S4, E10 | A New Dawn Over the Republic

​Season 4 Finale

“Ladies and gentlemen of the Angelino Republic” a voice unfamiliar to many citizens remarks through the radio waves, speaking to them from a place of absolute control, “you answer to a higher power now.”

Armed and large in numbers, the peacekeepers follow Julia through the heart of the Republic, their collective path taking them to the steps of city hall, which she prepares to make her first public address from.

“Late this evening, Chancellor Morris was deposed by the peacekeepers and the Angelino Republic on my orders” she proceeds, having stepped through the front doors of a mostly-absent city hall. “As of this moment, I am your chancellor” the woman continues, marching through the front corridor with her eyes set on the final prize, a date with the chair she’d waited so long to claim for herself nearing with every step.

Her wrists tied with rope, Jaime is led by the pull of her once-trusted militia into the lower sanctum of city hall, the moonlight that comes over what was once her Republic now replaced in favour of a dark, menacing corridor she knows all too well. “I will go further into detail soon, but for now- you only need to know that change is in the air” Julia remarks further, one foot in front of the other soon carrying her into the welcoming embrace of the chancellor’s office.

Neither anger, nor fear held within the look on the deposed leader’s face, Jaime follows the lead of her turncoat militia through the lengthy path toward the dungeon, where only distant shouts from Chevy can be heard being spouted off in defiance. “Tonight marks a new era for the Angelino Republic, one I’d like to formally invite our New Democratic Front leaders to join me in speaking about” Julia advances, letting her fingers graze the leather-covered armrests of the Republic’s highest chair.

“This isn’t gonna go the way you want it to!” Chevy proclaims, pointing his finger in the faces of the emotionless guards that oversee his imprisonment, one Jaime can see as she’s led past him and further onward. “Until we speak again, let me make myself perfectly clear-” Julia continues, her lips pressing close to the mic that sits atop the podium she speaks from, her inaugural address made only once she’d been allowed to make herself at home in her new role.

“We’ll come out on top, Chevy” Jaime calls out, not resisting the guidance of those that lead her further through the dungeon’s depths, the look of scorn worn over her visage at the armed men that surround her. “-I will not have division” Julia continues on, her past hour having seen her finally sink into the seat of chancellor before addressing the nation, where she stands from atop the hall she controls- speaking to those she holds much the same power over.

“This nation has been fractured into two sides, and I will not allow that to continue” Julia explains, her finger pressed to the podium as a large gathering only continues to grow in size below her. “This is not about the peacekeepers or the Angelino’s, it’s about both” she progresses, playing directly from the opposite hand she’d fed the previous chancellor insight from, “we are one republic, we are one people, and we will be united.”

Her scowl only intensifying, Jaime finds her stride redirected toward one specific room, its door already open and waiting for her arrival. “May glory befall the Republic...” Julia concludes, those that gather at the steps of city hall unsure for the most part over what exactly the future now holds for them and their proud nation, whilst their chancellor is entered into her undisclosed room in the dungeons just below their feet “...or may she fall defiant forevermore.”

Slammed shut, the interrogation room’s door locks from the outside with the once-mighty leader locked within, her wrists still bound as she stands at attention, looking into the room with an intense look of bitter hatred. “Look familiar?” Julia wonders aloud, sat in the seat Jaime’s victims had once been forced to be seated upon, her feet kicked atop the table as her introduction to the new world is set in the rear view mirror.

In silence, Jaime’s nostrils flare whilst she remains standing at the front of the room, her might nothing more than a memory as she’s confronted with the consequences of her less-fortunate calls. “This was the room you had Ryan in for all that time, right?” Julia inquires, her hands coupled atop her lap as she looks to the former chancellor with a smirk, the title stripped away and placed upon her as if it were a crown.

Still silent, Jaime continues to stare at the woman with a blind rage, seething through her scowl as the Republic’s new leader throws her feet off the table, rising from her chair as both hands hang by each side. “Quite a turn of events, isn’t it?” the doctor-turned-chancellor asks aloud, her question left unanswered in the scathing reply she earns from her now bitter rival. 

