In This Country Act 01 Ch. 05

Damn, I guess this is it, she thought to herself. She breathed a sigh of defeat before reading the message out loud.

"T-To the c-country of Cavalanchee," she shakily began, "I want you know that I d-deeply apologize for m-my actions. They were foolish, selfish, and disrespectful to those I have sworn to protect. I will work harder than before and prove myself worthy of bearing the title as your heroine. In return, I ask that you understand how much I truly regret what I've done and know that it won't happen again. I know you will doubt me and I know you will have your suspicions, but I assure you, the determination and commitment that I have to keeping you safe won't be any less than it was before. And, even though it may be words to you, I'm showing my resolve by letting you know that I've br-"

"I SAID BACK THE FUCK UP!"

Excuse me? Crystal thought as she looked up.

Near the middle of the crowd, somewhere to her left, a wave of people began to topple over. At the center of the commotion were two dudes, slugging it out with each other for who knows what. She didn't really care that they were going at it; as a matter of fact, she actually hoped their brawl ruined the moment to give her speech.

And as she stood rooted at her spot and watch them go at it, a few of the bystanders attempted to calm the fighters down. Of course, they tried to calm the lesser angry one down first. Or at least, that's what Crystal thought they were doing. One such guy didn't. He went to the more aggressive one and tried to talk with him. For his effort, he was punched squarely in the face. As a matter of fact, the aggressive one hit him so hard the force of the punch twisted the guy around . . . right where Crystal could see his face.

"HEY!" Crystal yelled. She hadn't realized she even spoke until she saw the others who're unaffected looking at her to see what she would do. It wasn't complicated; all she did was just yell out again. "HEY!"

Most of those involved in the commotion looked up to see what she was doing, but none of them were who she was looking for. Suddenly annoyed, she jumped down from the stage (with a very confused Commander calling her back) and stomped her way to the scene. Almost everyone moved out of her way in order not to be shoved to the side, giving Crystal a clear path to the area of interest. With no warning whatsoever, she walked right up to the aggressive one and grabbed him by his shirt collar.

"If you want to swing at someone, then swing at me," she growled in his face. "Be careful though, I don't pull my punches just because you're weaker than me."

Shaken to his boots, the man couldn't give a rebuttal or even an apology. However, her real interest was behind him so Crystal just put the guy out of her way. She went over to the assaulted guy and knelt beside him.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

"I'm fine," the guy nodded, keeping his face towards the ground.

"Are you sure? He might've broken something," she said.

"I'm sure," the guy reassured her. "Nothing's broken."

"Let me see, please," she requested.

She had to know. She had to see his face to confirm that her mind was playing tricks on her. She had to make sure so that she wouldn't get her hopes up for nothing, so that she could go back to be the Crystal from before. And she had to go back to being the Crystal from before so that she wouldn't be seen as a liar after the speech she was giving was over.

But first she had to know.

And slowly, as if he was in more pain than he what he had taken, the guy turned around.

"See, no broken bones," Grey smiled, weakly.

"You're right, you don't have any broken bones," Crystal replied, failing to smile back.

Truthfully speaking, there weren't any broken bones as far as she could tell. However, the reason why she couldn't find them could be attributed to the multiple bruises on his face and part of his eye having swollen up, but no . . . no broken bones.

That's good, right?

"Here, let me help you stand up," Crystal offered as she grabbed his arm.

"Thanks, Ms. Crystal," Grey said, keeping it formal.

Teeth grinding, she only nodded before walking away. On her way back, Crystal gave the aggressor an icy glare as she passed by him. She held his gaze too until the people between broke her eye contact as she marched back to the stage. With every step she took, she grew angrier so that by the time she was standing on the stage, she took the papers on the podium and ripped them to pieces where everyone could see her.

"Since everyone wants to know what happened," Crystal restarted boldly, "I'll tell you everything. But you better record this because I'm only going to say this once and I won't repeat myself. If you came to see me weak, embarrassed, and full of shame, then you just saw it. It won't happen again. First things first, yes I have a boyfriend."

