level_act32side_06_beg

Tecno, Papá, there are soldiers putting up barbed wire downstairs.

Soldiers? What are they doing here?

They showed us warrants. They say they're here to investigate fire hazards.

What?!

Uh... Is that something the military handles? Isn't this a job for those dumb civil servants?

Tecno, take the elderly and children away from here. Go to the Rhodes Island office and get Ernesto.

Everyone else, come with me, and bring weapons. Don't count on getting a good night's sleep.

I-I'm staying!

You have the best Arts of us all. You're the only one I can trust to get them out of here.

But...

Tecno, I'm giving you an important mission. Protect them, at all costs.

Okay... Papá.

May I ask your purpose here?

Diaz González, I remember you. You came to Dossoles and became a firefighter after you left the Singas army.

You fought fires for five years, putting yourself in danger countless times, and earning just as many commendations.

How did you fall so far as to end up in this stinking place?

I'm a firefighter. It doesn't matter where I am. I'm always fighting fires. A fire in a luxury hotel is still a fire, and so is a fire in a back alley.

If there's a fire, I can and will fight it.

Hah... The way I see it, you're one of us, Diaz. I'm sure you'll cooperate, right?

Enough. I know what it is you're scheming. You call this a fire safety inspection, but you're just trying to chase us away.

This is all in the interest of safety. You don't want a repeat of that disaster a couple years ago, do you?

Get out of here. I have things under control. You don't get to tell us what to do.

Oh, that simply won't do, Diaz. This puppet show has drawn the eyes of the entire city. What happens here is about more than just you now.

We'll make sure that your show doesn't have an adverse effect on the public at large.

I told you to get lost!

Oh, you don't get it, do you? We're here to conduct an inspection. We came prepared.

Alright boys, make sure you check every last one of them. Don't let any potential danger slip through your fingers.

Anyone who gets in the way of our inspection is endangering public safety. Show them no mercy.

Yes, sir!

Coño... These thugs.

Tecno, I'm scared... Where are we going?

Some bad guys forced their way into our neighborhood. It's not safe here. I'm taking you to Ernesto.

What about the others...? Are we just going to leave them here?

Papá told me to look after you... He said... he'd stay and take care of the rest.

They're coming this way. We need to hurry.

What's this about?!

Inspect all of the puppets' power lines. If you find anything risky, tear them all out.

Hey, it took me forever to put all this together. Leave those alone!

Out of the way, public nuisance.

Come on, man. Don't do this. Be reasonable. You're looking at half a year's worth of blood, sweat, and tears... Don't ruin it. Please, don't...

Like I give a shit how many months you put into this. I should lock you up right now for this flagrant violation of electrical safety.

Stop—!

No...

Conchetumare, enough with the wailing.

*whimper*... Don't!

What the hell is this place? Some kind of hideout? Didn't expect it to be this clean.

Sir, the puppets are right outside the window. Open them up and you'll see.

Take a look, see how much foam and wood they stuffed in them? What if they were to catch fire?

Tear them apart!

Thugs, all of you! You should rot in hell!

Ugh... What a bunch of beasts... So thoughtless...

Ugh...

Boss!

What are you people doing?! Didn't I tell you to round them up and bring them to the field? Get the lead out!

His people are putting up a struggle. It's been difficult to get them under control.

Then follow my lead and start cracking skulls, you idiot!

See? Look how calm he is now.

Bastards... You bastards...

Now get them out of here. Those puppets are huge, it's gonna be plenty of work taking them apart.

We're almost out. They probably wouldn't expect us to come this way...

Abuela, watch your step, the ground is slippery. Let me help you.

*sigh*...

Tecno, will we ever come back?

Of course. This is our home.

But those men tore everything down... If we come back, we'll have to spend so much time to get everything back to how it was.

They'll pay for that. I swear...

When we get back, I'll help you put everything right. I promise...

Quickly now. It's still a long walk to the office.

Abuelita, I'll help you.

Stay close, everyone.

Alright.

Tecno? Ellie? Come in, hurry! What are you guys doing here?

Where's Ernesto? I need his help.

He said he had something personal to take care of and went off on his own. He's still not back.

Ela and I are the only ones here now. What's going on?

Coalition forces have surrounded the neighborhood. They're tearing down our puppet show under the guise of a fire inspection... Papá told me to bring everyone here to lay low.

Tecno... What's the situation over there now?

I... I don't know. On the way here, all I could hear was the sounds of them breaking everything... A lot of people were crying, and I don't know if they were hurt or not...

Those thugs...!

I... I need to go back. I'm worried about Papá. He was acting brave, telling me to leave and let him deal with the soldiers...

But... he's not nearly as strong as he used to be... He's old now, even if his tongue is as sharp as ever.

I have to go, Ela.

Don't cry, Tecno. We'll go with you.

We will help you.

Doc here will stay and take care of the elderly and the children. Don't worry about them.

Ela, Tecno's people here are all fine. They don't need me.