“You played me” Jaime remarks in a near-whisper, her low-toned growl preceding the chuckle that the woman across from her replies with. “Like a fiddle, some would say” Julia jokes, slowly rounding the table as the tip of her finger slides against its surface. “And you think this is funny?” the prisoner challenges, her curiosity only building as the new leader nods in satisfaction.

“Very much, yes” Julia responds, her smile so wide that her pearly white teeth fail to be hidden behind her lips even a centimetre. “What I find even funnier is how I managed to get away with it” the new chancellor proclaims, resting her hip against the table as she looks toward the ceiling, basking in her recollection whilst Jaime stands idly-by, just listening to the woman’s remarks with little other option.

“When the world goes to shit, some things like medicine become really hot commodities like that” the woman remarks with the snap of her fingers, continuing to smile wide toward her defeated foe, “food, water, support, weapons- the whole nine yards. Whatever I wanted and more- I just got it.”

Hanging her head, Jaime struggles to keep from blaming herself for having allowed the monster that stands before her to grow over such a long amount of time, though her company doesn’t regret it for a moment. “When you study for years to become a doctor, it isn’t really difficult to justify playing the long game when things are really important” Julia explains, her left hand in the pocket along the hip that doesn’t press to the table, “the slower the power gained- the less it’s noticed.”

“And I never saw it coming” Jaime mutters beneath her breath, though the room is too silent for the words not to be caught by her now-superior’s ear. “No, you didn’t. Not until now. But- maybe if you were smarter- you would’ve been able to pick up on it” Julia chirps in, regaining the eyesight of her enemy’s hung head through peering eyes, “I was the architect behind your demise- the devil on your shoulder. Slowly, but surely- I broke you for the whole world to watch.”

Snarling, Jaime turns her face to a blank wall at the back of the room, shaking her head in dissatisfaction at herself whilst Julia watches on, revelling in the other woman’s self-pity. “So, I assume the push pit the peacekeepers and the people against each other was just a way for you to switch notes, huh?” the restrained survivor wonders aloud, second-guessing every decision she’d made since coming to power, incapable of letting any choice be left out of question.

“The NDF wants unity, so here I am to give it to them” Julia replies, allowing her bested adversary to continue down the self-reflective road of second-thoughts. “And it was you supplying the peacekeepers with rations, wasn’t it?” Jaime proceeds, catching a glimpse of the chancellor’s smirk before questioning one specific aspect, “for how long?”

Lowering her eyes, Julia nods her head in jubilation as Jaime waits for an answer, a subtle anger beginning to settle in with the conquered nemesis the longer her visitor chuckles. “How long!?” she shouts aloud, not waiting for anything longer than a second before receiving her answer, the victorious party in the conversation pulling her head up with an eyebrow raised and a smug look of confidence on her face.

“Who do you think gave Ryan his target all that time ago?” Julia wonders aloud, purposefully speaking in vague tongue as Jaime’s face begins to settle into a more relaxed expression, though the anger that simmers deep within her begins to funnel over the edge. “I needed Jordan in that hospital bed somehow” the chancellor continues, shrugging her shoulders as her personal justifications toward the action become clear, “-you’re a tough cookie. I had to crack you somehow.”

With her fists clenched, Jaime prepares to sprint across the room in lieu of security’s absence before the door bursts open, both Chevy and Kayla shoved into the room to join their trusted friend as a pair of men step inside with pistols drawn. Passing a look to each other, the trio all recognise the situation that appears to be unfolding, Chevy’s arm wrapped around Kayla as he holds her tight.

Her blinding rage beginning to subside for the greater good, Jaime takes command of her emotions and regains her composure, turning her chin in the blonde woman’s direction. “So- this is it?” the woman inquires, daring the chancellor to explain what her plans hold for the deposed inner circle, “take us where no one will look? Away from everybody to watch so you can execute us before it’s too late?”

Lowering her eyebrows, Julia shakes her head with amusement as the guard closest to her hands a pistol to his superior. “No, I’m gonna proposition you” the chancellor replies, looking Jaime in the eyes as she takes aim of the weapon toward the expecting parents, Chevy instantly stepping in front of Kayla to take the brunt of whatever shot appears to be within his future.