"Crystal!" the crowd of reporters called her to ask their questions.

"SILENCE!" Crystal demanded once again. "Everything that you heard on the news is true. However, they told you the vague version, the boring side of the story that left you with more questions than answers. Well, guess what? I'm going to tell you what happened from the beginning so you better be ready. When I finish speaking, you won't have any questions for me. All of your questions will be going to someone else."

Even though she said that, she locked eyes with Grey, watching him nod for her to keep going.

"First of all," Crystal began, "I didn't want to go to the fundraiser. Hyper asked me to go with her and I told her no. Fortunately, she was able to convince me. I don't blame her in the slightest and she's not the person your questions will be directed towards. The night I went to the fundraiser, I wasn't expecting anything to happen. The only thing I went there to do was enjoy my time and win a few prizes for a few civilians of Cavalanchee. That's ALL I went there to do, nothing more and nothing less. Unfortunately, I saw Raymond, your anonymous source. That's right, Raymond, you're the one they're going to come to. I want you to write his name down, put it in big, bold letters, circle it, put a star beside it, a checkmark too, and a question mark because ALL of your questions are going to him."

And as she took a breath, she looked back at Grey, who continued to nod his support.

"I saw Raymond and he saw me," Crystal continued. "He called out to me and I went the other way. He then followed me and grabbed my hand, though I managed to slip away. I called Hyper and she said that I shouldn't have to deal with this. And she's right. I shouldn't have to deal with it. As a matter of fact, nobody should have to deal with this. When someone says no, be it a woman or man, we mean no, and our word will not change, no matter how much anybody tries to change it. And if you're one of those people who try to change it, shame on you."

And was Grey still nodding?

He still was.

"But, I'm getting off track," Crystal said, focusing back on the story. "Raymond follows and manages to get me on the outside of the fundraiser. Surprisingly, I didn't see that on the news. I guess Raymond didn't want the country to know how desperate he was to get me. So, Raymond wants to talk and I'm not trying to even listen. And guess who shows up? My boyfriend, the only person, out of all the civilians there at the fundraiser, he's the one who shows up and gets Raymond off my back. And, before I continue, I bet each and every one of you wants to know who he is, what he does, when you'll meet him, where he is, why I love him, and how we met. Well, you better throw those questions away because I'm not answering any of them."

Was that a smile on Grey's face? She couldn't tell from the distance . . . or the bruises covering his face.

"My boyfriend took my mind off of Raymond," Crystal continued. "He had changed his phone number so we updated our contact information. When he noticed the audience we had, he even introduced himself to Raymond who, rudely, ignored his greeting and insisted to speak with me. So, I denied his request. I wanted to spend time with my boyfriend and I was going to do that. We went from booth to booth winning prizes and having fun like everyone was doing, which is what's supposed to happen at a fundraiser. Raymond followed us."

She knew Grey was reliving the experience from the night at the fundraiser. While everyone else had to conjure up the image from the words that she was saying, he was the only one who was reliving it with her.

It was their special moment.

"When we tired of winning prizes and got something to eat," Crystal resumed, "my boyfriend took me to a nice bench so that we could talk. It wasn't a long talk, but it was something that needed to be said. When he finished, Raymond stepped up again, asking once again to speak with me. That's when I told him that I was with my boyfriend. And guess what? Even my boyfriend was shocked when I said that. He thought I wasn't serious when I told him we were going out a few months ago. And since we hadn't spoken with or seen each other since that time, I don't blame him. I am a heroine after all."

There it was . . . the lie for everyone to see. There goes lie that she told Raymond to get off her back, the lie that she made Grey bear, the lie that she used to go over Grey's house, and the lie that had her standing where she stood today.

Oh, so this is all my fault, Crystal thought to herself.

"To prove that he was my boyfriend," Crystal said, maintaining the atmosphere that she created, "my boyfriend gave me his prizes . . . as gifts. And yes, I am wearing his gifts even as I speak. Before, I wore them only as a reminder of him. The gifts he gave me were small trinkets but they mean so much to me. And now, I wear them proudly. They're a bracelet, a necklace, some perfume, and makeup. Yes, he won the girl goodie bag for me."

