A Side LR.L
Lisa rolled her head back and stared at the ceiling.
The mask sat on the coffee table between her and the TV.
It was a really stupid mask. Bulky, and completely overdone. Not to mention metallic. On a sunny day the helmet might as well be a flashing neon sign saying 'shoot me.'
Lisa assumed Count put the thing together in a rush, but that didn't explain why she never ditched it. Maybe because her compatriots in Cauldron would never expect her to use a mask like it? It didn't exactly fit the motif of a cape nearly as competent as Contessa.
The kind of cape who can just up and vanish off the face of the Earth when it damn well pleases her and leave everyone else holding the fucking baggage.
"Is something wrong?"
"No." Lisa lifted her head. Looking over the mask, she turned her attention back to the TV screens arranged around the room. "Just resting my eyes."
"I see."
For someone with such a monotone voice, Veda knew how to emote pretty well.
She spoke from Orange. The Haro sat on a chair nearby, playing with a comic book or something while Veda used its eyes and voice. Where the AI's avatar was Lisa wasn't sure. No doubt helping Newtype with whatever her next brilliant idea was.
Threatening the entire world to end sectarian violence between capes and non-capes, or she'd end it for them. No, correction. 'They' would end it for them. Because of course Newtype dragged everyone along with that insane scheme.
Not that she was any better following along, but still.
"What do you see?" Lisa asked.
"It was a figure of speech," Veda replied. "And you know that."
"You're making small talk really difficult."
"The weather is pleasant today."
"This is about how I made Newtype miserable a few times, isn't it?"
"You tell me."
"I think it's about how I made Newtype miserable a few times. You know the Haros are over it."
"They are very mature for their programming."
"More mature than you?"
"You can be very unpleasant when locked in a room for forty-nine hours."
"So can you… Figuratively speaking."
The silence drew out. On the screens around them, they had a near panoramic view of Paris. She was certain the hotel would have complaints when they left, but that wasn't important at the moment. Most of the room's furniture was pushed off to one side, save a single two-seat couch and a coffee table.
She'd kept the bed accessible, and far from the window. Snipers spoiled all the fun. She had such a great view of the venue from her room.
'Lord' Djibril seemed like the kind of prick to hold a big international event at the Louvre of all places. Made sense. It was artsy and had lots of security. Lots of security that could easily be cased by the dedicated schemer.
"I didn't know an AI could get stir-crazy," Lisa teased.
"I have rarely spent this much time on a singular task," Veda replied. "And not all at once."
"Stakeouts are exhausting."
"I do not need food, water, or sleep, and I am very tired of watching everyone come and go from the same dozen locations."
Well, at least they weren't sniping at one another anymore. That was progress. "Didn't you put a bunch of Dragon's baby-AIs on this?"
"Ribbons, Hilling, and Bring are currently monitoring traffic cameras and surveillance at some alternate locations, as well as running a number of sub-tasks they are uniquely specialized for."
"Anything?"
"Quite a bit actually."
"Just not something I need to concern myself with?" Lisa accepted.
"I will handle them. Your task as I understand it is the overall picture."
Yeah, because she was too kindhearted and honest for her own good.
"Well, I'm making progress." Lisa reached past the mask and turned her laptop—one of them—toward Orange. "That woman is a cape. I don't know what her power is, but she's walking around and watching every security guard and camera with the kind of nervousness that says someone's life depends on it."
"Celene du'Chac," a robotic monotone voice said.
"Thank you, Ribbons," Veda said.
"Neat," Lisa noted.
"The Ribbons program is a fair bit faster at identifying individuals than I am, though it cannot develop the same level of information around them. Give me a few minutes. I'll see what I can find."
Lisa nodded. "Can we see what Hunch, Witness, and Forecast have to say about her?"
"Forwarding."
It was kind of cool running her own think-tank, though to say she was running it was kind of a misnomer. Veda was running it in most ways. Lisa was just providing direction.
"I've noticed quite a few capes," Veda revealed.
"Most of them are just on the down-low," Lisa replied. "Nothing we need to worry about. There are a lot of capes who've lived their entire lives keeping it secret. Maybe even a few who don't even realize it."
