I Only See Oppression

The photographer rubs his eyes and looks back in shock.

Photographer: "What are you doing outside with a Crim?! Police! Police!"

Kassius: "Hmm? Her hoodie! How did it-"

Arnold: "Let's get out of here."

Arnold puts Ulqora's hoodie on her head and they both start running. Kassius runs up to the photographer and snatches the camera.

Kassius: "I'll be taking this. Thanks for the picture. Sorry it had to be this way."

Kassius runs off and follows Arnold and Ulqora. The sun sets and night falls. They start walking down the road.

Kassius: "We still need a car right? How are we going to get that?"

Arnold: "We'll figure that out tomorrow I guess."

Kassius: "Man. Even people here seem to hate her people."

Arnold: "Are you okay Ulqora?"

Ulqora: "Mhm. I'm fine."

Arnold: "Good. Let's get home. I have a feeling our guest may be trying his best to leave."

Leader: "Free our people!"

Crowd: "Free them now!"

Leader: "Free our people!"

Crowd: "Free them now!"

Kassius: "Where's that coming from?"

Arnold: "I think down the street."

They cut the corner and see a rally walking down the middle of the roads. The protestors get stopped by a police blockade.

Police officer: "Get back now!"

Leader: "So we work our lives away for poor pay and you raise the prices even more so you can chase us out?! Where is the unity?! Where is the oneness! I only see oppression, am I right?"

Crowd: "Yeah!"

The crowd tries to continue marching through. The police start pushing back.

Police officer: "Stand back!"

A gun is fired into the air from the police side.

Leader: "Even the police, meant to serve and protect, want us to live in fear of them. Fear for who we are."

Police officer: "Alright officers! No choice, throw in the gas."

Officers start tossing tear gas and it starts affecting the crowd. They push into the group and start arresting multiple people, taking control over the roads.

Leader: "We are being wronged. Screw the president! Screw the government! This nation is built on lies!"

A family of three, a mother, father and daughter are walking down the side of the street. They are stopped by police.

Officer 1: "Hands up. You're under arrest."

Father: "Officers we aren't involved. Believe me we just want to get ho-"

Officer 1: "Get down!"

The father gets on his knees with his hands behind his head. His wife and daughter are put in handcuffs.

Father: "Let them go! They didn't do anything!"

Officer 2: "No need to be aggression sir. Comply and everything will work out. Do not push us to use excessive force."

Father: "No need to be aggressive?! You're dragging my wife and daughter off the streets because we happen to be the same people as the protestors. Of course I'm being aggressive. Hey!"

Daughter: "Daddy! Help me!"

Wife: "Honey we'll be alright. Just listen to them."

The daughter trips and the officer starts dragging her. The father runs at him and tackles the officer to the ground. Before he can cause any real harm, other officers grab him and slam him to the ground, pinning him by his neck. He slowly starts losing his breath.

Father: "Lea... h..."

The father passes out.

Daughter: "Daddy!"

The police continue arresting more and more people as time went on and more reinforcements came through. In the end, the people fled and the havoc caused on the streets had been contained. Later that night, Kassius, Arnold and Ulqora are in a fast food shop. Ulqora lies her head on the wall.

Ulqora: "That girl's dad..."

Arnold: "That's just wrong. How could they do that?"

Kassius: "The people were looting and stealing apparently."

Arnold: "Cmon Kas. You heard them. They're being treated like garbage."

Kassius: "Yes. But that doesn't mean they should trash other people's hard work to send a message right? All I'm saying is that they're releasing their frustration in the wrong place. Hopefully that mother and daughter are fine though."

Arnold: "Looks like we'll find out. Look over there."

They all send their attention to the television on the high wall.

(TV) Reporter: "Live at the scene where the protests had just occurred tonight. All the vandalisation and damage of property caused tonight had been put to a stop by our national police and we have one of the officers that helped stop this with us.

The camera pans to the officer.

Kassius: "That's him."

(TV) Reporter: "Can you describe what happened today? Officer..."

(TV) Officer Jenkins: "Officer Jenkins. Well, a group of people decided to cause havoc on the streets of our fine city and try hide it under spreading a message. We tried our best to stop them and we ensured no more damage was caused. One of them tried getting hostile so we rightfully detained him but it seems he wasn't in a good condition and had lost his breath. We rushed him to hospital but unfortunately he didn't make it. I'm dearly sorry to the family of that man. As an officer of the law, my job is to serve and protect to ensure no harm comes to our citizens so I promise to try even harder next time to keep our people safe."

(TV) Reporter: "Thank you for your daily efforts. Now also on the scene, we have the wife of the man who lost his life due to unfortunate circumstances here tonight. Ma'am, what is your opinion on the destruction caused here tonight by the protestors?"

