Welcome to Slavestown
Chapter Four
"Well, I'm glad you're talking to me again," Pascal states, as he makes his way down the hall with his brother. Vidcund nods; his hands in his pockets. Outside the sun is preparing to rise for the day, as perhaps the biggest twenty-four hours of their lives is upon them.
Pascal and Vidcund continue walking down the hall, checking everything over one last time before embarking on the mission; starting phase four of the plan. "Hey Vid," Pascal speaks up, gazing down briefly at the clipboard that is in his hands, "Breanna told me that she resurrected all of the townies last night. Would you like to see them before we go?"
"Sure," Vidcund replies, heading towards the back room of the house, "But it's been a few years since I've been in office, they probably won't even remember me."
Pascal and Vidcund walk through the double doors, the pair pushing the doors open with their hands. They step in the room the auditorium-sized room, watching as hundreds of townies turn and look at them. The brothers step back, feeling rather self-conscious.
"Hey, it's Vidcund!" one of the townies calls out. All of the townies stop and look at where the other townie is pointing. They throw their hands up in the air, all of them erupting into applause.
Pascal smiles, nudging Vidcund softly in the side. "You were saying?"
Vidcund stands stone cold in silence, shocked and seemingly overwhelmed by all of this welcoming attention. He gives a sincere smile and slowly raises up his hand, waving shyly to the crowd.
The rest of the team gathers and walks over to them, focused on the task at hand. "Hey Vidcund," Tank greets from his place between Kea and Isabella, "Is it okay if we go over the plan again really quick? We leave in an hour, and I just want to make sure that we're as prepared as we possibly can be."
Vidcund nods, sincerity filling his voice. "Yeah, of course."
The group follows Vidcund up the stairs and into the living room, stopping in front of the blueprint wall. "Alright," Vidcund begins, bringing his hands together, "As Tank already said, we leave in an hour, so here's how things are going to go," he states, taking a breather, "The six of us – Tank, Isabella, Kea, Pascal, Lazlo, and myself – will head to the gates of Slavestown and enter into the city. We'll then split off into three separate groups and begin our parts of the mission. Meanwhile, Brent and Breanna will stay at the safe house and will continue to resurrect sims and try to convince them to join the army," Brent and Breanna nod, "Then, once our leader gives the signal over headset, you will round up everyone and meet us at the border."
"Now for our separate missions," Vidcund speaks once more, "While Brent and Breanna are resurrecting everyone, Tank, you will be in charge of rounding up every citizen in the city who wants to fight with us and wreaking havoc in any way you can. Remember, we need lots of distractions for Loki's troops, so that we can cut off their communication with Loki easier," Tank nods, "While you're doing that, my brothers and I will travel to our old estate and gather things up for the battle. We also need to fix the electricity for our side of the city. That'll activate our back-up defense system, just in case we may need it. Then the three of us will travel to Loki's estate and purposely get captured so that Kea and Isabella can enter into the estate without any problems," he explains, "Then, you guys will infiltrate the estate from the inside, cutting off Beaker's defense system and cutting off his contact with his troops," Kea nods, but Isabella is gazing down at the floor, her mind appearing to be elsewhere. "More importantly, you two will also be in charge of finding my daughter and Ripp, and getting the two of them out of there," he informs them.
"Question!" Pascal states, raising his hand in the air.
"Yes?" Vidcund answers.
He puts his hand down before asking, "What if they run into Circe?"
"Well, that may be a bit complicated, because we're not exactly sure what Circe is going to be like. She did help us briefly, but now that she has been captured and faced the consequences from Loki, she may not be as willing to help us a second time," Vidcund says, turning towards Kea and Isabella, "Use your best judgment. Right now, if you run into Circe, try to get her out of the estate. – She's still a victim, after all. But be mindful that there's still a chance you might have to fight her," he sighs, turning towards the blueprint, "And we're going to need our best sim to take her down."
Kea raises her hand. "I can take down Circe."
"While you're pregnant?!" Tank speaks up from the group, "Kea, are you sure?"
"Of course," Kea says, her face beaming, "It's time they see what a townie can do and face Kea 'The Lightning' Kalson! Plus, I can always count on Isabella to help me. If all else fails, we can take her out together! Right Izzy?" Kea asks, turning towards her friend, who is still looking down at the ground. Isabella nods, not saying a word. "Great!" she exclaims, giving a fist pump.
