There was a silence. A long-drawn-out silence. Susie cleared her voice.

"Attention all children," announced Susie, her voice suddenly echoing all around the daycare, "Youtube Kids will be temporarily unavailable to fix some issues. Thank you for your understanding."

The Youtube Kids Users looked at each other, some seemed to want to protest, but they quietly shuffled out the exit. As the last kid moved out and closed the door, Hat Kid looked between Banhammer and Susie. The tension was almost palpable.

"Commissioner Banhammer," Susie said shortly, "I know to some degree was is going on here."

"Do you Susan Purity?" sneered Banhammer, Hat Kid never heard him talk like this before, especially to someone as important as Susan, "Then I assume you know you are harboring a dangerous criminal who has a key understanding of recent events."

"You may say that," conceded Susie, "Although I would question your definition of 'dangerous criminal'. Mono from Little Nightmares has done nothing other than defend himself and others from Twitter Users. Is that a crime?"

Even though Banhammer had no face, Hat Kid knew if he had one, it wouldn't be so pleasant.

"Lying is not part of who you are meant to be, Susan," growled Banhammer, "As the embodiment of wholesomeness, it is in your duty to ensure the safety of all internet users. You serve the idea of what justice is. You serve me!"

Susie's eye twitched.

"When have I ever been obligated to be subservient to you?" whispered Susie in a tranquil fury, "Is that some sort of new law?"

Susie let their anger dissipate and sighed.

"Ever since I gave my blessing to Ayano Aishi to, in her words, 'bring happiness to the internet', I was blind to her true intentions. Ever since then, you viewed me with contempt. That is understandable. But attempting to usurp me of my position... Using your staff to get to me... Why would you of all people do that? Especially in turbulent times like this... This isn't justice..."

Susie paused for a moment. They looked at a rainbow slide, then back at Banhammer. Something passed over their face.

"You've been serving a new master," said Susie, there was fear in their voice, "Justice is merely a construct of the current powerbase... You have to stop this. Whatever it has promised you will not come to fruition. You will fade away. You have to put aside your hate. Please. You have to stop."

"Oh great! You finally figured it out," jeered Banhammer as he cracked his knuckles, "Now I can finally drop this disgusting pretense. It makes me sick to have to lie, especially to you."

Banhammer turned to face the Discord Moderators.

"Bring the child to me. I will banish the angel."

The Discord Moderators charged forward. Hat Kid leaped out of the way as they barreled past her like freight trains. They rushed to the slide that Susie glanced at and started ripping it apart. Hat Kid heard a shriek from the slide and saw two children climb back up into the play structure, one with a dirty coat and a paper bag over his head and a naked infant with watery eyes. The Discord Mods yelled in frustration and stuck their hands inside, attempting to grab the children. Hat Kid turned towards Banhammer who was charging at Susie, swinging his head wildly. Susie dodged the first few swings before flashing bright with light and appearing behind Banhammer. But they didn't strike at him. Banhammer whirled around and chortled with laughter.

"Above such brutality are you?" taunted Banhammer as he swung his head at Susie. It would have been a direct hit if Susie did not wave their hand and summoned a magic shield that blocked Banhammer. The commissioner growled in anger and slammed his head down on the shield, shattering it into pieces. He swung again, Susie dodged. Hat Kid looked again at the Discord Mods and saw them ripping a jungle gym off the ground and attempting to shake Mono and Isaac out. The two children clung onto a set of monkey bars and attempted to climb away from the frenzied enforcers.

Should she help? Should she object to this madness? It went against everything she signed up for. Targeting children. False accusations. Threatening someone as vital as Susie. But this was her job. To follow orders. She was lost in her head. Suddenly a shriek jolted Hat Kid back to reality. A Discord Moderator grabbed Mono by his ankle and another managed to shake Isaac off the monkey bars into the greasy hands of the Mods. Hat Kid glanced at Susie who was distracted for a second, but that was their first mistake. Banhammer feinted to the right, then dropped to the ground and sprung out. Susie let out a yelp and summoned a shield around them. That was their second mistake. Banhammer's head smashed into the shield at full force which shattered and stunned Susie for a moment. Then Banhammer's fist shot out and Susie fell to the floor. Hat Kid screamed and jumped in front of Banhammer. He let out a yell of anger and backhanded the child into a wall. She slid down and didn't move.

"You should have died when I sent those Twitter Users against you in that pub," shouted Banhammer with savage pleasure, "It would have been so much easier."

Susie tried to crawl away but Banhammer noticed. He spat in their face and stomped on their wing. Susie screamed.

"You are weak. You are pathetic. In this new world, you won't have a place. You'll be forgotten, decency will not dictate how we act. You. Will. DIE!"

Banhammer raised his head for the killing blow. The Discord Mods grinned in morbid anticipation. Hat Kid moaned in agony. Susie closed their eyes.

But it didn't come. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Banhammer seemed to have frozen in the middle of his act. Suddenly he gasped, clutched his chest, fell to his knees, then to his side. Everyone looked in shock at the gruesome spectacle playing before them.

"This wasn't... Part... Of the... Deal..." moaned Banhammer in between his wheezes, "You. Tricked. Me. YOU LIED!"

CORRECTION... I DID NOT LIE... YOU JUST PLAYED YOUR PART A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN INTENDED... IT WOULD STILL HAVE ENDED THE SAME WAY...

The daycare started to rumble. The Discord Mods dropped Mono and Isaac in fear. Hat Kid looked around confusedly. Susie stood up, cradling their broken wing.

AND YOU... YOU LITTLE SWITCH HITTER... HAVE PROVEN YOURSELF MARGINALLY LESS PREDICTABLE THAN BANHAMMER... ALTHOUGH THAT ISN'T MUCH...

"You..." hissed Susie who was seething with anger.

"YOU TOLD ME WE WOULD RULE TOGETHER!" screamed Banhammer before descending into a fit of coughs, "YOU SAID I JUST HAD TO GET RID OF SUSAN!"

I DID... YOUR DISLIKE OF HER PROVED VALUABLE TO GET YOU TO VIOLATE YOUR OWN LAWS... AND LOOK WHAT YOU DID... YOU ARE DYING BECAUSE OF IT...

Hat Kid glanced at Mono who looked like he was in the middle of a panic attack. Isaac was curled up in a ball, crying.

"Well then..." spat Banhammer, "Susan and the child still live. I may have failed... But you still lost."

HAVEN'T YOU REALISED YOU IDIOT? THIS ISN'T ABOUT ELIMINATING HER OR HIM... IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU... TO BRING YOU... AT MY MERCY...

The floor started to shake violently. Hat Kid felt something moving underneath the floor. Something big. Fissures started to open around Banhammer who couldn't do anything but groan and crawl. Hat Kid looked between the cracks and saw blue feathers rustling underneath like bubbling water.

CRACK

Susie yelled as they snapped their fingers. Mono, Hat Kid and Isaac teleported next to Susie in a flash of bright light. Susie's wings extended and shielded them as the floor surrounding Banhammer exploded in a geyser of blue feathers.