Chp. 34: Republic of Menagerie Pt. 2
Belladonna Residence
October 10, 2020
The next day outside the Belladonna household, A large crowd mostly consisting of Faunus was gathered in front of the large home. Others in attendance included tourists from the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, and several news and camera crews. Sitting down below the stone steps of the Belladonna home were ambassadors from all over the world. Among the Menagerie Guards acting as security, Arslan, Brawnz, Cardin, and Ivori all stood guard, keeping an eye out for any activity that might threaten the ceremony.
Inside the house, Ghira stood in front of the front door staring down at a piece of paper in his hands with Blake, Sun, Ren, Kali, Watson, Yang, Emerald, Sienna, Rebecca, Ilia, and Cassandra waiting behind him, along with several other Faunus.
"Are you okay, dad?" Blake asked.
"I'm just a little nervous. Normally I would be speaking out to the people of Kuo Kuana, or the White Fang, but I won't be just speaking to all of Menagerie, but also the world entirely. This is all incredibly overwhelming," Ghira said.
"Yeah, who wouldn't be?" Yang asked with a shrug as Blake elbowed her side. "What?"
"Just speak like you normally would with the Faunus, or when you were in the White Fang," Sienna said.
"We'll be inside keeping a look out for any activities," Cassandra said.
Ghira gave out a sigh as his wife put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Are you ready?" Kali asked.
Ghira nodded in response and felt a hand pat on his back. He turns to see Sun smiling up at him.
"You've got this, sir," Sun said.
Ghira stares at the monkey Faunus for a moment before smiling back at him. He turned to face the door as Watson and Rebecca approached the door and gripped on the doors' handles.
Back outside the Belladonna household, the crowd outside continued to wait for Ghira to make his appearance. Soon after, the doors open as Ghira steps out with Kali, Sienna, Blake, and the small group of Faunus following behind him. The crowd bursts into cheers and applause upon seeing the panther Faunus making his appearance. Ghira and the others made their way down the stone steps. Blake, Kali, Sienna, and the other Faunus all sat on some chairs, with the ambassadors as Ghira steps up to the podium. As soon as the crowd quiets down, Ghira begins to speak.
"People of Kuo Kuana, people of Menagerie, people of the world, today is a momentous day for Menagerie and I speak for all of Menagerie and say thank you. We the people of Menagerie will face hardships, struggles, and turmoil, but together we will stand united to face those challenges."
The crowd clapped for a moment and Ghira continued his speech.
"When Menagerie was given to the Faunus for helping the humans of Remnant for participating in the Great War, many see this as fair and just, while others see this as a slap to the face as two-thirds of Menagerie is uninhabitable desert with dangerous wildlife. But today that will all change, because Menagerie will not be seen as an isolation from Remnant, but as a nation for all to see."
The crowd applauded again, but it was louder than the last.
Meanwhile inside the Belladonna household, Yang, Rebecca, Ilia, Watson, Ren, Sun, and Emerald all watched everything down below from the windows, keeping a lookout for any harmful activity.
"So far, so good," Sun said.
"Just keep your eyes open, Wukong. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong," Cassandra said.
As Watson looked down at the crowd below, he soon noticed a Faunus with dog ears carrying a bag walking over to a lampost. next to a large group of people. He sets the bag down at the lampost before speed walking away.
"Guys, I think I see something," he said.
"What is it?" Ren asked.
"A Faunus placing a bag next to a lampost by a large group of civilians and speed walking away," Watson answered.
"It could be the White Fang," Yang said.
"We better check it out," Cassandra said. "Watson, Sustrai, with me."
Cassandra, Watson, and Emerald then ran out of the room as the others continued to keep watch. The three ran out from the back entrance and around the house and passed through the crowd as they continued to listen to Ghira's speech. They ran up to the lamppost and saw the bag placed below it and approached it.
"There's the bag," Watson said.
Cassandra kneels down to the bag and opens it up to reveal a bomb.
"It's a bomb. And from the looks of it, it looks like it's designed for remote detonation," she said.
"Then there might be more in the area. Contact the others and have them help search the area and disarm the bombs if you can. I'll go ahead and disarm this one," Cassandra said.
"Why can't we evacuate everyone out of here now?" Emerald asked.
"Because they'll all panic and the White Fang will know we're on to them and will detonate the bombs," Cassandra answered. "Now go!"
Watson and Emerald ran off as they pulled out their Scrolls, while Cassandra stayed behind to disarm the bomb.