"Alright, so we'll leave in forty-five," Vidcund says, watching as everyone nods and goes their separate ways to prepare. Vidcund looks at Isabella, who is still standing stationary at the side of the room, her eyes to the floor. He walks over to her, stopping in front his friend.
"Hey, I need to tell you something," Vidcund informs her, his voice gentle, "Can we talk?"
Isabella nods, briefly making eye contact with him. Vidcund nods back, giving a slight smile. "Okay, let's go," he states, grabbing her by the hand and leading her up the stairs.
Fifteen Minutes Later: In the Guest Room
Tank and Kea are packing up their things for the big mission. Actually, only Kea is packing up her things and Tank is sitting down on the bed watching her. "Hey, here's an idea," Tank begins, watching as Kea packs her bright pink binoculars, "Instead of potentially dying, we flee this place and the ten of us start a new life in Veronaville," he suggests, "It'll be great and Loki-free, what more could we ask for?"
Kea does a nose laugh, "Veronaville is nice, but it's not our home."
"Kea, you haven't even been to Strangetown for more than a few hours!" Tank states, shaking nervously, "The city's not that great, trust me, we'd be better off."
Kea sighs, putting down the item in her hands and sitting down on the bed next to him. "Tank, what's wrong? You were so set to go on the mission a few minutes ago," she reminds him.
Tank sighs, "I know, but then I got to thinking while we were down there that this might be the last time that we'll ever be together and…I got scared," he confesses, his eyes trailing to the floor, "I mean, what if I lose you again? And now with you pregnant, I just don't want you to go on the mission."
"Oh," Kea replies, "So that's it…"
"And now it's hit me that I'm either going to lose you or the baby – or even worse, both – because I can't have it all!" Tank exclaims, covering his face with his hands.
Kea tilts her head, "Why not? Why can't you have it all?" she wonders.
"Because I'm me, Kea!" Tank states, throwing his hands up, "My whole life consists of me never catching a break. Every time I get something good in my life, I can never keep it," he confesses, "I mean, how long did it take for Loki to sentence you to death after we got engaged?"
"Well-" Kea begins.
"-And before that, how long was it before your ex-boyfriend showed up and turned me in?" Tank asks again.
"Tank-" Kea states.
"And look at this," Tank interrupts once more, "Two days into this mission and I've already lost my brother!"
"You haven't lost anything yet," Kea defends.
"Kea, this is Loki we're talking about," Tank attempts to reason; he sighs, "I'd be shocked if Ripp's not dead by now."
Kea gets up and gently grabs Tank by the shoulders, leaning down towards him so that she can gaze into his eyes. "Tank, listen to me," she says firmly, "You are not going to lose me!"
"And why's that?" he asks.
"Because this is us, Tank!" she exclaims, "This is me and you and Izzy and those other people whose names I can't remember. And Loki's never been up against us before, and he has no idea what he's in for!" she assures him.
"Kea," Tank begins, not breaking the seriousness of the situation, "You don't know what you're talking about. This isn't just another sim! Loki took over the entire neighborhood for goodness sake and he didn't even bat an eye!" he argues, "He cut off the whole neighborhood's contact with the outside world! He got rid of anyone who he even thought for a second had the chance to rise against him! He's too powerful!" Tank exclaims, his eyes trailing to the floor, "It's hopeless."
Kea gets up and exhales, before pacing around the room in front of him. "So it's hopeless," she repeats, "Please!" she huffs, brushing it off with her hand, "I've been up against many Lokis in my life and let me tell you they are all the same: entitled individuals that underestimate the power of the people and make too many mistakes in their planning," she comments, turning back towards Tank, "Now Tank, you know I love you, but you are letting Loki get into your head. You're letting his scare tactics work on you," she explains, "Deep down, he's probably no scarier than Lyndsey."
Tank looks up, not cracking a laugh. "Maybe, but I still don't want to lose you."
Kea sighs and sits down on the bed next to him, placing her hand gently on top of his. "Tank, I appreciate your concern, but you and I both know that you guys won't last five minutes without me," she says, stopping to think this over, "Well, maybe not five, but after fifteen you'd be wishing that I was there," she states, Tank smiles slightly, "Tank, I know you don't want me to go, but what kind of lesson would we be teaching our son if we abandoned our home and our friends and family and just ran away from the problem?"
Tank looks up, his eyes widening, "Son?"
