Chapter 20: Hell Hath No Fury

The brunette held in the shriek of terror that threatened to burst from her lips as their driver attempted to steer their vehicle through the disgruntled, shouting crowd. It was a battle that was ultimately lost as the riled mob outside began pelting the windows with various objects.

A scream was torn from the older woman next to her as a hatchet splintered the windshield, forcing the chauffeur to jerk the wheel out of reflex.

This time, the young brunette joined her mother in the scream as the vehicle began to spin before colliding with an electrical pole. For a moment, time seemed paralyzed as parent and child held desperately onto one another.

The sound of glass shattering brought Charlotte Munchausen crashing back to reality long before the car was rolled.

Angry shouting and gunfire pierced the air as the driver’s door was pulled open, the chauffeur being ripped from the vehicle.

Charlotte grit her teeth as she pressed a hand to her forehead, forcing herself upright. Her mother was slumped over in the seat next to her, unconscious. Concluding that they must have cracked their heads together during the car’s impact with the pole, the young woman quickly pulled herself over her mother and to the left side of the vehicle. Upon pushing on the door, the brunette winced. It was stuck tight, no doubt damaged from the crash. Drawing back her leg, she delivered a hard kick.

Upon forcing the door open, the young brunette attempted to pull her mother from the vehicle. She nearly jumped out of her skin in fright as a heavy hand landed on her shoulder. Whirling around, she intended to strike her would-be attacker.

Leon held his hands up in a non-threatening gesture as he peered into the brunette’s wide, emerald eyes. “Come on, Your Grace, we need to be on the move.”

The sound of more gunfire drew the young woman’s attention once more as Leon lifted her mother onto his shoulder.

“What are you waiting for? Move, girl!” another Holy Council member shouted as he struck one of the attackers with the butt of his rifle.

Suddenly jolted into motion, Charlotte bolted, hurriedly ducking into a nearby alleyway with Leon following behind. Swallowing the lump forming in her burning throat, the girl flung herself against the wall.

Taking a chance, Leon gently placed the unconscious Carol on the ground next to her daughter before peering around the corner.

The young man winced as a bullet grazed by his ear, producing a harsh ringing sound. Though he struggled to hear, his eyes took notice of the responsible party. A burly man in black slacks aimed a revolver in his direction. Leon returned the courtesy, taking aim at the man. No sooner had he squeezed the trigger, the bullet splintered the forehead of the gunslinger, sending him careening against the side of a parked vehicle. The man’s gun discharged into the pavement before he collapsed, face down, onto the street.

“M-my God!” Charlotte shouted in appalment.

Leon turned towards her with the intention of quelling the hysterics. Words failed him. A fiery specter sped towards them in the alleyway. Even with his hearing impeded, the roar of the engine registered loud and clear as a vehicle set ablaze drove towards them.

With only seconds to act, he snatched the young woman by her blouse and shoved her out of the alley before the impact. Leon didn’t see where she landed. The last sight he ever saw was the front of the burning car before it struck him along with a parked vehicle by the sidewalk.

Charlotte cried as she witnessed both her unconscious mother and her savior become dismantled within the turmoil as flames eagerly lapped up everything in sight. Twisted steel rolled over onto the street with a stream of fire devouring several of the rioters that had been too slow in their retreat.

She looked to where the other Holy Council member had been. His body tremored as the window he stood next to exploded from another burst of gunfire. He clutched his throat, quaking with each motion as he slumped along the ground.

She was alone. The soldiers that had been tasked with the duty to protect them were dropping dead like it was Judgment Day. In a perverse way, it truly was. At least, for the Munchausen family.

All she could do was run as chaos engulfed the street behind her.

****

“Privyet,” Vladsco said in greeting to the Holy Council member standing in front of the ornate pair of doors that led to the emperor’s chambers.

Either his new friend spoke no Russian, or he wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries even from someone with the general’s prestige. The soldier glared at him; his hand fidgeted with the rosary affixed to his collar. “You’ve been expected.”

