《Generation: Alpha》


 Prologue

    "A world in chaos is a world in order."


    Those words echoed through Char''s mind, playing back like a track forced to repeat. How long had it been since he stood up against that statement? He gently leaned back in his chair, turning to face the large screen windows that covered the wall of his office. Staring out at that jagged and rocky horizon, he reflected back on what the view would have looked like years ago. Green vegetation and lush waters would have lined the very peaks and valleys he bore witness to. All that remained now was a dull, flat range of dirt, destroyed by the years of fighting that man had waged.


    Char sharply spun back around to face his desk, folding his hands and resting his head upon them. He gave a slight wince as his hand brushed across his face, a painful reminder of what had been sacrificed to achieve the world that lay before him. At one time, he would have been a charming and handsome man to look at, but his research and plans had cost him that fortune. He ran his fingers across the left side of his face, taking in the details of the burned and wrinkled scar tissue.Was it worth it?


    Char pushed himself up off his desk and promptly stood and smoothed the wrinkles out of the dark, ruby red uniform he wore. While his face would bear wrinkles, he at least had power over that aspect of his appearance. He glanced down at his shined black shoes, a texture seldom witnessed anymore, the world covered by the grit of calamity.


    A sudden approach of footsteps caused Char to quickly snap to attention in the direction of his door. He quickly spun on his heels to face the door, and folded his hands behind his back, much like one would see from an army commander ready to be briefed. As the large metallic doors slid open, two soldiers, clad in uniform passed through into the office.


    The two soldiers came to a sudden halt, throwing a quick salute to Char and awaited their command to be at ease. For a normal person, their appearance would be terrifying. Standing, on average, around 6ft 5in, each of the men looked like something out of a war fiction. Their armored plates gleamed with a silver shine, a stark contrast to the black clothing they wore. Covering their faces were masks desinged to filter out any toxins and dust, ensuring that each soldier could perform in any environment.


    "At ease men." Upon giving the command Char himself relaxed his posture. He knew the soldiers wouldn''t come to him unless something important had come up. The first soldier quickly gave a nod and stepped forward, a folder in his hand. He reached forward, presenting the document to Char for inspection.


    "Sir, these are the reports you asked for about the ambush attacks that have been occuring in Marlow city. Inside you will find detailed incident reports covering the attacks, as well as the inuries that both recovered and lost units suffered."


    As Char grasped the documents from the soldier, he could detect there was an eagerness in his eyes despite them being hidden behind two red lenses. Cradling the folder in one hand, Char flipped open the file and began thumbing through the pages. Each report seemed to be more of the next, units reported to have hit by guerilla warfare tactics, with some units reporting an attacker that fought hand to hand with "flaming" fists. Char felt his heart skip a beat upon reading it, an excitement he had not felt in a long time.It has to be her. It couldn''t be anybody else.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Char squeezed the file back shut and raised his gaze to meet the soliders, "You''re dismissed. Report back to your advisor for your next task." The two soldiers quickly gave another salute and marched back out the door in the direction from which they came. Char stood in silence for a moment, reflecting on the absolution of the soldiers. Engineered to do the bidding of Helix, they never questioned what they were assigned or what they had to do. It was a freedom he envied at times.


    File in hand, Char paced out of his office and toward the central elevator. As he passed through the halls, researchers and soldiers alike broke from what they were doing to offer a quick nod or salute, showing their respect to the man that had led them to where they are now. To them, he was a hero, but for Char himself, he had done nothing more than what was necessary to bring the world to a peaceful respite. He often loathed the admiration he was shown by those around him, due not only to his current appearance but at what morals he had abandoned in order to bring about that peace. Nonetheless, he knew that it had to be done.


    Rounding out the final hallway, Char quickly mashed the call button for the elevator. A quick thud from behind the steel doors was followed by the sound of the pulley wrenching the elevator up to the top floor of the Helix Tower. In a few moments there was a distinct ding, and the doors slid back to allow access. Char quickly stepped inside and moved to the floor selection panel. He quickly thumbed a key from his back pocket and inserted it into the lock built into the selection panel. With a turn of the key, the elevator began to descened to the Tower''s lowest floors, the executive sections.


    Grinding to a halt at the bottom floor, Char gaited forward out of the elevator and into the dimly lit corridor. Proceeding down the left side, he approached the executive conference room. The black and gold engraved door was a standout from the rest of the plainly adorned corridor, but the board of executives had always been keen on elegance when it came to their meeting places.


    Char gave the gold handle a quick turn and proceeded to push the door open. Before he could even make it through the door, he met the gaze of Faust. Sitting at the end of the long conference table, coffee in hand sat a large man wearing a white lab coat. His balding hairstyle and ragged beard would lead one to assume his age to be much higher than its actuality. He quickly gave his glasses a tug upwards, and gave a small smirk to Char.


    "So, I take it that we have big news to discuss?" Faust''s deep voice would rattle those unaccustomed to him, but Char had grown quite used to his dialect over the years.


    "Yes. We most certainly do. It''s her."


    The sound of broken glass suddenly rang throughout the room. Coffee began running across the long square table, crafting a river across its dark surface. Faust''s eyes had widened to that of saucers, signs that the news was just as important to him as Char himself.


    "You''re sure? There''s no mistake this time?" Faust could barely contain the excitement in his voice. How long they had searched for her, the key to all of their questions. An answer to the problems that riddled their research, a possibility of creating the perfection of their asipirations.


