Chapter Text
The shouts of the protesters surrounded them, in addition to the sound of the stones and debris crashing into the police cars, shots in the distance, the cops warnings via megaphone that the protesters had to withdraw, and, in the background, Dimitri's distorted speech inside the university's main auditorium. The air around them began to mix little by little with the tear gas, irritating Dorothea's nostril due to the lack of habit, and she imagined that it would only be worse with the passing of the minutes. She received a message on her cellphone and signaled to Edelgard, who was waiting in front of the entrance to the auditorium building next to the rest of the Black Eagles.
"Introduce us, Bernadetta..."
The plan was still complex. A series of demonstrations had been announced both inside and outside the university due to Rhea's presence on the campus. Both the city's police force and the university authorities had announced a strategy of safeguarding for the Church of Seiros's representatives, which included a large deployment of riot police, some water cannons and the university's security staff, although that last one only in a passive role. They had permission to let the police enter the campus if necessary.
The students had organized a demonstration outside the building where the main auditorium of GMU was located; which, as Ferdinand had found out, also considered the installation of a stage for an open microphone. This is where Dorothea came into action, since accessing the auditorium directly would be a problem, but there were other ways to get the message across and she knew someone perfect for the job.
"Let me understand this well... do you want to hack the computer that will be used as a source for the projection in the Archbishop's speech?", Claude asked, still somewhat incredulous.
Dorothea nodded and the boy let out a heavy sigh. He closed his eyes and turned a couple of times in the desk chair of the editing laboratory they were in. Claude was part of the Digital Audiovisual Communication program and they had worked on some projects related to music video editing together. She also knew that Claude, along with other kids in the program, used to do independent social work. Finally, the boy stopped turning in his chair and smiled at her, clapping once.
“I will talk to Lysithea. She is our resident tech geek", noticing the expression of doubt on Dorothea's face, Claude added by patting her left shoulder. "Don't worry, she won't miss an opportunity to challenge herself. She's gonna get the job done".
After that she just needed to take care of the audio. Which, in theory, she shouldn't have major problems, but time was limited and although Dorothea had access to the auditorium, it wasn't a job she could do completely alone. So that afternoon, after practice, she stayed a moment back to talk to the perfect girl for the job. Or rather, the only one she knew.
"Mercedes, there's a favor I need to ask of you".
For someone outside their group, revealing part of the plan to Mercedes could be considered a risk, because of her recent ties to the Kingdom. But before becoming members of the same musical program, Dorothea had met Mercedes as a volunteer at the local orphanage, so she knew her perspectives about the abandonment that the children suffer at the hands of the State and the systematic indifference of those in positions of privilege. She would help them.
So, over the next few days, Dorothea and Mercedes spent their afternoons installing speakers, of the many that were in the university's cellar, at different points in the auditorium boxes. They connected them in such a way that every single one was gonna transmit the same external audio.
"Are you sure about what you are getting into?", Mercedes asked once, visibly worried. "I'm not sure if such intervention could be considered grounds for expulsion, but it's a possibility... It's Rhea we're talking about."
"Don't worry, I talked to Manuela... everything will be fine either way", Dorothea said, without further elaboration.
In the middle of the week, Ferdinand approached them, as she expected, since the idea was to enter the band's instruments to the university a few days before the event to keep them in the cellars destined to some of the institutional band's instruments, but it was going to be impossible to achieve that due to the searching of private owned cars that were being carried out by the GMU guards. Nothing suspicious passed without the express authorization of the respective authorities. So they would have to resort to the somewhat more basic instruments of the musical program. Dorothea took advantage of giving Ferdinand the certificate that the security staff had given her to identify herself as a student, so Bernadetta would have time to make some copies and modify them with false information so that the rest of the band could enter the university without major problems on the day of the visit .
Edelgard called her the night before, a few minutes before midnight. Throughout the day television hadn't reported about anything other than the Church of Seiros's visit, mostly focusing on the opinion of political and ecclesiastical groups, relegating the civil demonstrations that had taken part in some streets and the State police's repression to simple reports of four or five minutes. Neither of them could sleep. Dorothea remembered the things that Edelgard had confessed to her, small details that had escaped her lips, disjointed in their presentation, but if she put them together one by one, they formed a horror picture that made Dorothea's blood boil.
"I just... I want them to listen, even if they don't want to receive our message", the Edelgard's voice that came through her cellphone seems a little tense.
Dorothea thought about the Hresvelg family, in each of its members, in the photographs of their faces and how they were reproduced on each television channel and newspaper cover. She thought about the dead eyes of Ionius IX and how they contrasted with the passion and anger in his daughter's eyes.