Foolish of him to expect anything resembling decency from these humorless stiffs. “Idi na hui,” the general remarked before he shoved past the guard and through the double doors.

Emperor Shiro drummed his fingers impatiently on the surface of his mahogany desk. Papers didn’t litter the fine surface of it. Only the stench of alcohol produced by a bottle without its cork rested there with two shot glasses.

“Come, come in,” he bellowed to the general. The glasses filled red as he began to pour the contents of the bottle into them. Knowing the leader’s tastes, the wine label bore a pretentious name with an equally absurd price to go with it; bought and paid for by the kind citizens of Deinan.

He bit back a pained smile. Everything had spiraled out of control since his arrival at the capital. The malcontents had begun rioting in greater frequency. Given the lavish displays by the ignorant leadership, it was hardly a mystery as to why the people had become more violent than usual. They found their leaders as cruel as they were out of touch with reality. The disaster in Pheora had only worsened relations with the general public. Resentment had been allowed to fester for far too long.

“Your Grace.”

“Spare me the pleasantries. I endure fools with shit-eating grins that say that to me all day. Your Grace. Your Holiness,” Shiro said with a sneer prominent in his voice. Each title he proclaimed had a greater degree of spite with each utterance.

Vladsco pondered if his subjects had any idea how much contempt that loathsome excuse for a human being bore towards them.

The emperor held both shot glasses. He raised the left one to his lips and drank its contents.

“Shiro, then,” Vladsco said as he held out his hand.

“Aha, now that’s more like it,” the emperor replied with enthusiasm before he gulped the contents of the second glass down. He flashed the general a smile. “Refreshing even.”

Vladsco maintained his composure with a small nod. Shiro delighted himself with his petty engagements. The general wouldn’t dignify that toad with a reaction to the provocations. Deprivation was the only retaliation he could afford to commit at this juncture.

“I couldn’t help but notice the absence of 010?”

The general’s fingers clasped around the neck of the bottle. He couldn’t help but notice how he hadn’t already brained this pompous, condescending, little shit with the end of it. Instead, he offered him a forced smile, a course of action he’d long since acclimated himself to doing whenever he found himself facing this irksome creature.

“He’s of bottom means.”

“Oh…now isn’t that a cruel thing to say about your own son?”

Vladsco quirked an eyebrow. He resisted the temptation to remind him about how he had previously referred to Cain as an experiment. He knew better.

“His talents are better suited within the prison,” the general remarked before he filled one of the glasses the emperor had left on the desk.

“The prison is most certainly where he belongs. Maybe even behind a sturdy set of iron bars.”

The general brought the glass to his lips. He paused, studying Shiro carefully with a narrowed brow. “I’m not so sure I understand what you mean?”

“Really? Well, then let me make it real simple for you,” the emperor remarked. His hand lashed out, startling the general. The glass shattered against the wall with red fluids dripping down the cream-colored surface.

“He can’t keep his hands…” Shiro paused, ceasing his shouting. A coy smile formed on his countenance. “…sorry, General. He can’t keep his hands to himself. Gets into a lot of trouble. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that would you?”

“No, Sir.”

“Would you like another glass?”

Vladsco narrowed his brow at him. The doors opened behind him as several guards entered the room. He didn’t have to turn around to see the concern etched onto their faces.

“I believe I’ve had enough for one day. Perhaps the same could be said of you.”

The emperor snickered. Two guards marched to opposite sides of their leader, each man looked confused by the commotion.

“Good of an answer as any,” Shiro replied. He rested his elbow on his desk and leaned back into his chair. “Afraid I’m in short supply of those these days. I mean, I’ve got people demanding answers about what happened at the Delta Labs. Answers I don’t have.”

Vladsco frowned. He’d been dreading this particular topic well before he arrived at Deinan nearly 3 weeks ago. “That’s quite a dilemma.”