“To make this transfer of power as peaceful as possible, I want the public to know that this isn’t a sham government I’m putting in place” Julia replies, resting her finger on the trigger as Chevy stares at her defiantly. “You can stand on your morals, refuse my offer and let me kill your friends here before they even get to meet their little one, or you can comply with it-” the chancellor continues on, “join me in a public address, concede power to me, and face a fair trial in a few days.”

Scoffing at the notion, Jaime turns her face away as she begins to laugh, “there’s no such thing as a fair trial here, and we both know it.” Letting her chin hang, Julia shrugs in agreement and returns her sights to her predecessor. “No, I’ll still probably kill you- but you’ll at least get a chance to make your case to the people” the chancellor confesses, shaking the weapon she wields at the couple, “I actually don’t mind these two though, so I’d be fine exiling them instead.”

With a grimace, Chevy stares at Julia with a refusal to back down in the face of fear, only to find his well-respected friend turn toward him through the corner of his eye. “It sounds like it doesn’t end well for me regardless” Jaime admits to the man, shrugging her shoulders as not even a modicum of fear is presented in her eyes, which soon drift back to the woman that holds the dialogue’s power within the sight of her firearm, “if you let Chevy and Kayla go, I’ll say whatever you want.”

“That’s not how this works” Julia replies with amusement, only for the former chancellor to double down. “You’ve got me at gunpoint simply because I couldn’t trust a word you’ve said to me for as long as I’ve known you. If you want me to take this offer seriously- prove you’re not lying now” Jaime retorts, throwing her hands out as the offer is left standing, “if you’re gonna exile them, do it now so I know you’re not bluffing and I’ll do whatever you want me to.”

Parting her lips to reply, Julia soon finds herself coming silent, passing a glance toward the pair she holds her weapon toward before a sudden thought dawns upon her. “Y’know, I was going to pull the ‘I make the rules card’ on you, but I guess becoming the chancellor means there are some things I have to start learning” the woman explains, “I’m not bluffing, and it’s pointless to pretend like I could be.” 

Lowering her weapon from the couple, Julia nods her head in the former chancellor’s direction, opening the floor for her answer, “accept the offer and I’ll let them walk before sunrise.”

“Jaime” Chevy hisses, his plea for her attention brushed aside as the deposed chancellor’s mind had already been made up. “The only person she wants is me, Chevy. Neither of you need to be caught up in this mess anyways- it’s one I made, and one I made alone” Jaime retorts, turning her attention back to the new chancellor of her Republic, “besides, the only reason she wants to kill me is ‘cause she knows that if she doesn’t- I’ll kill her.”

Pressing together as they move toward the side of her face, Julia’s lips join the rest of her face in forming a humoured grin, one that only strengthens as Jaime takes a step forward, presenting the woman with her bound wrists. “I accept” the woman assures, letting Julia wrap her free hand around the rope that acts as a leash for the new chancellor to lead her by.

“May glory befall the Angelino Republic” Julia responds, taking the rope into her grasp just as she had the armrests on the chancellor’s seat earlier in the night. “Or may it fall defiant forevermore” the new chancellor sighs as she sinks into the comfort of the seat’s leather upholstery, both arms resting against each of the chair’s sides. Just behind her, the window overlooking a bright downtown L.A skyline is presented through parted curtains, where a face pokes out from hiding behind.

= Dire is created by Zachary Serra, all rights to the series belong to Zachary Serra and the entity of Pacer1 Media from the start of Season 1 onwards =

With her arms crossed, Jaime sits in the chair opposite her own desk, its control now seized by the acting chancellor, who continues her end of the conference call with a perpetual smile whilst her prisoner of war waits with a gagged mouth. “What are you asking me for, Ms. Avallone?” Wade inquires from the other end of the line, his scepticism of the woman he speaks to far greater than the one that sits across from her.

“I’m asking you to keep an open mind” Julia responds, leaning back in her seat whilst the deposed leader watches on, incapable of interjecting even if she wanted to. “You bartered with a woman that was not going to let you take Los Angeles without a fight. She got rid of the old mayor, and she would’ve found a way to make you hurt if war was waged” the chancellor continues, “if you were willing to do a deal with her, you should be willing to do a deal with someone more cooperative too.”

“Even if you are cooperative, there are still two things about you- amongst many others- that concern me” Wade replies, treating the revolutionary with kid gloves as the situation seems to call for, “I don’t know that I can trust you, and I don’t know that you can keep the people from revolting.”

