Ants
"Wipe them out!"
Disheveled. Scared.
The living space of the green Morja dwelling suddenly got a whole lot smaller.
"My father is gone…"
The former Lady, Mila pulled the thin blanket Yuuko provided around her shoulders tightly as she trembled. Barefoot with holes in her torn up tights, her emerald business suit had clear tears and mud stains to prove she was in a hustle during her escape. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot, she was pale and appeared she hadn't showered in a couple days.
"All my servants were either killed for resisting or arrested, along with Georgi…" She shook her head in despair. "But it wasn't just my estate…"
From her list, Victor knew each one as a secret ally to end Unwanted discrimination and move away from slavery as Mila listed family names. Each one were waiting to get a case through the door like Victor had, but all were blocked or turned down for one reason or another. Now, over the course of the past three months, each estate had been wiped clean of human servants in the span of a week or two apart.
"They must have hacked my drive after they ransacked my place," Victor muttered.
Mila wiped her eyes. "Important voices have been hushed as properties remain variably intact to not cause alarm. Meanwhile, the media tells the masses it was humans! Human terrorists they say, while hiding the human arrests and anyone, human and Colbran, who was killed because they refused to be quiet! Can you imagine, Victor?! They are wiping us all clean and I don't know why!"
From her list, none corresponded with Phichit's according to Chris and what he had gathered.
"I was targeted before her and was forced to lay low," informed a male Colbran beside the exhausted red head.
Save for one.
"I used some remaining contacts to find out that the Babicheva household was next. I got there in time to pull Mila out, but not before the sweep had started."
"Then I stepped in by chance when getting today's shipment," Christophe remarked. "Yar a lucky bastard I believed ya, emLeroy/em."
"Still don't regret punching you for destroying my birthday party," Mila grumbled.
The ex-Viletto stood up. "Whatever, Sweetheart, I saved your life."
"So the sweepers are looking to get anyone who was behind…what? Yuri's stand off at the party months ago? I hardly find that a just cause," Victor concluded.
Jean-Jacques pointed in the general direction of the stairwell to the basement. "It's because, on top of everything, you had him…well he who locked himself in the brig the moment our eyes met."
"We don't have enough evidence! I demand further investigation."
"Whatever history ya two have, Phichit has gone through enough," Christophe defended. "Honestly, if I had room I'd put ya there myself if it weren't for the fact Mila was here with ya."
Violet-green eyes rolled. "If you call basic training abuse, good thing you're not in the militia."
"Forcing anybody to go through anything is!" Yuri blurted.
"Ah, the pain in my side as returned. How are you doing these days, holed up here like a rat?"
Victor stepped in front of Yuri. "We are fine.
Jean-Jacques took one look between Victor and Yuri before his eyes widened. "Oh. O~h…so that's how you two are." He scratched his chin.
"What of it?" Lutz folded her arms as she stood by her sister.
"Nothing for now." Leroy shook his head. "Look, I'm going to make this clear. One, I am here because I no longer matter to the brass. I was set up with half-baked information, whether you choose to believe me or not."
"Blame your ego," Yuri shot with a glare before Victor brought a finger to his lips to hush.
The ex-Viletto huffed through their nose. "Whatever, point is, I'm not going to be swept under the rug. Two, the boy Pete."
"Phichit!" The humans in the room, plus Yuuko, reprimanded.
Jean-Jacques held up his hands. "Fine, Phichit. You landed a gold mine of information for taking him with you. Years ago, he had left my service for not being cadet material."
"You were his First Master?" Yuri asked. "It has been ten years since he has seen Albjora."
"Has it been that long? Yes, he was brought to me but I let him go after a year of not passing my standards."
Yuri clutched the back of Victor's shirt. No one else saw, but it kept him from bolting forward.
"Anyway, about two…three, years ago? Yes. His file was brought under advisement to reconsider, but I denied so he, with a heavy record, was sent Crimson Incarceration because Phichit was considered dangerous but not the type I could get working for me."
Yuri looked between Giacometti and Leroy. "W-Why 'dangerous'?"
Christophe became pensive. "I was going to debrief Victor of this today. Phichit was a successful Hopper, Yuri. All Hoppers end up either bottom feeder cadets because they'd be under guard, or the Crimson Incarceration because ya'd be under guard there. A Hopper is when yar passed between Masters or Mistresses for one reason or another. If such a servant, ya've a high likeness to have a boat load of intel and names simply for overhearing…its ultimately a security issue."
"They attacked us! The ungrateful race! It's all over the news!"
'Similar to me and my Butler's Privilege I bet,' Yuri gleaned.
Jean-Jacques folded his arms. "Yes…if only there was a certain, blonde, bane of my existence who keeps loop-holing through security to find such Hoppers to gather intel thus dirt."
"A fan of my work I see," Chris remarked sarcastically with a smirk. "Your lack thereof said security is much appreciated. I did so enjoy the challenges we shared."
"But why Phichit?" Axel inquired. "If there are other Hoppers who would cause this much of a ruckus over one?