“For you, yes. Since the facility fell under your purview, I’m sure you have an idea,” the emperor said with a smile. His eyes gleamed in delight at the general’s discomfort. “For your sake, you’d better.”

Here come the threats, Vladsco thought. Only, they would be acted upon. Fortunately, he had come prepared with news.

“It’s been difficult acquiring leads on the matter.”

“That’s the wrong answer,” Shiro replied with the same intensity as one would use when making a remark on the weather.

“Priorities. It’s likely a terrorist action by the Rebellion. The same Rebellion we’ve cornered.”

Shiro looked taken aback, his smug demeanor dissipating with each passing second. “Explain.”

Vladsco leaned on the desk. “We believe we’ve uncovered the location of the rebel faction. With the proper forces at our disposal, we could potentially bring an end to the war.”

“You say that as though the rebellion consists of a singular entity. There are several groups.”

“But only one that matters,” the general replied. His smile widened with jubilation upon each word he spoke. “Derwent.”

Shiro Munchausen stood from his chair. “That would be incredible news, provided we could act upon it.”

The general frowned. He’d spent the last few weeks envisioning how the emperor would have been elated. The one strand of information he carried that had immeasurable value, and it was regarded with the equivalent of a shrug.

“And why can we not? This is-”

“Have you looked outside lately? Watched the news? Or did that whole bit about the riots escape your notice?”

Vladsco swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat before he responded. “This is too valuable of an opportunity. We can’t just sit here and squander it.”

“Keeping the peace, right now, is my priority. What’s the point of eliminating your enemies, if you’re not still around to enjoy it?”

“Well, we have to gather some men. You can’t tell me-”

“I’ll tell you whatever I damn well please. Last I checked, you were just another cog in the machinery at the end of the day. And the gears will continue to turn with or without you. Face it, you’re expendable, same as all the others,” he remarked as he made a gesture towards his entourage.

The soldiers did their best to maintain their stoicism. Though, for a fleeting moment, Vladsco could’ve sworn he saw one of the men glare at their leader. Whether he did or not, the emperor did not seem to take notice.

“Did you know those vermin out there actually flung shit at City Hall yesterday? Defecated on our banners. Filthy animals.”

“If that’s the worst-”

“And my new car. Someone actually took a coat hanger and scraped the side of it.”

Vladsco shook his head. Before he could give voice to sanity, the doors opened and a mousy looking male in wide-rimmed spectacles entered the room, along with a brunette female. The girl was minutes away from coming apart at the seams.

“Charlotte?” Shiro asked, barely recognizing the battered figure in front of him.

The man in spectacles spoke. “We found her a mile away from here. A mob had assailed their transport.”

“Gone…” she murmured. “They’re all gone.”

Emperor Shiro scowled. “And Carol?”

The spectacled man shook his head. Charlotte seemed only capable of repeating the same thing. Gone. Vladsco hardened himself to it. He’d heard that sentiment many times within the walls of his prison. People processed grief differently. The ones that withdrew into themselves were the ones most likely to do something reckless. They’d stop eating. They’d harm themselves. Or others in the more severe cases he’d witnessed.

“Fuck!” the emperor declared. “There you have it. My wife wasn’t new, but you can bet her plastic surgery was. You see what these people are doing to me?”

The general found himself taken aback, unsure he’d heard him right.

The mousy man spoke. “Sir, that’s your wife you’re talking about.”

“No, that’s my wife’s procedure I’m talking about,” he remarked as he turned to the guards. “One overpriced nose job, to be precise,” he said before he turned back to Vladsco. “As you can clearly see, we aren’t in any position to go relocating our soldiers. I’m sorry.”

A look of betrayal emerged on Charlotte’s face. Tears streaked her cheeks. “Di-didn’t mother mean anything to you?”

“Of course she did. Which reminds me,” Shiro remarked before he began rifling through his desk. He pulled out a small bottle that couldn’t have been more than a few inches in height. A teary eyeball was displayed on the label. “I’ll need to mourn her publically. Erect a monument in her honor.”