"Who?"
"Find the woman in the gaudy purple dress with the sunflower in her hair. She's a stranger of some kind. Believe it or not, she really doesn't know. Her power's effect is very subtle."
"Curious."
"Happens more often than you'd think. Especially in Europe. There's a lot more stigma over here. Blue Cosmos has been way more successful than in the States." Lisa cocked her head. She resisted the urge to unleash her power, it was already stretched thin. "Should I take it that these other things that don't concern me might involve a player other than Blue Cosmos?"
"Possibly," Veda answered.
Lisa could make a quip about how they were on the same side, but this was fine. She didn't need any more information than that. Knowing only what she needed to know made it easier to avoid going down the wrong rabbit holes.
"There's also this one." Lisa turned to another laptop. "He's not terrified. He's pissed. I'm pretty sure he's here on his own too. He knows some of the guards. One of them must have let him in the back because he never came in any of the public entrances."
"Heinrich Burk," Ribbons identified.
"Burk." It took a lot of effort not to pop the lid on her power. She was already nursing a low level headache. "I've heard that name somewhere before."
"Transfering results now."
Lisa turned in her seat and leaned toward her third laptop.
A stream of information flooded in from all the thinkers on call. Hunch's info was vague but she was starting to notice a pattern in it. Witness could pull all kinds of fascinating details from thin air. Forecast was getting really good at drawing.
Lisa looked it all over bit by bit.
"I definitely recognize the name Burk." The attack on the German Parliament building. He was connected to that by way of his father. Hunch's prediction on him wasn't encouraging. "We have an interloper…"
The door opened, and Lisa craned her neck back as Marie stepped through it. She wore a plain gray pantsuit that frankly looked adorable on someone her size. The gun hidden in her jacket was less adorable.
She set a plastic bottle in Lisa's lap. "Water."
"Thanks." Lisa started unscrewing the cap and returned to the data. "What about our person of interest?"
"You're right." Marie walked around the couch and dropped into the seat. "She's very worried, but not for herself."
Lisa was kind of glad that panned out. Marie had needed the woman pointed out to her, and then needed to actually find her to get close enough. Whatever Cranial did to those kids was fucked, but it did come with fringe benefits.
Lisa looked over it all and uncorked her power for just a moment.
"Blackmail," she decided. "Veda?"
"Working."
Perfect surety. Why risk using a cape who is sympathetic to the plight of inequality and self-hating enough to go along with you? Save those guys for when you need them. If you want to sacrifice a pawn, send in someone desperate and so scared for someone or something else, they'll take a shot at a teenager. It's not like you expect them to succeed. You just need them to try where everyone is watching.
"And our brilliant plan," Lisa thought aloud, "is to let Djibril's bullet fly by and hope."
"She doesn't want to hurt anyone," Marie noted.
Lisa paused. She'd gotten fear and nervousness, but those weren't exactly uncommon to an inexperienced killer. Damn her power. "Are you sure of that?"
"As sure as we can be."
"Ms. du'Chac is a single mother," Veda revealed. "The last appearance of her son on any social media was earlier this week."
"His activity just dropped off?"
"By one hundred percent as of Monday."
"So someone kidnapped her son and is forcing her to use her power to take a shot at Relena."
"Agreed." Orange rose up on the chair. "I am informing Taylor."
"They might kill the kid," Lisa warned. "Even if mommy does as instructed."
"That is what I am warning her about."
"Give us the location," Marie suggested.
Lisa and Orange both turned, looking at her.
"We are superfluous to the plan here," Marie explained. "We will rescue the boy and apprehend whoever is holding him."
"Stella's okay with that?" Lisa asked.
Marie waited a moment and then nodded.
Weird shit crazy fucking kids. "We are spread thin on capes as is," Lisa argued. "And it'll be useful to have the assholes of the world guessing who the kids in black are."
"One moment."
Lisa cursed under her breath. They did not have time for this. Sometimes things needed to happen in the moment. Shit moved too fast to always be running it up a chain.
Her eyes scanned the screens in a rush, looking at the many different camera feeds until she spotted—
Rising from the couch, she waved Marie off. The platinum-haired girl nodded and turned.
