Chapter 5: ...In With the New
The story of the doomed Benedict buzzed through the city for the entire week. It was the one thing that centered around many conversations between viruses.
People wondered about the origin of this Benedict and asked why he wasn't found sooner. Some got scared at the idea that there might be other Benedicts still alive. Conspiracy theorists thought of the entire thing as a publicity stunt: an act by the government to prove they were in control of the viruses' lives through the death of a random ragamuffin.
Nonetheless, viruses grew excited about the upcoming event. Broadcasted on televisions across the Empire, the death of the last warrior would be broadcasted; everything from the preceding parade (which would showcase this person to the local streets), to the Benedict's last dying breath as he swayed on his noose. Emperor Gassuk even decided to head this ceremony, giving its people a grand speech to pronounce "the end of the Benedicts' tyranny on this freshly-civilized planet".
Maytak has never felt guiltier in her life. As the residents of Mylok prepared for the mocking of this fugitive, Maytak's mind filled to the brim with regret. At least she knew this beggar was actually sincere.
Her week played through the normal pattern of work and sleep, except now her mind was constantly thinking about this beggar's message to her, which made her deeply depressed. Viruses, who were filled with ecstatic happiness, found her depressed state incredibly odd. Co-workers would try to cheer her up, but to no avail. Day-by-day, she would stay attached to her work, hardly saying a word to anyone, her mind still pondering. The viruses were too happy to really care, though.
Days have come, and days have passed with normality aside from this new change in events. Viruses grew more and more excited with each passing day. Maytak grew sadder and sadder as days passed. The excitement in the empire grew to its peak when the fabled day finally arrived.
*****
Sides of the streets were littered with citizens of the empire, coming to see from their respective and far-spread regions. They all cheered their jeers, seperated by the empire's many accents and languages. Child viruses sat on their parents shoulders, waving flags maniacally in the air.
Confetti spread over the street and the viruses as floats and bands marched through the streets. High school and university bands played alien musical instruments as they marched eagerly through the streets. Banners held by viruses read victorious slogans that all basically declared the victory this empire has come to find. Foats depicting General Vyrokk, Emperor Gassuk, and other heroes of the empire drove between the marching bands. Rescue and delievery trucks drove through while revving their engines and sounding their sirens. This was some of the most excitement the city has ever seen.
On one float, hands and feet grasped by wooden planks, being watched from the back by official-looking viruses, was the main attraction. The mangey beggar looked around him as his tram rolled through the streets. As he passed viruses, he received loud boos and hisses. Food and other objects were chucked through the air in the beggar's direction. Most of them missed, but the beggar was occasionally hit by a rotton piece of fruit or a half-eaten candy bar. Sometimes, viruses would try to hop onto the float to attack him, but they were soon driven off by the viruses chosen to guard him.
Maytak saw the commotion from behind the gigantic crowd. Ignoring stares she got from the rude pushes and shoves, she worked her way to the front of the crowd. On the edge of the sidewalk, she saw bands marching. Behind that, a float showing Vyrokk standing over a defeated dog/wolf creature. The boos and hisses surrounding her told that the beggar was near. Behind the float of Vyrokk, she found just that.
The beggar was standing silently, bound by the wooden planks at his sides. He took no effort to dodge the oncoming foods. Maytak was waved, jumped, and shouted; trying to get the beggar's attention. Her efforts were drowned out by the surrounding chaos. The beggar was looking at both sides of the roads. He looked to see the frantic Maytak, leaping and waving. The beggar stared at her with calm eyes. Maytak stopped and stood when she knew the beggar could see her. The beggar gave her a small, modest smile. Maytak raised her hand slightly, to shocked to give a full-out wave to greet him.
As the beggar looked at her, a virus hopped on to the float. It grabbed him by his long hair and brought a fist across his face. The crowd rooted and roared at this action while the attacking virus laughed confidently with its hands raised in the air. The official-looking viruses took this virus and threw him off of the float. Maytak watched in despair as the float drove away, the official viruses fought off more attackers.
*****
A dome was past capacity inside its walls. The seats were roaring with just as much excitement as was outside. In the court that usually held sporting and gladiator virus events, a large floor was suspended high in the air by poles, so all could see the event about to take place. On each side, a staircase led up to the floor. This floor had a post that stood and extended out to the middle. A rope that curved in a loop swung ever-so slowly over a trapdoor in the floor.
A bulky virus stood stood infront of the float that just drove into the stadium to be greeted with louder cheers. The official viruses walked up to the posts to unlock the beggar's cuffs. They handcuffed his hands behind his back. The beggar was violently pushed off of the float to land on his face flatly onto the hard ground. He looked up to see the hooded, bulky virus staring at him.
The bulky virus grabbed the beggar by the back of his collar and pulled him to his feet. The beggar was led by the bulky virus up the staircase to the floor up in the air. Viruses roared and shouted insults at the beggar as he lifted his feet over each of the steps. The beggar looked to all sides at these citizens as they shouted and shook fists at him.
Maytak was running through a hallway that led to a section of the stadium. As soon as she stepped in the open, the entire floor was crowded by viruses watching in expectation. Maytak pushed her way through the crowd to make her way to the front. Viruses she went through were too excited to care about her. Maytak made her way to see, in the distance, the floor held up in the air; the beggar being led to it on a staircase.
The bulky virus looked behind it and pulled the beggar by the front of his shirt onto the floor, the official viruses followed close behind them. The official viruses held the beggar by his shoulders as the bulky virus slipped the rope over the beggar's neck. The official viruses stood on each side and the bulky virus stood close to the beggar, who was continuing to look at the hooting viruses around him.
