Chp. 20: Rebellious Rising Pt. 2

Azadi Tower

June 17, 2020

A few days had passed since the loss of Lloyd's eyes. Mayura had recently unlocked Lloyd and Athena's Aura, and had been teaching Siavash, David, Athena, Mitra, Yasu, and Atar some basic forms of combat. Right now, David and Mayura are walking around the Azadi Tower, touring around with Mayura under a disguise.

The leopard Faunus was wearing a pair of white shoes, gray pants, a pink t-shirt with a blue trench coat over it, and a thick, blue hijab, hiding her hair and leopard ears.

"So this is Tehran's most popular landmark?" Mayura asked.

"Azadi Tower was built to commemorate the twenty-five hundredth anniversary of the Persian Empire and to symbolize Iran's cultural heritage and spirit of freedom. It had been called Shahyad Tower in honor of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Persia, but was later renamed Azadi, which means Freedom," David explained.

"With Iran's current state, I would exactly call it 'free,'" Mayura said.

"That is true. We're not truly free from where we currently stand. And the world refuses to help us because our leaders won't allow it, and the world's leaders' hatred for them which would then be extended to us," David said.

"So you guys are pretty much on your own then, huh?" Mayura asked.

"Yep. No help whatsoever. And it's likely that we're never going to get help at all," David answered. "We really are on our own."

"A miracle will happen, someday. Just wait," Mayura said. "What else have you got to show me? Are there any more places that are tied to your nation?"

"Just a few more places to go," David replied.

Pardisan Park

Throughout the day, David and Mayura had been going around Tehran, seeing monuments within the city. They've gone to see the Milad Tower, the Tabiat Bridge, and the Tehran Grand Bazaar. Right now, David and Mayura were walking around Pardisan Park, enjoying the area around them.

"You know, if you ignore the flaws there is a lot of beauty to be seen here," Mayura said.

"There is one more beautiful thing that I grew to like. One that's been recently added," David said.

"What's that?" Mayura asked.

"I'm looking at it right now," David answered.

The leopard Faunus was surprised by his answer. A small tint of red started to appear on her cheeks.

"You think I'm beautiful?" Mayura asked.

"Around me, you don't have to hide who you are," David answered.

"David!" a voice called out.

David and Mayura turned to see Mitra running over to them, while pulling Lloyd, who's eyes were now bandaged over, with her. As they approached, David noticed Lloyd was sobbing as Mitra was trying to comfort him.

"What's going on? What's happened?" David asked.

"The IRGC... they came to Lloyd's house... they tried to take us away! We ran away, but-" Mitra gets cut off by Lloyd.

"They killed my parents!"

David and Mayura were horrified upon hearing the news. David knew Lloyd's parents to be nice people who loved their son dearly. To hear that they had just been killed was heartbreaking.

"They tried to buy me and Lloyd some time to escape, but were gunned down as a result," Mitra explained.

"I'm so sorry, Lloyd," Mayura said.

"Was this because of the attack on you guys a few days ago?" David asked.

"It wasn't just that. It was because we had our aura unlocked," Mitra answered.

This answer surprised the couple. They were now wondering why the IRGC took a sudden interest in Lloyd and Mitra's Aura.

"Did they want to kill you because they see Aura as heretical, or something?" Mayura asked.

"They never said. They told us that we were going with them, whether we like it or not," Mitra answered.

"Let's call the others, and find a place for you guys to hid until we can figure something out," David said.

"Yeah. And the rest of us will have to hide too, if the IRGC is after those with Aura," Mayura added.

"You're right. especially since we're now involved in this whole thing," David said.

David, Mayura, Mitra, and Lloyd then started to leave the area to find a temporary place to hide.

Slums

Later within Tehran's urban slums, it was sunset as David, Mayura, Mitra, and Lloyd were gathered, along with Siavash, Athena, Atar, and Yasu to figure out what to do to get out of the situation they were in.

"I'm sorry, Lloyd," Siavash said as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"What will happen to our families when the government finds that the rest of us have Aura too?" Yasu asked.

"Or that Mayura is a Faunus?" Athena added.

"I don't know. And I'm not sure I want to find out," Atar said.

"The government is trying to arrest you for your aura?" a new voice cuts in.

Everyone turns around to see a woman completely covered in black garbs approaching the group.

"Can we help you?" Siavash asked.

"I overheard your conversation, especially the part about the IRGC coming after you for this... Aura you call it," the woman replied. "You children are not the only ones to be facing this predicament," the woman said.

"What do you mean?" Athena asked.

"Come with me. All will be explained," the woman said as she turned around and started walking down into an alleyway.

"Should we trust her?" Atar asked.

"Do we have any options at this point?" Siavash asked. "Let's just follow her."

The group then follows closely behind the woman as she leads them away.

