The People's Will

Shingu: I think I just stepped in dog poo.

The passage of the two cloaked figures was halted by the smaller one's statement. They'd been traversing the misty, narrow backstreets of the North Blue kingdom, Providence, for some time and the larger figure's patience had been worn thin by their slow progress, the day was fading and they had barely explored any of the kingdom.

Orc: Shingu, you realise that this island has no dogs right? The king hates all animals and doesn't allow even a flea to enter his kingdom.

The small figure shuffled over to him, trying to move and scrape the matter off his feet simultaneously.

Shingu: Well Orc, if there aren't any dogs, then what's this stuff that I keep stepping in?

Orc inspected the trail that Shingu had smeared on the street behind him.

Orc: Those are human faeces.

Shingu: [stares at Orc] What.

Orc: You have human poo on your foot. Many people around here don't have access to food, shelter or even toilets. So they go on the streets.

Shingu stared at his feet for a bit then looked up brightly.�Shingu: Well, the bright side of this is…[stands still, deep in thought]

Orc sighed and grabbed Shingu by the back of his hood, carrying him forward. He knew that his colleague would be lost in thought for a while.

A short distance away…

Thug 1: GIVE US THE F***ING MONEY YOU LITTLE SH*TS!�The man and girl shrank back into the garbage and grime that coated the alley, the man pushing the girl behind him, putting himself between her and the gang of thugs that were threatening them. A smaller, greasier man (whose long nose and odd moustache style made him look like a rat) detached himself from the group and slinked up to the two >ragged victims<, wide sleazy grin spread across his mousy face.

Wurst: What my compatriot means is that it would be in your best interests to give us a small fee. After all, there are dangerous people on these streets…

Wurst stopped in front of the man, leering over him despite being several inches shorter.

Wurst: …and we wouldn't want you and little Lily here getting hurt, would we?

Flax: Damnit Wurst…you were one of us!

Wurst looked at his nails.

Wurst: Yes, well…I found a better opportunity Flax. Even a thief is better off than a Slummer.

The girl screamed at the leader from behind her father.

Lily: We don't have anything, go away!

Flax visibly stiffened. He knew that Lily had just made a costly mistake. Wurst's grin vanished from his face and he sneered.

Wurst: Well if that's the case, we'll just take the girl instead. There are many…uses for a young girl, uses that we can profit from. Hudson, grab her. And kill Flax, I do hate loose ends.

The leader shifted to the side of the alley as the largest thug, presumably Hudson, pulled a knife from his belt and advanced on the Slummers. Flax grabbed a small rotting plank from the trash next to him and brandished it at Hudson.

Flax: Lily, run! I'll hold them off!

But Lily was frozen, terrified of the knife that Hudson was slowly turning over and over as he advanced towards them, his large frame blocking out the malicious grins of the thugs behind him. Flax was trembling from head to toe much to Hudson's amusement.

Hudson: [Looking back at the other thugs] Aw look lads, he thinks he's some kinda hero! [Turning back to the father] Whatcha gonna do old man, give me a splinter?

The thugs behind him sniggered and elbowed each other until Wurst gave them a sharp look.

Wurst: I'm not getting any richer gentlemen, pick up the pace!

Hudson nodded and turned back to Flax, jokes set aside in the interest of cold hard cash. He raised his knife and stabbed down at the old man, down…down…

Down?

Hudson was bewildered. He was stabbing downwards, but why was the knife not getting any closer to the old geezer's chest? Come to think of it, why was the sky moving downwards too? It was almost like he was falli…

The back of Hudson's head crashed against the cold hard ground, knife spilling out of his hands, consciousness leaving his body. Flax looked up to see a small, cloaked figure behind Hudson's body. His leg was still outstretched from kicking the thug's legs out from beneath himself.

Shingu: That guy was a jerk. [Turning back to face the other thugs] He was a jerk, right? [Slapped his head] Oh right I forgot, do any of you have a tissue or something? [He held up his poo-stained shoe, some of which had come off on Hudson]

The rest of the thugs were still standing at the head of the alley, just as bemused as Flax and Lily at the stranger's appearance. Wurst quickly recovered. "Kill that bastard!" he screamed at his three remaining minions. They rumbled into motion, advancing on the small figure who turned to face them.

Orc: You jumped the gun again Shingu!

Before anyone could react, Orc appeared out of the mist behind the rear two brutes and jabbed his hands into the back of their necks, knocking them out. The final brute whirled around to face the new opponent, but quickly regretted this decision when Shingu kicked him in the back of the head, knocking him out and staining his hair with more brown matter.

Orc: You can't keep doing this, we need to coordinate if we're going into a combat situation!

Shingu: Come on Orc, if I hadn't kicked him when I did, he would've stabbed the old guy! He forced my hand.

Orc: [Shaking his head] Well if you hadn't been stepping in every pile of stool on the way here, we would've gotten here earlier and you wouldn't have needed to act so rashly.

Shingu: Well look on the bright side, it all worked out didn't it?

A scream rang out from the alley. Orc and Shingu turned to see that Wurst had grabbed Lily, Hudson's discarded knife retrieved and at her throat.

Wurst: All of you back off! One move and she dies!

Orc and Shingu stood still, but Flax had gotten up and was leaning on his plank. He tensed as if to charge the thug, but Wurst pressing his knife deeper into Lily's throat convinced him otherwise and he backed down, glowering at the sneering rat-faced bastard.

Wurst: [Sneering, but shaken] Alright, that's better. Now, I'm gonna leave with my paycheck, and none of you are going to do anything to stop me, got it?

He started edging forward with Lily through the middle of the alley, eyes darting between Orc and Shingu, Flax forgotten. As he passed Flax, the plank that Flax was leaning on suddenly snapped, sending him toppling forward. In reflex, Wurst slashed wildly at Flax, leaving a large gash across his stomach. At this Orc started running towards Flax, pulling out two syringes. In a moment of panic, Wurst tossed Lily aside and ran at Orc, flailing his knife and screaming. Orc waited for him to get close then jabbed the knife-wielding hand with one of the syringes. As Wurst fell to the ground unconscious, Orc raced over to Flax and caught his falling body, jabbing him with the second syringe. He took some bandages out from underneath his cloak and started binding the wound, maintaining pressure over it. Meanwhile, Shingu helped Lily up.

Shingu: You okay miss? Not injured anywhere?

Lily touched her throat where the knife had left a small cut.

Lily: He cut me here…Is my father going to be okay? [starts crying]

Shingu: [trying to calm her down] Hey, stop crying! Hold on…

Shingu pulled the hood of his cloak back revealing a red shock of hair and a freckled face with kind green eyes. He reached into his bag and took out a comically tiny fez, and perched it on top of his head. He painted such a goofy image, Lily couldn't help but giggle a bit.