"Door please, Safehouse eight."
Those kids were fucking scary.
"Tattletale," Veda warned. Orange leaped from the chair and followed her. "Do not—"
"Newtype isn't going to risk a kid's life and we both know it. Keep her focused on her job. Stella and the kid commandos will rescue the hostage."
"What are you doing?"
"Warning off an idiot and telling an assassin to take her best shot."
Against all better judgment.
She exited the room as Marie stepped through the portal. Yanking a cap free of her pocket, Lisa fed her hair through the back and pulled it down. She'd already memorized the layout of the entire Louvre and the arrangements for the conference.
She paused and spun back around.
Poking her head back into the room, "What's the son's name?"
Orange stared at her. "Cedric, Cedric."
Cedric. "Got it."
She took the elevator down to the hotel lobby, showed her pass to the guards on the way out, and crossed the street.
The Louvre was a lot more than the fancy glass pyramid. It sat up against the Seine and constituted a damned mansion and basement with gardens, grounds, and dozens of exhibits. The place was upgraded with tinker-made security too, since the smart criminals of the world didn't put on tights and fight over street corners. They plotted art heists like an Ocean's Eleven sequel.
Because they had brains.
Getting into the Louvre at this point required flashing her badge again, getting frisked three times, and having two separate thinkers look her over. For all the good that would do at this point. They let an assassin and a revenge junkie in after all. One of them being on the take probably had something to do with that.
"You left your post again."
Lisa didn't turn at the sound of the voice. She was kind of getting used to people sneaking up on her. The fit boy with messy brown hair and determined eyes tended to do it a lot.
"Stick close to Relena," she whispered. "But not too close. I have to handle something."
Heero frowned at her side and then disappeared after stepping away to let a small group pass between them.
It's wacky that people could pull that shit before superpowers existed.
He made it work though. He might not be a cape but no one survived in Count's shadow without being good for something. Relena's self-appointed bodyguard slash boyfriend could at least handle this situation well enough.
Lisa continued on to the palace, through the doors, up a flight of stairs where she again had to show her badge. The EU had appropriated a section of the east wings with vaulted theaters for Djibril's self-important display.
The guests and VIPs were being set up on the second floor.
As were teenage celebrity speakers who didn't technically have any rights to speak but planned to. Lisa entered the tiered gallery hanging over the lower floor. She scanned around, looking past all the news crews and camera equipment. And the guards.
Newtype was going to have a field day with the idiots who weren't taking her seriously on this.
Slipping into a seat directly behind a dark-haired woman who could barely hide her nervousness, Lisa whispered, "Cedric is going to be okay. Take the shot."
She stiffened but by the time she turned around Lisa had already pulled back to her other side and was walking away. She spotted her second target standing in the back by the second set of doors onto the gallery. He spotted her as she approached, which wasn't ideal.
To him she whispered, "Don't be stupid."
She popped the cork on her power for just a second.
Too furious for rational thought.
She really wished she hadn't realized her power loved fucking with her.
She continued on before he could respond and went down the hall. She'd return later while both of them were too busy with what they were about to do. Someone needed to make sure Relena didn't actually tak—
"Still taking half measures I see."
Lisa froze.
She spun, looking behind her to find an impenetrable crowd. Releasing the reins on her power, she started down the hall and turned right. Then left. Right again. At the end of the stairs she came out into one of the lobbies leading out into the gardens.
No fedora in sight. How did she do that without Veda noticing her?
"Fucking bitch…"
It took Lisa a moment to realize she should probably mention Count was here. Also, she happened to be right.
Lisa pulled a phone from her pocket and slipped into a bathroom.
She was going to hate herself in the morning.
T: We have an interloper
N: Why?
T: The son of one of the ministers killed in the German parliament attack
N: What's he going to do?
T: He's going to try and kill Djibril
Revenge was a dish best served on national television. Except when it was the worst thing that could happen.
T: You have to stop him.
N: Won't be too hard
T: Not what I mean
T: You
T: You specifically have to stop him
She hated it when Count was fucking right.
