A New Era Is About To Be Born.

Chapter 1: 🦋

The hall was a mess. Fellow banditos all talking over themselves in loud hurried voices. Fights breaking out, screaming matches, and children crying as they got trampled to the ground by heavy booted feet. And it all started after one man had said,
"Dema have won.... And Tyler and Josh are missing"

We have encountered many problems before, our leaders sticking their necks out on the line time and time again to save our asses or to keep us safe. And sure, Tyler had gone missing many times, Josh only a few. But never had they both gone missing at the same time.
We knew it was bad news straight away as neither of our leaders had declared they were leaving. And no one just left without warning the rest. It also didn't pair well with his first statement. Dema had won.
What did that even mean? I mean, it could mean anything.
God. I couldn't think straight with all this racket. If anything like this ever happened we had a protocol, a new purpose set in place. Something we were never to think about unless the time ever arose. Because it was terrifying. It risked everything we had all worked towards. Everything Tyler and Josh had created.
But everyone seemed to have forgotten it now, there was no order, and there were no banditos. There was just people. Terrified and lost without their leaders.

Finally someone seemed to break for the crown and climb the stage Tyler and Josh often used, and I couldn't savour the sigh of relief more when I realised it was a fellow face I knew, trusted and loved to well.
He tapped the microphone a couple times turning it on and even with the ear piercing screech it emitted no one so much as glanced his way. They were all blinded with fear and panic.
"SILENCE" he bellowed causing people to turn to hush whispers as they turned towards Dakota.
"Listen, I understand you are all terrified, and scared. I am too. But are you forgetting who we are? We are the Banditos! And do you not remember the protocol for if this exact moment were to ever happen? How do you think Tyler and Josh would feel to see us all crumble so easily. Give up and claim defeat quicker than the affect of a bishops mark? Of the neon. You have forgotten who you all are. And we can not forget. Not ever. For if we do. Then yes, dema have truly won. But if we stay strong, follow protocol, keep our heads held high and never for a second even think about giving up. Then dema only think they have won. But they haven't. Because here we still are. Do you see grey impenetrable walls? Do you see meshed figures? Or a land of grey and despair? No. I'll tell you what we do see. We see our home. Our fellow banditos. We see yellow. We are in trench. Where we rule. We aren't left defenceless, or without guidance. We have a new purpose now. And we must act on it straight away. Have you all forgotten it or do I need to say it?"

The crowd mumbled a no, shaking their heads. They remembered. I could literally see and feel the shame rippling above their heads.

"Good" he stated. "We act now. And we act fast. The bishops have never set foot above the cliff, but if things have changed then we must deem our home unsafe. I want those who are willing to face the dangers to move to the left hand side of the hall. And those who would rather keep the children safe to the right"

People immediately began to shuffle to their preferred sides, and thank the petals both sides seemed pretty even.

"Now, I want our leaders commanders to step forwards"

I watched as he evenly split the group in front of him in to two, sending both halves to each side. I listened as he dished out the rest of the plan and watched with confidence as he riled the banditos up now getting war cries of determination in response to his words.
But I stayed in the shadows, under the small passage way next to the hall. I didn't pick a side and I certainly didn't stay to hear the rest of his speech. For I had plans of my own. A secret mission our leaders had given me for this exact moment. And I too was supposed to disappear just like they did. Although I was disappearing off of my own accord. They had not.
Dakota was aware of this, not of my mission but that I would be leaving on my own. So I wasn't surprised that he hadn't tried to sus me out amongst the crowd. He was like a father to me and I knew it would be killing him that he never got to see me before my leave. But I had a mission to do. And I had no time to waste on goodbyes.
It was now or never.
I raced to my room and grabbed what I needed. My secrets had been hidden for far to long. And a part of me was excited to finally unleash them.
After the dream I had last night I had rushed to Tyler and joshes quarters to find that they wasn't there, along with the two notes. The only person I had gone to was Dakota, but someone must have overheard sharing the news to the others before Dakota had a chance to prepare everyone for the news in a much calmer and urgent way.
But that didn't matter now.
I hated myself for even taking a second to feel the fear and panic prickle over my body and to also briefly think about what everyone was voicing to each other before Dakotas speech. It was natural to think and feel such things in this situation. But there was no time to waste. Tyler and Josh would push through it and act fast to save us and keep us safe. And now it's our turn to return the favour.