“They’ll only revolt if they can’t put food on their plates” Julia counters, crossing one leg over the other as she stares into the distance, “make sure they’re fat and happy and they’ll be tickled pink to keep whatever the status quo is going.” With an audible sigh, Wade collects himself on the other end of the line, speaking to a nearby acquaintance too far from the phone for his voice to be heard.

“That’s the easier of the two issues I’ve got at hand to deal with you on” Wade replies, lowering his tone to a more approachable level, “you’ve got this chair of power- temporary, of course- because you played Ms. Morris like a fool.”

“And of course, how could you possibly trust someone like me?” Julia continues, finishing the man’s question upon his behalf, “that’s what you were going to ask, wasn’t it?” Silent on the other end, Wade let's dead air fill his end of the call as the chancellor takes it upon herself to explain his worries away, already feeling the leverage stack higher in her favour. 

“The only reason Jaime came to power is because there was a vacuum left by the old government. Her face was a good one to plaster all over the aftermath” Julia remarks, presenting herself as the lenient and less-stoic alternative. “I’m much more affable, much less attached to this Republic, and much more persuasive when it comes to shiny things” the new chancellor confesses, painting her administration out to be perfectly malleable, “I can be bought- unlike her.”

“And why do you think that makes me any more confident in what your administration can take on?” Wade challenges, sitting back in his seat from his luxury complex in greater downtown Los Angeles. “Ms. Morris is a natural born leader. Perhaps she’s much more difficult to get what I want out of, I’ll give you that- but I know she’s capable of keeping the other side of the fence afloat without me constantly looking over her shoulder” the NDF leader continues, “what makes you better?”

“Because there aren’t disputes to settle when no one’s trying to fight each other, you idiot” Julia cuts back, rerouting back to her initial point whilst the former leader watches on, disgusted at the discussion she watches unfold. “You don’t need a leader, you just need someone to be around to mediate the little strifes a bunch of tubby, mouth-breathing pigs take on in between bites” the chancellor proclaims, “I’m just a puppet to your regime. That’s what you get, and it’s all you need.”

“Why wouldn’t Ms. Morris have been able to do that if it was as easy as you make it out to be?” Wade refutes, “I don’t need to know you in order to realise how capable she was on her own.” With a nod, the woman refuses to disagree with the man’s line of thought, sensing their conversation leading to a more fruitful outcome. “Because I have the favour of the peacekeepers. I hold the balance Jaime never did” Julia replies, “I’ve put both sides back together again.”

“Sure, but for how long?” Wade inquires, continuing to challenge the woman he has yet to decide whether or not to allow the retainment of power in. “As long as you keep those rations pouring in and we’ve got a surplus going, they’ll be happy to jump whenever I say so” Julia responds, laying down her end of the agreement, “you seem to underestimate how cooperative the people are willing to be as long as you’re keeping them fed. I don’t.”

Met with dead air from the other end of the line once more, Julia waits for the NDF’s leader to project his voice yet again, the sigh that precedes the man’s response catching the woman’s ear. “You still haven’t told me how I can trust you as a colleague” Wade replies, doubling down on his need to know exactly what kind of person he’s bartering for control with, “if the people are cooperative as long as they’re being fed- what makes you cooperative?”

With a smile from ear to ear, Julia’s eyes dart to the restrained figure sat across from her, the vengeful eyes of her deposed enemy holding steady upon her without wavering. “The fact that I’m willing to cut bait and run for the right price” the chancellor responds, flashing the woman a smirk as she continues down her line of thought.

“One thing I’ll give Jaime is that she’s one tough bitch when it comes to getting something done. As far as this Republic is concerned- it’s the second love of her life” Julia explains, “you may think war with her will be something you can walk away from, but it’s not. If you go to war with Jaime, you will lose and the city will burn.”

Pausing for a moment to regain her grin, Julia takes on a softer tone as she sinks further into the seat, eyes drifting to the clutter-filled desk she sits in as her curtains begin to shift. “I, on the other hand, don’t need anything more than a few concessions to be willing to leave the Republic in the right hands” she continues, unaware of the rustling that goes on behind her whilst the former chancellor takes a slight notice.