T: I'll get Relena through this
T: You stop Burk
T: We need you to have the credibility boost
T: And Djibril's reaction will make him look idiotic
Lisa didn't wait for a response. Newtype would figure out what needed to be done. Lisa on the other hand needed to look in the mirror and make sure she wasn't going crazy. Or mastered. Whatever.
She sighed at herself and used a brief flash of her power.
No such luck.
"Great," she grumbled. "Now I'm doing this hero shit."
A Side LR.R
"Thank you, Milliardo." Relena smiled and squeezed her brother's hand. "I know you wanted to speak."
Her brother shook his head. "It's fine, Relena. I'm not sure anything I could say would have an effect, anyway. Unfortunately, all the ways I have of leveraging influence are of no use in this situation."
He'd mentioned that.
Relena narrowed her gaze, thinking it through from start to finish. She approached her brother, straightening his tie briefly and the little trims on his shoulder. Milliardo seemed to share their father's affection for aristocratic flair.
"You think minds are already made up?" Relena asked.
He nodded, despite his smile.
"We tried, Relena." Noin leaned against the wall, her expression far more solemn. The woman wore a matching uniform to Milliardo, her short hair longer in the front than the back. "There's a lot of people opposed to the measure, but to be honest, Newtype's little declaration didn't help."
She thought that might happen. She felt pretty sure Newtype figured it too. Taylor was more than smart enough to predict that outcome.
"I'm not sure that made that much of a difference. It's not too late. Djibril still has to sell it publicly during the floor debate."
"It's pretty rare these days for anything to be decided by floor debates." Noin shook her head. "No one brings anything to a vote if they don't already know the outcome."
"Or unless they want a spectacle." Milliardo covered Relena's hand with his. "It's not too late. Even if the provision is passed, we both know capes aren't going to accept it and the Internationals and King's Men will struggle to enforce it. Djibril knows he's igniting a powder keg, but it only works if enough people support it."
Relena nodded her agreement.
At the end of the day, people chose their own fates. Good or bad, horrible or great. The world was a direct reflection of what people were willing to accept. They could do anything if they put their minds to it.
That was the hard part.
Getting them to put their minds into it.
Inspiring them was her part in this play.
"I just need a chance to speak."
Her brother nodded to her again. "You'll get it."
The door opened and Sting poked his head through. "It's time."
Relena took a breath and rose from her seat. "How do I look?"
"Pretty good," Sting replied. Milliardo shot the boy a glare despite his tone being quite dispassionate.
Noin chuckled. "You look fine." She stepped behind Relena and straightened the straps of her dress. "White suits you."
It was a simple item. Anything too elaborate would play into the negative stereotypes Djibril had been spreading about her every chance he got. A simple dress with a modest slip and straps. Hair done up in a simple bun. No elaborate jewelry or make-up.
"I think it would be nice to have superpowers sometimes," she admitted.
Her brother took her arm in his and led her to the door. "You don't need them."
She found the pageantry leading into the building tiresome. It was a sort of tiresome she was used to though. She smiled for the cameras with her brother. Let her small handbag get scanned by security. Answered some quick questions while she waited in lines. She gave that part her best effort.
"We cannot allow fear to dictate the policies we are willing to accept," she answered. "Forcing parahumans to register themselves and their powers will only create more villains, and divide us, our communities and the European Union."
It was no rumor that several countries deeply opposed the move, though that got murky.
The reporter before her asked, "Aren't you peddling a different kind of fear?"
Relena hated those kinds of questions. Not just because they were loaded either. There was no right way to answer it. Most responses would seem hypocritical or pedantic. Relena hated those kinds of answers, even knowing they were often the only ones that came to her mind.
"Fear is ever-present," her brother said. "The difference is Lord Djibril turns fear into anger and anger into hate."
Relena stifled a smile and quickly added, "People who hate are too busy to talk."
She liked that part of Taylor's speech. It was good, though not as eloquently made as it could have been. Hopefully it was alright to put her own twist on it.
"I'm saddened Lord Djibril has minimized opportunities to debate the measure," she offered at another reporter. "I don't see the flaw in talking and I can't help but wonder why he's in such a rush to hold a vote."
Her brother helped the point again. "Only those afraid of talk run from it."