"Are you ready for tomorrow?", Edelgard asked her, as she had done a couple of times before. Dorothea was expecting it. "You don't have to be present tomorrow; it probably won't end in the best way".
“I'll be at your side. I'm in, all the way”, Dorothea assured her, and although she couldn't see her, she was sure that Edelgard was smiling.
CONNECTED. TRANSMISSION IN 10 SEC. BE READY.
Claude's message informed them that Lysithea had managed to establish a stable connection with the cameras they had installed on each side of the stage. Linhardt had been in charge and did his best so that the instruments would be heard as well as possible in those circumstances. Caspar was on the left side of the stage, with a simple gas mask, industrial gloves and a five liter water bottle, ready to neutralize any tear gas grenade that fall nearby. Ferdinand was also waiting on the other side, ready to get involved if it became necessary. Petra, Hubert and Bernadetta wore their bandanas, while Edelgard had chosen not to. She wanted Rhea to see her face perfectly in the transmission, just like any other who was watching her.
Dorothea told Edelgard from behind one of the cameras that she should start, and thus began this intervention as in every concert of The Black Eagles, with a powerful drum rhythm by Bernadetta.
Inside the auditorium, Rhea had positioned herself in the central lectern, in front of all the authorities and guests invited to her inaugural speech. Dimitri had made his introduction and had barely sat down again with the rest of the members of the Holy Kingdom Association when an annoying static was heard throughout the entire auditorium, and a second later the great screen where images were being projected blinked a few times before being occupied by the image of the stage outside the building.
The surprise on the Archbishop's face was evident, and although she tried to regain her composure almost immediately, the tension in her jaw became evident.
"My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg and I have a message for those who impose, regulate and do what's only convenient, but never what's necessary", Edelgard recited while Bernadetta's drum solo increased in intensity. “Rhea, listen! The only church that illuminates is the one that burns!”
The other students that surrounded them and who were also protesting themselves with banners and screaming, began to chant that adage, while the band was carried away by the vertiginous rhythm of their most recent song, prepared especially for this occasion. Dorothea could hear the commotion inside the auditorium, even Rhea's voice above everything else, saying to remain calm before the heretics. Given the demonstrations outside, the people present inside the building could only stay in their places under orders of the security officers. Claude had made it impossible for them to turn off the projectors remotely, so they would have to go to the main control room, which would be conveniently locked. With a mischievous smile, Claude assured Dorothea that time they talked, that whether they wanted to or not, everyone would have to listen.
Put the gun down, I said asking
Don't be a coward, please
Where are my sisters
Without them I am lost
Without them I am about to do it
Friends, let's burn the kingdom
We will burn the demons
Cowardly murderers, owners of the nation
Suddenly, there was a loud bang that startled everyone, followed by shouting and a white smoke cloud caused by a tear gas canister that had fallen a few meters from the stage. Caspar ran to it, still throwing sparks and expelling its contents, and took it in his hands, before quickly throwing it into his bottle, which he covered quickly and shook to neutralize the bomb. The protesters remained in place, while the band continued to play, but two more white smoke trails across the sky made it clear to them that the riot police had entered the campus and were heading there. Ferdinand, Caspar and another couple of students were in charge of kicking or throwing back the grenades that fell too close, but it was becoming clear that in a few minutes the place would be completely bathed in the chemical.
The first group of police arrived in formation, protected with their armor, shield and retractable cane in hand, in direct clash with the first line of protesters, who shouted in their faces trying not to give them excuses for a more violent act. But when they insisted on moving forward, the first push came, and it was the only gesture necessary to put them into action.
“Clear the place! Clear the place!”
Dorothea stayed behind the camera in the middle of the smoke, trying to protect the transmission for as long as possible. Towards her ran one of the policemen, shouting insults that she didn't understand. But he didn't get too far, since Caspar came from behind, kicking him in the back to make him fall. Without stopping, he ran trying to avoid another pair of policemen who were after him.
Edelgard coughed to the side of her mic and continued to sing, even though the tears fell quickly from her irritated eyes. The chords were no longer so clear, but the rest of the band was determined to play until the end. There were only a few song verses left when a group of police officers made it to the stage. One climbed up from behind and kicked part of Bernadetta's drum set, to make room and grab her. In response, he received a kick from Hubert and immediately after a blow to his chest with the guitar. The song ended abruptly. Petra throw her bass and dodged another policeman who had tried to grab her bandana. She got off the stage and pulled the cop's shield trying to make him fall. For her part, Edelgard dropped the microphone when a third policeman, without getting on the stage, took her by one of her boots, lifting it to make her fall.
