Chapter
4 – Necessary Disaster
After days of waiting, the day of
the election comes. Every supporter and financial backer of each candidate
comes out to show who they support and to encourage people to vote for that
person and their given reasons. I think this is the most active the city has
ever been for a mayoral election because of how many people are out and
consider this a turning point, not only for the city, but for the country.
Those who oppose me say that a superhuman with ties to a deeply Catholic and
influential organization is another step in us taking over not only the
country, but the world as well, given how the influence of the Dominion and
Coronamento Corporation has been rapidly expanding. Many of my opponents are
gathering in one place, in the more historic areas of Meridian, whose buildings
are mostly comprised of Art Deco and Gothic architecture.
Here it is. This is the trap. With
the Compassionate by my side and the Dominion and my friends in law enforcement
on standby, I enter the spider’s web. Looking at the souls of people, I see
that the businessmen and women, politicians, and normal citizens are the ones
who have been funding and influencing both criminals, villains, and their
fellow citizens to cause trouble for the people who chose to ally themselves
with me, and they’re continuing to do the same, protesting my mayoral run as if
me taking power means that I’ll become a tyrannical queen who will force
everyone to become Catholic and make Meridian a police state. In their minds,
they crave a physical fight and for me to attack them.
They think they win if I attack
them, and that their arguments and power will save them from the hand of
justice. Let’s see if they’re right. Firstly, I approach them, declaring that
they’re all under arrest for the crimes they’ve committed, and list them out as
they yell at me that they don’t know what I’m talking about, that what I’m
doing is to gain more votes for myself, and that what they’ve been saying is
being proven right. As I order my allies to arrest them and restrain people
myself, they start to put up a fight with guns, and the superhuman among them
uses their powers against us.
What ensues is a short fight that
wrecks the area around us. Even as we try to minimize damage and loss of life,
our foes are prepared for us, as reinforcements come from the civilian crowds
and groups of other hero associations and police, leading to many injuries and
a few deaths. The true fight then starts after the fight, as the people we
arrest continue to accuse us of being tyrannical and telling the observing
crowds that this will happen across the country and world when people like me
take power. I leave the arresting to the Compassionate and my allies, and
decide to talk to the crowds myself.
I say, “Don’t listen to them! They
were the ones responsible for all of the death and destruction that’s been
following me ever since I started running for mayor, and they’re getting what
they deserve. If I really wanted power, I would’ve gone after my rivals, not
their backers, and made myself subject to being kicked out of the mayoral race.
You’ve all seen or heard of my works, have you not? Everything I do, I do to
protect Meridian, save the innocent, and give second chances to those who take
it, and if doing so means not being mayor, then so be it, as long as justice is
achieved.”
With nothing better left to say to
a screaming crowd, I leave. Sure enough, the remaining city government announces
that the election is being halted today, and I’m immediately kicked off the
ballot due to a Meridian city law that says no candidate can be investigated
during the election, a leftover, useless law from the city’s corrupt past,
which I was hoping to change as soon as I entered office, but it’s over now. I
strangely feel at peace despite letting so much work seemingly go to waste.
The criminals we arrested continue
to be adamant that they did the right thing, saying things like, “We proved to
them that you’re no different than Kane and his Castigators! You call
yourselves Compassionate, but you help the scum of the earth escape prison and
execution, if they say they’ll change or work for you.”
“You’re only Compassionate in the
eyes of your false faith.”
“You just want power and to enforce
what you consider justice. When our candidates win, we’ll be out of here, and
you’ll be the ones behind bars.”
“You’re a disgrace to the legacy L’Obscurité
left. We only managed to get the help of so many criminals and villains because
you left so many alive and unpunished.”
Nothing else they say matters
besides them admitting to the crime of starting trouble and getting people hurt
and killed. Election day comes again in a couple of days, and I’m surprised by
what happens. A few of my rival candidates drop out.
One of them says, “Polina opened my
eyes to my faults that I’ve been running from my entire life. Because of that,
I’ve chosen to turn over a new leaf. Despite all the good she’s done and continues
to do, she got kicked while she was down and spat in the face when she was
forced to leave the mayoral race, and because of that, I’m choosing to step
down, and cast my vote and support for her.”
The other candidates echo the same
message, and people in the streets protest against the city, so I can be an
option for people to pick. Reports on the news talk about people writing my name
in and others spreading the word to do the same.
A man on the news says, “She spared
my life when I didn’t deserve to live because of what I did. She even spared the
people who tried to destroy her election run and kill her. If that’s not
compassion, then I don’t know what is.”
“This is…I don’t know what to say,”
I say as I start to cry.
“The people love you, Polina. Of
course, they’re going to have your back in your time of need when you had
theirs when they needed it,” Raziel says with one arm holding me.
Zahara says, “There was no better
choice than you. You proved that with your actions.”
“We don’t need to read people’s
minds to see that they were going to come out for you like this,” Penelope
adds. “We did a lot to inspire them to pick others up when they’re down, and
that we’re the ones in the right.”
Later in the day, the city
government caves in to the people’s demands, and holds the election again the
next day with me on the ballot. Even though the support for me doesn’t stop, I’m
surprised that I overwhelmingly win the vote. I start to cry tears of joy as my
parents, Raziel, Zahara, and Penelope celebrate and cheer for me. Since I have
to make a victory speech, I quickly head out with the Compassionate to the city
hall to address the now growing crowds who want to hear what I have to say. It’s
packed here with what must be hundreds of people cheering me on.
Once everyone is quiet and without
a proper speech planned, I speak from my heart and say, “I didn’t think I’d be
here a couple of days ago. I gave up hope when I decided to confront the people
who tried everything to sabotage my run for mayor and put the lives of my
allies and myself in danger, but it’s thanks to you all that I won, so really,
this victory is yours.”
The crowd cheers and starts
chanting my name.
“There’s no other way for me to
thank you than to do what I said I would. I’ll make sure that those who will
make the most of the second chance given to them can be reintegrated into
society, that old laws that were taken advantage of by criminals are wiped from
the rulebook, that criminals and villains get the justice they deserve, that
the poor and sick of this city get the support they need, and that the legacy
of the previous mayor, my friend Jeph, and his deputy mayor, Tim, is continued
and honored by what we accomplish next. Thanks to you letting me into your
hearts, we can bring Meridian to even greater heights and make this city the
most compassionate city not only in the Columbian Union but in the entire
world.”
The crowd cheers and chants my name
even louder. With nothing more to say, I thank the crowds again and get to my
office with the Compassionate by my side as always, ready to get to work to
help those in need. Of course, before we can really do anything, we get reports
of villains and criminals starting trouble because they don’t like that I was
elected.
“Let’s take care of them. I didn’t
want to be stuck in an office all day anyway,” Zahara says.
“They’re starting trouble because
of us, so we might as well take care of them ourselves,” Penelope says.
“I agree with both of you,” Raziel
says. “Polina?”
I laugh, put on my armor, and say, “Let’s
do what we’re best at.”
The
End
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