They moved on, finally passing the last security point leading into the building.
"I don't know why I'm the one famous for speaking," Relena pondered aloud.
"I lack your ability to convey words from the heart," Milliardo replied.
"Except when I can't find the words."
"Only fools speak because they can. Speaking from the heart takes time."
Relena stifled a laugh. It wouldn't send the right message.
"You should laugh more," her brother lamented. "You've spent too much of your youth trying to right the wrongs of the world."
He wasn't wrong. "Someone has to."
"Some do." Out of sight of the cameras, her brother scowled and shook his head. "I'm worried that the time to find the words is passing."
She knew.
This might be the last chance. People were afraid, and people who were afraid embraced easy solutions. They jumped to point blame. It's exactly the kind of people Blue Cosmos had been cultivating for years.
The people David wanted to help him justify the need for his bloody revolution.
She needed to speak. Even if her words didn't reach anyone, she needed to just let it out. Even if the words weren't good enough, someone had to try. Before Djibril's lust for power brought it all crashing down around them.
At the end of the hall those entering the building began to part.
"Noin," her brother called.
"Milliardo." She'd been silently following them since leaving the hotel.
"I need to go to the floor with the other delegates. Stay with Relena."
He went on ahead, showing his credentials to the guards who waved him through.
"Up we go," Noin cheered softly. "This way."
They turned, going further down a hall while her brother went right into the theater.
Going up a flight of stairs, Relena took a moment to appreciate the building itself. The Louvre's reputation was well earned. It was truly lovely. The exact kind of building her father had always appreciated. People called him an elitist for it, but Relena thought he simply appreciated old things. He found them comfortable and safe.
She supposed that wasn't too different from many people.
What was known didn't frighten like the unknown did. It could be a raft in a storm.
Cowards like Djibril leaned on it. They promised a false image of time without problems. They couldn't see any way forward, so all they did was point back. As if the clock could rewind to a time before capes existed.
There was no going back.
No one can unchange the world, unless there was a time travel cape running around no one knew about.
Stepping onto the upper gallery, Relena moved down to the front and found a seat.
"It'll be starting soon," Noin offered.
Relena nodded. Down below, Prime Minister Bailey was providing introductions. The Commission sat along stage in a row, the heads of state of every nation in the EU. And just off to the side was the current Commission President.
Lord Djibril.
The Council filled in before them. Many of the Parliament members were present as well, though many more were attending remotely. There wasn't enough room in the theater for everyone. No doubt Djibril made that choice deliberately. It let him control where dissent might come from.
Relena ignored the opening ceremonies. Her nerves were frayed enough as it is.
"You'll do fine," Noin said from her side. "Just wait. Milliardo will get his chance, and then you'll have yours."
Relena nodded, wishing she could match the certainty Taylor seemed to have before speaking. She always got the shakes, at least until someone looked at her. It would go away then.
"Hey."
Relena straightened and looked casually over her shoulder.
Sar—Lisa, took the seat directly behind her.
Right. "Is it—"
"Let me worry about it," Lisa whispered. "You do your thing and don't stop."
Yeah. Someone was going to try and kill her. Someone no doubt put up to it by Lord Djibril or one of his cronies.
Relena didn't fear that too much. Heero was somewhere around, and Lisa too. Taylor was watching and explicitly waiting for it to happen. Even without all of that, Relena didn't find the idea of getting hurt all that scary.
In a way, if a cape did hurt her and Djibril tried to turn that to his advantage she felt sure she could twist it back.
Below, Relena noticed her brother adjust the trappings on his shoulders.
"It's time."
The British Prime Minister stepped down, waving to Djibril. The man rose from his seat and crossed the stage. He waved to the cameras and smiled. Relena quietly hoped he'd suffer the same fate his American counterpart had.
Relena tried to never wish ill on anyone, but seeing Azrael get stuffed into a police car on the evening news was very satisfying.
Lord Djibril took the podium and gave another wave.
"This is a momentous day," he began in French. "A day to remember as a day that we stood up to the chaos in our midst and said no more!
"Presumptuous," Noin whispered.