No one in the room applauded him for his idea. They only looked upon him with naked revulsion.

The emperor shrugged. “Scratch that. We’ll do a scholarship in her name.”

“Well, if you want to mourn her publicly, now is your chance,” the spectacled man replied. He kept his voice as even-tempered as he could despite his obvious disgust with his leader. “There is a sizable crowd outside as we speak.”

Emperor Shiro sighed as he turned towards the balcony doors. The only thing that seemed to bring him true sorrow was having to address his citizens. The car. The wife. All of it an afterthought. Mere possessions that he’d have the headache of replacing.

“Damn you,” Charlotte whispered.

Shiro paused in his stride, sparing her a flippant glance. “I’ll have to remarry. I suppose I’ll have to have another one of you too, eh?”

Vladsco saw red. Was nothing sacred to this man? He stained the very institution he was to head. He spat in the face of family and tradition. And now he was tossing away the general’s chance for glory. Unforgivable!

He looked at the brunette girl as the emperor left for the balcony, his cape swishing behind him as he strode out of the room. She seemed enraged, trembling in place. Though she had his deepest sympathies, opportunities like this seldom presented themselves.

Vladsco embraced the girl and whispered words of comfort. More importantly, words of much-needed encouragement.

****

“Justice for Pheora!”

“Imperial scum!”

The shouts of the restless crowd drew into a roar as they clamored at the gates of the capitol building, continuing their unending protest.

Charlotte’s ears grew deaf to the din, her attentions fixated solely on one man: Emperor Shiro. The man she called father stepped forward onto the balcony, raising his arms to address the violent crowd.

“My citizens, I assure you that your concerns have not fallen upon deaf ears. However, I bear you news filled with much sorrow.” The emperor paused, his face contorting.

Charlotte’s eyes narrowed. Did he honestly think he was fooling these people with this facade? Judging by the angry roars that arose in response, she supposed not.

“It would seem that, just moments ago, your beautiful empress left this earth.”

Charlotte grit her teeth. ‘Left this earth’? That made it sound like she had been some, old crone that had merely died in her sleep of natural causes!

Judgment day.

The young brunette slipped her hand into the pocket of her jeans, fingering the hilt of the weapon that newly took up residence there. The general’s words echoed through her fragmented thoughts.

Allow my most sincere condolences on your loss, my dear child. If I may impart some wisdom upon you: Though why may not always understand why things must be as they are, we must continue forward. Of course, the correct path forward may not always be the cleanest or most honorable. We must keep in mind the greater good.

“The memory of my wife shall live on. In her honor, it is my pleasure to present the Munchausen scholarship,” the emperor continued, doing his best to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Even he had a difficult time believing his words as he droned on. “It is my sincerest wishes that her memory will continue to uplift-”

Several negative shouts cut the emperor off as the restless crowd began shouting once more, clearly not interested in their leader’s attempt at a flowery speech.

Charlotte closed her eyes. They didn’t care. They couldn’t possibly hope to understand. Having the misfortune of bearing a blood relation to such a loathsome man, the brunette feared her life had been cursed from the start.

Why? Why had her mother fallen in love with such a man in the first place? It wasn’t as if her mother had been devoid of options. Then again, money and power were often an alluring temptation even the most benevolent couldn’t resist.

The young woman sighed, running her fingers along the weapon she concealed once more. She had options too.

Judgment day.

Gunfire drew the brunette from her thoughts as the unruly crowd overtook the gates, overwhelming the guards below.

Shouting, cursing, and the flinging of various objects used as weapons all served to add to the mounting chaos. Those that sought to quell the violence seemed to disappear beneath the growing crowd, never to emerge again.

Charlotte gazed at the soldiers guarding the entryway to the balcony: Her only means of escape. Emerald eyes flashed to the general looming in the doorway. He seemed to nod at her in recognition.

The greater good.

The brunette wasted no more time as she stalked toward the man she called father.

