*** 30 Minutes Later ***

"A-Are we really going to The Wall Ace?"

Hannah's faint voice could barely be heard as the orphans made their way through the back alleys of the slums. Ace looked down at his kid sister who held his only hand in a bone crushing grip. Her wide eyes that were full of fear prompted a quick response.

"Well that's what Thalia wants us to do. You know the rules... what she says goes. We're only going to look from a distance, we don't want to get caught in the crowd. Don't worry though! If something happens, your big bros have your back!"

He looked over at Icarus who pumped his chest in agreement. The other children were holding hands like links in a chain, connecting the two eldest brothers. Thalia brought up the rear, making sure to protect her younger siblings.

In the narrow alleyways that acted as the back streets of the slums, caution was of the utmost importance. The group of children moved through the treacherous corridors with a coordination that betrayed their otherwise friendly appearance.

Looking up, Ace noticed that a large portion of the sky had been blotted out by an impossibly large structure. It was The Wall. Sporting a solid gray finish, it looked as if were made from stone. Extending hundreds of feet into the air and smooth to the touch, climbing over the structure was impossible, if anyone was even tempted to try. Ace had heard stories of people who attempted the deed, they never ended well...

As the group grew closer to the wall, the sounds of aggressive yelling could be heard in the distance. With each passing step, both the volume and number of voices grew. After reaching the end of an alley and exiting onto the main road, the group found the source of the noise.

Down the street, a massive crowd of slum residents were packed elbow to elbow as they attempted to power through one of the barriers placed in front of The Wall. Beyond it was one of the tunnels leading to the main city. Seeing it so up close made Ace think about what life was like on the other side. No one in the slums had ever seen inside of the main city. Those who were granted access never bothered to come back.

Blocking the passageway and protecting the barrier were the Sentinels. Few were as big as the titans that had chased Ace and Icarus the day prior but all of them sported the same enhanced armor. Many were engaged in arguments with the enraged slum residents.

One passionate man became quite bold as he pushed his way to the front of the pack. Pointing his finger in the face of a particularly large sentinel, he started berating him.

"Hey you big oaf! Let us in, you heard the announcement right? The walls are going to be attacked, MOST LIKELY SOON! We know you all have room in there! There are millions of us out here! What are we supposed to do? Die?"

Finishing his exasperated complaint he swung a slow fist at the mountain of a man.

Responding instantly to the aggression, the Sentinel easily caught the man's hand and pulled him up until they were looking eye to eye. While the smaller man's feet dangled in the air, the Sentinel spoke, his voice loud and firm.

"Yes, that is the expectation, you will all die. If you want access to the city, you must expose yourselves to the Sever as all its residents have. Since you are so eager to test your luck, allow me to expedite your departure."

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With those words the Sentinels grabbed one of the man's legs and hoisted him over his head. In a fluid motion, he performed a single spin and threw the man, propelling him dozens of feet into the air and over the crowd of onlookers.

As Ace and his siblings watched in terror, the man flew through the air as a blur, eventually hitting the concrete housing unit right next to them. The impact completely shattered the wall on the third floor, causing some small rocks to fall down next to them. The man was obviously dead.

Witnessing his demise, the citizens of the slums lost all regard for their own safety as they began attacking the sentinels with desperate fervor. The idea of negotiation had left the area almost as quick as the man who was thrown.

Despite the combined efforts of the slum residents, their efforts proved fruitless as the Sentinels continued to send many of them flying into buildings. Most of them met the same fate as the first man.

Looking away from the carnage with a horrified expression, Icarus turned to Thalia and expressed his opinion.

"Well? Just like you thought, the wall is an absolute madhouse right now. Even if we're going to get torn up by monsters these government lapdogs would rather die than let us in! Why are we even here?"

Thalia addressed Icarus with a deadpan expression.

"I wanted to show you."

Icarus shouted back. "SHOW US WHAT? Death? As if we all haven't seen enough of it already!"

Raising a hand and pointing back at the frenzy Thalia continued.

"You all may have seen the loss of life but make no mistake. These people are meeting a peaceful end. Instant death. The same won't hold true for you if you are outside The Wall without sever energy when the beasts come."

Pausing to look at each of her sisters and brothers, she gave them a final reminder.

"Weakness in this city is a choice. A choice I will not allow any one of you to make. My own weakness has clouded my judgement, breeding indecision. I didn't have the strength to do what was necessary, but tomorrow we are going to an exposure facility. For better... or for worse. And before anyone objects, no, this is not up for debate."

Ace looked at Dane, Hannah, Zeke, Kalen, and Lucy.

'Most of them don't even know what it means to be primed! They could die! Earlier today she made it seem like we at least had a choice. What changed?!'

His thoughts were interrupted by Hannah who was pointing at the sky.

"Look Ace! The birds are coming out to play!"

He looked up and true to Hannah's words, there were dozens of birds in the sky. Ace couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he felt that something was wrong.

Icarus responded for him. "No sis, they're coming out to eat. Although its a little bit strange, usually these guys stick to the trash units for food, there's nothing out here but concrete, steel, and people. Three things they don't like."

The gears in Ace's mind began to turn.

'Icarus is right! The birds almost never come out during the day, let alone above one of the most barren streets in the district. Unless...'

Recalling his near death experience from the previous night, Ace shouted out to his siblings.

"Those aren't regular birds! We need to leave, NOW!"

He was too late.

The Sever Beasts had already begun to dive from the sky.

When Hannah first spotted the creatures, no one could be blamed for ignoring them. They were so high up that it was impossible to see their true size. They even followed the behavior of their original animals, circling their intended targets from a distance as they looked for an opportune time to strike.

Distracted by their violent encounter, the Sentinels and slum residents failed to notice the birds until they streaked through the crowd, skewering dozens people. Others were knocked into the sky by the impacts and were subsequently plucked from the air and carried away by other birds.

People's appendages and other debris were sent flying as the creatures rampaged through the crowd with reckless abandon. The only ones capable of standing up to them were the Sentinels. Some had already thrown the beasts off the barrier while others crushed them beneath their fists. As usual, the Sentinels were quite gruesome in their aggression.

Ace foolishly entertained the idea that they would step in to help, but they simply retreated into The Wall. With a large mechanical whirring sound that drowned out the scream of the people in the street, the entrance to The Wall snapped shut. Ace couldn't believe it.

They had been abandoned. The residents of the slums would have to fend for themselves.