It's the ones in that neighborhood who need my help. I'll go with you.

These vents are way too long.

I'm covered in dust. *cough*.

How is it, Doc? Can you get down?

I have pretty broad hips... I think I'm stuck.

Give me your hand. I'll pull you out.

Oof—!

The vents may be great for you guys to crawl around, but I have a hard time just squeezing myself into them.

They have the place completely surrounded, and they're covering the way we came out, too. The vents are our only path.

Fuze, give me a sitrep.

It's more complicated than we thought. They have a large number of troops standing guard outside the neighborhood. I had to break off, but the explosives are in place.

Ready to detonate.

(Deep breath)

How is it looking outside the window?

There are way more men than I anticipated... They took everyone outside.

Is anyone hurt?

Yes...

Then, is anyone...?

No. Don't worry. They're alive.

Phew... That's good to hear.

Ela, there are snipers on the roof. We need to take care of them first.

Doc, you and Tecno stay here. Wait for our signal before you act.

What are you looking for, Tecno?

The storage device. All our design documents are stored on it. They destroyed our puppets, but as long as we still have that, we can rebuild them someday.

I'll help you look for it.

Well, I thought I was just up here for a smoke. I didn't expect to run into a few sneaky musbeasts.

I'll deal with him. Go get the storage device. It's in the top shelf of that cabinet.

Alright.

Señorita, maybe you should let your friend take me on instead. A little girl like you can't land a finger on me!

Oh yeah?

*sigh*... You shouldn't have taunted her...

Didn't your mother ever teach you not to look down on people?! Time to teach you a lesson!

Agh! My leg!

Little girl? I'm a little girl because I'm short?

My nose!

Little girl? Vete a la chingada!

Ugh—

Dealt with him. Did you find the storage device?

Bad news. There's nothing on the top of the cabinet. Someone took the device.

Who... Who could've taken it?

You can stop glaring at me, Señor Diaz. I asked you to cooperate with us. You only have yourselves to blame for all these wounded.

Pfft. You can drop the act. Who are you trying to fool?

Hold him down!

Oof... fearsome fellow. If I didn't have my men here, you might've actually cut me down.

Hmph...

I'm afraid I have some bad news. Our inspection turned up a lot of serious hazards. Especially those puppets.

Once activated, they could have a serious adverse effect on the whole neighborhood's energy supply, maybe even the surrounding neighborhoods.

That's why I gathered all of you here, to give you a warning.

Who... sent you?

There are plenty who think fondly of this place... and just as many who want to get rid of us...

But all they ever do is come at us... They don't spare a thought to what we do.

Once you're there, your top priority is to destroy those puppets. And do it in full view of everyone.

Cut off water and electricity, drive them out of the place... That comes later. For now, we provoke them, anger them, and then...

Draw the fires of their fury where they must burn.

I'll be waiting there for good news.

Except him...

Except that man...

Do you really have to ask, if you've already figured it out?

Is this all of them?

Do it.

The moment the officer gives the order, the soldiers standing by swarm in. The puppets' bodies are rapidly torn apart, their materials and internal wiring scattered all across the ground, until only their heads lean against each other.

Their once swift pupils fall from their eye sockets, exposing the torn wiring inside.

There is a deafening silence among the assembled crowd. Many choose to look away, unable to bear witness to this atrocity.

Only Diaz looks on without so much as a blink. His eyes are filled with fury.

Oh, right, I found this... storage device on one of your shelves. I had a man check it for me. Your design documents are all in here, along with a bunch of other things.

You've destroyed enough already. Won't you spare us this?

We have to eradicate all threats, Señor Diaz.

An almost inaudible weeping can be heard in the silent crowd. Even a man as headstrong as Diaz is unable to keep his eyes stony.

Give that to me, you thug!

Who's there?!

Out of the way!

Coño. She snatched it.

What are you idiots doing? Who let this punk in here? Seize her!

You...

Stop resisting, and hand that over!

Let go of me!

Trying to use Arts?

Ugh...

Hand it over!

Pft, in your dreams.

You dare kick me?!

The officer, after getting a kick in the face from Tecno, angrily shoves her to the ground and attempts to snatch the device back, but the Durin keeps a tight grip on it throughout the whole ordeal.

After multiple fruitless attempts, the officer gives up. He stands up, expressionless, and stomps violently onto Tecno's tightly clenched fist.

Again and again, until his sole is dyed solid crimson.

Still won't let go, huh?

I... I won't... Take it from me... If you can...

The moment he lifts his knee again, a red beam shines from the roof of a building up above, with a small red dot landing on his forehead.

Try stomping her again.

If you want to know what it feels like to have three bullets enter your body at the same time, go ahead.

What... took you so long?

I'd die if I leapt from the fourth floor of a building.

Hrmph.

Take your men with you, sir, all of them. Or you'll have more than bullets waving hello.

Fine, we completed our objectives... No reason to waste any more time with you.

Notify all units. We're pulling out.