On the other staircase, there was another virus walking up to the floor. It wore its standard crown with shoulder pads and cape. As viruses recognized this newcomer, they cheered even louder than ever. One virus shouted a distinct "We love you, Gassuk!".
Gassuk made its way to the floor as the crowd continued to cheer. Once it stood on the floor (keeping its distance from the beggar, of course), it momentarily soaked up the glory offered by these cheers. Once it had its fill, it raised a pair of hands to calm the viruses. They took their time to quiet themselves.
Gassuk was handed a microphone by one of the official viruses. It tapped the mic and raised it to its mouth.
"Citizens of the Virus Empire!"
The crowd wailed again. Gassuk chuckled and waved its hands to calm the crowd down.
"Now, now... I understand your excitement. I wish to speak to you all first.
I'm sure you all remember that we have uncovered this planet not long ago. And we have had to fight the heathens that once lived here not to long ago.
The glorious war we fought for the empire and our future was not in vain, my friends! Our colonies have fought and destroyed the evil people that once inhabited this place, committing blasphemies of unfathomable proportions!
The lord, our god, has sent us a mission: to destroy these horrible people and claim the land in Its name! And now look at us here... grand cities built, our people able to populate, and promises forming before our eyes."
Gassuk suddenly shifted its gaze to the beggar. "But this creature, a Benedict in our world of today, who found some miracle to survive even the Conquering, wishes to destroy all of that!"
Gassuk paced around the beggar. "Oh, he may look innocent. Down-troddened. Humble and peaceful. But nothing here is how it seems! This thing has attacked our forces, destroyed our buildings, and now he wishes to end all of us!"
This last stanza in the emperor's speech brought the crowd to boo as loudly as they cheered at a previous time.
Gassuk tried to speak over the crowd. Its words eventually managed to calm the viruses again.
"Good, viruses! Let me finish! The betrayal carried out nearly a decade and a half ago has not gone unpunished! We have helped them, they have turned against us, and we showed our might! Now the last one of them is about to fall before us!"
As Gassuk was speaking, Maytak was starting to feel angry. She wanted to start attacking Gassuk and all those that have supported it.
Maytak had an urge to look to her left. In the mass of viruses, a non-virus figure stood, looking at the virus giving its speech. This figure wore mostly red and green attire, thin as far as fabric. Its arms were folded across its chest while it looked on with the bottom half of its face covered in a red mask. The figure looked back at Maytak and gave a small wink, then turned back. This was the first time Maytak noticed the sword strapped to its back.
Gassuk still spoke. "...so today, we shall witness the fall of a people. The destruction of a civilization. Today is the day that this final enemy shall be destroyed. Today, Blue the Sheepshifter shall die!"
The crowd roared even more wildly. The cheers and cries lasted for a time more. Gassuk looked on at his spectators, again relishing in his leadership abilities.
Gassuk looked back to the bulky virus and nodded. The virus nodded back and grabbed a rope that would pull out the trapdoor. Gassuk looked back to Blue with a cocky smile. Blue exchanged a serious, grim stare back.
Gassuk rose two of its arms in the air. Wanting to give a bit of tension, it held the arms that would give the deadly command for longer that needed. The crowd grew silent in anticipation. Silence was in the entire dome as everyone watched the Benedict staring death in the face. But something broke the silence.
A loud "Go, go, go!" echoed through the air. The word distracted the viruses guarding Blue on the floor. As they looked into the air, searching for the noise's source.
An explosion sounded from seemingly nowhere to knock the bulky virus onto the ground far below him. As it hit the ground in a disgusting splat, the crowd paniced and screamed in terror.
The official viruses were running up to Blue when another figure fell from the sky. He wore a red shirt and blue jeans. His hair was purple with yellow streaks running through it. Two stingers busted out of this figure's back and stabbed themselves into the viruses' torsos. The figure used these stingers to lift the viruses in the air and threw them off to the ground as well.
Gassuk frantically spun around the floor in the confusion. It saw one more figure, a boy with a large amount of hair and wings growing out of his back, came running next to it. This boy ran up to Blue to untie his noose.
Gassuk started to stop him, when something grabbed it. It spun around to look into the sinister eyes on a grey-colored head wearing pale-brown hair.
As this figure spoke, Gassuk could see its mouth colored with purple.
"I suggest you get yourself out of here."
The figure spun Gassuk in front of him and kicked it down the staircase. He proceeded to whirl around with a TMP raised at whoever might come his way.
He got a tap on his shoulder. The large-haired boy was looking at him with Blue at his side. He gave him a thumbs-up. The grey-headed figure nodded back at him and looked at the crowd, seeing members of the crowd fleeing to whatever exit they could find.
The pale-brown haired figure waved on at the side of the stadium. The figure with the red facemask waved back. He busted through the frantic crowd to Maytak and grabbed her by her hand. The figure pulled her onto his back and started to leap down the stadium floors to the main arena on the ground. Above, the girl with wings could be seenf flying down with Blue on her back. The other figures up on the floor were hustling down the stairs.
As the figure carried Maytak down the flights, she started asking questions.
"What the hell is all this?!"
The leaping figure, still focusing on the floors below him, answered back.
"We're a rescue crew. We're gonna need Blue!"
Maytak seemed confused. "Who the hell are you guys?!"
The leaping figure answered again while reaching the ground and starting to run to the others.
"Well, my name's Yarameh. And we're the next generation of Brawlers!"