Kea nods, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's a boy," she states, wrapping her arm around him and pulling him close to her; the pair sitting in silence for a bit. "And believe me, Loki has reason to be scared, too. Everyone that's fighting for us has incentive. Plus, we have you," she says, thinking this over more thoroughly for a moment before smiling with a nod, "We have you," she firmly reiterates.
Tank pulls back, gazing at Kea, tears forming in his eyes as he moves forward and wraps her in a compassionate brace. He leans forward and kisses the side of her face.
This was exactly what he needed to hear.
Meanwhile: In the Upstairs Bedroom
Vidcund pulls Isabella into the upstairs bedroom and shuts the door, letting go of her hand. Isabella pulls back a bit, rubbing her wrist with her hand, a sad expression still spread across her face. "Hey, are you okay?" Vidcund asks, "You seem kind of down lately."
"It's nothing," Isabella states with a sigh, plopping down on the guest bed, "It's just – I don't know, I'm beginning to think I'm not cut out for this mission."
"Why would you say that?" Vidcund asks, taking a seat down next to her, his eyes filled with wonder.
"Well, every one of you guys are so talented," Isabella explains, "I mean, you're all so fit and smart and innovative," she continues, "And after seeing how much I struggled yesterday just to swim a few feet and complete a simple task – I feel like I can't contribute anything of value to the group," she confesses, "I'm just – average."
"Ah," Vidcund sounds, throwing his head back a bit and bringing his hands together in thought. "You know Izzy, I always thought average sims were the best because without them, the whole city wouldn't work. But I think you're confusing the word 'average' with the word 'useless' – which is something I believe no sim can be," Vidcund explains, gazing into her eyes. "Which makes this the perfect time to tell you what I was originally going to tell you," Vidcund says, standing up from off the bed, "You see, there's one large part of the plan that I didn't tell anyone about yet," he explains as Isabella watches him pace around the room, her face filled with confusion, "You see, we're taking back the city today, and you're our secret weapon. You will lead the Strangetown Army, Isabella. You will lead the rebellion," he announces, certainty in his voice.
"What?!" Isabella exclaims, sitting up from her seat and moving towards him, her arms extended, "You can't be serious! I'm just an ordinary sim!" she reasons, "You heard me earlier, I'm average!"
"Exactly! And that's why you're the most dangerous of them all," Vidcund claims, "Average sims make the best leaders and the best fighters, because you don't know what they're going to do. They're crusaders for the common sim!" Vidcund watches as Isabella turns away, seemingly unconvinced. "Isabella, you've done countless acts against Loki, and he's done nothing but overlook you. You saved my brothers and I, you hid Kea, you rounded up an army to take him down, and up until a few days ago, he didn't even know it. You're more than just brave, you're fearless, and you will lead the army," Vidcund states, pulling the main headset out from behind his back and holding it out to Isabella. She backs away from it, clearly scared.
"But what about Tank?" she asks, looking up at him.
Vidcund shakes his hand, "Tank is just a cover-up," he confesses, "A distraction so that Loki doesn't catch on to the real thing. Why else do you think we made that public announcement?" he asks.
Isabella gazes down, still unsure of herself as she looks back up at Vidcund once more. "But why can't you lead us?" she wonders.
"Putting me in charge would be too obvious," Vidcund explains, still holding the leader headset out to her, "Loki would see it coming from a mile away."
Isabella stands in silence, her stature still filled with uncertainty. "Isabella, look at me," he states, placing his hands on her shoulders and staring intently at her; Isabella's eyes shining with worry, "I need you to do this for us," he pleads, "You're the only one I can trust with this task."
Isabella sighs and gazes down at the headset once more. She slowly reaches out for it, almost grasping it, before pulling her hand back and turning away from Vidcund.
"I can't-" she speaks, lowering her head to the ground.
"Why not?"
"Why not?" Isabella repeats, before turning back towards him, tears in her eyes, "Just look at me! Look at me and tell me I can lead a revolution!" Isabella exclaims, her voice filled with doubt. "Vidcund, you're an intelligent guy, so you should be able to clearly see that I'm not super smart or super strong or super crafty – I'm just a dud," she explains, looking down at the carpet, "I'm just a dud," she repeats, sounding like she actually believes it.
