Interlude Five – Media Circus

Interlude Five – Media Circus

“Welcome to Panorama. Tonight... the shocking story gripping the nation.” The female presenter said to her male colleague, who was looking suitably grave. “The rise of the supernatural, the overturning of science!”

“Call it magic if you want, or the supernatural.” Prince Henry was saying, footage of the previous day’s press conference displayed again. As he continued to talk. The voiceover began.

“Chaos in London. Deaths at the Tower, the Prince maimed and then miraculously recovered. The Princess battling for her life. And all of this hidden from the Public! Who should be held accountable?”

More footage, of the bloodied Princess Eleanor, as well as the young woman who identified herself as Shaeula Tu Shae Dannan, and not human, but a Fae, when they emerged from their ambulance bloody and battered. It showed the maimed Prince Henry, and bodies being loaded into ambulances.

As the backdrop continued, it turned to the Japanese man, explaining about the existence of Faeries and other spiritual beings. As the video faded out, the female presenter looked at the camera, her expression solemn. “What does all this mean, just what has been covered up? It is more than simply the actions of some of the richest and most powerful people in the world, though they have no doubt profited at the expense of the ordinary common people.”

“Yes, our expert investigators have unearthed scandal and self-interest at the heart of this. It’s no wonder people are taking to the streets, concerned for their futures.” The male reporter agreed. The screens went blank for a moment, and a blacked-out silhouette with their voice altered by the crew spoke.

“Yes, I was recruited by the British Government and Royal Family themselves.” The man, for the shadow had a male aspect, was saying. “I was sworn to secrecy, having to sign a number of strict waivers, and am bound by the Official Secrets Act.”

“In that case, should you be talking to us?” the male presenter asked, and the shadowed figure sighed.

“No, even with my identity hidden, there aren’t many of us, especially not now. But I’ve already decided to leave the country and start again elsewhere. My conscience was hurting, now I want to expose everything.”

“What do you mean especially not now?” The female presenter seized on that. “Is it in relation to the apology from his Holiness, the Pope, in regard to the actions of Mary Stuart? Our investigators have managed to gain access to some footage from the hospital she is kept in. Some viewers will find this footage disturbing.”

The screen cut to a hideously wounded woman, with missing limbs and a bald, scarred skull, wounds still weeping, her expression mad, though her body was still, the soft beeps of machines and ventilators all that could be heard. As the footage cut, the silhouette spoke.

“Yes. That woman was the loser in a war. A war that Prince Henry and Princess Eleanor took part in, against their fellow humans, hidden from the public. I too was part of this. Though...” the man paused, emotion still present in his voice even with the distortion masking it. “... I stayed aside during the recent treachery.”

“Can you please explain? All we, the public know, is that there is a second, overlapping world that only those of you that the Government is calling Gods’ Chosen can access, and that you have incredible, almost miraculous powers, as displayed by the girl Shaeula with her incredible speed and more.”

“I was brought on, like everyone else, to support the Princess in conquering this other world. There are... reasons to do so. I’m not going to say what they were doing, we were doing is wrong. When I was first granted these powers...” the man paused, thinking of what to say. “... nobody is saying it, other than the Pope. The end of the world is coming, and we are feeble attempts to prevent it.”

“The end of the world? Just what do you mean?” the male presenter asked, leaning forwards in his chair.

“I don’t know.” The man admitted. “When I received my powers from the being that called himself a messenger of Taranis, I was told that I would have to fight to secure a land free from danger, and ...” he trailed off, embarrassed. “... to rule the world, to protect it. In exchange, I would have power beyond my wildest dreams.”

“Protect it from what?” the female presenter pressed, and the silhouette spoke.

“It’s not like I have all the details. But from what I understand, and from what I’ve pieced together talking to others like me... there are many other worlds out there, stronger than ours. Eventually, we’ll have to be prepared to stand up for ourselves.” He paused, before continuing thoughtfully. “I’m no expert, but... we’re British. When we reached new lands, we hardly came in peace, did we? America, Australia, India... the list goes on.”

“And the Prime Minister and the Queen knew about this?” she pressed further, and the man laughed bitterly.

“How could they not? Princess Eleanor is like me. No, she’s stronger than I am, there’s little question, having all the resources of the elite first team behind her. Not that it did her much good.” He snorted sourly. “Two of the first team turned traitor, and two will never fight again, I hear.”

“All this talk of fighting. Setting aside the issue of the danger to the Earth, that we’ll come back to... play the footage again...”

