We walked amongst the crowd of Anthros and Humans alike, all those who answered the call of the news broadcast. Either they were too curious or too stupid to just hide away, but their fear most likely pulled them out here to the press release. They should have all stayed home, but it did make my job a little easier.

  We slid through the crowd, all the while I was sizing up who was there and what could be a threat to us. The crowd thickened as we got closer and closer to the town hall. I could see the domed building over the massive crowd of people about.

  “It looks like the whole city is here.” Ash’s head bobbed about, taking in all the people congregating here.

  “Hundreds, probably thousands.” I took pce at the back of the crowd, many more filling in behind me, all trying to get a gnce at the stage, everyone shifting nervously, waiting for what was to come.

  “I’ve never seen so many in one pce before. It’s strange to have everyone here.”

  “Hmm.” I looked around the crowd, there were all sorts of Antrhos about. Cats of all sorts mainly, but wolves, dogs, sheep, foxes, some bears, deer, pigs, and a peppering of humans all about. Large vid screens were fitted to the buildings around us, dispying the stage and its inhabitants, the Mayor, some corpo suits, and the Gelly ambassadors.

  I checked the rooftops and scanned the windows for Deacons to be scrutinizing the crowds for any potential threats. I didn’t see a single one stalking about. This Michael guy must be full of himself to come out with such a small guard. Fuck it, maybe I’d cap him myself if I got the chance. I could end this whole thing now.

  Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy, but I can dream, can’t I?

  “Alright, Ash, start gathering information. Find out what’s gone on around the city and spread the word that the Meowtws are rising, or some shit. We need soldiers willing to stick it to the Gellys.”

  Ash nodded and turned to walk off. I grabbed her arm before she left.

  “And be careful, I don’t want to have to bury another friend.”

  She smiled at me, “Aww, I’m your friend? You’re the biggest sweety.”

  She blew and air kiss at me, and I blushed. Dammit. I was supposed to not get attached, but fuck it, too te now.

  “Sucker, you good to go on the scanning?”

  Her voice chirped up over my hoods coms, “No, the signal is too weak. You’re gonna have to get closer to the stage. I’m picking up some strange interference too. Give me a minute to check it out.”

  I looked over the massive crowd of hundreds of people before me. I had to squeeze up there. Ugh, this was going to be fun.

  An ear-piercing whine shot through the speakers. Everyone’s hands shot to their ears, trying to protect them from the sound. Another time I was gd to be human.

  “Ahem, test, test. Alrighty, everyone, welcome to our great city’s hall and thank you for coming in such turbulent times. Hehe.” The Mayor was pstered about the rge vid screens. The man was a plump Anthro-Cat, his red tie flowing in the breeze. What a putz.

  “I want to speak about the…unfortunate circumstances that happened yesterday. We’re all going through so much right now, but I’ve been informed that all will be well.” He let out a nervous smile to a cascade of boos and angry shouts.

  “My family was massacred. Fuck these assholes.” An Antrho-Husky let out a low growl as he put his hand into his coat, grabbing something inside.

  I spped my hand on his chest, looking him in the eyes, “Save your anger, find the Meowtws, they’ll give you a bigger gun and enough ammo to take a hundred of these fuckers with you.” I blurted it out loud, for others around to hear too.

  The husky smirked, “Sounds good to me. I ‘ll do anything to kill these fucks.”

  “Those terrorists?” An Antrho-Sheep blurted in, “They won’t do anything but get us all killed.”

  “That’s already happening, you stupid fuck!” The Husky yelled at his face, throwing a punch. Some other Anthros joined in, some fighting, some trying to restore the peace.

  “Logic is always the first to go. Fighting here won’t solve a thing.” Sucker chimed up again, “Still need to get closer. This interference is killing me. My little hands can only program so fast.”

  “Alright, let’s get closer to these assholes.” I pushed in ahead, with only a handful of negative remarks. I was now only a hundred feet from the stage.