“I’m just here so you can lay some roots down. Get the people antiquated with the NDF, make them trust you, and then phase me out and let it mould together with the rest of your strongholds” Julia remarks, picturing the Republic’s future from her very seat, “set me up with a cosy beach house in Hawai’i, maybe a few little perks to make me comfortable and- when the time comes- I’ll be on my merry way.”

Keeping her expression entirely under wraps, Jaime maintains her sight on the chancellor whilst the goings on occur away from sight, not wanting to draw any more attention than what’s already warranted. Silently considering his options and weighing the possible benefits, Wade comes to a final conclusion, “I’ll be there in ten minutes” he replies, hanging up the call without a departing gesture before Julia does the same, both eyes returning to the foe across from her.

“I think I’m getting pretty used to this j-” Julia begins to remark, her pleased expression turning to one of surprise at the sound of a barrel pressing to the back of her head. “I wouldn’t get too comfortable with it if I were you” Alex interjects, standing in control of the weapon as her daughter watches on, unable to intervene in the chance that things take a turn for the worst.

Raising both of her hands, Julia slowly turns her chair and leaves the seat, looking Alex in the eyes as she’s caught without a lifeline to reach out for, overpowered in both the numbers game and in firepower. “All I need to do is yell and security will have you dead on the spot” the chancellor replies, watching the mother keep aim on her weapon as she rounds the desk, pulling the gag from Jaime’s mouth whilst keeping the woman responsible for it in sight.

“I only need one shot to kill you” Alex replies, unphased by the chancellor’s threats. Frantically fighting against her restraints, Jaime slowly removes the ropes that dig into her skin from over her wrists, reclaiming the firearm that her mother graciously bestows upon her. “Well whatever you came here for- you’re too late” Julia responds, a fact that both women already realise, “there’ll be an uprising from the peacekeepers if you try anything.”

“I’ve gotten rid of plenty already, what’ll a few more change?” Jaime replies, kept from speaking further by the gesture of her mother’s hand, one that keeps her from continuing on. “The fact that you can’t govern anymore. The militia is against you, the peacekeepers are against you, and I doubt being overthrown would look good on Wade’s gradebook” Julia proceeds, “killing me won’t change anything. If the guards outside don’t kill you right after, the whole Republic will be searching for you.”

Resting her finger against the trigger, Jaime plays with the doctor’s fate and weighs her options, thinking quietly to herself before the sound of her mother’s voice rings in. “She’s right, Jaime” Alex remarks, the disheartened look on the former chancellor’s face implying that she already knows such a thing is true, “you’ve lost the people. We’re better off making a run for it now than leaving Kennedy and the rest on their own and getting shot down here.”

With her chin leant toward her mother’s direction, Jaime’s eyes fall to the ground as the weapon steadies in her grasp, the call left for her to make, but the consequences to be suffered by everyone she knows. With a deep breath, the former chancellor makes her call, nudging her chin toward the office’s door. “Chevy and Kayla are still in the dungeons. With the crowd that’s gathering outside, I doubt she’s got many people looking after them” the armed woman proclaims.

“Then we’ll head there and take one of the exits out” Alex replies, starting for the door as her daughter follows, her aim on the weapon kept as she marches closer toward the door, not yet having finished saying her peace toward her unwanted successor. “Until the day comes, I hope you wonder to yourself whether all of this was worth it-” Jaime explains, slowly lowering the weapon to her hip as she provides Julia with a few departing words, “-‘cause when the day comes, I’ll kill you.”

With as much tenacity as she’d uttered the final line with, Jaime bursts through the door and sprints off by her mother’s side, leaving an aggravated Julia behind to seethe on her own, thwarted in her attempt of nipping the problem in the bud before it can grow beyond control. With the air settling, the chancellor hears the sound of a massive crowd gathering at the steps of city hall, the call for her presence that she’d been dreaming of since the catalyst finally meeting her ear.

|

Cradling his wife in his arms as her head rests atop his shoulder, Chevy plasters his eye on the cold, lonely room’s entrance, his mind unable to refuse the feeling that something isn’t right. “Is this one of those times where I should worry about whether or not we’re gonna get out of this?” Kayla wonders aloud softly, her eyes closed as one arm rests behind her husband’s back, the other laying upon the small bump that her stomach presents.

