Chain Gang All Stars

And then she emerged onto the grounds with her scythe in her hands. And the people called her name so loudly they shook the earth.

They announced her.

Micky Wright was absent, as if it were too much of a day, too epic a meeting, for even a single other soul to be on the grounds.

Staxxx’s words were still racing through Thurwar when she stepped out from the tunnel into the light. Adoration exploded. She punched a hammered fist into the sky as her eyes adjusted and she took in the magnitude all around her. A sea of men and women shimmering in the stands, screaming and crying and breathing for her. She could hear the chants of protestors outside. She raised her fist for them.

She took her breaths as she walked through the grass, tried not to look at Staxxx, who was, of course, locked into the Keep opposite her. Thurwar turned to the stands. She saw her Chain, locked into their seats but screaming their throats sore. They were there, close to it all. She could see Sai’s neck muscles bulging as they screamed, saw Rico and Ice screaming the same. She saw Bad Water cheering, and even Gunny, watching all of them, there for all of them.

She listened, felt it all. Closed her eyes and let it spill over her.

THUR-WAR

THUR-WAR

THUR-WAR

Thurwar noticed the HMC floating in front of her. She looked at A-Hamm and winked. They had begged her to do this and so she would.

“Here we are!” Thurwar screamed. And the people were in shock. They had not heard from their queen before a fight in so long.

“Here we are again, the same place I started,” Thurwar said. Her words were hers, but she spoke for all of them, all those Freed and un-Freed, High and Low. “A freeing ground.”

She felt the hammer in her hand, thought of its weight, how carrying it had damaged her, how she’d used it to damage others. How she needed it, like she needed this. How sometimes what hurts you is also what you need.

She dropped Hass Omaha down beside the Keep.

“The bad news is, I forgive you,” Thurwar said, and the people screamed. “The good news is, I forgive you.”

Who was she speaking to?

The whole world.

“You should never forget that we are phenomena you have not seen before. Isn’t that true?”

The whole world said yes.

Thurwar smiled to herself and allowed herself Staxxx’s eyes. Their gazes met. Thurwar’s saying, How am I doing? Staxxx’s saying, I’m in awe.

“This is something you have not seen before, I’m glad we agree. You’ve never seen a Blood Mother before.”

We have not! they screamed.

“You’ve never seen the Loud Theater Terror, the Low-Tide Titan, Lord Thunder herself!” she screamed back. Let herself fall into the old self, the character the world had called its own. “The Lion Tamer, the one who sang the last melody. The one who trained you all!”

Thurwar looked again at Staxxx, who kneeled and laughed. Because it was true; Thurwar, long ago, had shown these crowds the power of call-and-response.

“Who taught you who you are?” Thurwar said, jumping into the air.

THUR-WAR

“Who is your favorite Colossal’s favorite Grand Colossal?”

THUR-WAR

“And if all that is true, I want you to remember this too.” Thurwar spun slowly, so that each of the thousands might feel as if she were looking specifically at them.

“We are something you have never seen before.” And before she kneeled into the Keep, she said, “When you think of us, remember that just because something is, doesn’t mean it can’t change, and just because you haven’t seen something before, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. They call this a freeing ground. So who’s going to be freed: me or you?”

Then she kneeled into the bay and the crowd went quiet. This was what they were born for.

A voice that was no one’s, a machine made human or a human-feigning machine, said, “LOCK-IN,” and Thurwar felt that hold for the last time in her life.