HEROFACE UPDATE SPECIAL; JULY

JULY 14th 2019
CHRONOTODDLER RETURNS, SEEN OVER ENGLAND

"Suddenly, I'm getting static-filled shouting over the radio, and I can't tell why, upa head is just cloudbank. And suddenly I'm screaming, pulling the plane into a steep ascent -what was it, 60 degrees? 70? All to avoid crashing into this hundred foot floating space baby. I'm swearing like a sailor and there he is, just staring up at me with his calm little stupid baby face. <laughs>. Not gonna forget that in a long time."
Captain Emily Rourke, Commercial Pilot

"I'm tending the sheep one minute, under this Amber sky, and suddenly bam. Giant Baby.  Up over the apple trees. He stares at me, I stare at him. The sheep, they're getting panicky, and then bam. He's gone again. And I just go back to checking their feet…"
Basil Thomas, Farmer, Staffordshire

"I mean, I know my Deterrents history. This baby only appears when something big is about to happen. But.. What was I supposed to expect?"
Bobby Baker, Resident, Stafford

RIOT BREAKS OUT IN STAFFORDSHIRE.

"They began arriving in the Park & Ride at about, what, 9am? You could tell who they were with just a glance; I mean, most of them just wore usually clothes; shirts, t-shirts, shorts, whatever. But one in five? One in ten? **** logos, Guide swastikas, shaved heads, placards, megaphones. Makeshift shields. I turn to Mark, and I'm like "I'm not fond of Parries, but we gotta call the police." He laughs it off, says I'm paranoid about 25 thugs.
By 11:30 there's so many cars and busloads, I lost count after 200. We're just one Park & Ride. Mark tries to stop me, but I'm scared. I know where they'll be heading. I see a gun. I'm ringing the police."
Karen Mitchell, Park & Ride operator, Uttoxeter.

"They were moving through the streets, chanting and waving lawn torches, like them Americans, even though it was only early afternoon. They wasn't just on foot, but they had cars and trucks all painted up like army ones.I spotted a couple of toffs in there too, MPs like, all suits and smiles. The coppers tried to keep them back from engaging with any of the crowd; loads of us was booing you see. Probably a  silly idea come to think of it. Someone was throwing dairy products.
It might have been a smarter idea if we just sorta stopped them, but how could we?"
Daisy Jones, Uttoxeter Resident

"When they got to the end of town, they kept going. I wondered where they were heading, but my wife answered it for me. When I realizes they were heading towards the school, I felt sick."
James Keenan, Uttoxeter Resident

"We were not informed of the sheer volume of Humanity League rallies attending; our numbers were in the low one hundreds, closer to 15% of those who gathered. We were not informed they would be armed, or they would move on the Lieber grounds. Our allotted officers couldn't contain or prevent them from breaking away. We requested support from the greater Midlands area around midday, but we knew we wouldn't have a significant number until at least 1400 hours.
We only had 31 officers active during the Rally; we underestimated the force the rally attendees would provide, breaking the line and assaulting the school. "
Superintendent Perry Baile, Uttoxeter Police

"...and the protest has broken the Police barricade, and is attempting to get into the School's grounds. No, no they have succeeded in doing so - is that a truck - a truck has broken the gates. They're in. They're in. My God. This is no longer a  rally but a  riot. My God."
Louise Pemberton, Helicopter Journalist, Radio Staffordshire

"The school received warning from the Police at about midday. They inform me that the "rally" was lawful and registered months ago. Strange, considering this was the first time we had been notified. Of course, "lawful" was no longer the case now that they were armed.
The staff convened, and we decided to order every student into the sports hall; it was our best case of keeping them in a single, easily observable position. We didn't want this to be anything close to a fight near our children. I initiated the security measures, and forbade any staff member from confronting the protestors; we were going to let the law deal with this. After all, the school is a diplomatic position, protected by political immunity.
In hindsight, it is good that no student or child was hurt in the chaos that followed. There was wholesale destruction, as can be expected, but no-one linked to the School was hurt. The buildings were safe; just glass and bricks broken, better than skin & bones. All we had to do was wait out the storm and await the intervention of the gathered Police forces.
But then I received a phone call from the Collective, and I knew this was all going to fall apart."
A Otkid, Headmaster, Lieber Academy of Change

COLLECTIVE JOINS THE RIOT

"They appeared out of nowhere, striking the armed mass like a lightning bolt. I guess they have a teleporter or two. The rioters thought they were prepared; they weren't They weren't prepared for a clawed monster man. Or fire. Or a giant bird. Especially a giant bird."
PC Oliver Grey, Uttoxeter Police

"We were happy to get support. I'd never have expected it to come from mutated terrorists, but we had no interest in telling them to f**k off. They came in fully violent, no restraint. I saw limbs fly. It was too much, we had to arrest them if we could… but first we had to quell the riot."
PC Mel Gable, Uttoxeter Police

"I don't know who the young guy was. I guess he must have been a local that tried to help. Or a Humanity League rioter who had a change of heart. By the time we saw him he was under a rain of blows, crumpled on the floor. PC Gable pointed out that his leg was folded under him all awkward - it was obviously broken. We prioritised getting close, but those damn shields got in the way, pushing us back. The blows were getting louder and nastier. Visceral.
Then I saw a shape overhead."
PC Oliver Grey, Uttoxeter Police