As Blake continues to listen to her father's speech, her Scroll beeps, getting her attention. She pulls her Scroll out of her pocket and sees a message on the screen which read; WHITE FANG SIGHTED! THEY'RE SET UP BOMBS ALL OVER! Blake's eyes widen in shock as she looks up around at her surroundings. She gets up from her seat and walks into the crowd, much to Kali's confusion.
Cassandra carefully cuts a wire to the bomb as the light and blinking digital timer screen on the bomb goes out. She sighs in relief and looks back at the bomb. She looked at the blank number screen and noticed reflecting off of its surface was a Faunus reaching in his pants for something while running up to Cassandra. She extends her leg out backwards, kicking the Faunus in the stomach making him stagger. Cassandra stood up from the ground and grabbed the faunus by the collar and punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious. She drops him to the ground and knelt down to him she reaches into his pants and pulls out a pistol. Cassandra then starts to search for Faunus's body.
Blake walks around through the crowd, looking around for any sign of any bombs set up by the White Fang. She soon noticed outside from the crowd the Faunus with dog ears pulling something out of his jacket revealing a remote detonator. Blake pushes her way past the crowd trying to get to the White Fang soldier. Just as he was about to push the detonator, Blake finally made her way past the crowd and used her semblance to boost herself to the White Fang soldier and tackled him to the ground, making him drop the detonator. Blake gets up and unsheathes Gambol Shroud and points it at the White Fang soldier.
"What are you trying to do here?!" Blake asked.
"Adam wanted us to send a message to the world and to make you pay for your treachery!" the dog Faunus answered. "And if the bombs fail, then we go to the back up plan."
"Back up plan?" Blake asked.
"We have one of our own in the crowd ready to kill your mother and her unborn child," the White Fang soldier answered with a sadistic grin.
Blake gains a look of horror on her face. Just nearby, Watson was listening in to the conversation. He then starts to push his way through the crowd to get to the front. Soon after, he makes it to the front of the crowd.
He looked back at the crowd and noticed a Faunus with bullvine horns on his head holding a TV camera on his shoulder. Watson narrowed her eyes at the camera and noticed a gun barrel next to the camera's lens. He turned his head to see what the camera was pointing at and saw its target was Kali. Watson then sprints up to Kali. Just as the White Fang soldier fires a shot from his camera gun, Watson jumps up in front of Kali, taking the shot to his chest.
The crowd starts to scream and panic, and Ghira stops his speech and looks around in shock. Ren runs up to Ghira trying to pull him to safety. Kali got up from her seat and knelt down to Watson as he leans himself up. He looks around at the crowd and sees the White Fang soldier stepping out of the crowd and aiming his camera gun at Kali again. Watson pulls out one of his pistols and fires a couple shots at the assassin's chest, killing him.
Blake looks to the front of the crowd and sees that Kali was okay and Watson was starting to get up. The White Fang soldier on the ground in front of Blake gets up and picks up the detonator. She turns back around in panic to see the Faunus up with the detonator in his hand.
"This is what's best for all the Faunus!" he yelled.
Just as he was about to push on the detonator, Sun ran up and whacked the remote detonator out of the White Fang soldier's hand with his bowstaff, then whacked him in the head knocking him unconscious. Blakes looks over to Sun as he gives a confident smile.
"I believe this is the part where you say 'My hero!'" Sun said.
Blake rolled her eyes but then smiled at the monkey Faunus.
"Sure. My hero," Blake said.
Back up front, Watson finally got back up from the ground as Kali checked on him.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine. I'll live," Watson answered.
"Kali!" Ghira called.
The two turned their heads to see Ghira running up to his wife with Ren following behind her.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine, honey," Kali answered.
The couple turned to face Watson.
"Thank you for saving my wife," Ghira said.
"You're welcome," Watson replied.
After several minutes, everything started to calm down. Junichi and Wilfred walk up to Ghira as he turns to face him.
"All the bombs have been located and have been disarmed," Junichi said.
"And everyone seems to be calming down now," Wilfred added.
"Then I can finally finish," Ghira said.
The panther Faunus made his way back to the podium as everyone soon turned their attention to him. Ghira then started to speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, everything is now under control thanks to the bravery and actions of the U.H.L. And as for the attempted attack performed by the White Fang, me and my family plan to one day take back the White Fang and rebuild it into a more peaceful organization. The Faunus have been fighting amongst ourselves for too long, and it's time for this to stop. And we won't be alone in this crisis. The ambassadors of the United Nations had officially recognized this land mass as an official nation. And what nation is a nation without a flag?
Two Menagerie guards walk up next to Ghira and hold up a purple flag of a gold wolf with sad eyes and a circle behind its head.
"Dear people of the world, give welcome to the Republic of Menagerie!" Ghira spoke.
