I watched the broadcast with a frown. The screen cast its cold blue glow across the cabin.

“Good evening. We are here at the scene of an unprecedented attack on the Liberty Tower. I'm Nancy Pelosi, and joining me is John Roberts. John, can you give us an update on what we know?”

The feed switched to a man standing in the ruins, smoke curling around him, sirens wailing in the distance. Two Special Police Utility Robots lingered behind him. The tower in the background was nothing but a pile of burning wreckage.

“Nancy, it’s chaos,” the reporter’s voice fought against the sound of the destruction behind him. “Just minutes ago, members of the NMS movement struck the Liberty Tower in a coordinated attack. You can see the aftermath behind me. First responders are doing everything they can to contain the chaos but appear to be overwhelmed by the scale of the attack.”

“Any word on casualties, John?”

The reporter’s tone went flat. “Many. Civilians. Police. We don’t yet have a full count, but it’s bad. Real bad. Authorities are telling people to stay indoors. The streets are currently on lockdown.”

I flicked a button. The screen died, leaving the cabin thick with silence.

“Fucking commies,” I muttered. Andrew, sitting next to me, shifted in his seat.

“What happens now, sir?” he asked, voice uneasy.

I stared at the console. The precinct alert blinked in red. “They’ll lock down the district. Sweep the area, organise a manhunt for all the perpetrators involved. After that? I am not too sure what happens."

"Will they be caught?"

"All of them? Hopefully, but I wouldn't bet on it. The fact that they were able to pull this off in the first place means they have some very powerful paranormals on their roster. There will always be one particularly troublesome one that always manages to escape to cause problems in some other place."

Andrew turned away, eyes out the window, lost in thought. The silence stretched long enough for doubt to creep in. Finally, he spoke again, hesitant. “Doesn’t the NMS hate paranormals? Why would they work together?”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Stupidity,” I said with a shrug. “Many overestimate themselves thinking they’re fighting for something bigger. Doesn’t really matter. Pawns, the lot of ‘em.”

Roadman rolled to a stop at the end of Main Street. I stepped out, feeling the tainted air claw at my sinuses. I thumbed the safety off my pistol, the weight of it familiar in my hand as I walked toward the crowd. Andrew trailed behind me, his footsteps a half-beat behind mine.

The protest had grown. Faces hidden in the dark, signs raised high, slogans scrawled in bold letters. The now-breaking news was probably spreading fast given a few bystanders openly eyed the group with more hostility than was the norm.

“We need to break this up,” I said under my breath.

Andrew shifted nervously beside me, his eyes darting over the crowd. “How?”

I didn’t bother answering. Instead, I raised my voice. "Attention, attention! This gathering has been deemed a risk to public safety. You are required to disperse immediately."

Some protesters turned to look me, their expressions defiant. Others continued their chants, blatantly ignoring the order.

“This is your final warning. Disperse now, or we will take action.”

A ripple ran through the crowd. Faces turned toward me, anger smouldering in their eyes. One man stepped forward, fists clenched tight, his face twisted with rage.

“We have the right to protest!” he shouted. “We won’t be silenced!”

The crowd behind him roared in agreement.

I met his stare without blinking. “You’ve got a right to protest,” I said, calm as ever. "And I have a duty to maintain public safety. Now, disperse peacefully, or I will be forced to put you down."

Casually, I let my hand rest on the firearm by my waist.

“You wouldn’t dare,” the man sneered, trying to stand his ground.

“Oh, but I would.” My voice was steady, no tremor, no doubt. “We’ve got clearance for lethal force. Are you aware what happened at Liberty Tower just a few minutes ago? Look it up.”

The man faltered. Behind him, whispers spread like wildfire. People reached for their phones, realisation washing over them in a slow, steady wave.

I waited, watching as they started to shrink back, their voices fading. The tension dissolved, replaced slowly by fear. Quickly, the group broke up, slinking away.

Behind me, Andrew exhaled deeply.

“Were you really going to shoot, sir?” he asked, voice low, almost afraid of the answer.

I didn’t smile. “What do you think?”

----------------------------------------

Later that night, I emerged from the elevator, one hand juggling a bag of groceries, the other fumbling for my keys. When I saw her, I stopped, a frown creasing my face.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked.

“We need to talk,” Amelia said, blocking the door to my apartment.

She had that look about her that said she wasn’t going to leave until she got what she wanted.