Black Phœnix ( 1/2 )

The silence was deafening. For a few seconds, nobody dared to say a single word. How could that be? Naturally, everyone was scrutinizing Lucy Merlish's reaction while around thifty persons received the new notification. She was livid, hardly glancing on the crowd before taking over her to reply Woodle.

“Don't be absurd. Who would be crazy enough to follow your instructions?”

“That's right!! What are you thinking? We are virtuous citizens, we would never do such a thing. See!” a bold forty-year-old yelled, brandishing high above his head his phone displaying the “play” notification. “I won't stoop so low obeying a coarse criminal.”

“Oh ho! Leader, it seems that we have a volunteer for the game showcase.”

     Reisig was glancing at Woodle, pointing a thumb towards the people beneath while his fist clenched.

“It sounds like.” the latter replied snapping his fingers, a sly smile upon his face.

     At this very moment, the screen of the recusant one was blinking red again and it suddenly displayed the amount on his bank account. Widening his eyes, the bold man looked stared at it with despair. Then the units digit began to increment, followed by the tens digit, the hundreds digit… They continued their mad dash faster and faster without letting the poor man get any breath until the count reached zero.

     Falling to his knees, the man couldn't take his eyes off his screen anymore. His lips began to quiver as he shouted in an overwhelmed voice.

“My money… All my money… It… It just vanished!!!!”

     The other people expected to act took a look with anguish at the victim.

“So? I ask it again to the remaining ones. Assault the mayor, now.” Woodle repeated.

“Don't listen to him. If you cooperate, it would be considered as corruption.”

     The police inspector didn't miss a beat of this little demonstration, though it was too late.

     Without losing time, Woodle Bomme glanced at Mekko and nodded. Answering with a smile she started strumming her guitar, vibrating the air with energetic pieces of music.

“You have one minute left. If you fail, next ones will be chosen.”

     As the boss admonished the crowd, Ling stepped forward pointing a gun on the mass of people already panicked while Mekko began singing her song with her powerful voice. It was filled with emotions drawn from the bottom of her heart.

“Burnt souls veiled by the falling night

They are crawling reaching out for a moonbeam

Vanishing ashes blown out of sight

They were banished, forbidden to get back their dream”

     A gunshot. Screams ripping open the silence. A man fell backward near the platform, horrified. As he ran towards the platform, Kiseki opened fire a few meters ahead, as an admonition.

     An unexpected act that gave Ling a shiver and ecstatic smile, yet she was envious. She thought she would be the one inaugurating the festivities. Fair enough, the forthcoming will be hers.

     Her index on the trigger, the bullet soon went off whizzing through air on tens of meters skilfully passing between human shapes until reaching its target. Smashing the ground, the bullet blew up, releasing sound waves which spread meters round. Citizens in its perimeter rose painfully their hands to their ears. They started to growl and to move unpredictably, attacking other people on their way.

“Into chaos finding its new kingdom

A whirlwind gathering the remaining ashes

They shaped into a bird full of wisdom

Black Phoenix!”

“What do happen to them?” the mayor frowned witnessing the scene. “Kiseki?”

     The latter had an apprehensive stare.

“Could it be…”

     Meanwhile, on the roofs, Ling Zhen had a psychopathic expression upon her face as she kept on shooting her bullets.

“What?! What did she do to them?”

     The policeman readjusted a bit nervously his glasses.

“… It may be sonorous bullets. The wave frequency on which they are calibrated stimulates brain's part responsible of truculence.”

“...”

“We risk a riot.”

     Carried away by the ambient madness, most of the persons designated by Woodle crowded around the platform. Climbing on the stage they stared at the mayor in a hostile way.

     In parallel, a backup team finally arrived by air embedded in an urban helicopter.

“You're all under arrest, do not oppose resistance.” the head of the police squad required, his voice echoing due to the loud speakers.

“We need to evacuate. Immediately.”

     Pushed for time by the crowd, Kiseki brought Lucy in its wake, leaving the platform in a hurry.

     The Players lifted their heads taking a look at the helicopter, though they did not seem troubled by this appearance. The leader soon got out something of his bag, his mid-long hair blown by the blast the propellers caused.

“Players, be ready for my word…”

     A few seconds were enough to let him throw his dubious metallic spheres at his feet, generating a smoke screen. It thickened over and over until veiling completely the gang members.

“...Dispersion!!”

     Suddenly the Players arose from the smoke, running in all directions. But they were no longer seven. Tens of Ling, Woodle, Reisig and the others appeared. The policemen were over the place, letting out exclamations of incomprehension. Some of the clones jumped down into the crowd while others bounced from roof to roof. Mekko kept on singing, and one of the Ling jumped on the helicopter's cockpit. With a sadistic smile she glanced at them. Unnerved by the situation, one of policeman shot in between her eyes. At the precise moment it should perforate her skin, the bullet passed through. The head of the police squad frowned.

“That is a hologram! They are using holograms to trick us! Do not hesitate to shoot on sight! Warn the divisions at ground!”

“For the sake of their vengeance

They will revive and spread their wings

Darkening the whole world by their emergence

They will drop the masks of the innocent kings”