Lily: You realize you look ridiculous right?

Shingu: [Smiling wide] What are you talking about? I look fabulous!

Orc: You look ridiculous.

Lily turned to see that Orc had finished treating Flax and had also pulled his hood back, revealing a gruff, bushy-bearded frowning face with deep brown eyes, head covered in short black hair and…topped with a fez, even smaller than Shingu's. Lily tried to keep herself from laughing (after all, these people had saved her life) but Orc's grumpy expression proved to be difficult not to laugh at.

Shingu: You call me ridiculous, but you were the first of us to start wearing these!

Orc: It was a gift, I wasn't going to be so rude as to not wear it. [To Lily] Where do you live? We need to get this man stabilised  as soon as possible.

Lily: [serious again] We live nearby, I can show you!

Orc and Shingu put their hoods back on and picked up Flax, keeping him as still as possible. With Lily leading the way they scurried through the backstreets. As they ran, Orc noticed soldiers and Surveillance Den Den Mushi dotted around and above the streets, watching the citizens walking and gossiping. As they moved further into the backstreets, the city got darker and more ominous, the people more dishevelled and the streets caked in grime. However, Lily seemed to grow more talkative as they progressed, gaining a spring in her step as if she was more comfortable in this harsh environment. She told them about herself and Flax, saying that they were lower-class citizens, or Slummers as they were known by the middle and upper-classes, who were in turn called Tops' and Commons'. She explained that the three classes despised one another, the Tops lorded themselves over the Commons and Slummers, the Slummers hated the Tops and Commons for having so much wealth while they had none, and the Commons wanted the Slummers to get a job and the Tops to share their wealth. As a result, there was constant friction between the classes and it was taboo to form a relationship with another class. The Slummers coped by banding together into groups, some groups like Lily's just tried to scrounge whatever they could, while others like the thugs formed gangs and preyed on the weak.

Finally they arrived at a group of small houses sitting in a pit of sewerage, several falling apart and several more already collapsed into the mire of filth. The surviving abodes weren't looking much better, assembled with scrap metal and rotting wood. The only reason they still stood was by achieving some strange balance between the swamp and structure, greedy grip of the grunge providing surprisingly strong foundation. Lily guided them to one of these intact houses, nimbly jumping around on small islands of solid ground. The other members of this strange party followed through the sewerage, Flax's feet trailing through the sludge. Lily made a final large jump to the door of the house and yelled through the door, "Flax's been hurt! Come quick!". A crowd of Slummers spilled out of the house, eyes darting around before falling on Orc and Shingu. They instantly moved in front of Lily and pulled out makeshift weapons, pointing them at the intruders.

Lily: Stop it! They saved us from Wurst!

The slummers looked at each other in confusion, but continued pointing their weapons at the duo. One of them stepped forward, a tall woman with steel eyes and a steel pipe.�Gladys: Put him down slowly and back away! This is our business.

Shingu: You sure? He's pretty beat u-

Gladys: [Cutting him off with a wave of her pipe] We take care of our own here. Strangers like you should leave.

Shingu moved to speak but Orc stopped him.�Orc: What is your name?�Gladys: [Taken aback] …Gladys. Tsuyoi Gladys.

Orc: Gladys, this man has a large wound that may have pierced his stomach. His body is malnourished and sick and he is a hair away from death. [Taking off his hood (and fez)] If you want this man to live, you must allow me to help him.

Lily: Please Gladys, let him help! [Puppy dog eyes]

Gladys continued to stare at Orc, steel gaze searching his face for any sign of hostility. The other slummers looked to her, waiting for her to make a decision. Finally, she lowered her weapon and sighed.

Gladys: If you try anything, we will kill you.

Orc bowed his head and Gladys nodded at the other slummers, who rushed to help carry Flax inside.

They laid Flax on the best bed in the corner of the house and Orc started treating him, changing his bandages, and giving him some food that Shingu had brought. After a while, Orc stood up, turned around and sighed.

Orc: It was closer than I would've liked, but he'll recover.

Lily and the other slummers [except Gladys] cheered and hugged each other, some even dancing.

Shingu: [slapping Orc on the back] Never doubted you man!

Orc: [Drily] Yes, you made that quite evident when you started playing patty cake with Lily.

Shingu: [Off-handed] What do you expect? She's the only kid here and there's not much that passes as fun around here.

Orc looked around the house. Now that Shingu mentioned it, there were no other children around and the surroundings suggested that this was the norm, a single child-sized straw bed was wedged next to Flax's bed and it seemed that the other people slept on the muck-soaked floor.

Shingu: Seems that slummers rarely have children. It's just not feasible to sustain them, another mouth to feed and they're not likely to survive infection, hunger and prowling gangs. [jokingly] On top of that, Lily says that there's a monster that comes out at night and eats small kids. Guess they like their ghost stories around here.

Orc: Speaking of Lily, where is she?

Shingu: [Looking around] Aww crap, I think she ran off. And it was my turn to watch her!

Orc: [Looking almost amused] They've already got you on a chore schedule?

Shingu: [Nodding] On the bright side, they don't have a toilet to clean out. *Pause* [Looks at Orc] Too dark?

Orc: Too dark.

Shingu: [sighing] I'd better go find her before they decide to kill us after all.

Lily hopped over a mass of pipes, around the rat's nest (the rats were known for their sharp teeth and tendency to target the crotch) and clambered under the rusted fence, until she'd reached her favourite spot, an outstretch of piping that overlooked the island's cold stone coast. None of the grown-ups could squeeze through the hole in the fence so she'd claimed this small area as her own, and she had to come here every day to reassure herself that it was there. Especially since…

Ryan: Well look what the sewer coughed up!

…since Ryan and the other kids shared this area. The piping also intersected with the tops and commons districts and as time went by, more and more kids had found the spot and wanted to play there. Ryan was the only tops kid among them as all the other tops children were confined to their homes, to be moulded into Tops grown-ups. Ryan's parents had more children than any other Tops family and couldn't monitor each of them, so it was easy for him to escape to this area. Upon finding the piping, he had been quick to make an enemy of Lily.

Lily: At least I came out the top end. The sewer had to crap you out and left a present on your head!

Ryan: My hair is worth more than your entire house!

Lily: My house isn't sitting on an empty skull!

Ryan: Of course it isn't, it'd collapse from the weight of your fat ass!

Lily: Fat cat!

Ryan: Pond scum!

