed "Caught her nodding thank you to me; but with Porla dead you know this means one thing."
"Yeah." Gajeel nodded "And it ain't good." Levy let out a deep breath she never knew she was holding before looking to Mira.
"Mira!" She called out "Please turn on the news." Mira did what she was asked and they all watched the newscaster begin his broadcast.
"And we're still covering breaking news this fuck-tastrophe of a night." The caster spoke "A gang war broke out in front of everyone in City Hall as Liberius had a hostile takeover of the Mayoral Debate, killing Mayor Porla and taking 150 people hostage. However, things changed when four members of the notorious biker gang Shadow Gear came in and began shooting at Liberius. What their goals were we will never know; but a fuck ton of people were saved tonight."
"Why don't they just fire this asshole?" Erza grumbled to herself.
"But due to Mayor Porla's death." The caster explained "Touka White is now officially running unopposed and officially wins the race. Making her our new Mayor! She will be sworn into office by next Monday at noon!"The biker gang looked in pure horror at the words he spoke. Levy felt sweat go down the back of her neck as she knew one thing: troubling times were ahead of them.