Shiro scowled as he beheld the calamity below. Movement to his left caught his eye. His lips twitched upward as his daughter approached him. Seeing the haunted look still prevalent in her eyes, he almost snorted. God, the child was so emotional.

The emperor rolled his eyes in a dramatic show as he opened his arms. “Are you in need of a hug, daughter?”

Charlotte resisted the urge to retch. Nothing like the opportunity to put on a show to bring out the lackluster attempts at being fatherly. Even then, it would seem he saw fit to mock her pain. A predator’s smile twisted her lips as she drew nearer to her target. “Actually, Father, I’m more in need of a favor.”

Shiro’s dark eyebrows raised in question. However, he had no time to give voice to his inquiry. Sucking in a useless rush of air, he glanced down to his abdomen. The hilt of the dagger protruded just beneath his ribcage. His wide, dark eyes shot up to meet his daughter’s hard gaze.

“You see, killing you may not bring her back, but it’ll go a long way in making me feel better.”

Shiro could only blink in shock as the girl gave his shoulder a hard shove.

“Better start praying to our God you resent so much.”

The emperor stumbled back a few paces before ultimately losing his footing and tumbling over the railing.

The crowd of onlookers shouted and cheered as they watched the tyrannical leader fall. If the guards on the balcony held any objections to the turn of events, they gave no indication. They exchanged brief glances before rushing out to greet the calamity below.

Collecting herself, Charlotte peered over the railing and into the courtyard below.

Screams and cries rang out as the crowd swiftly surged forward to engulf the emperor’s body. If the tyrant had miraculously still been alive when he’d hit the ground, he was sure to not be for long.

Charlotte swallowed, fear and morbid fixation seeming to freeze her to the balcony as she watched one of the men in the crowd jerk the dagger from her father’s chest. Well-meaning members of the crowd were pushed out of the way as the rest began taking turns returning the weapon to its fleshy sheath. When it appeared that they would grow tired of this activity, another man, appearing to be in his thirties, took it upon himself to drag the emperor over to the nearby fence surrounding the capitol.

Using the cloak he wore, the enraged mob strung the deceased leader up onto the gate for all to see. Taking the dagger from one of the other men, the brunette raised his arms in show, causing the crowd to stir into an uproar once more. Once satisfied with the response from the crowd, he turned and plunged the dagger into Emperor Shiro’s throat before slicing his way down to the groin.

Charlotte clapped a hand to her mouth as her father’s intestines spilled onto the street then. These people were acting no better than animals! She hung her head as she gripped the railing. She had gotten what she wanted, however, it failed in its purpose of making her feel better.

A mighty roar drew the young woman’s attention once more to the great mob below. One of them had now severed her father’s head and was lifting it high for all the others to see like some great trophy. In a way, she supposed it was.

“Now what do you suppose they’d do to you, my dear?” a voice spoke next to the girl’s ear, sending chills down her spine.

Charlotte froze. They had killed her mother simply for marrying the man. What WOULDN’T these people do to her: A legitimate offspring? She glanced at the general, tears finally welling up in her emerald eyes. “They’re both…gone. Wh-what am I to do now? She… She isn’t coming back.”

“Come, child. If you wish to live on, we must flee the city right away,” Vladsco spoke, taking the girl’s hand and leading her toward the door.

Charlotte said no more as she allowed the general to escort her away. She hadn’t the faintest clue where she was even going to begin to pick up the pieces of this. Could her life even be put back together? She was beginning to feel lightheaded as the general led her down a flight of stairs and toward the back entrance.

In contrast to the girl’s gloomy thoughts, a brilliant light illuminated the doorway as Vladsco pushed it open. No going back now. She would surely die if she stayed here in this place.

A small smile graced the girl’s lips as the pair reached the general’s awaiting convoy.

Time to start over. A new life. Far away from here.

Charlotte nodded resolutely. Yes. She would start over. At least, then, her mother’s memory would follow. She shut her eyes as the current chapter in her life drew to a close.