“We’re gonna be fine, honey” Chevy responds, his confident tone met with immediate uncertainty, though he doesn’t know it at first. “I don’t want reassurance,” Kayla replies, gently pulling her head away from the man’s shoulder to look him in the eyes, their faces meeting each other casually, “I want you to be honest.”

Though his eyes hold love for the woman they meet, the man’s heart holds room for something else, an uncertainty as strong as the one his soulmate’s had been. “I-” Chevy murmurs, pausing to look deep into the woman’s eyes, his hand moving to rest on the side of her face, its touch prompting her eyes to shut tightly, a single tear squeezing out from the narrow part between each lid, “I’m not sure.”

For a moment, the air grows still before a knock interrupts their moment together, its succeeding moment allowing a guard with his head hung to enter the room, closing the door slowly on his way inside. With both hands grasping the knob that his back now presses against, the guard stands in silence for a moment as the couple look to him with differing emotions, the woman’s face wearing a hopeful optimism whilst her husband’s wears a concerned scepticism.

Pressing his bottom lip between his teeth, the guard lets one hand fall from the door’s entrance whilst the other takes a moment to remain concealed, only returning to sight with a firearm in tow. “Get on your knees” the militant murmurs beneath his breath, horrified to have to demand such a response from those he’s tasked with confronting, though it’s no match for the level of disgust he feels with the act he’s been demanded to follow through with.

Losing her last shred of hope, Kayla’s latch on her husband tightens whilst Chevy’s follows much the same path, his lips parting without a pause. “What happened to being let free at sunrise?” the man inquires, knowing what’s come of the answer, only to demand the armed man reply for himself.

“Just get on your knees, man” the guard replies, shaking his head as Chevy slowly stands, his wife rising just as he does without losing her grip even the slightest amount. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be” the executioner doubles down, his grasp tightening on the firearm as the man begins to stand, “you don’t have to feel a thing.”

With his lip curling, Chevy tightens his hold on the woman he now steps in front of, standing guard for his wife until he no longer can. “Chevy” Kayla whispers, pulling the man’s attention back toward her as the end nears, their luck having run out just as the tide began to change for the Republic they helped build.

Placing her hand against the man’s cheek, Kayla presses her eyes shut and leans her head against her husband’s, letting a silence run over the room as she refuses to prolong the inevitable. “Let’s not waste what little time we have left” the woman pleads in a hushed tone, too tired from the war to exhaust her final breaths away from the man she loves, his awestruck inability to utter a word unintentionally giving the woman her final wish.

“We can still get out of this” Chevy whispers back, pressing his lips to the woman’s head whilst the guard watches on, his stomach turning as he falls sickened at having to fulfil his chancellor’s wretched demands. “I don’t want to spend our last seconds fighting for nothing” Kayla replies, calming her breaths as she cradles her baby bump with one hand, her husband’s face with the other, “this is where it ends.”

His lip quivering, Chevy peers over his shoulder to the man prepared to deliver their final sentencing, listening to a knock come through the two way glass. “Please just hurry up” the humane guard requests, his rapid breathing making it clear that he wishes for nothing more than not having to carry out this merciless deed. Opening his mouth, Kayla’s husband prepares to speak back to their executioner before her hand pulls his face back, their eyes locking again as their lips soon meet.

Sharing their love over just a few seconds, the couple’s lips pull apart as their foreheads reconnect, both sets of eyes closed as their breaths intermingle, a slow acceptance coming over them at once. “We lived a good life together...” Kayla whispers, her voice the only thing Chevy wishes to hear as their curtain call draws near, “...they’ll never get to take that away from us.”

Slamming his fist against the bulletproof window, the guard on the outside demands of his much younger acquaintance to handle business as demanded of, presenting the standby guard with little option other than to progress with the demands. “A good life it was...” Chevy whispers back, his breaths becoming heavy as the man his back is turned toward steps forward, the gun lifting toward the back of his head, prompting him to finish the thought before it’s too late, “...and still is.” 

