[NEW] Eeveelution Café

[B2] Chapter 10: Live Broadcast

"What's happening!?" 
The moment the door clicked open, Dewdrop and Melody rushed right over and swung open the door while Snowbelle had her paw on the knob.
"Ow!" The Glaceon took her paw back. "Was that really necessary?"
"Sorry, sorry, but is everything okay in Town Square?" Melody asked, panic written all over her face. 
"Well-" Lavender began, but Snowbelle cut her off.
"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"
"The live TV broadcasts of the lockdown alarm going off! Come take a look!" Willow was also by the door now. 
"Oh, that." Snowbelle shrugged. "Yeah, that also happened."
"How are you not worried?" Dewdrop asked. "You seem perfectly calm about this! Is something going to happen to us?"
The Glaceon rolled her eyes. "No, they literally announced that it was a mistake. Y'know, when those things malfunction because they aren't used most of the time."
Willow grabbed Snowbelle's wrist. "Sis, you're not listening-"
"Wills, you guys are overreacting. Trust me, it was a malfunction. Even the Mayor himself came on the announcements to say that." the Glaceon put her own paw on Willow's, trying to get her sister to free her wrist. "Calm down."
"Nonono," Melody grabbed Lavender and started dragging her to the living room. "Just come and see this!"
"When'd you leave?" Willow glanced to the side and looked straight into Snowbelle's eyes. "Like, after the siren went off."
Snowbelle narrowed her eyes. "Just came back right after the announcement after they paused the alarm."
"Well," it went off again. A total of three times. They say that we all need to stay indoors until further notice."

"What do you mean we can't go in?" Tyche frowned and took a step back. 
"Ma'am, the entire place is under lockdown. We cannot permit anyone to leave or enter until further notice. Please leave."
"Do you know who we are!?" Guinevere stepped forward, pointing at her chest with frustration in her eyes. "I'm the Mayor's daughter and Aunt Tyche is his sister!"
"Yes, it was pretty easy to recognize you two, but I promise you, I really cannot let you two come in. This is for the safety of the both of you." the guard was also getting annoyed.
"Safety?" Guinevere scoffed. "We're close family of the Mayor's, we can perfectly protect ourselves! Now let us in so we can help my dad!"
"Miss, please calm down." the guard shifted his pressure, ready to defend against anything violent that Guinevere ends up doing. "I'm being commanded to protect everyone from further harm, and Ma'am, you are one of them. I'm sure Sir Gladiator wouldn't want you to get hurt in any way. Or you, madam."
"Listen, lad," Tyche put her hand on Guinevere's shoulder as a signal for her to cool off and let her handle this. "I understand the position you're in, and I completely understand that you'd want to fulfill your duty. Making exceptions is one of my brother's biggest dislikes, but this one will probably save more citizens than you think. We'll always go for the road with less risks and dangers, right?"
The guard hesitated, his decision wavering a little.
Tyche glanced at her niece, her expression a mix of multiple different emotions all at once. "Of course, we're not going to attack anyone on the same team, but the biggest favor you can do for us now is to just let us in and we can take it from here. Please let us be the only exception, because anyone else will just result in tremendous injury."
"Please. I'm afraid of what's going to happen." The guard moved to the side. "I don't understand what's going on, but my instinct is telling me that you two will fix it somehow. And I have faith in the Mayor and everyone related to him. I want to protect my family back home."
"I promise you, we'll fix everything as soon as possible so you can check up on them. Thank you for doing us such a big favor." Tyche grabbed Guinevere and went past the gates. 
"...Thanks!" Guinevere forced a smile that came off as reluctant, and the two were now in the danger zone.
"And we're back live on the...oh? Two citizens that have appeared out of the blue?"

