Steeled Spies #7: The Final Demonstration

The End of an Era...and the Beginning of a New Mission

Art by Spookitty

“What’s the cost, Chairman? How much is freedom gonna cost on her terms?” Devenreux’s words were cutting deep for Beltrami, the wolf straightening his tie with stiff twitches of his gray hands. Before he answered, the light-furred activist decided to swing for the fences.

“I wonder what DeVol would think of all this.” Lucille seethed, that delicate face of hers now simmering with fury “Maybe he knew something he wasn’t supposed to.”

Chairman Beltrami snapped towards her indignantly. “Not at all! You saw the charges, he was tried and convicted honestly, and what was done was done.”

That was the crowd’s cue to go ballistic, shouting and spitting in rage at the podium. Lita shivered in anger at Agent Steele’s side, the dark gray punk’s eyes burning red-hot.

She felt Roger’s tight fist on her arm “I dug Ralph too, but do you want to martyr yourself over him or do you want to make sure half this fucking crowd doesn’t drop dead?” Lita returned the squeeze ten-fold, claws out and all, but like a block of iron, the agent’s arm didn’t budge.

“I’m keeping cool…I’m keeping cool.” she sighed at last.

Steele released his grip. “Good.”

No sooner had his own associate regained her composure than the white-suited statesman faltered in his. “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” roared Beltrami, his tenor shrill as he vainly tried to clear the noise. When the upset mob carried on, the statesman grabbed the mic and bent it over the podium speaker. The feedback shrieked clear across the Park and, at last, hushed the crowd. When the statesman snapped the mic back, he held the audience with a glower and a restored velveteen voice. “Allow me to make very clear WHO you are really bargaining with.”

Beltrami held up what looked like Steele’s portable viewer. “I have just put in a request to the network to show to us all here at Empire Square Park just what She is capable of. And that display should be taking place right…about…now.”