This time it was Shaeula, declaring “I am a Fae, as is Hyacinth here. We are beings of spirit, but we have just-just as much right to life and love as any of you.” As the footage ended, the female reporter asked a hard-hitting question.

“So, in this other world, are there many beings such as these? You said you were fighting a war, killing out there. Do you mean monsters, or intelligent, sapient creatures such as these girls?” Her tone was accusatory and triumphant, and the male presenter was smiling, waiting for the expected response.

“There are a lot of monsters there. Spiders the size of horses, giant worm-monsters, more.” The silhouette shuddered. “You’d have no pity for them, I’m sure. But... yes, there are those like the two there. A lot of them are warlike and hateful, such as the goblins wearing the stupid coloured hats. But... they can talk, and think, and reason. When I said a war, I meant it.”

“There you have it. Our very own Prince and Princess, not only fighting and killing other people, but also waging potential genocide on other intelligent races. This is surely in violation of a number of international treaties and agreements.” The female reporter said with a smile.

“It’s not that simple.” The hidden Chosen said softly. “I understand it might seem that way, but... until you see them yourselves... well, you’d best pray you never do. But I’ve had enough of being a lapdog of the Crown. They’ve screwed everything up. They’re not like the Japanese who seem to have a handle on things...”

“Ah yes, the Japanese.” The male reporter said. “It’s hard to get any detailed information on the Japanese participants of the press conference, but we have managed to get information from social media and some other sources. The man, Akio Moonstone Oshiro, supposedly has a connection to the Japanese political and business circles. The woman, Himeko Shiratori, is a student of Information Technology, Programming and Graphical Arts...”

“I... wouldn’t go digging too deep.” The Silhouette advised. “One thing I do know is that nothing good will come of it. Whatever we think, it’s true without their help, this mess could have been a lot worse. The Prince and Princess would be dead. I’m cutting and running.” His voice, even with the speech modulation, sounded scared.

“We’ve all seen the analysis of the girl, Shaeula, and her impossible speeds. Is that something you can’t do?” the male reporter asked. After a moment, a reply came.

“No, I’m not saying I couldn’t.” he said defensively. “It’s much more difficult to use our abilities in what I’ll call the real world, though they’re both real, so it’s not a good description. Our world, maybe? You don’t have to worry about suddenly being blown up by fireballs or whatever. But physical strength and abilities that affect one’s own bodies, they carry over the most. So... yeah, I could do it.” He muttered unconvincingly.

“This is the rub. Superhumans on our streets. This isn’t a comic book. The implications are chilling.” The female reporter said, seemingly gleeful. “Anybody could be holding powers undreamed of. How can anyone feel safe? Who knows what they can do?”

“That’s why we dropped the ball.” Their guest said. “If you look at the Japanese, they were already preparing, and over the last few days they’ve been pushing through more laws legislating potential criminal uses of our abilities, and have even started training a special police force.”

“Just what can police do against someone that can run faster than a Ferrari?” the male reporter questioned. “I’m sure even just running into someone at that speed would be fatal. If they threw a punch, I don’t think even a heavyweight boxer would get out unharmed.”

“It won’t be a safe job, but we’re hardly invincible.” The obscured man said. “Perhaps a pistol might not bring down a Gods’ Chosen, especially not a defensively gifted one, but heavier weapons still will. Other equipment could solve problems, like special nets, maybe. And if others like us are able to advise on the best methods... yes, I think it could be enough of a deterrence. Besides... we aren’t common. And getting less so all the time.” He sighed. “But if what the messenger of Taranis and the others like him spoke was the truth, we can’t just do nothing. If you dispose of us all or lock us in prison... if an army of beings like that Fae girl appear... what would you do? Yes, our military technology and power is superior, but... is it superior enough?”

“That’s the question. Why is the public being kept in the dark? The rich and the established elite are getting all the benefits, such as healing from disease and harm, while the poor and common people miss out. Is that fair? We live in a democracy!” the male presenter complained. “What else don’t we know? That’s the question we are trying to shed light on tonight.”

“We admit there is a lot of guesswork involved, but... our dedicated investigators have unearthed a lot of information. War is not confined to this other world, as Kyoto shows. And yet, if the Prince and Princess were not involved, when would we have been told?” his fellow presenter added. “So, take a look at this report, which contains information you might find distressing...”

The scene dimmed, revealing the interior of a rather shabby house. There was a woman and a young child sitting there, mosaics over their faces, and a voiceover said that their voices would be disguised for their safety as well.