It was…
"Today," Djibril continued, "we beat back the hordes battering at our gates." He pumped his fist with that comment, and given who he'd actually let into the room more than a few cheers answered him.
"I've always felt like something of a modern vandal," Lisa grumbled. "I have this inexplicable urge to sack Rome and hold the Pope hostage."
Stoking prejudice, that was Djibril's bread and butter.
Relena forced herself to hold her tongue.
"We've lived under the terror of parahumans and their power for too long. For years we've given them free rein. Allowed them to live in our communities and attend our schools, all while fighting their own private wars and enjoying the privileges of our patience and protection."
Djibril switched from proud to angry.
"We've allowed them to destabilize our governments, stoke divisions in our citizens, and given them unprecedented rights and privileges. It is time we stopped. From this point forward, we hold people responsible for the powers they hold, rather than excuse them. We will no longer be intimidated."
Suddenly, Lisa leaned in. With hushed breath, she asked, "Why does this sound like a victory speech?"
From the corner of her eye, Relena saw the girl's face. Her eyes were set but shaking. She was shocked.
Relena returned her attention to the floor. She glanced at Milliardo. He sat stiffly, speaking in hushed whispers to the Parliamentarians on either side of him.
As she watched the look of anger and confusion on her brother's face, Relena's heart sank.
Djibril wouldn't dare, would he?
"I would like to put the Parahuman Registration and Identification Act Forward for an immediate vote by the European Council," Djibril declared. The moment he did, several loud whispers started, mostly in the upper gallery. "A simple majority is sufficient to pass the policy, at which point all EU members will be obligated to coordinate implementation."
Relena's fists tightened.
He was doing it.
He was skipping straight to the vote.
"He can't do this," Relena mumbled. Beside her, Noin grit her teeth and peered over the banister to Milliardo.
"Under the provisions of the Act," Djibril explained, "All persons with parahuman powers, or parents of a child with parahuman powers, will be required to register themselves with an appropriate regulatory body."
The uproar grew but was conveniently limited to the floor. Naturally, Djibril had filled the room with allies and a few token opponents. The opposition to this measure was off-site watching and not anywhere near the stage. He was trying to present solidarity while forcing a false image.
"Relena," Noin warned. "He wouldn't do this if he didn't have the votes."
No. He wouldn't do this if he had the votes unconditionally. Relena's eyes scanned the room. Nervous figures were present below. If she sat forward and leaned down, she saw more. He'd stacked tentative and nervous 'yes' votes in the back!
"The law blatantly violates the EU charter," Noin whispered. "The courts will strike it down."
That would take years. It would be too late. Djibril knew that too. He was going to force the conflict he wanted to happen. He didn't care who got hurt.
Djibril brought his fist down on the podium. "After the provision is passed, not reporting a parahuman or their power will be a felony. There will be no more loopholes. No more 'unwritten rules.' From now on we are all equal and subject to the same laws!"
This wasn't how democracy worked. This wasn't democracy, it was tyranny in its guise.
"Today we say with one voice—"
One voice?!
"Coward!"
The accusation echoed through the halls. Heads turned and searched. Only Milliardo and those immediately around her looked at Relena.
Djibril looked at her smugly. "Miss Peacecraft. So good to hear your voice again."
"What are you afraid of Djibril?" She stood, glaring down at the man. Her voice was calm and steady, her stance firm yet relaxed. "What's so bad that you feel the need to hide and skip straight to a vote?!"
The man laughed at her. He held his arms out, as if this were exactly what he wanted. "I see no need to debate a measure set to pass."
Relena ignored him. She looked down at the theater below and all the faces looking up at her.
"What is it?" she inquired. "Worried that if you have to defend your position on this vote, you won't be able to go through with it? Worried you'll lose your powe—" Relena grit her teeth. "Or are you worried that your wealthy backers will fund your opponents to the teeth if you don't?"
That was it. She saw it the moment Djibril reacted to the accusation. The way no one turned to face her.
This wasn't about what they thought was best for the EU or for their people. It was about keeping their seats. Maintaining their power at any cost so long as they didn't have to pay it.
