The roaring of the crowd could be heard well down the length of the corridor. It was only natural after all. They were going to lose their home and possibly their lives, and there was nothing they could do about it. As Maple rounded the corner, she could see Briggs and Germaine holding the large crowd of refugees at bay. They were like wolves gathering around a fresh kill. This was the reality that most Alphas faced. 

Behind Briggs and Germaine, Marcus and Amanda were doing their best to quell the crowd, but they were having none of it. Maple felt a fire swell up within her chest. They had risked their lives for these people, sheltered them, gave them food, gave them life and this was how they would repay it, with scorn. She felt her hands begin to tingle, the flame wanting to be released. She quickly calmed herself, killing wasn't the answer.

As if the crowd couldn't make things worse, one of the refugees suddenly lobbed a rock at Marcus. It wouldn't have injured him had it hit it, but the act wounded him more than anything. Within a flash, Akatsuya appeared, shattering the stone with a swift strike from his palm. Just like that, all the trust Marcus had strived to build between these people and his kind were smashed, scattered like the dust the stone had become.

A voice ripped over the roar of the crowd, like thunder parting the waves of an angry ocean, "Stop. Stop it right now." The scream had come from a small figure just behind the crowd. "Can't you see what you're doing? These people have provided for us, gave us a home, something we could have never had on our own." The yell had come from Alyssa, who now had tears streaming down her face, leaving little rivers through the dirt that was caked to her face.

A sudden hush had fallen over the crowd. Alyssa simply stood there, still crying. Her short, platinum colored hair cast a small frame around her sad face, making her look like an angel weeping for its lord. Maple felt her chest begin to burn again. Alyssa was like a sister to her after all. It pained her to see her take such an opposite end of the spectrum from her usual attitude.

"Don't you feel anything for these people? You treat them like monsters now but just earlier you treated them like heroes. They're not monsters, they're my family. They took me in when I was all alone and gave me a home." At the sound of Alyssa's words, some of the people in the crowd bowed their heads down in shame. Here they were, being scolded by a human being, calling Alphas her family. It was a dangerous way of thinking, but to Alyssa, it was the truth.

Maple suddenly felt a warm sensation on her cheek. A tear had snuck out of her eye and had rolled its way down her chin, and plunged itself onto the cold floor. How long had it been since she had cried? Since Mom died? She couldn't remember. Her hands still clutched, she moved forward into the sight of the crowd.

"Is this what you want? Do you not want our help? Are we truly the monsters" Maple felt her voice begin to flare, her anger coming forth from within. The other members of Generation had turned their attention to her, and were now standing in silence. "We've had to fight, to kill, to risk it all just so you could live. We sacrificed our innocence to provide you with that luxury."

Alyssa looked through the crowd, watching Maple make her testament. Alyssa knew that she felt the same, they were sisters. She began to make her way through the crowd, shoving the silent onlookers aside. When she made her way to the front of the crowd, she began to cry even more. Suddenly, somebody behind her began to sob as well.

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A part began to open in the middle of the crowd, the elders making their way forward to the front. One by one, they fell to their knees, and began to sob. "Marcus, we're sorry. It's just, we don't have much. This is the only way of life we have. What are we supposed to do?" One of the women had spoken for the group. "We know it's not your fault. You're not some group of warmongers that the world thinks Alphas are, but how are we supposed to accept this fate?"

It was obvious that it was next to impossible for the majority of the people to accept what was going to happen. They had no means to fight, no means to flee. They were like a herd of wild deer being pushed to their imminent doom over a cliff. They were at the mercy of Generation's generosity.

Briggs and Germaine began to step back from the crowd and let their tensions ease. It seemed that the calamity had subsided. It was a grim reminder to everyone just how precious power was in this world. Here were the Alphas, who had a chance to fight against the soldiers, and the human refugees who were like cattle to the slaughterhouse. Marcus stepped forward, and let a moment pass, keeping an eye on Maple and Alyssa for the sake of their emotional wellbeings.

"We're going to do what we can and hold out as long as possible. They're going to find us, that is inevitable. We will stay here and hold out as long as possible when they attack. In the meantime, we need to start gathering our supplies." The crowd contained looks of bewilderment and confusion. What was this man saying? Marcus continued his explanation, "Once we have the necessary supplies, you all will begin to travel down the tunnels here. We know they lead out of the city, but we don't know where at. I can't promise that you won't run into dead ends or that you will be able to leave when you find the exits, but it's better than sitting here waiting to die."

When the Underground was still being formed, Generation had helped secure the tunnels by blockading them with train cars, something that would take a considerable amount of effort to move. With their Alpha abilities, Briggs and Germaine should have no problem moving them. The only risk is that it would leave them exposed to attack from beyond the train cars. Nonetheless, it was  risk they were going to have to take.

"What do we do once we leave? We have nowhere to go?" It was a concern shared among the crowd. What would they do? Helix scouts would be able to pick them off, and they were far away from other cities and towns since the freeways had all collapsed.

"I can't answer that. You'll have to make due on your own. I know it sounds harsh, but there's nothing more we can do for you. We'll lay our lives down here if we have to if it lets everyone get out." Marcus' words were steeled with determination. He knew that his dream of overthrowing Helix would die, but at least some part of humanity might escape and spread the idea that the Alphas are not the enemies.

This time, the crowd offered no respute. They realized that the opportunity given to them was the only one they would have. They had realized what the upcoming fight would mean for Generation and for them. They knew that they would lose, and the refugees felt a sense of gratitude for their sacrifice that they could never repay. With multiple nods, the crowd soon began to disperse and each person departed to the residential area.

Alyssa stood there, still sobbing. As Briggs and Germaine took a seat on the floor, Amanda and Akatsuya walked over and leaned up against the far wall of the central area. Everyone needed a breather after the conflict they had just resolved. Maple began to walk towards Alyssa, the burning pain in her chest beginning to subside. As she drew close, Alyssa suddenly shot forth, hugging Maple up in her arms as much as her smaller height would let her. Alyssa still kept crying, and Marcus soon made his way over to the two. Like a father looking after two distraught children, he wrapped his arms around both of them, causing Maple to begin crying again.

It was going to be a long night...