She still couldn't see his facial expression very well, but if she had to, she imagined that he was surprised that she was wearing the presents he gave her. And it was as she said. The presents he won for her was only going to be a reminder and a milestone in her life.

But now it means so much more since he was here.

"Of course, Raymond might say that he offered me similar things," Crystal declared, "but there's a big difference from getting something from a stranger and getting something from the love of your heart. Despite my boyfriend's apparent affection for me, Raymond demanded more evidence and that we should prove our love to him. My boyfriend tried to deny it, saying that love could be shown to anyone or anything. Raymond insisted and I decided to act. Did you tell them that, Raymond? Did you tell them that you demanded us to prove our love to you, out in the open, where other people could see us? I don't think so, because I sure as hell didn't hear that on the news."

She didn't have to imagine the look on Grey's face now. She knew he remembered it and she knew he was still pissed off about it.

"So I did," Crystal mockingly sighed. "And you guys saw it, but I'm going to repeat it. I enjoyed kissing my boyfriend. This just so happened to be our first time kissing too and I didn't want to waste one second of it, even if it had to be in front of Raymond. And let me tell you, it won't be our last. I took the lead first, and he didn't mind. He patiently let me have my fill and then took his turn afterwards. You better cast those questions to the side because the things I learned from that kiss will never leave my lips."

Things like how I want to live in his embrace and have him in mine, she thought.

"Despite our show of love for one another," Crystal frowned as she knew what was coming up next, "Raymond wasn't satisfied, were you Raymond? What did you want me to do next? What did you say? If I remember correctly, you insultingly demanded me to provide oral sex to my boyfriend, right then, right there, on the outskirts of the fundraiser."

The crowd couldn't hold their voice any longer and plenty of people began shouting their insults to Raymond. Not knowing what to do, she let them have their say and let them voice their opinion, all the while keeping eye contact with Grey for the support she clung to.

"It still surprises me to this very moment," Crystal glared. "And in response to Raymond's request, my boyfriend did the most heroic thing ever. You see, you don't need super powers to be a hero. You don't need to fight crime to be a hero. You don't even need to be recognized as a hero to be a hero. My boyfriend is no hero, trust me, but he did the most heroic thing that confirmed, and deepened, my love for him. He punched Raymond in the face."

And once again, the crowd couldn't hold their voice back. This time, they voiced their approval for what Grey did. Of course, the males were the loudest of the group and even Commander Shinobay, standing stoic and unwavering, broke character to clap his hands.

I'm proud of you, she thought as she looked at Grey.

"Yes, he punched Raymond in the face," Crystal continued once the noise had gone down again. "He set me off to the side, stood up, shook himself free of any stiffness, and drove his fist into Raymond's JAW! Raymond stumbled but he didn't fall. I wasn't expecting him to fall nor was I expecting my boyfriend to put him flat on his back. And Raymond looked at my boyfriend, like he was a villain, completely shocked that he had been struck. Vehemently, my boyfriend confronted Raymond. I can't repeat what he said verbatim, but my boyfriend spoke of three things. One: he confirmed that Raymond had a fetish for couples proving their love to him. Two: love isn't show in a day, it's shown every day. And three: his fist was going make out with Raymond's face if he didn't leave."

It seemed like noise was going to become the usual response now because the people, males especially, was beginning to express themselves whenever they could. Even if it wasn't Grey that defended her that night, Crystal would've been proud of the guy that did do it.

"And yes, it felt good seeing Raymond tuck tail and run," Crystal declared. "Oh, you didn't tell them that, Raymond? That, after only being hit once, you turned and ran, like a coward? And yet, you put me on the NEWS, hoping that the public viewed me as a SLUT?! You sought to demean me, when your very actions screamed that of a WIMP?!"

The crowd was starting to get agitated.

"So yes, it felt good seeing Raymond run," Crystal continued once the crowd died down. "And how do you think I was supposed to respond? Was I supposed to pat my boyfriend on the head and congratulate him on a job well done?"