Playing the protege for a fool, Chevy breaks free from his wife’s embrace and strikes the young militant across the face, the guard toppling into the wall as his weapon falls to the ground. Meeting her husband just as she always does, Kayla lunges toward the ground and retrieves the weapon, taking aim at the door the moment it opens and firing a round through the elder guardsman’s head without warning, freeing their exit route whilst leaving them with one loose end untied.

“Please! Don’t kill me!” the young man exclaims, holding the side of his face whilst presenting his free hand in surrender, not wanting any more strife than he was already tasked with. Though the barrel of his weapon is now aimed in Kayla’s hand, the woman’s reluctance shows the distraught executioner mercy he otherwise may not deserve, letting Chevy tower over him with an intimidating pose.

Her hesitation noted, the young man looks up at Kayla’s husband with pleading eyes as he kneels down, allowing his wife to keep lookout over any further threat. “What’s your name, kid?” Chevy asks, taking a zip tie from the guard’s side and fastening it around his wrists. “C- c- Charlie!” the spared executioner replies, unable to keep himself from stuttering as he’s rendered defenceless.

“Well, Charlie- consider yourself lucky” Chevy replies, patting the man on the shoulder as he provides him with a smile, he and his wife getting the better hand of yet another situation. “Just remember- in case our paths ever cross again...” the man proceeds, standing upright before leading his wife onward, their escape just getting underway, “...remember who the good guys are here.”

Left alive, though restrained- the grief the militant had once been hampered by now sets aside in favour of relief, never more pleased to see inmates escape than he is right now. With a full sprint, Chevy takes the gun off the deceased militant and takes aim at the end of the corridor, joining his wife in venturing onward until they’re called to attention. “Chevy! Kayla!” Kennedy shouts, prompting the pair to turn back the way they came and join the teen girl at the nearest exit.

“Ken, you are the only reason I can tolerate children now!” Chevy exclaims, joining his wife in ducking through the nearest side exit, all sights set on the road above. “Yeah, yeah, yeah- let’s go!” Kennedy shouts back, reserving another time for her praise as she leads the charge onward, funnelling through the cramped pathway toward the nearest set of stairs.

Sticking together as the light they have to follow dwindles further the longer they run, the group marches toward their freedom- or whatever the aftermath of Jaime’s deposition turns out to be- into a new world. Emerging into a much louder surface than what they’d come to expect, the trio step through the door of what appears to be a shack, though houses much greater secrets than those they wish to share.

“Let’s go!” Jaime exclaims, stood by the parked truck that Alex sits behind the wheel of with little time to wait, their collective patience for the small group’s reunion paying off as the vehicle soon fills, the five survivors turning their attention for wherever salvation lies. “Where are we going!?” Kennedy calls aloud, looking for an answer that not one person has to offer, the seconds that pass freeing the floor for the former chancellor to make a call of her own.

“North... Lancaster” Jaime replies, seated to the right of Chevy and Kayla whilst her sister and mother take the front-most seats, the road they drive upon paving the way for a very new Republic than what she’d built. Beneath the mask of night, helicopters swarm the city overhead whilst tanks, armoured vehicles and NDF goods travel in from the central city, given the greenlight to step forward in their plan of reuniting the metropolitan as a stronghold for the new world’s order.

“What about the Republic!?” Kennedy calls back, turning in her passenger’s seat to look behind her, eyes colliding with her big sister. “The Re-” Jaime begins to reply, pausing for a moment to glance at the city’s skyline, watching the military vehicles swarm the nation she’d carved through pain and perseverance, unable to hold back the feeling that no such thing can be spoken to. “It’s gone, Ken” the former chancellor confesses, letting out a sigh as she sinks back in her seat, “...I lost it.”

Confused, Kennedy’s eyes drift to the couple that sit beside her older sister, their collective look of accepting dismay doubling down on the deposed chancellor’s claims. Her face souring in disappointment, Alex keeps her eyes on the road whilst a deep worry runs through her body, sending chills down her spine as a new dawn rises.

Without a word to argue against such a claim, Kennedy takes the answer as fact and slowly returns to her seat, pressing her back against its soft support without certainty over what she’s feeling. In each direction, militants move on the orders of their new chancellor, the citizens put on notice of their new administration whilst the nation comes to a standstill, the revolution it was birthed in the ashes of having come back around to strike once more, this time taking the new normal with it.

== Dire ==