"GUINEVERE!" Melody yelled and pointed at the screen. "AND MADAME TYCHE!"
"Quiet down...we don't even know what's going on..." Volt groaned. 
"They're not supposed to be there." Snowbelle stated. "Town Square's specifically labelled as the biggest danger zone out of this entire lockdown. A Hazard."
"WHAT DO WE DO! THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE!" Melody cried and started speed-trotting in circles. 
"Mel, they're not stupid. They must've went for a reason." Lavender said with a small sigh. "Something that we commoners won't understand."
"Duh, but what?" the Sylveon rolled her eyes. "Any theories? Snowy?"
Snowbelle's gaze was still fixed on the wall behind the television stand. "No, and please don't call me that." 
"Okay, okay..." 
"Melmel, calm down." Dewdrop seemed oddly calm, although her eyes weren't on anything in particular. "You're overreacting. They know what they're doing."
"Well, no one knows why they're going straight into the Council Build-"
Suddenly, with a bright flash of impact, something like a chain of explosions rang out. Cinnamon, who was half-asleep and being cradled by Bonfire, jolted up and buried herself in his fur in fear. 
"Shh, don't worry." the Flareon whispered to her trembling body. "Nothing bad happened."
But something bad did probably happen. Everyone's eyes were locked right into the static TV screen, and the weak voices of a cast were exchanged in a conversation that no one was able to figure out. The end was cut off and was redirected straight to the News Station, where the two news reporters stared into the camera with fear.
"What happened?"
"I don't know."
"Is there anything from the end? Hello? Can anyone hear me from there?"
The response of pure, dead silence made everyone's hearts sink into the depths of their stomachs. Someone from the back started choking, and a few more sniffles joined in. 
"I don't..." Melody couldn't move. 
"Mel..." Dewdrop stared into her best friend's wide eyes. "Mel, everything's okay. Don't worry."
The Sylveon sniffed and wiped her spinning tears away. "Yeah, it just triggers me every time something like that happens."
Dewdrop nodded slowly. "Yeah, don't worry. I'm sure they'll be just fine, what do you think?"
"I...really don't know."
"Well then..." the Vaporeon forced out an enthusiastic smile. "I win! I'll be right, just you wait!"
Volt realized what his little sister was trying to do. "Dew-"
"Whaat?" Dewdrop rolled her eyes. "I'm right, c'mon, back me up."
Please. she added by mouthing it out.
Volt nodded in a subtle way so Melody wouldn't notice. "Ahm..yeah...how disappointing."
"HEY! Do you really not like me being right?" Dewdrop and Volt pretended to have a sibling quarrel, which managed to lift everyone else's mood a little higher up.

"This is a mess." Guinevere coughed. "Aunt, you alright?"
"Mhm." Tyche was calm. "Geez, these Smoke Screens are really powerful, huh?"
"Yup..." the niece Gardevoir sighed. "Y'know, having to cut off the news' way to talk to the rest of the Town really sucks."
"Well, at least the crew will be fine after they wake up. Unless they get caught in the crossfire and we don't have enough time to save them." Tyche shrugged. 
"Aunt...we'd promise to save as many citizens as we could!" Guinevere frowned. "Why're you switching up all of a sudden?"
Tyche didn't react to her niece in any specific way. "I'm being realistic here." 
"Argh, whatever. We gotta hurry." Guinevere groaned.
"I have to hurry." Tyche suddenly corrected. 
Guinevere blinked. "Aunt, what?"
"I'm going, you're staying outside." Tyche sighed, already knowing what was going to happen without even having to go through a vision process.
"Aunt, I told you I'm coming with you." Guinevere's eyes flickered with genuine determination.
"And you agreed to stay outside so you can carry on with everything if both me and your father die in this building."
"You two won't die, Aunt..." Guinevere winced at the thought of losing both of them on the same day. 
Tyche swallowed with some anxiety before speaking again. "Like before, I'm only being realistic. You have to stay outside, Gui, please."
Suddenly, Guinevere's legs were completely numb and she couldn't move them no matter how much she tried. "So...Aunt, this was the trick that you never revealed to me directly?"
"I'm sorry, Gui."
"Aunt." Guinevere choked on the long-lasting Smoke Screen again. "At this point, I don't even feel angry or disappointed at you. I just don't understand some things that you do, and I don't think that you ever will. But please, I promise, just make it out with Dad. Promise me that you two will be safe together."
No response. Guinevere panicked and started coughing again. "Aunt? Did you...oh."