  “Please, please, have some respect, quiet down!” The Mayor was raising his hands and waving them about as if he was trying to calm the crowd down with some magical spell. He might as well be casting a spell; it would have worked better.

  A hail of shouts and screams erupted even more now. The crowd was pressing forwards toward the stage now. I could see the Deacons getting antsy on stage. The Missionary was reading his arm for carnage.

  Saint Admiral Michael held up his hands and the crowd quieted down. He pushed the Mayor out of the way an stood before the podium. His stern blue eyes gazed out across the crowd. People around me started to shift about nervously, and rightfully so. This guy was one of the top pyers for the Gellical Collective, or at least as far as we know. Even so, you don’t see someone like this out in public ever.

  Big things were going to happen on Meowlith Prime.

  “Sin. Sinners. Everywhere we travel, all across the gaxy, we run into sinners bent on sending themselves and their loved ones to hell for nothing more than chasing a fleeting feeling of euphoria. I have bent sent out on a crusade to eradicate this sin from our God’s greatest creation, the universe itself.”

  Mumbling crashed about the crowd.

  “You got to get a little closer. I’m picking up on the wireless signals and hitching a ride back to their Ascension ship. The channel was left open, a little closer and we’ll have more info on the Gellys than ever before. This is exciting.”

  “I’m gd someone is excited. It’s getting bad out here.”

  “Oh, stop compining on walk forward more.”

  I jostled the backpack around as I took a step forward, “Like that?”

  “Bitch.”

  I chuckled as I scooted a little closer to the stage, almost to the front row now. I could see Michael the Pious face clearly now. He had a rge temporal impnt pced on the side of his head. His blonde curly hair framed his face, like an angel on one of those old paintings they used to show me in primary school at church. Disgusting.

  My eyes shifted to the Priest that was on stage. His eyes were closed. He had to be scanning the crowd for any danger. Maybe that’s why there were no more guards about the press release. It was strange. Now that I was closer to the front of the crowd, there were no Deacons blocking off access to the stage.

  “The only way to get rid of sin so ingrained into a society is to purge it with dedicated impunity granted by God himself.”

  The crowd was silent now. Listening to the words of the Saint Admiral had them scared now. There was a slight shimmer as Michael rose his hands to the sky, a strange glitch that caught my eye. Something that should not have been.

  “I’m in. There’s so much here. This is a treasure trove. We could charge a fortune for this. I’m downloading everything I can. Currently searching for mission directives from the Prophet.”

  “Sucker. Somethings wrong here. Could you check the stage.” I turned my energy signatures on. The stage was burning bright with electricity. “They’re not there.”

  “Get out of here now!” Sucker yelled with urgency.

  I turned to try and find Ash in the crowd. There were too many people here now. I pushed forward to the stage, bursting out into the no man’s nd created between the stage and the crowd. We had to get out of here now. This was all a set up.

  “And now we begin the purge of sin, starting with this colony of degenerates. Praise be to him. Our colony of New Kaaba shall be baptized in fire! Those who resist will meet their fates in hell!”

  I jumped up on the stage, phasing through the holograms around me. My mind was racing.

  “The interference is an orbital bombardment signal. This whole pce is about to be a crater. Get the fuck out now!” Sucker’s voice was on the verge of breaking down in tears.

  I spotted Ash in the crowd. “Ash!”

  The whole crowd was now frantic as they saw me moving through the obvious holograms now. They began to panic and run about. Ash was in the crowd, holding the hand of another Anthro-Bunny of the same color as her. She was pushing towards the stage, shouting something to me.

  My eyes gnced upwards as I caught the sight of several objects jetting down at the crowd. I couldn’t think fast enough. I couldn’t move fast enough. The bombardment had begun. Fire erupted from the city center, rocking the ground, toppling buildings, and sending a shockwave racing at me. Fire and smoke enveloped me as I flew backwards, not knowing if this was my st moment alive.