Later at night, the woman led Siavash, David, Mayura, Athena, Mitra, Lloyd, Atar, and Yasu outside of the city and to a cave within a mountain, where a dim light shined out. The woman stops at the cave's entrance and turns around to face the group behind her.

"The others are just inside," the woman said.

The woman turns back around and enters inside the cave as the others follow behind her. They all walked through the cave tunnel for a minute as the light they were approaching was getting brighter the more they got closer. They soon entered inside a large cavern with lights mounted onto the walls of the cavern with a small crowd gathered in the middle of the cavern.

At the far end of the cavern were several TV screens and speakers set up all over the place, and a podium made from old wood with a microphone. The group all looked around wondering what all this was about. Siavash approached the woman and leaned in towards her ear.

"What is all this?" he asked.

"All these people are facing persecution and are being hunted down like animals, all because we all share one thing in common," the woman answered.

The group wondered what she meant at first, but then they saw the woman pull up her sleeve as her arm briefly flashed gold for a moment. The group all grew stunned looks on their faces as Mayura spoke out for everyone.

"Everyone here has Aura."

"If that's what you kid call this phenomenon, then yes," the woman replied. "We all are gathered here for a reason, and you're about to find out why that is, while receiving your answers at the same time."

A man walks up behind the podium and taps on the microphone as the crowd in front of him grew silent and faced him. The man soon began to speak into the microphone

"Good evening. Tonight we are all gathered here because we are all being hunted down, forced to flee from our homes because of the gifts we have been given after another world beyond us had merged with our very Earth."

The crowd listened with interest, wondering what they will be seeing.

"I would like to show you all some videos that a spy has taken of what the government is doing to those they had detained in the past couple days."

The screens then turned on as they each were showing the same video. They showed a naked man strapped to a gurney with a few men approaching him, some in lab coats, and others in military uniforms. One of the soldiers pulls out a pistol and fires a shot into the man's chest, making him cry out in pain, but was fine when it was revealed the man has Aura. The screen switches to another video of a naked woman strapped to a chair. A man in a hazmat suit, was carrying a bucket of acid approached the woman before splashing it on the woman. Despite her Aura protecting her, she screamed in agony from the burning pain from the acid.

The screens once again switches to another video of a couple of small frightened boys strapped to a couple of chairs. A couple of men approached the two boys, one was holding a small vial labeled with the word 'cyanide,' and a syringe, and the other was carrying a large plastic case with a Persian rattlesnake inside it. The first man approached one of the two boys and poke the syringe into the vial of cyanide and filled it up. He then takes the needle and pokes it into the boy's arm and injects the liquid into him. The second man sets the case next to the other boy, then unstraps the boy's left arm and grips it. The man opens the case and forces the boy's hand inside it with the snake. The snake bites the boy's hand as he cries out in pain. The two boys reeled and cried in agony, with the first boy beginning to foam at the mouth.

Everyone watching the videos were horrified by what they saw. Some were crying and vomited at the torture that the people on the screens were enduring. The crowd grew fearful when they soon realized that they would face the same treatment and experimentation if they were to be captured as well.

"Oh, my God!" Mitra muttered.

"What the hell are they doing?" Mayura asked.

"I think they're trying to study these people's Aura," Athena answered.

"That or they're just being complete sadists," Atar said.

The screens then shut off as the man behind the podium spoke.

"Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has secretly ordered people like us, people with these gifts to be taken in for his regime's sick gain! But there is another reason why he is doing this," the man said. "Can anyone tell me what that may be?"

Everyone was murmuring with each other as the man waited for an answer.

"Anyone at all have an answer?" the man asked.

"Because those tyrants are afraid of us!" David shouted out.

Everyone went silent as they all turned their attention to David. The man spoke up, breaking the silence.

"That's right, boy. Because they are afraid of us. And if we the people, the masses, ever figure out that we can use these gifts against them, especially in masses, then Iran can become truly free and our oppressors can be removed from power!"

The crowd gave out shouts of anger as Siavash, Athena, Mitra, Atar, and Yasu gave out looks of concern.

"That's exactly what we should do!"

"Our protests are barely making any progress!"

"We need to take action!"

"We should build up our numbers, arms, and strength first!" Mayura shouted.

"That way we can get organized and finally take down our oppressors! Death to tyrants!" David shouted.

The crowd cheered in agreement to David and Mayura's words, while Siavash, Athena, Lloyd, Mitra, Atar, and Yasu looked at the two in worry.

"I like the way you think, kid! Once we get ourselves organized, we the people will take back out freedom through any means necessary!" the man proclaimed.

The crowd cheered, eager to take action against the government and overthrow it.

"Siavash!"

Flashback End

"Siavash!"

Siavash was interrupted with Laura calling him.

"We're closing up the arena!" Laura said as she and Samuel walked out of the exit.

"I'll finish up another time, Mitrandil," Siavash said.

"Very well, Siavash," Mitrandil replied.

Siavash jogs over to the exit before Samuel and Laura lock up the doors.