The Commons kids cheered and egged them on. The insults had become part of their routine, mirroring the snide words of their parents behind closed doors, and the Commons kids were drawn to this back-and-forth routine. After a while they would tire, and the unspoken victor would stay while the loser slunk back home with their tail between their legs, and the Commons left to find new entertainment. Ryan usually won, but once Lily realised that winning was the only way to get the spot to herself she'd been practising. And now that she knew that Flax would be alright, she wasn't going to hold back.

Shingu: Hello!

The Commons kids screamed and ran away when Shingu popped out from the fence. Ryan hesitated for a moment, then scrambled back to his own fence, glaring over his shoulder at Lily as if blaming her for the stranger's appearance. Lily felt a sense of triumph, but it was hollow as if she had cheated somehow by allowing Shingu to follow her here. She sighed and turned to Shingu.

Lily: How did you find me?

Shingu: [Grinning] Everyone leaves a trail. You just have to know what to look for. A disturbed rat's nest, a Lily-sized hole in a fence, it's kinda telling. And besides, [exaggerates holds his nose] I can smell you from a mile away.

They both laughed. After a bit, Shingu looked at the holes and gaps where the other kids had fled home.

Shingu: So it looks like this is a "no grown-ups" kind of place. [rubbing his head] Sorry if I got you in trouble for breaking that rule.

Lily: No…it's okay. Ryan and the others are jerks anyway.

They sat down on the edge of the piping, staring at the water.

Shingu: [Looking out at the horizon] All the same, it's lonely without people your own age to talk to. [Grins] I know how that feels, they don't have any other 10-year-olds in the Revolutionaries. [Shudders] Besides one…

Lily: The Revolutionaries? Who are they?

Shingu: Well, [scratching his head] in a nutshell I suppose we're a big group of people trying to make the world a better place.

Lily: How do you do that?

Shingu: Well, we go from place to place and help good people who are having trouble, and stop people from doing bad things.

Lily: [excited] So are you here to help us?

Shingu: [Laughs awkwardly] Sorta, we're just on recon and-

Lily: [Jumps onto Shingu and hugs him] You mean it? [Kawaii eyes!]

Shingu: [Sweatdrop] Um…yeah, we're here to help you.

Lily: That's awesome! [Suddenly jumps off Shingu and looks 'thoughtful'] But what about the bad guys?

Shingu: What?

Lily: How do you stop the Tops and Commons from doing bad things?

Shingu: [Tired] Ahmm…well, I know you say that the Tops and Commons are the bad guys, but are you sure that they're actually bad people? I mean, I know you argue with that Ryan kid, but do you really hate him?

Lily: [Cross] Of course I do. He and the rest of them all have money and nice houses and we live in the sewers! They don't share any of it! Even the king said so!

Shingu: The king?

Lily: Yeah, he said that he couldn't help us because all the Tops and Commons didn't want to give us any money!

Shingu: He did huh?…Anyway, if they have all that nice stuff, why do they still leave all that to come here?

Lily: Because…um…[straining to come up with a reason]…they're poop-heads!

Shingu: [Getting up and patting her on the head] Well, whatever the case, we're still gonna help you guys. [Turned back to the hole in the fence]

Lily: Pinky promise?

Shingu turned back to see Lily's pinky finger pointed at him, her expression serious.

Lily: If you pinky swear, then I'll know you're serious.

Shingu stared at her face, then reached out his hand and grabbed her pinky with his own, matching her serious expression.

Shingu: I promise, I will do everything I can to help all of you.

Satisfied, Lily let go and scampered to the fence, squeezed through the gap and waited for Shingu to crawl through.

They trekked back through the rat's nest (the rats were oddly all unconscious and sporting shoe prints on their faces) and over the pipes, arriving back at the house. All the occupants were gathered outside, obscuring something just outside the door. One of the figures was…

Lily: Flax! You're okay!

Flax turned around with a grim look on his face, a look that got even grimmer when he saw Shingu standing next to Lily. Lily ran up to him and he knelt down opening his arms and hugging Lily, but never taking his eyes off Shingu.

Flax: You should leave.

Shingu was worried. The situation looked tense and he couldn't see Orc anywhere in the crowd.

Shingu: [Holding up his hands] Okay, I know I didn't keep a very good eye on Lily, but if you look on the bright side I think you'll see-

He stopped when he realised that Flax was holding a hat in one of his hands. A familiar, small, red…

Fez.

Shingu instantly dashed into the crowd, pushing them aside until he found…

Orc on the ground, on one knee and clutching his shoulder. He had blood running down his face, coming from a large cut across his forehead. Standing over him was Gladys, hands clutching her pipe with blood dripping off. Upon seeing Shingu, she pointed the pipe at him.

Gladys: You're one of the Revolutionaries too?

Shingu held up his hands and nodded. The other slummers backed away from him.

Shingu: Why are you doing this? If it's because I lost Lily, I'm really sorr-

Gladys: You may have saved Flax's life, but we won't have Revolutionaries [spitting out the word] in our homes. [Turning around] We'll spare your lives, but I never want to see you or any other Revolutionaries here again, got it?

Lily: [pleading] But Flax, they-

Flax: [gently pushing Lily away] Lily, just…this is for the best, okay?

Flax walked over to Orc and knelt down beside him.

Flax: Please, don't make a fuss, just promise that you'll leave.

Orc looked up and Flax almost lost his nerve, he expected to see anger or fear in those eyes but he only found sadness.

Orc: I promise, we'll leave you in peace.

Shingu helped Orc to his feet, and they turned to leave.

Lily: Shingu!

Shingu looked over his shoulder at Lily and mouthed "sorry", then kept walking.

They walked until they reached solid ground. Shingu helped Orc sit down next to a wall, grabbed a small kit from his cloak and started sewing Orc's head wound.

Orc: You promised her that we'd help.

Shingu: [Sighing] She used puppy-dog eyes on me, how could I say no?

Orc: You've got to stop making stupid promises-

Shingu: [Cutting him off] You're one to talk, what the hell are you doing promising NOT to help? And for that matter, what was their problem with the Revolutionaries?

Orc: [Sighing] The same problem that I expect the rest of the people in this country have. Tell me, did Lily mention anything about the king?

Shingu: [Thinking back] Now that you mention it, she did say that the king couldn't help them because the Tops and Commons didn't want to give away their money.

Orc: Which is odd, since I heard conversations while we were in the Commons district, conversations about how the Slummers refused to take help from the king and that the Tops refused to share any of their money.

Shingu: So…?