“It all started in July...” the woman said, her voice distorted. “My boyfriend... well, he was out of work for a while, and money was tight. But... we were happy enough. But all of a sudden he started to change. He was more concerned with money, and he was out a lot. Sometimes he’d come back injured. I worried that he was getting involved in something illegal, but when I talked to him about it, he always denied it.” She continued to explain that she then thought he was having an affair, but he again denied it. After that, he started to change even more, and became violent.

“He’d hit me, frustrated. Just a casual slap here and there, but it felt like I was being struck by a boxer. I had two teeth knocked out, and I had to say I’d fallen down the stairs. I know the nurse didn’t believe me though.” She said mournfully. “His mood got worse and worse, and I was convinced he was dealing drugs or in a gang, and the stress was getting to him. I saw him in the shower once, and his back was covered with deep knife wounds, by the looks of it. When I saw that, he hit me again, shouting I shouldn’t be spying on him.” Even through the voice distortion her bitter emotions were clear. “Strangely though, a few days later, the wounds, which looked so serious, were starting to heal a lot. The situation was horrible, but...” she swallowed. “... I then found a holdall of money. Our child had found it under the stairs and was playing with it. There must have been well over a million Pounds in it. I thought it was counterfeit, but I took one note to the bank just to make sure and... it wasn’t.”

“I asked him when he came back about the money and... he went mad. He said he needed that to establish his home base, and that even now he was lucky, and had the power of a God, he was still looked down on, helpless, because he was poor. So this money was his due, the world and the rich owed him. He then...” she shuddered. “He was berserk. I suffered a broken arm, multiple fractured ribs... but he looked at our child, angry that the money was found, and... I called the police, desperately. I didn’t want to. We were happy before. But he’d changed. Gone mad... I then passed out...”

“What happened next defied belief...” the voiceover sounded, and some grainy footage from a neighbour’s doorbell camera was played. It showed the police turning up, but with them was an unmarked black van which parked up along the street, and several people, clearly military, got out carrying long, wrapped bundles. They moved off-camera, and the police knocked down the door with a battering ram, only for one to be sent flying. Then there were some flashes of light, and liquid could be seen scattering. A man dragged himself out, his face twisted, and several more police were beaten down, before blood erupted from his chest, as though he was shot by something high calibre. He fell, even then not dead, before more gunshots, and he was still. After that, the two men returned on-camera, one holding a sniper rifle over one shoulder, while the other was carrying a body-bag. As the man was being taken away, the injured police and the woman and child were being ferried to an ambulance, and the footage ended.

“My boyfriend... by the time I was out of hospital, the house had been cleaned up, but... I found a few strange holes that had been filled in, the walls and floor had been replastered and re-laid. Our neighbours had changed as well, suddenly moving away... I knew then he was gone. Then I read in the paper that a number of ATM’s nearby had been raided, their contents stolen... it all made sense.”

“Thank you for telling us your harrowing story. Your bravery is appreciated.” The female presenter said, before addressing the camera. “She has been resettled to another town, ostensibly to prevent her violent ex-partner from contacting her, but as you can see, he is surely dead, and the cover-up goes deep, even to relocating nosy neighbours. This act is clearly illegal under British law. Yes, he was attacking policemen, but the soldiers, for that must be what they were, were present even as the initial response arrived, and armed with military-grade equipment, clearly expecting to use lethal force.”

“When we asked the Government for a response, we did not receive one. But they failed in checking for such a camera, and due to that mistake we were able to obtain this footage. Our guest, do you have anything to say about this?”

“It’s difficult to watch. But... it’s not the only Gods’ Chosen who has been dealt with.” He admitted, to gasps that seemed rather manufactured from the reporters.

“Do you admit to being involved?” the female one pressed him.

“Not personally, but I know those who were. It’s happened a number of times. Don’t get me wrong, I think that the Government has mishandled things, but... as we’ve discussed, ordinary police have little ability to handle Gods’ Chosen, and those that would use their powers to enrich themselves at the expense of others... they can’t exactly go to an ordinary prison, can they?”

“That doesn’t mean they deserve death!” the male presenter disagreed, and the silhouette nodded.

“I know. I have a lot of issues with the way that we have been handling things. It’s why I’m leaving. But I can’t lie and say that rogue Gods’ Chosen aren’t a danger to the public. If you look at the damage mass-shootings in America cause, I can only say I’d be able to do worse, even without a gun. With speed and strength, in a crowd an awful lot of people could be killed, like stamping on ants...”

“There you have it. These hidden timebombs, kept from the public... we still don’t know how many there are, or whether there will be more. Your friend, neighbour, co-worker, it could be anyone. And not everyone will be a good person. Imagine a drug lord, a murderer, a terrorist with strength, skill and unknown abilities...” the presenters continued to talk, outlining the dangers, until their closing arguments.