(TV) Woman: "Protestors? I don't care about no damn protestors. I want my husband back."

(TV) Reporter: "I'm sorry for your loss. Hopefully you can understand the difficulty the officers were dealing with and you will be able to cope peacefully about your husband's passing and move on. Do yo-"

(TV) Woman: "Cope with his passing? This wasn't passing. This was murder! They killed my husband in front of my daughter. Forget me, how will she cope with living in the world that took her father right in front of her? The only thing that would be even remotely close to justice is the killing of that officer."

(TV) Reporter: "Ma'am. I understand emotions are high. However, the officer had apologised on the accident that had occurred. Maybe your emotions are causing a misinterpretation of this event?"

(TV) Woman: "Do you take me for a fool? My emotions have not clouded my judgment the slightest. That man needs to be held accountable. No more questions."

(TV) Reporter: "A tragic loss of a husband because of protests causing havoc on the streets. We thank the officers for being here on time and stopping it before even more people could've lost their lives. Back to you."

Back in the fast food place, Kassius continues staring at the TV with a disgusted look on his face.

Kassius: "That's... that's just cruel! They're praising him? He killed an innocent man."

Arnold: "Kas you need to calm down. I understand how you feel, but you're going to cause a scene. Keep a cool head."

Kassius: "You're right. Sorry."

A group of four men are seated on a table near them.

Man 1: "If you ask me, they got what they deserved."

Man 2: "Protestors do all this then act surprised when consequences happen."

Man 1: "If you have such an issue with this city, go back to your nation is what I say. Haha!"

The whole table starts laughing. Kassius tries to keep it under control, same as Arnold.

Ulqora: "H...hey. You're wrong. They didn't do anything wrong."

Man 1: "Hmm? Whatchu say?"

Ulqora: "You're a bad person. How could you laugh at that?"

The men walk up to their table.

Man 2: "Is this your kid? You know, it's best to teach them manners. Name calling isn't a good thing. Now, how about you look me in my eye and apologise?"

He pulls down her hoodie and they see her face.

Man 2: "A Crim?"

The two other men pull pocket knives out.

Man 1: "Wait! Don't kill her. Let's just take her with us. We can make some serious cash off her at least."

Arnold: "Lay a finger on her and you're dead."

Man 1: "Uh uh uh. I wouldn't get too heroic if I were you."

Another two guys walk up to the table, one holding a knife at Arnold and one at Kassius.

Man 1: "Take her."

Woman: "Excuse me, but could you move? You're in my way?"

Man 1: "Hmm-"

She spin kicks him on the side of the head and send him into a table. Arnold grabs the arm of the man holding a knife at him and hits the knife away.

Man 2: "Get them!"

The other people in the restaurant flee in panic. Two more guys start attacking the woman while two others go for Arnold.

Kassius: "Hey, do you mind putting down the knife? I have a fear of sharp objec- hey what's that over there!"

Man 3: "Hmm? Don't play gam-"

The man turns back and Kassius whacks him with a metal tray sending him to the ground in major pain.

Kassius: "Now what do you have on you..."

As Arnold is fighting, the two men are punching and kicking but he blocks and dodges. He jumps up on the counter and grabs a mustard bottle while in a handstand. He sprays them in the eyes and they both start screaming in pain. Arnold swings his leg horizontally and kicks both of them in the face, knocking them both unconscious. The woman evades and dodges being thrown at her and sweeps one of them off their feet, proceeding to stomp their stomach. She kicks the other but he grabs her foot. She leaps and grabs his head, placing him into a chokehold. She chokes him out and stands back on her feet. The last man is standing near the entrance of the restaurant. Arnold and the woman both kick him in the upper body and send him through the glass door.

Arnold: "Ulqora, where are you?!"

Ulqora runs up to Arnold and hugs him.

Arnold: "Are you alright?"

Ulqora nods her head.

Woman: "I don't think it's a good idea to stay here for longer. Let's get out of here."

Kassius: "Yo! I found some keys. They had a car. Let's go."

Kassius starts running out the restaurant. Arnold and Ulqora follow him.

Kassius: "Not this one... not this one... aha! Found it."

Kassius opens the car. The woman runs out the restaurant as they all enter the car and Arnold starts the engine.

Woman: "The queen's diamond on your first time? I didn't think you were this ambitious Kassius."

Kassius: "How'd you know my name?"

Woman: "It's that hard to tell? Guess I have a good disguise."

She removes her sunglasses and hat.

Kassius: "Ayana?!"

Ayana: "So you do remember?"

Kassius: "How did you know what we came here for?"

Ayana: "Because it's what I'm after too. Wanna team up?"