Reforming Society •• OneRepublic {2}

Vital Warnings

Ryan's P.O.V.

It was almost eleven as all seven of the guys sat outside listening to crickets and sipping beer. The other four were no doubt fuming in some way - with three of them it was confirmed. Ryan could tell Ramona was more devastated and disappointed with him over angry, but he nonetheless didn't like it. Especially since he feared that this would reverse all progress she's been making out of darkness - they had left their cozy home and postponed their wedding until an unknown time all while beginning their run from a murderous government.

None of them were even sure what to do next - including Ryan. They had such a small scope of what was happening outside of Los Angeles, outside of their own lives, that it was almost impossible to know where to go. They couldn't leave the country since borders were constantly being patrolled, so they had to play a cat-and-mouse chase inside the country until they could figure out some sort of a plan. Since they couldn't flee, Ryan's only suggestion was to continue the fight.

Yet he couldn't bring it up any more. Not tonight. Everyone was exhausted and bothered, and with Ryan being one of the only people in the group that was in favor of furthered revolution, he did not want to start that fight again.

Their main concern for what was likely the next few weeks was to find a way to run without being detected. It would only be so long before they could no longer check into motels such as the one they were at now for the risk of being recognized. In fact, they were probably such national criminals now that they had to leave first thing the next morning. They didn't even know if the man who owned the place would find out who they were in the next few hours and call the police.

Ryan downed the rest of his beer before long and set the bottle beside his chair. He looked at the others for a moment and all of them had a similar expression - particularly Zach, Eddie, Brent, and Drew. It was a pensive but concerned, maybe even sad, look. Ryan felt, and probably looked, the same way.

Then Ryan's phone buzzed in his pocket and with how rarely others communicated with him these days, he was often inclined to check his texts when he got them.

Yet - oh, how curious it was - he got a text from a number in England. For some reason, he knew exactly who it was.

"CHECK YOUR EMAIL, IT'LL BE IN JUNK. QUICKLY."

Getting up slowly, Ryan pulled up his email. When he was several feet from the others with his back towards them, he began to read. The subject was merely his initials, and that's how the sender addressed him. Ryan opened it and began to read it. First, he was quick just as she told him, but as he realized what the contents were, he couldn't help but read it over a few times, his thoughts whirring.

RT - it's Adele.

I know it's been months but this is important. I've been deported out, as you surely know. Yet I also know that although international news is limited over there now, for us we know what's going on sometimes. Whatever news that comes out of the U.S. - since I've got so many friends over there - I do anything I can to get my eyes on it.

What you've done - I commend you on it. It's made international news. From a U.S. standpoint, you're horrible criminals. So please, I beg you, run and watch your back as you do.

Yet, more importantly, from any other country's view, you're heroes. Please continue doing things, as long as you're smart about it. From an Englishwoman's opinion, you might be able to make a change in there, since God only knows nobody else can. Especially since we're now under attack over false claims.

Yes. False claims. We never bombed Central Park, nor infiltrated Washington D.C.. We wouldn't even think of doing something so horrific as bombing the United Nations headquarters. Why on earth would my dear country kill innocent people? That's the behavior I expect only of your president. We haven't touched the U.S. and don't really want to, quite frankly.

This message is why I did all I could to make this email blocked from your government, at least temporarily. That's why I've asked you to be quick about reading it. We never did any of those things to the United States and almost every other country knows it. Yet your country is so sealed from the outside world that you've no idea of anything. They have more control over you all than you might realize - your minds are now shrouded with only a narrow-minded view of whatever the U.S. government wants you to see!

Adele was right. Yet this made Ryan's stomach turn, it made his skin crawl, and there was this white-hot fire in his heart. A passion for destruction and an anger at the disgusting wool they'd put over everyone's eyes. But because of this, Ryan now wanted to know exactly what it was that other nations saw - it was simply impossible to have any access to foreign news.

But as Ryan thought more about what Adele was saying, the more the puzzle pieces came together, even from inside the borders. Nothing else would make sense, of course. What else did he expect from a totalitarian government? Honesty? No, Nathaniel Carter was a man made of deception. Ryan himself had sung about him being a snake in a suit.

Besides, it had been done before. The framing of other countries for the benefit of one. Even worse, the self-destruction of a country for the benefit of elites.

Every change the United States had made since last year was supposedly because of the war, but even that, surely, was just a lie and perhaps the money saved did not go to it at all. The news Adele brought Ryan also made him wonder what else they were lying to them about. If the things that were so serious to the country were self-inflicted but being played off as lies blaming the U.K., what were the little details? Was anything they knew now true?

That's why this is so important, Ryan. Heed my warnings and pay close attention to this message. I'm hoping you can spread this message and get people to believe that I - someone in England - was able to contact you and tell you the truth. I'm hoping this fuels your rebellious fire - entire nations are rooting for you now!

Oh, and I mean this, Ryan. I mean this with all my heart. Stay safe, stay smart, but above all, understand this:

Ryan took a breath before reading the last line. He closed his eyes a second, knowing well this was big news. What else would it be? Why else would a dear old friend risk her security just to give him a warning?

Well, it explained itself.

There is no war.

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Please understand what this means, lmao. Just in case you don't, let me help:

Everything that the government has done has been for the war, or so they've been playing it off as. This includes the Cleansings, to put it in some perspective. Any population control - whether it be through deportation or slaughter - has been so there are less people to provide for and "better" picks for soldiers. Any destruction of once beneficial organizations in the U.S. (i.e. UNICEF, Doctors w/o Borders, American Red Cross, ACLU, any Human Rights campaigns, etc.) OR the destruction of other things important to the society and individualism (i.e. churches, mosques, etc.) was to raise money for the war. But...there is no war. You do the math.

SO. Just as a hint, this will spark up, as you can imagine, a whole new anger in Ryan. Which, as you can also imagine, will have some big effects on this revolution of his. Have fun waiting! Speaking of which, I better release some news! The title of the third book and the intro release date are....*drum roll*

"Becoming Defiant" + January 8th (exactly two weeks from now)

In addition, you have a playlist coming just after this! 6 of the 10 songs are also in the third's playlist, and I'll let you know which ones so you can maybe get more hints on what to expect in BD. Enjoy that and FEEDBACK ON REFORMING SOCIETY WOULD BE GREAT. Love you guys! See you in January! xx :)