Orc: So I suspect the reason that the people have been turned against each other, and the reason they don't want the Revolutionaries here is because…

[Cut to a fancy looking room, a single giant window with a high view looking down on the City Square and other tall buildings indicates that this room is situated in the tallest building in Providence, the palace that sits in the middle of the kingdom. In front of the window sits a large throne, with a small man resting upon it, who couldn't have been older than 16.]

The King: The people are dogs!

This man is The King of Providence. That's not a typo, even though his family's name is well known by the kingdom he still demands to be known as The King. And when The King demands something, you give it to him. This rule is known well throughout the palace, because if you don't follow it…well, speaking about that is forbidden by The King.

The King: Am I not right gentlemen?

The advisors and hand-servants kneeling in front of him all hurriedly nod and bow, murmuring "Yes, my King." One of them, a tall skinny man, was slightly slower than the others. The King's nostrils flared and he stood up.

The King: YOU!

The other servants quickly backed away from the perpetrator who was now looking panicked, his eyes darting around the faces that had betrayed him before being drawn back to the approaching King. Even kneeling, the servant was taller than the stout King, but still trails of sweat dripped off the servant's body. The King squinted at him.

The King: Tell me your name.

Ashew: [nervously] Ashew, my King.

The King: Well, Shoe…

Ashew opened his mouth to correct him, but a sharp glance closed it again.

The King: Well Shoe, since you don't seem to understand my reasoning, I would be more than happy to…educate you.

The King turned around and strolled to the window, beckoning at Ashew to follow him. He pointed towards the unseen City Square.

The King: What do you see Shoe?

Ashew: Uh…I see the City Square…and people walking through the Square…and ice-cream stands?

The King: [Facepalms] Wrong Shoe, completely wrong!

The King grabbed Ashew's bent head and smoshed it against the glass.

The King: [Voice raising] I'll tell you what you see, Shoe. You see those fat pug Tops plodding about like they own the place, you see those thick-skulled bulldog Commons clogging up the streets, you see those dirty sheepdog Slummers begging for [Spitting the word out] charity!

He threw Ashew aside and slammed his hands against the glass. In the window's reflection, Ashew could see a mad spark in The King's eyes, a fire that grew the longer he ranted.

The King: [Yelling] DOGS! All of them scrounging for my morsels, pissing on my streets, and they just take, take, TAKE!

Suddenly, The King became quiet. When he turned around, all the servants shivered. He was now smiling, but the madness was still burning fiercely in his eyes.

The King: But you see, my late father was a smart man. He realised that if you take a dog's bone, it will bite you until you give the bone back. [Starts pacing in front of the window] But then he got to thinking, what if a dog takes a bone from another dog? Well then, neither dog will ever let go of the bone.

The King stopped pacing next to Ashew and leaned over him.

The King: So tell me Shoe, what do you think my father did?

Ashew: [Straining to follow The King's logic] He…gave the people a bone?

The King: [Sigh] Close enough. He gave them hatred!

The King turned and gestured to a console on the side of the room, layered with screens and instruments. The screens showed views of the Tops, Commons and Slummer areas, as well as the City Square.

The King: He divided this island into 3 areas, splitting the Tops, Commons and Slummers, and placed surveillance everywhere. Then he slowly poisoned them against each other, every problem became the fault of the greedy Tops, the stupid Commons or the filthy Slummers. He bred the trust out of them, now they only see their bone and their enemies. They will repel anyone who is not their own, even children and senile old fools hate all that is different because everything wants to take their measly little bone. [Laughs loudly, then stops] However…

The King walked back to the window. He followed the path of two Commons children playing hide-and-seek. The seeker found the hider and they both spilled into unheard giggles.

The King: My father did not strike at the root of the problem. I shall fix that. [Noticed Ashew] Oh, you're still here? Guards!

A pair of large, burly men entered the room. The King pointed to Ashew. The guards each grabbed one of Ashew's arms, ignoring his cries.

The King: I have no use of a dog who doesn't obey his master. You were condemned the moment you faltered. [To the guards] Take him to the experimental trials.

The guards dragged the screaming Ashew out of the room. The King turned to the other servants.

The King: Leave me.

The servants all rushed to their feet, backing out of the room and bowing, murmuring "Thank you my King". Alone, The King strode to the console and pressed a button.

The King: Stain!

A Den Den Mushi emerged from the console, with a label on it that read "Stein". It woke up, indicating that the other end of the call had connected.

Stein: Yes my King?

The King: Are the preparations complete, Stain?

Stein: Yes my King.

The King: Gooooood.

Stein: [hesitating] However…

The King: [getting frustrated] What?

Stein: [nervous] The…trial subjects have all failed, besides the one you've just sent down. We're prepping him now.

The King: [Sigh] Well, I guess I'll have to make do. Continue the plans for tomorrow, Stain!

Stein: [sounding relieved] Yes my King. Thank you my King.

The King pushed several more buttons on the console, retracting Stein's Den Den Mushi and replacing it with a Baby Den Den Mushi, with a label, "Dogs".

All over Providence, Den Den Mushi emitted a whining noise, signifying that The King was about to speak to the people. Tops, Commons, Slummers and the two Revolutionaries all fell silent and awaited the words of royalty.

The King: Ahem. People of Providence, Tops, Commons and Slummers! This, is your King!

* cheers from the people*

The King: I know that you have endured much in my kingdom. Some of you more than others.

* sneers from the people at the other people*

Well no more! Tomorrow, at dawn, you shall all gather in the City Square! There, you shall all get what you deserve! I will grant unto you, the people's destiny, the people's ultimate goal…

The People's Will!

* A second of silence, then cheers, celebration, etcetera from the people*

The King: If you have any questions, or want to thank me, then blah blah blah blah…

Shingu threw a rock at the offending Den Den Mushi, who gave him a dark look and moved far away from them.

Shingu: …so that was weird. [turning to Orc] I mean, if what you said about the king - or "The King" - is true, then it doesn't seem like he would just suddenly give everybody free stuff.

Orc: Exactly. Which makes me think that this situation is not what it appears.

Shingu: [Excited] So we're…?

Orc: [Sigh] Yes, we're going to help them. At the cost of my promise. Are you happy now?

Shingu: [Grinning] Kinda, yeah.

They got up and started moving towards the City Square. Behind them, a cloaked figure emerged from the street and followed their trail.