Her legs moved by themselves, and without even realizing what her reaction entailed, Dorothea ran to the policeman and pushed him with all her might. Edelgard fell, but with one kick she managed to free herself from the policeman's grip. He attacked Dorothea, who was still on the ground recovering from the crash, but Edelgard jumped on him from the stage and made him fall, rolling on the ground, landing a few inches away from him. The smoke from the multiple tear gas grenades was already becoming unbearable and blocked much of the visibility.
"Eddie!", Dorothea crawled to her side. The vocalist lay on her back, somewhat sore, but clearly more annoyed at not being able to open her irritated and teary eyes. Linhardt came to their side with a spray bottle, a mixture of water and antacid. He sprayed both of their eyes.
"They took Ferdinand and Petra!", the boy told them, raising his voice. "We have to…!"
They were interrupted by the fall of a molotov cocktail only a few meters away, which illuminated their faces and forced them to get up and run. But they didn't get very far, in the smoke, another group of police intercepted them. This time it was impossible for them to get away, although they didn't give up. Edelgard tried to throw a few kicks when she saw in the distance as another pair of police dragged Bernadetta trough the ground towards a detention van. After a few minutes the three ended up in another car, along with a couple of more protesters. The stones and other type of projectiles that were thrown at the vehicle were heard, but it began to advance through the confrontation, and after a few minutes that seemed eternal, they were already on their way to the corresponding police station.
When Dorothea opened her eyes again, it was still nighttime, but the sound of the clashes with the police a few blocks away had already calmed down. At this point, they would most likely keep them in custody until the next day. A large part of those who were in that cell with her and in the adjacent ones were slept, but she could tell that the girl next to her had woken up, although she had remained in the same position since then, with her head resting on Dorothea's shoulder.
"I'm sorry", Edelgard whispered, her eyes glued to the tips of her combat boots.
"Why?", Dorothea asked. She rested her head on Edelgard's. The vocalist closed her eyes for a few seconds, they were still a little irritated. On her cheeks, the tears had left an awkward trail in their wake.
"I got you involved knowing that this would be the most likely outcome...", Edelgard's voice denoted clear unease. "You'll have problems at GMU".
Dorothea took one of Edelgard's hands in hers. The girl was startled a little, a part of her glove had torn apart, which made visible some of the scars that, as vines, seemed to curl around the vocalist's skin until getting lost under the sleeve of her jacket. Dorothea gently stroked them, following their path with the tip of one of her fingers. She was aware of the initial tension in Edelgard's body and how, little by little, she relaxed again.
"I don't care," she replied sincerely and this time Edelgard stared at her, not fully understanding. “I'm serious, I've been thinking about it for a while now, maybe an academic path doesn't fill me as I would like…”
They were silent for a few minutes. Dorothea stopped stroking Edelgard's hand, but didn't let go. They ignored the disdainful look of the cop who walked by. From the outside, the first birdsongs were heard.
"Will you still work in that store?", Edelgard sounded a little anxious. Dorothea thought it was adorable.
"Afraid of not seeing me anymore, Eddie?", she joked, and Edelgard lowered her head a little, trying to hide with her hair the blush she felt seized her cheeks.
"I just wonder if you'll take more shifts or you have something else in mind..."
Dorothea thought for a moment. The truth is that, until that instant, she hadn't had time to think deeply about what she would do now that she planned to drop out of university, either via expulsion or raising a withdrawal request. She had some savings and she wasn't really in need of taking more shifts at the store, although if she planned to return all the money Manuela invested on her, even if the songstress refused to receive it, she should surely work longer hours or find a job with better pay.
"Manuela offered me to come back to the opera company...", Dorothea confessed, and she could feel how Edelgard's fingers clutched her a little harder. "It's only one possibility among several, nothing it's defined", she hastened to add.
But they both knew that would mean that Dorothea should return to Adrestia.
"My offer for the cover still stands...", Edelgard said quietly.
Dorothea felt a warmth flood her chest but said nothing at the moment. With one of her hands she fixed some rebel strands of Edelgard's hair, just as she had done after her concert, following the line of these with her fingers, wanting to prolong the contact as much as possible. She thought of that insomnia that sometimes consumed her, drowned in sadness, that indifference that had nestled inside her and that made her desperate when she was too aware of it. But maybe the pain was only momentary...
“Sounds good, Eddie. I would love to."
Edelgard barely reacted, but that smile on her face was enough for Dorothea.
"Let's wait for the dawn", Edelgard whispered, sticking a little more to Dorothea's body. Before closing her eyes, she put her other hand over the hand with which Dorothea was holding hers.
"Ok", at that moment Dorothea knew that, whatever the future held for her, it couldn't be so bad.