"I guess he must have leapt from one of the trees on the driveway. Ever since the rioters realizes there was gravel, it was difficult to keep a track of things when rocks were thundering off your helmet. He landed on the shield line and we pushed through, engaging them and forcing them back. He was old, in his 60s, caucasian, something of a barefooted hippy. He rushed to the boy and scooped him up, fending them off with his feet. I was bloody thankful. Then PC Grey shouted to him, but it was too late, we wasn't close enough. A cosh hit 'im in the back of the head."
PC Mel Gable, Uttoxeter Police

"He struggled to get up, but they kept striking him, again and again. We pushed towards him, and dispersed the immediate crowd; it felt like hours but it could have only been half a minute. By the time we got to him, well, he was critical. He'd covered the boy, protecting him. His was obviously a mess. We called for help…" 
PC Oliver Grey, Uttoxeter Police

"...over 30 prominent individuals were arrested, all with connections to  political party Humanity League and the "Purity First" movement. While many at the rally have claimed that they were injured by "police brutality" or Parahuman violence, seven deaths have been confirmed, and among them one Parahuman; Blakely Young, aka The Spaniel, a well known face of Parahuman Terrorist organisation the Collective. Young died from blunt force trauma caused by rioters, and on sight paramedics were unable to save him…"
BBC News

"Boy recovered, he's in hospital. I didn't see the rioters who beat him again. Can't imagine what happened to them once the boss in the helmet found out. But we did find… well, we know six rioters died. Couldn't tell you their names. Or… what they looked like. Bloody Hell."
PC Mel Gable, Uttoxeter Police

"After an hour or two we had it under control. Most fled or drove off. The Collective left with as much pomp as they appeared, took their dead with them.
Christ. Can't imagine what'll happen next…"
PC Oliver Grey, Uttoxeter Police

VOICES WORLDWIDE SHOW RESPECT FOR BLAKELY YOUNG

"Protesting at a place of education is an underhand bullying tactic, and it is unfortunate that anyone lost their lives, criminals should always have the opportunity to face justice, and death is always a tragedy no matter whom the person was".
An ETHER Spokesperson

"While we condemn the Collective in the strongest terms, the fact is that the Spaniel died a hero, protecting innocent children from murderous bigots. With his death, the Collective have lost an important moderating influence. Escalation is now inevitable."
A spokesperson for charitable organization The Milliner's Guild, London.

“It's tempting for Parahumans to look back on the life, and the sacrifice, of the Spaniel in an extreme manner. To see either a brave warrior, fallen nobly in battle, or a scheming terrorist and toady, finally gone the way he always deserved. I find myself vaccilating between the two, but the truth is found in neither. For the Spaniel, Blakeley Young, is not a symbol, he was a human being; a Parahuman, one I used to know. And the message of his life, and his death, is this:
We, who are alive, who are deserving of life, are dying. Nothing can justify this.”
Edward Zymmer, Social Pundit

"Its a clear sign that normies will only ever treat mutants with violence. The Spaniel was a good man who was kind in a cold harsh world. He didn’t deserve to die like that. To cowards and weaklings.
As for the collective aiding the academy... I'll admit it fills me with some hope"
Diamantium, Criminal

"The Spaniel was an idealist who shared my dream of a world free from exploitation and oppression.  Although I cannot condone the compromises he made in siding with the Collective, I deeply regret his death, and the hateful scum who murdered him will face retribution."
Dryas, Eco-Terrorist

"The Spaniel was murdered for being different, killed by a brutish herd of humans motivated purely by their hate and spite. He died defending the Academy, building links between all parahumans, no matter their creed. He was the purest of the Collective, always trying to steer us away from violence and to free ourselves from human rule by other means; that he was the one of us who met a violent and bloody end was a disgusting twist. It was also a terrible mistake by the humans: you killed our friend, and now there is no longer anyone holding us back from getting a very bloody revenge. You will burn for this act."
Fireball, Parahuman Terrorist

"The Spaniel's murder at the hands of human supremacists is a warning to us all - this is the price of appeasement. The Professor can no longer protect the students of the Academy from these threats and it is the duty of every parahuman to look to our future.
The Spaniel was a loyal and generous comrade. His life will not be forgotten and his death will not be forgiven."
The Alpha, Parahuman Terrorist

“We are glad that the conflict, of which both sides are guilty, was quashed without a single shot being fired. We hope that rallies like this will not get out of hand again.”
Prime Minister Penelope Munn, Humanity league

“The Academy is very grateful for the help and support provided by both the constabulary and The Collective. Mr. Blakely was always a friend to the Academy in spirit, if not in words; his views may have clashed with our own, but he shared our belief that the greatest impressions can be done with an open hand, as opposed to a closed fist. Our hearts go out to his friends and allies. Even in our darkest conflicts, he will eb greatly missed.”
A Otkid, Headmaster, Lieber Academy of Change

"Very regrettable. My eternal condolences."
Professor Q Lieber, Founder, Lieber Academy of Change