They ducked into side streets, ran through houses, and leapt over grungy stalls selling watches (minute hand sold separately). They arrived in the square at dusk, the crowds were slowly draining away and even the ice cream stands were packing up. Orc studied the area while Shingu haggled for choc chip and vanilla ice creams. After a few minutes, they determined that the largest building would most likely hold the answers to their questions. They also failed to buy the ice cream. The only way in seemed to be a loading bay, but it was heavily guarded. They were circling the building again when Shingu spotted an air vent on the outer wall. Evading patrols, they positioned themselves below the air vent and Orc threw Shingu upwards. He grabbed on to the grating, pulled it off and let himself inside. A short while later, the loading bay guards were called away (someone had let all the spare Den Den Mushi free and scrawled "YEW SUK" on the wall) and Shingu appeared in the bay, beckoning to Orc. They ducked into The Palace, Shingu scouting ahead while Orc figured out where to search next. Heading downwards they followed staircase after staircase, reasoning that the shadiest of activities would be hidden deep below the ground.

After what seemed like forever (or what Shingu claimed was forever, Orc said that it had been half an hour), the Revolutionaries reached the lowest floor of The Palace. The stairs ended, leading down a long corridor and through a set of oddly large double doors. They pushed through the doors, evading the sight of a Den Den Mushi that was positioned above the door, and were greeted by large, dirty vats and rows of bulky machinery. The machinery was humming and the vats making an unpleasant noise that could only be described as "gloopagloopagloop". The floor was strangely devoid of personnel. Or maybe it wasn't strange, who knows what the work hours are like around here? Orc walked up to one of the vats and wiped away the layer of slime oozing over it, revealing…

Shingu: What the fang-faced f***?

Inside the vat was a curled up person…or being…enitity?...maybe fang-faced f*** was right. It did indeed have a mouth bulging with giant, razor-sharp fangs. It was completely naked and bald, which made its bulging muscles all the more obvious. And at Orc's estimate, if the creature was to stand at its full height it would be over 5 metres in height. Inspection of other vats revealed similar creatures. Some had hair, some had scales, some had claws, some had large fangs like the first one and some had even larger fangs. But they all shared the same large muscles and giant size.

Shingu: [in awe] This…is an army!

Orc: [Grimly] No. [leaned down and pointed at the claws of one of the creatures] It's hard to see, but these claws aren't designed for fighting, they're too curved. The others share similar characteristics, all seem to be engineered for hunting rather than as a military force. Additionally, the muscles seem to be developed for heavy lifting rather than speed or fighting strength. Combine that with how they've been mass-produced, and that suggests something even worse.

Shingu: [manic look] Worse? What's worse than a killer mutant army?

Orc: [Gulped] Killer mutant exterminators. [clenching his fists] These creatures were created to kill an innocent, peaceful population and then serve as manual labour.

Shingu: Kill a population? You mean Providence? Lily, Flax, everyone?

Orc: [Through gritted teeth] Yes. These vats couldn't possibly be transported off the island in the boats we saw in the harbour, and if the creatures were awake they would be far too cumbersome to transport. Therefore, they can only be intended for people on this island. The King is also assembling all the people on the island in one place at dawn, that cannot be a coincidence.

Shingu stared at the rows of vats, each one containing a killing- No, a hunting machine.

Shingu: [Worried] How many do you think there are?

Orc: In this room, there appear to be over 30. Each one has the strength of roughly 10 men. [Walks off to the side of the room]

Shingu: [Fumbling through the maths, counting on his fingers] 300 men? I think that's doable…

Orc: [From across the room] Shingu, when we came in, did you see what this room was called?

Shingu: [Quizzical] No, why?

Orc: This room is called Storage Area III.

Shingu: [what] What.

Orc: [Pointing at a large door to the side of the room, and the sign next to it] This one is called Storage Area II.

Shingu: [Becoming manic again] So there's actually over 90 of these things?!

Orc: No.

Shingu: [Phew]

Orc: Area IV is on the other side of the room.

Orc waited for Shingu to calm down. This took a while.

Shingu: …okay…okay…[paused for a bit more, then parked up] On the bright side, they aren't awake and are kinda vulnerable right now.

Suddenly there was a loud squeak from behind them. They whirled around to see that the Den Den Mushi above the door had locked its sight on a person who had just come in. The squeaker (because of course they were the one who had squeaked on being caught) was…

Shingu: [Surprised] Lily?!

Orc: [Angry] Why did you come here?!

Lily reached into her cloak with a trembling hand and brought out Orc's tiny, battered fez.

Lily: You left this behind…and I thought you would need it…

She started crying, but tried to sniff back her tears. Orc's face softened and he gently took his fez and put it back on its ridiculous perch above his head. Then Lily caught sight of one of the vats, with the hideous features of the creature inside clearly visible. The alarm went off right as she started screaming. Orc and Shingu exchanged glances and nodded. Orc grabbed Lily and hoisted her onto his back while Shingu stormed ahead to the corridor leading to the stairs, where the sound of boots clattering on stone steps could be heard. Orc followed Shingu down the corridor, and they had almost reached the stairs before several armed guards appeared in their way, blocking the stairs and smirking. The one in front stepped forward and held up his hand.

Guard 1: Halt! Surrender and come quietl-

Shingu: [Jumping and slashing his left leg horizontally at incredibly high speed] Arborealis! (Tree of the northern wind)

A long blue blade of air flew down the corridor at the guards, hitting several of them and sending them crashing into the stairs. The other guards were agape at this, and so were caught off guard when Shingu reached the bottom of the stairs and leapt at them, his legs deadly tools of efficiency striking down the remaining panicked guards. They had barely hit the floor before Shingu was racing up the stairs, Orc and Lily right behind him.

They barrelled up the stairs, kicking everyone in their path, all sense of stealth lost. On the way, Orc quickly explained over his shoulder to Lily what The King was planning.

Lily: [Crying again] Everyone?

Orc nodded silently. Lily was silent for a while, then she looked up with an angry expression.

Lily: He's a poop-head!

Orc and Shingu: [sweatdrop]

Orc: That's…one way to describe him. [serious] But you seem to be taking this rather well all of a sudden.

Lily: Well, you guys are gonna beat him up right? You said he was doing bad things, don't you guys stop people from doing bad things?

Orc looked at Shingu worriedly. But Shingu just grinned back at them.

Shingu: [victory sign] You bet we are!

Orc sighed and Lily giggled. At the same time, they burst out onto the ground floor of The Palace, only to be greeted with…

The King: [Deadpan] Hello.

They froze, the top of the stairs was surrounded by guards, all armed and all pointing their guns at the Revolutionaries. One of them was holding up a Den Den Mushi, which had just spoken.

The King: [Sarcastic] So sorry that I'm not here to greet you in person, but you seem to have seen fit to left yourselves in.

The Revolutionaries turned to go back down the stairs, but more guards appeared from the staircase. They were now completely surrounded.