"It's a matter who and what Phichit knows," Giacometti replied. "And from what I've gathered, we have what you humans call a 'golden goose' who, regrettably, lost his wings along the way. With him, you, Yuri, and what you have gone through, and the fact we now we have Jean-Jacques and Mila who can step up and testify…" Chris rubbed his hands together. "Hoo boy…I'm having a hard time seeing even Her Declotes Lillia ignoring such a case, combined with terrorism and property damage we can have Mila testify with."
"As long as we can avoid a war still at this point, I'm all for it," Mila promised, doing her best to stay awake.
"Why would Her Declotes care?" Yuri asked.
The room became silent.
"N-No offense… exactly, but why would any of the elite care? Don't they know what's really going on already? I mean someone has to know the truth other than our rag-tag group. You're telling me none of the elite are silencing our allies, staging enough people against the few...do you see where I am going with this?"
Chris strummed his knee with his fingers. "I do, but, just how many, as you put it, elite Colbrans do you think there are, Katsuki?"
"Er…going by your expression I'm going to say several."
"Simple reports written from point A can look completely different by the time it can reach Her Declotes' hands, if at all," Victor informed. "If we had a perfect, completely honest system, I don't think so much trouble would have happened over the decades."
Yuri sighed. "Am I supposed to believe she is scot-free in all of this?"
"No, most likely not," Chris admitted. "However, if it weren't for Her, Morja's protection wouldn't have come to pass. So. If I have to blow down Her door to get Her to listen I will."
"Motion will rise to a vote before the motion is sent to be approved."
"You may have to…" Jean-Jacques muttered.
"Can we just stop with the drama and out with it?" Lutz would have stomped her foot if Axel didn't move to hush Ms. Blue.
"Albjora is in trouble." Mila nearly started to cry again.
Christophe sat up to hold Yuuko's hand before she left the room, having just handed everyone some water to drink. "I already know the lack of resources was delayed already for a reason. If ya know anythin', either of ya, spill."
The ex-Viletto took a quick sip before dragging his right hand around the back of his neck. "A hearing is being held to wipe Albora out."
Yuuko dropped the metal pitcher as Chris held onto her frail hand.
Mila's shoulders dropped. "I wanted to flee to you as soon as I heard it announced in the news, but then the sweep happened. The hearing has been going on for a few days now at least."
"The hearing is in response to the sweeping under the guise it was humans doing the damage," Jean-Jacques continued. "My guess they'll somehow tie the Unwanted as a part of it all too next."
"Why didn't you say something the moment you boarded?!" Yuri cried. "Or earlier for that matter!"
The two, exhausted Nobles faces said it all. What would be the point?
'Where could we go?' Yuri clutched on to Victor's arm instead. 'And with so many people?'
Yuuko blanched as her lip quivered. "What…kind of sick chess game is this?"
A pause.
"Er...a what?" Victor asked, turning to Yuri.
Katuski stepped around from standing behind. "It's a human game. Strictly speaking a strategy game. I'm sure you've read it somewhere. It's a board with two sides? Two player game? You know, where you have to be the first to cap-?"
"No vote! I approve this Motion as justified."
"Capture…"
"Yuri…?" Victor asked.
"Capture…" Yuri's eyes slowly widened as his brain suddenly went buzzing, deep, in thought.
"Yuri…" Victor repeated, a bit louder, but Yuri wasn't listening.
"Out with it, Katsuki!" Lutz shouted.
Yuri jolted. Brown met golden-blue. "Capture!" Yuri slapped his hands around Victor's shoulders. "You capture the King!"
"So…what?" Jean-Jacques shrugged.
"The goal is to capture the King before they capture yours!" Yuri could almost shake Victor he was that riled. "The King! The King, Victor! Who else could keep Her Declotes from knowing the full truth, keep up the red tape, and spin lies to create tension!"
"Y-Yuri!" Victor held up his hands. "W-We have no King."
Chris stood up. "No, but we have next closest thing."
"You can't be serious!" Jean-Jacques yelled. "Him?"
"How else would a 'hearing' of this magnitude go by without Her?" Yuuko insisted. "She was given lies!"
Mila covered her mouth. "I think I'm going to be ill."
"A Colbran powerful enough to send you, the Viletto packin', shuffle a boy around arrogantly within their circle and without care, and put up the red tape, as Yuri had said." Chris gave Nikiforov a hard look as rage boiled within his dual eyes. "It has to be him, Victor."
"Let it be known the Motion has now passed through exercise of right. The Albjora will be cleansed."
"Do…we have time to stop the hearing? Get down there with all of us?" Axel wondered.
A gavel struck, echoing in the hall.
"Boss!" Minami rushed inside. "Outside!"
A tall Colbran in regal attire rose from his chair at the same time the officials before him rose to bow in thanks for the approval.
But it was all dance. This was the dance corruption did.
Delca Yakov smirked inwardly. 'Soon there will be blood. Soon we will be free.'
INTENSE! XD
I have some news! I finally got a new job! YAY! What does that mean? Slower chapter releases. BOO! I know. XD I will do my best to give you guys the action as often as I can. Daily doses, however, are most likely not going to cut it for me for awhile. :)
Thank you for reading and I hope you have enjoyed it thus far. Please share!