"Miss Peacecraft, that's—"
"Cowards!" Relena repeated. "Have you no shame?! Is this all you amount to? Cowering in a corner and clutching to power by any means necessary, scared of your own shadows!"
Djibril pointed. "Remov—"
"You can't silence dissent by skipping over it, and you can't hijack the world by proclaiming yourself the victor." She gripped the railing before her, struggling to keep her voice under control. "If you think no one will speak because you cheated them from their chance today, you're lying to yourselves!"
It wouldn't end like this.
Djibril could have his stolen victory. It wasn't over here. It never would be. And this would not stand.
"The Sanc Kingdom will refuse to abide by this provision!"
Below, Milliardo shot out of his seat. Noin pulled at her dress, trying to get her down. Lisa intercepted the older woman's hand and pulled it back.
Relena raised her chin. "Any parahuman watching this, if you aren't safe where you are, then come to us!"
Djibril's jaw snapped shut, opened, and then shut again.
Relena tried not to enjoy that too much. "We have endured tragedy and division and we will not abide it. Not like this. Not at the hands of cowards who can't even find the courage to stand up and speak before dictating their whims! Who rush to a decision without even the semblance of fairness!"
There would be consequences. It could be bloody. Her father dreamed of a world at peace.
It would never exist if Djibril had his way.
"The Sanc Kingdom is free to you, and anyone!"
Djibril stabbed his finger at her. "You cannot interfere in the af—"
"Arrest me then!" Relena snapped, her anger finally breaking through her calm. "Look the entire world in the eye and tell them you arrested some girl because she insulted your ego and ruined your sham victory!"
"You—"
Relena leaned over the banister, stabbing her finger back at him. "You don't run the world! You rule only because people allow you to, and the moment they realize who and what you are, your time ends! And you know it! That's why you're rushing to a decision. Why you're hiding. You know your day at that podium will end and you'll drag all of us down to prolong your shining moment in the sun!"
Djibril slammed his hands and pointed to a man off the stage. "Arrest her right now!"
"For what?!" Milliardo cried. "You—"
"She is disrupting these proceedings!"
"The only thing I'm disrupting is your grab for power with no regard for the cost!"
Relena snapped. In an instant, Relena snapped her head around and looked into the nearest camera. The crew had turned it to focus on her.
"This is not the end," she said to anyone watching. "He can steal peace today but he can't hold it. It's not his to keep! Not unless we let him."
"Get her out of here!" Djibril shouted to someone Relena didn't see.
She snapped her head back, focusing on him. "The future doesn't belong to you! You have no right to steal tomorrow!"
Movement caught the corner of her eye. Her head snapped around, looking the dark-haired woman in her teary eyes as a light ignited from her fingertip. Relena saw the light only for a moment before a blonde head crashed into her shoulder.
"Lisa!"
The girl tumbled over the chairs in front of Relena. The two girls crashed and the only pain Relena felt was her ankle twisting as she went down. Lisa exhaled sharply and clutched her shoulder.
The woman let out a cry and a moment later Heero was behind her. He grabbed her wrists and wrenched her arm back until it audibly popped.
That was it.
Exactly what Taylor said would happen.
Relena grit her teeth, pulling Lisa up into a sitting position while Noin began pulling her shirt down over her shoulder. The blonde's eyes were open and her breathing heavy.
"M'fine," she slurred. "Dialed back on the powe—"
"You see!" Djibril leaned over the podium, face twisted in mock outrage. "They attack even those who spea—"
"Murderer!" A young man surged from the side of the room, leaving a trail of sparks in his wake.
A flash of light filled the room. The floors shook, throwing Relena against the banister. She barely caught sight of movement. Golden light as dust fell from the ceiling. A sword swung. A leg parted.
The young man went crashing into the wall behind Djibril, and a Gundam rose into the air.
"I made myself clear," Newtype snapped. "You will find a way to get along."
The screens behind Djibril changed. Buildings exploded into gunfire, and then explosions. Men and women in body armor with rifles spilled out, and capes spilled after them. Relena recognized Weld leading them, pointing as Case-53s began disarming and disabling the gunmen. On another, armored suits began firing, disabling gunmen with bolts of bright light.