The King: Oh please, do stay a while…Revolutionaries.

Orc and Shingu stiffened. The Den Den Mushi seemed to transmit their concern.

The King: [laughing] What, you thought I wouldn't notice your presence? [Stopped laughing and gained a menacing tone] I'm insulted. And you do not want to insult a king - THE King - if you value your life. [The guard carrying the Den Den Mushi started pacing, apparently mirroring The King's movements in his chambers] You see, you are not the first Revolutionaries that have infiltrated my defences and invaded my city. Others have been sent here with the intent of "liberating" this kingdom. [Tone became angry] Over and over, like cockroaches they squeeze into every crack, hide in every corner, and no matter how many times you crush them they keep trying to take away what is MINE! [the guard stops pacing as The King pants angrily, then suddenly becomes calm] And that's why I need you alive. You will tell me how the Revolutionary Army is getting into my kingdom, and then you will be useless to me. After that, well… [Sinister tone] I could always use new trial subjects.

The guard holding the Den Den Mushi coughed and spoke up.

Guard: Sir, they have a Slummer child with them.

The King: [Bored tone] Mmm? Oh, kill it. Whelps are no good for the trials. And don't forget, I only need the Revolutionaries to talk. Do whatever it takes, and bring them to me. [Hangs up]

The guards all took aim at Lily's position on Orc's back. Orc sighed and took Lily off his back, holding her in front of his face and looking into her eyes.

Orc: Tell your father…that I'm sorry for breaking my promise.

The next thing Lily knew, she was flying into the air. Time seemed to slow down. As she looked down, she saw the guards firing at where she'd been a moment before. Bullet after bullet embedded into Orc's arms, as he had had to raise them high above his head to launch her out of the crossfire, putting himself in the line of fire. She heard someone screaming at Orc to stop, screaming at the guards to stop, screaming at The King to stop. She wished that whoever it was would be silent, their hollow words weren't stopping the blood from spurting from Orc's arms, weren't stopping the guards' shots gradually rising upwards towards her, weren't going to stop The King from killing everyone she loved. But as if Orc had heard these screams he suddenly slammed his arms downwards, hitting the ground with clenched fists. The bullet trails flying towards Lily suddenly became erratic and the reason quickly became clear; the floor was shifting, the walls cracking, and the ceiling crumbling, as if the whole world was collapsing. And at the centre of this destruction was Orc's fists, which had hit the ground with inhuman strength despite the blood dripping off his fingers. The only one who wasn't stumbling and struggling to stay upright was…

Shingu: Time to leave!

Shingu had jumped upwards before Orc had made contact with the ground, and was now grabbing Lily and racing back towards the loading bay, skinny legs pounding the ground insanely fast. He dashed around corners, never slowing down and barely even touching the ground. Despite the ridiculous speed they were traveling at, Lily numbly noted how his lanky body finally seemed to be relaxed. This was the way he had been born to move, not bound to the earth but free and practically in a state of flight. A squad of guards appeared in the corridor before them and Shingu stepped onto the wall, then another step, then another and another until he was running on the wall, racing above the dumbfounded guards and coming to a familiar intersection, swinging around the next corner, still on the wall. Suddenly he stopped dead, still attached to the wall. From her precarious perch, Lily looked up and saw a large, steel gate. Then she looked around at the boxes and carts in front of the gate and realised that this was the loading bay, the gate had sealed their only way out and they had no hope, they would never escape from this awful place and she would die here, and her friends and family would-

Shingu spun around and started dashing the other way, as if he were a bloodhound that had just caught a scent. He raced through the intersection they had just passed, taking the other path, angry shouts from behind them indicating that the guards had spotted them and loud clomping of boots marking their renewed chase. Shingu sped past two large red words and some confused snails before arriving at a small air vent, sloping downwards. He put Lily down and pointed towards the vent.

Shingu: [Urgently] Take the first left, then the second left and follow that until you get outside. [Turning around] There's a bit of a drop, so be sure to bend your knees when you land.

Lily: [Crying] Wait, aren't you coming too?

Shingu patted her on the head and smiled sadly.

Shingu: Someone's gotta beat up the bad guys right?

Lily: [Angry] Stop talking about that! You can't beat all of them!

She could hear the guards yelling far away, getting closer.

Shingu: Hey.

Lily looked up through her tears and Shingu tapped her on the head.

Shingu: What do you want?

Lily: [Confused] What?

Shingu: What do you want more than anything right now?

Lily: I want…[yelling] I want everyone to live!

The guards' voices got louder.

Shingu: [Nodding a few times] Nope.

Lily: [Even more confused] But-

Shingu: Lily. [Grabbing her hands] You're 13! You're supposed to be gossiping about cute boys and painting your nails! What teenager wakes up every morning and thinks "I want to live."? [Standing up]

The voices were extremely loud now, right around the corner.

Lily: Shingu…?

Shingu: Tell you what. [Grins] Until you figure out the answer to that question, I'm not going anywhere, got it?

Before Lily could say or do anything, Shingu picked her up and pushed her into the air vent. As she slid uncontrollably into the darkness, the last thing she saw was Shingu's grinning face and the butt of a gun descending over his head.

Outside The Palace, unseen to anyone, Lily emerged from a hole in the side of the building. She dropped down from the hole, bending her legs as they dropped but still letting out a gasp of pain when she landed on their ankle. She clutched it, tears brimming in her eyes and mouth open to start wailing. Then she looked up at the clock that towered over the square, telling her that the time was now 3 AM. She sat still for a moment, then wiped her eyes and gingerly stood up. She leant on her ankle, wiggled it a bit, then nodded and ran towards the Slummer district.

After what seemed like a lifetime of running, she arrived back at the sewer where her home sat, the moonlight gleaming on the rust making it look even older. She dashed inside to find that everyone was passed out after partying, except Flax. He was sitting on the bed, staring out the window at the moon. He turned to see her bruised, panting heavily and with a wild look in her eyes.

Flax: Lily? [He ran over to her] Are you hurt? What happened?

Lily opened her mouth and everything started pouring out, following the Revolutionaries, infiltrating The Palace, the creatures, The King's plans and what had happened to Orc and Shingu. Flax listened until Lily finished, waited for her to get her breath back, then put his hands on her shoulders.

Flax: Lily…did that Tops kid tell you those things?

Lily: [Staring at Flax in disbelief] …WHAT?!

Flax: Look, I know it's hard not having any other kids your age around here, but you really shouldn't hang out with that boy. He's a bad influence on you.

Lily tried to speak again but Flax shushed her.

