Chapter 67 Public Relations Disaster

Chapter 67 Public Relations Disaster
"They're screaming your name, Cyprian," Cedric said. His fingers shook against his tablet. "What are they saying?" I asked and checked my gear.

"They're calling us terrorists," he said. "The news says we shut down the grid. They say we're holding the city's air hostage. They think we killed the power."

"That's a lie," I said. "The people don't know that," Cedric said. "Listen to them."

A loud hum came from outside, it was the sound of boots on stone. Then, the shouting started and it rattled the van.

"Get out here, you cowards!" A voice yelled. It was Langley. "He's leading them," I said. I grabbed my jacket.

"Don't go out there," Cedric said. "They'll kill you , they have pipes and bricks. They think you're the reason their kids are cold, they want to tear someone apart."

"If I stay here, they'll burn us out," I said. "I have to face them." I pushed the back doors open, the sun hit me hard. Hundreds of angry faces filled the alleyway and Langley stood at the front. He had a Syndicate badge on his chest.

"There he is!" Langley pointed at me. "The man who wants to see this city burn!"

"Langley, stop this," I said. "Stop what?" Langley asked and turned to the crowd. "He wants to play the victim! After he cut the power? After he tried to starve your families?"

"We didn't cut the power," I said. I looked at a woman in the front, she had a heavy wrench. "They're lying to you, the Syndicate is hiding the truth."

"Shut up!" A man screamed and threw a rock, it smashed against the van. "Give us back the power!"

"Kill the terrorists!" Someone else shouted. "See?" Langley grinned. "Nobody believes you, Cyprian, you’re done, the people want blood."

"You want to show them the truth, Langley?" I asked. "The truth is you're a dead man," Langley said. He pulled a gun. "Move in! Take them down!"

The mob surged. The air felt thick with hate and I could feel their fear. "Cedric, give me everything," I whispered. "Cyprian, you'll burn out the core," Cedric said. "It's too much load."

"Do it now!" I yelled.

\[Skill Activation: Mass Materialization\] 

\[Cost: 400 MP\] 

\[Area: 50 Meters\]

"What is that?" A man gasped and the air started to ripple. Gray shapes formed, they bled into the world. "Look," I said. I pointed toward the harbor. "Look at what they're doing."

The harbor was suddenly packed. Thousands of gray figures were bent over crates. They were hauling heavy chains. They were being whipped by guards who weren't there a second ago.

"Is that Fletcher?" The woman with the wrench whispered and dropped the tool. "Fletcher! My son! Is that you?"

She ran toward a ghost, her hands went through his chest and the ghost didn't stop. He kept pulling a heavy sled and face was twisted in pain.

"They're working them to death," I said. "The Syndicate doesn't just kill you, they use your soul until there's nothing left."

"That's my brother," a man shouted. He looked at Langley. "You said he got a job in the Upper Tiers! You said he was sending money home!"

"It's a trick!" Langley yelled as he backed away. "It's a light show! An illusion! Don't listen to him!"

"Look at their faces, Langley," I said. "Do those look like tricks? Look at the scars." A ghost walked past Langley and he carried steel beams. He looked at Langley with empty eyes.

"Get away from me!" Langley screamed. He fired a shot into the air. The crowd went silent, they looked at their dead friends. They looked at the daughters they thought were gone.

"You did this," the woman said. She looked at Langley. "I followed orders!" Langley shouted. "The city needs power!"

"You used my son like a battery!" she screamed. "He's a person!" She picked up her wrench. She was looking at the man in the suit, her eyes were full of fire.

"Wait!" Langley said. "Stay back! I'm an officer! You can't touch me!"

"We don't care about your rank," a man said and he picked up a pipe. "We want our people back."

"I'll shoot!" Langley warned. He pointed his gun at the woman. "I'll put a hole in you!"

"Go ahead," she said and she took a step forward. "Kill me, then I can work with my boy." The crowd closed in, it was a wall of anger. The ghosts kept working behind them.

"Cyprian, help me!" Langley looked at me. He was shaking. "Help me get out of here!"

"Why would I do that?" I asked. "I can tell you where the core is!" He pleaded. "I know the codes! Just stop them!"

"You had your chance to be a good man, Langley," I said. "You blew it." I looked at the woman, she was inches away from him.

"You're a dead man, Langley," she said."Get back!" Langley screamed. He didn't look at me, he didn't look at the ghosts. He looked at the people.

"I said stay back!" He pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the woman in the shoulder and she fell. The crowd didn't run. They roared, it was a sound of pure hate.

Langley panicked. He started spraying the crowd with lead. "Kill them all!" Langley shrieked. "Get away!"

People were screaming, they were falling. The alley turned red in seconds. "Stop him!" I yelled. I lunged for him, but Syndicate guards appeared and they had rifles.

"Clear the area!" The guards yelled. They pointed their guns at the civilians, not at me. "No!" I shouted. "They're unarmed!"

\[System Alert: Civil Unrest Maximum.\]

\[New Objective: Survive the Purge\]

The air smelled like smoke. Langley fired until his gun was empty. He looked at the bodies and then at me.

"You did this, Cyprian," he whispered. He ran behind the line of guards. "Open fire!" The guard captain ordered. The soldiers leveled their rifles at the crowd of families.

I watched as the first line was cut down like wheat. "Cedric, move the van now!" I screamed. I dived behind a wall as bullets chewed the stone.

The truth set them free, but now the truth was getting them all killed. Langley stood behind the guards with a mad smile as the massacre began.