The fighting was close. Relena could hear the shooting echoing from outside the building.
"Or you will be dragged along."
One screen shifted, showing a dozen figures in black bodysuits standing over disabled mercenaries and helping a small boy out a room. A woman screamed in relief, hanging her head as Heero held her in place.
The suit rose up, hovering below the hole in the ceiling.
"Of course she blasted a hole in the damn Louvre," Lisa grumbled. "Show off."
Relena's eyes widened. The light shifted, turning from green to gold. The fins over the shoulders spread, and the light took the shape of wings. Brilliant, golden wings. Newtype brandished two swords, one blade stained red.
Below, a young man clutched at his knee and screamed. Two guards surrounded him, pointing guns at him as he bled.
Djibril stumbled back, staring at the streak of blood left on the stage. A black scorch mark that ended not a foot away from where he'd been standing.
"You're all in this together!" he shouted, pointing at Relena and then the bleeding man. Relena saw guards moving, and one pointed a gun at her. "You plotted to assassinate me! You'll b—"
The Gundam spun around. One of the blades swung back and a beam of light fired from the barrel. The light hit the aiming guard's chest and sent him sprawling over the ground. The pistol aimed, firing across the room one shot after the other.
"You're not listening," Taylor warned. "I'll drag you kicking and screaming if I have to!"
Relena forced herself to stand, eyes widening as the light danced.
"Phantom Pain has attacked a legislature, committed multiple bombings, and kidnapped a child to force his mother to attack its political opponents," Taylor listed. "As of this moment, Phantom Pain will disband of its own choice, or be disbanded. There will be no further warnings."
She couldn't do it alone. She'd realized that at some point. Her voice didn't carry far enough, and some people just didn't want to listen. They didn't care. Even if they did, she didn't always know the words.
Hope and belief weren't enough. Words alone couldn't change the world.
"The war ends here," Taylor declared, "and if you're so eager to fight…"
A second suit lowered from above, white and gold in color with a large ring mounted on its back. Its arms extended and the ring began to spin. Newtype's words echoed even after the teleporter flashed and took both machines away.
"Try."
The light flickered and spun, even in her absence.
Count was right.
Relena turned and walked across the balcony.
The woman who'd shot at her was staring at one of the screens. The one showing Stella and the others in their gear, holding formerly armed men down. A shorter figure—it had to be Marie—crouched and looked over a small boy.
"Your son?" Relena asked.
The woman nodded.
"Let her go."
Heero glanced at her, his hands still holding the woman in a lock.
"It's fine," she assured him, very aware that they were very near a camera and microphone. "I can tell she didn't want to do this."
The woman fell forward and then scrambled to pull herself over the railing. There was no audio on the screen but the boy said a few words to Marie. Marie nodded and looked at Stella. Stella called for Doormaker and Clairevoyant. Their power opened on the video and Marie ferried the boy through.
Relena turned as they emerged beside Heero.
"Mama!" The boy ran forward and tackled her, and she screamed. Her good arm wrapped around him, pulling him close and clutching him tight.
Marie went back into the portal wordlessly.
"Can't even be bothered to use your own gunman," Relena whispered, still aware of the camera.
She turned her eyes pointedly at Djibril. He hadn't moved since Taylor turned on him. Raising her voice, Relena repeated her charge.
"Coward."
She left him be with that and returned to Noin and Lisa. If she had to guess, the money that paid those men to kidnap the woman's son would ultimately lead right to Blue Cosmos. She'd get to see Djibril suffer Azrael's fate sooner or later.
She let that thought bring a confident smile to her face, even as security swarmed into the room and everyone began shouting.
Count was right.
If she wanted to change the world, then she needed to accept she couldn't reach everyone. She needed to focus on those she could reach and tell them what they needed to hear. If they sat idly by and waited, snakes like Azrael and Djibril would steal their future and drag them into a world they never wanted.
Nothing she ever said would convince Djibril and his ilk. She doubted she'd convinced most of those cowards down below. That was fine. Let them cower. They had that right, if they were so afraid. Others weren't and they were the ones she needed to reach before it was too late.
For those who would turn fear into anger and anger into violence, Newtype was waiting.