Flax: He and those Revolutionaries have put all these crazy ideas in your head, even made you question The King, after all he's done!

Lily: [Angrily]All he's done?! He's going to kill all of us Flax! And the only people who could've helped us are stuck in prison or wherever he's got them!

Flax: Lily…

Lily: No! They helped us before, they saved your life and mine and they're trying to save all of us! [Starting to cry] They keep helping us and all we do is get in their way and kick them out!

Flax: They…

Lily: They haven't asked for food, for shelter, or even for help! We haven't given them anything but trouble! So why can't we do anything to help? Mom would've helped them! Mom wouldn't have hesitated to believe them and she never would let someone get hurt because of her!

Flax: [Getting angry] Lily, this has to stop, your mother-

Lily: Was a Tops! And she loved you anyway! If she hadn't done what she did, you'd be dead! I'd be-

Flax:  AND WHERE DID THAT GET HER?!

Flax was standing up now, injuries forgotten. His expression seemed to be struggling between anger and sadness. Lily was speechless, Flax had never raised his voice against her before.

Flax: SHE'S DEAD BECAUSE SHE TRIED TO HELP ME! SHE'S DEAD BECAUSE SHE WENT AGAINST THE F***ING KING!

The anger left him as quickly as it arrived, and he sat back down on the bed, wincing. When he spoke again, his words were numb, his expression vacant.

Flax: That's what happens here. If you go against The King, if you don't do what you're told, you're never heard from again. That's how it's always been. If we just do what he says…maybe, maybe we'll survive. Maybe Diana would've been okay…maybe…

He fell into a stupor, staring blankly at the picture and saying "maybe…Diana…maybe…" to himself, over and over. Lily stood there for a moment, then turned her back on him in disgust. As she was about to leave, she called over her shoulder.

Lily: They wanted me to tell you…they're sorry for breaking their promise.

Then she vanished into the night.

Lily ran through the pipes and through the rats nest, ignoring the rats snapping at her feet. She crawled through the fence and dashed over the piping, reaching the hole in the wall where Ryan had vanished yesterday. She had come through here once before, curious to see what the Tops district was like. She was disappointed to find out that Ryan's house was the only accessible location, the area beyond was locked away behind a far more secure wall that she couldn't get past. But all she needed now was Ryan's house.

Ryan's house was a tall, imposing building outfitted with modern security. Fortunately, Ryan didn't live with the rest of the family, preferring his own accommodation in a far less secure shed behind the house. Lily snuck around the property and climbed the short wall around it. She snuck up to the shed and peeked inside a window. Ryan was sleeping on a large mattress on the floor, with small trinkets lying around the shed. She found the door and opened it, raced to Ryan and started slapping him in the face. He woke up spluttering until he recognized her face, then adopted his default sneer.

Ryan: What's the matter, couldn't handle the sewers any longer? I mean, I understand, it's-

Lily: I need your help.

Ryan was caught off guard by this, asking favours was a new one from Lily. He started sneering again but Lily cut him off.

Lily: The King is going to kill everyone at dawn and the only ones who can stop him are locked up in The Palace. None of the adults are going to believe me, and I can't do this on my own.

Ryan: [Suspicious] Why should I believe you? This could be some elaborate prank! You could-

Lily cut him off by grabbing his shirt.

Lily: I don't care what it looks like, or what it could be! All I care about is…

She trailed off into silence, staring at the wall. Ryan squirmed awkwardly.

Ryan: Could you let me go? Kinda hard to breathe…

Lily: [Absent-mindedly] Let me go…

Ryan: No, you're the one holding on to me! You let go of m-

Lily let go of him just as he jerked backwards, causing him to trip over his mattress and fall over. He got back up with an irritated expression.

Ryan: [Irritated] If you aren't going to give me proof then you can-

Lily: Why do you go to the pipes?

Ryan: [Confused] What do you mean? It's fun to annoy yo-

Lily: No. The first time you came, you didn't know I was there or anyone else. So why?

Ryan: [Grumbling] I suppose…I just wanted to get away from my folks. They're so paranoid and they stifle me so much, I had to get away.

Lily thought to herself, then turned to the door and started walking away. Ryan started after her, then stopped himself.

Ryan: Wait, where are you going? You still haven't convinced me!

Lily looked back at him. Her eyes were as steely as Gladys'.

Lily: If you're satisfied with just living in your tiny shed, be my guest poop-head. I'm going to do what I want.

She kept walking. Ryan sighed, then got up and started walking after her.

Ryan: So we're going to break into the heavily guarded Palace that's filled with giant monsters? And rescue two guys who might be able to save everyone?

Lily: Well look on the bright side. [Looking back and grinning] We're not alone.

They scurried back to the piping and into the Commons district. They split up, creeping into houses, waking up the kids inside and telling them about the situation. Most of the kids immediately believed them, and the others were soon convinced by Lily's fist. In the end, they had assembled roughly 40 kids. They gathered near the City Square and Lily hastily marked out a map of The Palace in the dirt, pointing out the air duct she'd gotten in through and the area where the creatures were stored.

Commons Kid 1: But I thought we were rescuing the hero guys!

Commons Kid 2: Heroes? I thought they were fairies…

Commons Kid 3: Why would they be fairies dumbass? They're totally pirates!

The Commons' all started arguing about what Orc and Shingu were, and whether fairies would beat pirates in a fight. (The consensus was that fairies would win, as long as they had pixie dust. The other group pointed out that they were fairies, not pixies, and then they started arguing about what a pixie actually was.) Lily was wrapped in her own thoughts, trying to work out where the Revolutionaries would be.

Lily: He said he wanted to interrogate them…but where would you do that? [Thinking back to her short and awful experience with The King, trying to remember what he said or did] He was talking to us through a Den Den Mushi, and he said "Bring them to me", so maybe he'd be in his room? [Louder] But where the heck would his room be?

Ryan: Lily, have you seen my house?

Lily: [baka] Not a good time Ryan!

Ryan: My father is so obsessed with protecting his belongings, he specifically had our house built with no windows except in his study, so he could keep watch but not allow anyone to break in.

Lily: [Exasperated and turning to him] What has that got to do with anything?

Ryan: How many windows did you see in The Palace?

Lily: [Thinking back] None. Alright, so rich guys hate sunlight, so what?

Ryan didn't speak, simply pointing upwards at the top floor of The Palace, with its single, massive window looking down on the Square. Lily grinned at him and he tried to sneer back, but settled for a matching grin.

They all armed themselves with pipes and planks that they found lying around. Lifting each other up, they squeezed in through the same vent that Lily and Shingu had used earlier. They avoided the turn that Lily had taken earlier, and took another route heading upwards.