“So, it’s clear the Government has a lot to answer for, and we should be following the lead of other countries in implementing registers, restrictions and more. The other world, and any impending disasters should be made public, and...” the woman finished. “...the Gods’ Chosen should disclose precisely what they are doing in that other world, and be accountable to both the laws of the land and the public for any crimes and unjust actions they may have perpetrated!”

1377@ So, is that criminal dead, @1375? It sure seemed that way in the footage, right? We’re not America, we don’t have the death penalty! That’s got to be a crime!

1378 @ 'E's passed on! This criminal is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If the snipers hadn't bundled him into a body bag e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off ‘is legs! 'E's kicked the

bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible! THIS IS AN EX-PERSON! In conclusion, you’ve seen him be shot repeatedly by high calibre rounds @1377, of course he’s damn well dead!

1379 @ lol at @1378

1380 @ Well, thumbs up for the Python reference @1378, but... it’s a bit tasteless. We watched someone get killed. Even if he was a wife-beating scumbag, we shouldn’t joke about it.

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1382 @ Yeah, glad that comment got deleted. There’s gallows humour, and then there’s just being a troll. What a prick. Goes to show though, there’s not too much to be scared of, right? No matter even if they’re as fast as the ‘you would bar my way’ babe, they aren’t faster than speeding bullets. And even if they were, let’s see them dodge a cruise missile or a MOAB.

1383 @ youwouldbarmywaymeme.gif youwouldbarmywaymeme.gif youwouldbarmywaymeme.gif

1384 @ Why is nobody talking about that other non-human girl? The one with the punk hair? She had mean eyes but she was just my type!

1385 @ well, @1384, she didn’t stand out as much as the others, right? I’ll admit she’s pretty though. Those eyes. A really rare colour, right?

1386 @ I’m really hoping there’s a Gods’ Chosen that knows Voodoo, get the doll spiking that Akio guy! There’s those of us that are single, and he’s hoarding the wealth!

1387 @CutiePie19 I think he’s hot. I like to think I’m pretty cute, maybe I’ll join his harem!

1388 @ Pics then, @CutiePie19, preferably nudes! I’ll check to see if you’re up to standard!

1389 @KingOfOlympus @CutiePie19, forget about the Japanese loser, come to Zeus and ride the thundercock!

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1391 @ Glad they banned that liar. If he’s a Gods’ Chosen, whichever God chose him should self-delete in shame. But his second comment was way too far. You okay @CutiePie19? By the way, I know they say that every girl on the net is GIRL, but seriously... if you are even half as cute as any of the women at the press conference, you don’t have to sell yourself short like that, you could find a decent guy easy...

1392 @ Hey, I’m gay, and I’d totally let that Akio guy love me hard. Those muscles...

1393 @ Sure, @1392, you do you. It’s the twenty-first century. But I think that those girls with him would beat you up if you made a pass at him.

1394 @CutiePie19 aww, that’s sweet, @1391. Yeah, I’m cute. Everyone at Uni says so.

1395 @ChaosEngine Damn it, flirt elsewhere, this isn’t the place for it. Seriously, is everyone here an idiot? Yes, the girls are pretty. Yes, harems are awesome, if you’re a moron. I’d rather have one beautiful girl than a load. His life will be hell...

1396 @ This guy gets it. He’s not a loser like most of the other commentators, he’s obviously actually dated a real girl, not a 2D one. So @ChaosEngine, what DOES matter?

1397 @ChaosEngine Setting aside all the troubles, the bad stuff like Mary Stuart, and that criminal who got gunned down Panorama showed, the fact is... magic, dumbasses. We had pretty girls here on Earth, long before now, even if most of you losers only saw them on TV or in your dreams. But now... there’s going to be a lot of nervous scientists, and a lot of businessmen who are sweating. Electricity, silicon chips, hell, even going back to the steam engine. Each one changed everything. We’re witnessing the birth of a new era. Move over internet, a new world-shaking invention is in town.

1398 @ I’m still more interested in the cute girls!

1399 @ @ChaosEngine, yeah, but it’s not like we can learn, is it? The golden tickets have been handed out by Willy Wonka already, and we fell short. From everything we know, there aren’t many Gods’ Chosen at all.

1400 @ChaosEngine Think about it. @1366 is right. The Prince... he’s the key. It seems that it can be taught. Even if not, well, do you know how to build a computer from scratch? And for all you tech-heads, I mean making the chips, not just fitting them all together. no? But we can all still use them, right? Welcome to the new world...