"NO!" the crowd yelled, the men being the loudest.

"Was I supposed to take him back to the fundraiser and win prizes for him?" Crystal asked rhetorically.

"NO!" the men yelled, because the females were all but drowned out compared to the men.

"Or was I supposed to show him just how proud I was of him?!" Crystal demanded.

Because they were in a civilized environment, the men showed their approval by thumping their chests with their fists. And . . . it . . . was . . . loud.

"I showed my boyfriend just how proud I was of him!" Crystal testified. "There is no CRIME for doing that in public! There is no SHAME in rewarding the man or woman for defending your honor where others can see you! THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH SHOWING THE ONE YOU LOVE THE MOST INTIMACY FOR STANDING UP FOR YOU! YOU SHOULDN'T FEEL ANYTHING LESS THAN AWE, PRIDE, RESPECT, WONDER, ADMIRATION, AND LOVE FOR THEM! AND IF SOMEONE DOESN'T LIKE IT, THEN THEY CAN FUCK OFF!"

The Commander broke character again as he nodded his own approval.

"If you're wondering, I made out with my boyfriend," Crystal panted when the crowd allowed her to speak again. "This time, we made out with our tongues and I felt the most bliss I had ever experienced since the first time I pummeled Asphalt to the ground with only my fists. So I'm sorry for not wanting to be bothered and interrupted. That may have been the first time, but it damn sure wasn't going to be the last time. But, you all heard the news. Hyper pulled us apart, saying that Raymond told her what happened."

Crystal could feel it in the crowd. Everyone, including Grey, was tired of hearing the name Raymond exit her mouth. At least I don't have to say his name, Crystal thought.

"The first thing she did was confirm my love for my boyfriend," Crystal announced. "Once they were confirmed, she sent HIM away. She couldn't stand HIM either. The next thing she did was admonish both of us for our actions in public. As a heroine, Hyper is supposed to do that, so don't get mad at her. She's not HIS lap dog or anything. She was absolutely right and I would've done the same thing if our roles were reversed, if not more so. BUT, once she was finished berating us for our shameless actions, she went back to being my friend. That's a good friend! Telling you off and not holding you back for those mistakes, if they are. If you have one or more, treasure them. If you don't, find one. They're a rare type of people."

She didn't know how much friends Grey had but she just hoped he had friends that he could depend on.

"She wanted to know everything that happened, but by then it was too late," Crystal declared. "Our time was up, so we had to get back to the Heroic Headquarters for the next day. The news story began after that, showing us going on dates, when I wasn't busy patrolling the country. The news story began when someone didn't want to get their facts straight and just tell what they think happened. The news story began when some amateur investigator, no doubt hired by HIM, took pictures of us and gave it to the reporters to fabricate a story that insults what it means to actually be in love. I'm not going to tell myself that I should be disciplined for my actions. No one else is punished, corrected, or chastised for showing their loved one intimacy outside their home. And anyone who admonishes them for doing so should be ashamed of themselves."

While it wasn't Grey, there were a few individuals who were close up that were crying.

"They should be ashamed of themselves," Crystal said, speaking gently now. For the strongest words, the most impactful words, the deadliest words are not spoken in a shout, they're spoken with passion and meaning. "When I'm finished speaking with you, I'm going to go out and meet my boyfriend. We will continue with what we have planned, until we have met the limits that we set forth for ourselves. We will continue until our bodies are sore, our energy spent, our breaths gone, and our minds quiet. And even then, our hearts will not be satisfied."

I hope he doesn't have anything going on later tonight, Crystal thought.

"And before I step away, I want crime to know one thing," Crystal said. "You better not show up today. If you do, the only one who will respond will be me. I won't sweat the details because as of right now I don't care."

"Why?" the crowd asked.

"Because I know something you don't," Crystal answered quickly. "I know the identity of my boyfriend and you don't. So, even though I believe I know where he is, and even though I believe he's safe and sound, I will respond like he's the one you're attacking."

"Why?" the crowd asking again, boiling and frothing with anticipation.