Lily: Stop stepping on my hand!

Ryan: Stop slapping my foot!

Lily: Why are you going first anyway?

Ryan: Because I'm better at climbing than you.

Lily: You mean climbing ON me!

Ryan: That too.

This bickering continued until they finally reached the highest floor of The Palace. They were accusing each other of farting until they heard….

The King: TELL ME!

They instantly shut up, and crept further into the vents. They found the source of the noise, The King's room was right below them. Through a grate, they could see The King sitting on his throne on the far side of the room and glaring at the space beneath the kids, where… Shingu and Orc were tied up.

Lily held back a gasp. They'd both been badly beaten, and the cut on Orc's forehead had opened again and was bleeding profusely. A guard stood directly under the grate, and the blood on his gun butt made it clear that he was the one who'd been doing the beating. Behind him sat a table with two fezzes and the Revolutionaries' other supplies. The King let out a long sigh and stroked his hair.

The King: How did you get in?! I have been asking you for hours!

Shingu: [Wheezily] You sure? Felt like a few minutes to me…but when you're as short as you are, I suppose everything seems long! [Laughing]

The King nodded to the guard, who casually swung his gun at Shingu's stomach, winding him. Shingu's wheezing suggested that he had been talking back for a while now. Orc on the other hand was completely still, except for the trail of blood dripping down his face.

The King: I have schedule to keep here, Revolutionary. If you don't answer in the next 5 minutes, I shall simply kill you and be done with it.

Shingu: Okay…

Lily squeaked. The King started looking around, trying to work out where the sound had come from.

The King: Is there a rat in here? I HATE rats! [Getting manic]

Shingu: [Quickly] Oh really, you don't have to criticize the rats just because they're taller than you! [Laughs again]

The guard raised his gun, ready to swing but The King held up his hand, attention drawn back to Shingu's words. He leaned closer in his chair.

The King: 4 minutes. Make your deaths worth something.

Shingu: [Gets deadly serious] You see…

The King leaned in closer, getting excited.

Shingu: …we got in by…

The King was on the edge of his seat.

Shingu: …using a stepladder, Shorty! [Starts laughing again]

The King's face turned purple with rage. He started yelling at the guard, at Shingu and at stepladders. Somewhere in the ranting, you could make out "Kill the mongrels!" and the guard flipped his rifle around and pointed the barrel at Shingu's giggling face.

Lily was getting tired of the screams. They had vanished before, when Orc had smashed The Palace floor earlier that day. But now they had come back, and right in her ear too. In fact, the screaming seemed to be all around her. Even as she was jumping out of the grate, even as the other kids were jumping out after her, even as she slammed her pipe into the guard's butt, even as the other kids rained blows on him and he hit the floor, the screaming wasn't stopping. Then the world started moving again, Orc started yelling, The King started yelling, Ryan and the other kids were screaming, the guard was groaning and Shingu kept laughing. Somewhere in all the noise, Lily found her pipe and ran over to Orc and Shingu, cutting their bonds. Shingu finally stopped the stream of giggles, and wheezed,

Shingu: Thanks…for showing up. And could we stop the screaming now?

Lily opened her mouth to respond, then realised that it was open and that she'd been screaming this whole time. She shut her mouth, then opened it again.

Lily: [hoarsely] Sorry.

Shingu: [Laughing again] Hey, I'm not complaining. [Nodding at the other kids] Brought the locals?

Lily: Flax wasn't…he didn't… [sniffing back tears]

Orc: Don't be hard on him. [Standing up and taking his fez and supplies from the table, bringing out a sewing kit and restitching his head wound] It's not easy losing someone, especially to a place like this.

Lily: [surprised] You knew about that?

Orc: Well as I'm sure you already know, [finished stitching his wound] everyone leaves a trail.

Lily laughed, then remembered something.

Lily: [Looking down] Shingu…

Shingu gave her a quizzical look, putting on his own fez.

Lily: I want… [looking up] to be free! [Clenching her fists] I want to live life the way I want it, and I never want to be scared that someone I love will die! [Crying] That's what you guys want, isn't it? That's why you do all this, why the Revolutionaries help people.

Shingu walked up to Lily and put his hands on her shoulders, somehow grinning wider than Lily had ever seen him do before.

Shingu: Bingo. And as long as you remember that, no matter what happens, you'll never cry again.

Lily: [Giggling and crying] It's okay. My mom cried a lot too.

Shingu: Oh. In that case, cry all the time and you will be happy! Wait…

Lily giggled even harder as Shingu tried to figure out what he was talking about.

The King: SHUT UP! Shutupshutupshutup!

They all turned to see that The King's throne had moved to the console on the wall, and he was furiously pressing buttons and yelling commands into various Den Den Mushi. Ryan ran at him and lifted his plank, swinging it at the console but The King pressed a large red button, summoning a large, clear shield that covered him and the console completely, even blocking out sound. The other kids slammed their weapons into the shield, Orc tried punching it, but even his strength wasn't enough to put a dent in the shield. The King cackled silently inside then pressed another button, activating a before-unseen Den Den Mushi on top of the shield.

The King: [Unhinged] Fools! This shield cannot be broken and I have complete control over the city! As it should be, I have all the power and the dogs under me can do nothing but obey me! And now I command you all to DIE!

The King returned to his console and went into a frenzy of button pressing.

Orc: He's going to release the creatures!

Orc and Shingu ran out of the room with Lily, Ryan and the other kids in hot pursuit. Behind them, the first rays of sunlight crept in through the window, illuminating The King and reflecting the fire in his eyes. Outside, the Tops, Commons and Slummers gathered together in the Square. Dawn had come to Providence.

As the Revolutionaries and children ran towards the stairs, The King's voice echoed throughout the building, transmitted through every single Den Den Mushi on Providence.

The King: Greetings to the people of Providence. Today, I have a gift to bestow upon you. It is a gift that you have all earned, and one that I hope you shall treasure for the rest of your lives.

* loud cheers can be heard from the crowd*

The King: You see, I've had a bad night. People broke into my palace, said people would not give me what I want and even now, they still try to resist me!

* cheers die down, turning into sounds of confusion*

The King: And so without ado, I wish to dispense my gift to you all! The People's Will!

* the grinding of metal gates opening, the cheers die out completely and are quickly replaced by screams*

The King: Yeeeees. [Starts chuckling, rapidly grows louder until it devolves into mad laughter, mixing with the screams] The last gift that your King shall grant unto you! Your screams will be recorded and saved for all time! This shall be The People's Will, The Last Will and Testament of The People!

To be continued…