The crowd burst into loud cheers and Ghira walks away from the podium, Lydia walks up to him carrying a couple of wine bottles in her hands.
"Courtesy of France, I brought you some drinks to celebrate this moment," she said.
Dining Room
October 11, 2020
The next day, Watson, Emerald, and Ren both walk into the dining room where they see Ghira, Kali, and Sienna all seated at the table. The three adults turned to face the five students that had just entered the room. Yang then walks in along with Sun who was shirtless.
"Good morning, kids," Kali greeted.
"Hey, Mrs. Belladonna," Watson greeted back with a wave.
"You three seem to be in a really good mood today," Emerald said.
"It is a beautiful morning, so who wouldn't be in a good mood today?" Sienna said.
"Wait, Mr. Belladonna. What's that on your lap," Ren asked.
Everyone turned to face Ghira and noticed an ice pack on his lap. After a moment they all gained stunned looks as Watson was the first to speak.
"Wait a minute? Did you two-"
"Yep," Kali answered with a smile, cutting Watson off.
"Kali, please. Don't talk about this in front of them," Ghira said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Yes. Do you have no shame whatsoever?" Sienna asked.
"Don't pretend you didn't enjoy last night, Sienna," Kali said with a smirk.
"What?! Sienna joined in on it?!" Sun asked.
"She enjoyed the show so much I brought her in. And let me tell you, she enjoyed being dominated by me and my husband," Kali answered.
Sienna's cheeks turned red with embarrassment as Yang, Sun, Emerald, Watson, and Emerald looked at three adults in shock.
"Damn," Yang said.
"I have to go to the bathroom," Watson said as he walked out of the room.
Entering into the dining room was a smiling Rebecca and an embarrassed Ilia as both of their faces were red. Everyone took notice of the two girls' expressions.
"Something happened between you two didn't it," Ren said.
"What makes you ask," Ilia asked.
"Your expressions," Emerald answered.
"Ilia gave me a rim job last night," Rebecca said.
"WHAT?!" everyone exclaimed in shock.
"Last night... we were both drunk... Rebecca spilled her drink... on her shorts... and..." Ilia tried to explain.
"Ilia offered to clean up the mess... with her tongue," Rebecca finished.
"And you didn't stop her because...?" Sienna asked.
"She was... very persistent," Rebecca said, rubbing her arm.
"Geez, you guys! Do you not have any shame?!" Sun asked.
"Yeah, there are more of us sleeping here!" Yang added.
"Good morning," a voice greeted with a yawn.
Everyone turned their heads and all gained stunned looks on their faces upon seeing a drowsy Blake wearing nothing but Sun's unbuttoned shirt as she slowly walked up to the table and sat down, oblivious to the state that she was in.
"Mom, could you give another room to Sun please? His bed is too hard to sleep. We... He needs a better one," Blake said to her mother before turning her head to face Yang. "Hey, Yang? Thanks for lending me your pillows. They were very nice to sleep on."
Blake poured herself some tea into her cup and took a sip from it. Everyone looked at Blake still having their stunned expressions on their faces, but none more so than Sun and Yang. Ghira turned his head at the two with an enraged look on his face as Yang and Sun grew nervous expressions.
"I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU TWO!" he roared.
Sun and Yang sprint out of the room as Ghira chases after them.
"I walked in on them. And before you ask, no, they didn't do it," Ren said.
"What happened?" Emerald asked.
"Blake and Sun had a hard time sleeping last night and were having massive headaches. Even though Sun looked like he had it the worst, Yang gave her pillows from her bed to Blake," Ren explained.
"So why is Blake wearing Sun's shirt?" Emerald asked.
"Blake took off her clothes and mistook Sun's shirt for her pajamas. Sun usually sleeps with his shirt off from what I've heard from Neptune one time," Ren answered.
"Then should we... you know... do something?" Emerald asked, gesturing to Sun and Yang being chased down the hall by Ghira.
"Oh, I'm sure Ghira will figure out what really happened eventually," Kali said.
Watson then walks into the dining room.
"Hey guys. What did I mi-" Watson pauses upon seeing Blake in Sun's shirt. "I need to use the bathroom again."
He quickly walks out of the room. Blake looks at everyone for a moment before looking down at herself. Upon seeing the state she was in, she screams, gets up from her seat, and sprints out of the dining room with the aid of her semblance.
"I'd better go talk to her," Kali said as she got up from her seat and walked out to chase after Blake.
"When we get back, let's tell everyone not to drink any whine or alcohal," Ren said.
"Almost everyone here is a horny freak," Emerald muttered.