1401 @ Who cares about that? I only care about having my way barred!

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1404 @AsianTiger Yeah, is everyone else seeing the trouble ahead though? There’s already been days of protest marches in London, Manchester, Birmingham and other major cities. It’s happening abroad too. And... well, I’m Chinese. Hey, I was born here, so don’t give me shit, okay? But... I hear from home that it’s getting seriously scary out there.

1405 @ Sounds grim, @AsianTiger. Got any more details? Is it to do with Japan?

1406 @AsianTiger It’s hard to get information out right now. Even our relatives don’t want to say much, but they have their own branch of the CCP set up managing all this. And... if Gods’ Chosen are related to population, well, China has that covered, right?

1407 @ Chinese girls are hot. Japanese girls too. I want to visit...

1408 @ Hey, @AsianTiger, @ChaosEngine, what do you think will happen? I’m getting a bit scared. It all sounds fun and exciting, but...

1409 @ChaosEngine @1408 It’s obvious. A power struggle. And each of these Gods’ Chosen is something to be fought over. I don’t know whether the world is in danger like they said on Panorama, or the Pope said, but I do know this. Humanity has to pull together, or else we might lose our spot as a dominant species. But when have we ever managed that? Even now, we can’t... just look at Panorama. I get why the Government wanted to keep things secret as long as possible...

1410 @ Himeko-chan, I love you! Ditch him and marry me!

1411 @ I shall bar-bar your way!

1412 @ One thing I know is... remind me not to expect intelligent conversation from YouTube comments... though Panorama seemed little better. I think I’ll stick to what was said at this press conference. I believe in the Queen, she’s never steered us wrong so far!

1413 @ Damn right, @1412, Rule Brittania! And hail to Japan, I guess, if we’re allies in all this. Those people protesting in the streets are all a bunch of left-wing nutjobs anyway. The Gods’ Chosen are a fact, what do they expect, that the Prime Minister and Queen can tell the Gods to piss off, we don’t want any, thank you very much?

1414 @ In the end, we need to wait for more information. Now Anesidora’s Box... damn, I can’t help but keep rewatching, she’s so fucking hot... is open, we’ll find out more in due time.

1415 @ I’d love to get in Himeko’s Box...

1416 @ skirting the line there, @1415. The Mods are roaming these comments. I mean, everyone would, but you can’t just say it...

1417 @ In the end, we should listen to Shaeula, right? She said give them time, and that we’d all have opportunities? At the end of the day, what’s changed? If you didn’t have money before, then flying on private jets, owning mansions and having massive superyachts was nothing but a magical dream. Now if you don’t have magic you might miss out, but... at least maybe some of us peasants have a shot, right?

1418 @ That’s right. I’ll listen to Shaeula, @1417. Cuteness is justice, no question. Besides, you’re right. A few guys got shot by the Government. Wasn’t that guy shot on the subway by the cops a few years back? It’s harsh, but... bad stuff happens.

1419 @ChaosEngine That’s right. Get excited by dreams of a Harem you’ll never have if you want, just keep your minds working. Don’t listen to the media unconditionally. The world has changed. Sit tight, stay calm and prepare. Make sure you have survival supplies in your homes, and it might be a good idea to get in shape.

1420 @ lol, @ChaosEngine. Good advice. But most of us here are lazy bastards. Getting in some canned food and batteries is one thing, but getting fit... dream on.

1421 @ Well, we’d better all strap in. A bumpy ride is coming. But shit, if I was one of the looters right now, I’d worry. In fact, it’s just got a whole lot risker being a criminal. Imagine trying to mug someone and they turned out to be a Gods’ Chosen. Lol... I want footage of that...

1422 @ Does this mean that we’ll be living amongst fairies and other magical creatures? Shit, imagine going to school with cute Faeries, or working a job with orcs...

1423 @ Monster girl ass, I want monster girl ass! Those Fae look too human!

1424 @ I’m a Veteran of the British Army. Those of you badmouthing Prince Henry and Princess Eleanor better hope I never find out who you are. This is a war, and the Princess and these others are soldiers. They fight so you lazy, women-obsessed idiots don’t have to. Until you’ve had to fight for your life, take a life for your country and to save a comrade, you can talk shit. But those of us who know... we know...

1425 @ Scary, @1424. Just ignore the barking dogs though. Those who get it, get it...

1426 @ So, in the end, these comments can be summed up with five parts ‘wow cute girl harem’ to one part ‘maybe useful speculation’ and three parts ‘foul shit’. So glad I wasted my time on this crap. Not...

1427 @ ...