"You're a dud, you?" Vidcund repeats, stepping towards his friend, "I'm sorry, but have you completely forgotten what happened the past six years?" he asks, gazing at her. "You're Isabella eXtreme," he states, "And in the past six years you have helped your friend break the townie cycle, re-established hope in your ex-boyfriend's life, helped five of your friends completely change their lives around, and brought all of these people together!" Vidcund explains, "You shaped this rebellion Isabella, and you did it with the one thing that Loki doesn't have the balls to understand – you did it with kindness. You did it by being yourself – your average, ordinary sim self," he states, giving a small grin, completely unaware that the rest of the team is listening in the doorway.
"You know, Loki spent three years trying to shape the perfect army, and his doesn't even come close to the one that you have. Yours is better because you have a crowd of people – friends, nonetheless - that are willing to die for what they believe in, and they trust you and they all have your back because they know that you have theirs," Vidcund states, nodding in approval, "And that's why I need you to lead us Isabella, because you're the only one that gets it. The only one out here that deserves to serve that position. You're the only one out here that all of us trust," he informs her, stepping towards her once more.
Isabella sighs, continuing to ponder this one over as she looks down at the main headset that Vidcund is holding out to her in his hands.
"Please, Isabella," Vidcund pleads, "We need you."
Isabella steps back, looking to the others who have just entered the room. She extends her hand out towards the black headset as all of her friends begin to surround her. Isabella gazes at each of them individually, all of them sporting a smile and giving a nod, before stopping at Brent who is nodding and smiling the largest. Isabella grins, looking back up at Vidcund and taking the leader headset in her hand.
"Well, if you guys need me," she states, "Then I guess I have no choice!" she says, holding up the headset up in the air.
"Whoo! Peer pressure!" Kea cheers, throwing her arms up in victory.
Pascal wraps his arms around her and gives her a hug. "You'll do great," he states; Lazlo nods.
"Yes! Go Izzy!" Kea exclaims, cheering once more.
"I'm really proud of you, sis," Brent speaks up, hugging her as well.
Isabella looks to her left, "Tank?" she chimes.
Tank looks over at Isabella and smiles. "You'll kick butt. Hopefully not mine," he adds, his arms crossed. Isabella laughs.
"Thanks guys," she says, placing the headset confidently over her ears; Vidcund giving a proud nod of approval in the background. "Now come on, we have a war to win!"
Meanwhile: Outside of the Division Fence
Crystal is dressed in her gladiator outfit and is sitting crouched behind a mailbox, gazing intently at the barbed wire fence that separates Slavestown from the free area. She scans her surroundings, finding the city unsurprisingly deserted. Crystal races out into the open, stopping in front of the fence. She takes out a pair of pliers and begins to cut into it, making several straight lines and creating flaps of escape in the process.
"Yeah," she says to herself when she steps back from the fence, admiring her work. The flaps were there, but they were barely visible. "Just trying to make it easier for you," she states, talking to the clouds.
An Hour Later:
Tank, Isabella, Kea, and the Curious brothers are standing in front of the division fence, each of them peering into the city. "There it is…Slavestown," Vidcund announces, gazing down at the landscape before turning back to his teammates, gesturing them into a huddle. "Alright, so does everyone know the plan?" he asks them. Everyone nods, except Kea who looks slightly confused.
"Don't die?" she states. Vidcund turns to Isabella, a bit concerned.
"Don't worry, she's got it," Isabella reassures him, looking to Kea who is crouched down on the sand petting a rock, "Or er-I got it," Isabella corrects herself.
Vidcund nods, satisfied with her answer, "Alright then, we're off."
Everyone exchanges glances with each other, giving a nod before turning back towards the fence, preparing to enter the city. Vidcund sighs and steps forward, determination filling his body as he climbs up and over the division fence, Pascal and Lazlo following close behind. He stops halfway on the other side, helping Isabella up as Tank and Kea cross over the fence a few feet away.
"Good luck," Vidcund states after everyone has made it safely across. They all look to each other and nod, before backing up, preparing to go in their separate directions. Tank gives a small salute before turning around and racing into the residential area of the city. Pascal, Vidcund, and Lazlo give a brief gesture of acknowledgement before turning around and racing towards their residence.
"You ready to go Izzy?" Kea asks, nudging her best friend in the side as Isabella stands there, cautiously watching her teammates and friends.
Isabella nods, shaking herself out of it. "Of course," she states, "Let's go."
She watches as Vidcund turns around, the pair looking deeply back at each other one last time before turning around and racing forward to catch up with their given groups.
Isabella sighs, an unwanted feeling aching in the pit of her stomach, scared of what is to come.