    "Yes, I am absolutely sure. There''s too many similarties. This goes beyond mere rumors and speculations. All the ambushed units reported the same thing. "Flaming" fists." Char himself felt the excitement building inside of him. It was like watching dawn break for the first time on a night that lasted forever.


    "We have no time to waste then. We''ve got to track her and the rest down before she escapes from us again." Faust was now standing, ready to leap forward at a moments notice.


    "I''m aware Faust. We''ll organise squadrons and begin moving our men into Marlow city. We''ll have to route them out, but we will make sure she won''t escape this time." Char laid the file down on the table and turned, striding out of the door and towards their command center...

 Chapter 1

    Marlow city, once a bustling city in its prime, now a rustic reminder of the cost of conflict. It''s once sprawling metropolis was now lined with crumbling structures, long since abandoned homes and debris all through its streets. High atop one of the builidings, a thin silhouette revelaed itself, peering out across the span of streets and nestling itself on the ledge of the building.


    Maple eased herself down to a rest on the corner of the small complex she had ascended, dangling her feet over the edge. She left out a soft sigh, growing impatient due to her role as reconnaissance. A gentle breeze swept across, fluterring her long dark hair over her thin frame. She quickly reach upwards and grabbed onto her bandana, a precious gift from her mother who had long been lost. It was a bright red color, a contrast to her pale skin, and was adorned with the symbol of a Maple leaf. Not only was it precious to her since it was from her mother, it was also one of the few things in this world that she had something in common with.


    She gazed out across the distance, eyeballing one of the tall skyscrapers that was still somehow standing despite the damage that both the wars and weather had done to it. What was it previously used for? For her, she had no idea as it was nonfunctional before her time. The only world she had ever known was the dulled and dark world that spanned the globe. There was no such thing as a home, a room of your own, school, everything that the modernity of previous times offered. Her world consisted of a constant fight for survival for humans and Alphas alike.


    Maple brought her knee up to her chest and brought her elbow to a rest on it, propping her head up with her hand. She glanced down at the gloves she wore and tugged them firmly, making sure they wouldn''t come lose. The metal plates that adorned the top of the hands had become rusted and burned, partially in favor due to her powers. They were slightly too large and casued her fingers to look tiny as they protruded from the cutoff ends. Regardless, she was still glad to have them as they usually helped her prevent breaking her hands. Her enhanced strength was still not something she had fully learned to control.


    Maple pushed herself up from the ledge of the building and began to pace back and forth. The call was taking too long to come in. Had something happened? Almost in response to her question, a loud explosion cracked the wall of silence and a dark plume of smoke began to rise from the eastern part of the city blocks. The walkie talkie attached to her hip soon crackled to life and deep gruff voice burst forth from the speaker.


    "Maple, are you there? We''ve run into a bit of trouble." It was the voice of her father, Marcus Wright. Leader of the group Maple worked for, Generation, Marcus was responsible for bringing in food and supplies to the refugees that had taken up residence in Marlow city. Alphas were generally hated worldwide, but Marcus had made a resolution to show the large number of humankind that Alphas were not to be feared. They were once human as well. Sadly, fear had been a hard thing for them to overcome and Marcus still hadn''t gained the full support of the refugees.


    "Yeah, I''m here. What''s happened?" While she was glad to hear from her father, this was not the call that she had been expecting.


    "We''re stranded. Helix goons have us pinned down and the supply truck has tipped. We can''t get it out of here but we can''t exactly escape either." Maple could hear the concern in her father''s voice. They had been in many a situation before, but that didn''t mean that they were used to it.


    "How bad is it? Is Briggs still with you?" Maple had realized that while she was glad to hear her father, she couldn''t hear anything Briggs. He had been a long time friend of Marcus back in his service days and had joined Generation when Marcus had started it. A dark skinned male standing 7ft tall with the muscle to back his stature, Briggs could easily intimidate most just from his looks. He had been a huge help in their fight against Helix and the raids they had been on.


    "Yeah, he''s here. He''s just too busy trying to kill as many of Helix''s men as he can. How quick can you get here? We''re gonna need some support to get out of this."


    "Give me fi-no, give me three minutes. I''ll be coming in from your east, so tell Briggs to lay off a bit when I come in." Maple shackled her radio back to her hip, then while taking a deep breath, began sprinting toward the edge of the building.


    As she reached the edge, Maple sprung forward and spread her arms, diving down headfirst. If one were to witness the act, it would look like an angel of war descending from above. As she approached the ground, she rotated her body to face upright and braced her legs, slamming ino the ground with a hard impact. For any normal person, this would be a death wish, but for an Alpha, the increased stability of their bodies could handle such a leap.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Maple patted the dust off of her ripped jeans and top, and broke out in a full sprint in the direction of the smoke. With her increased agility, arriving in three mintes should be no issue. She bounced across the abandoned and rusty vehicles that lined the streets, transversing her run onto the walls of buildings to clear debris as neccessary. As she drew closer to the smoke, she could hear the distinct sound of gunfire and shooting.


    As she rounded the corner, Maple spotted both Briggs and her father, pinned down behind a cluster of vehicles, smoke pouring from large cargo truck that lay tipped on it''s side behind them. On her right, roughly three squadrons of Helix soldiers were bearing down on them. With four soldiers to a squadron, Maple estimated that there were around twleve combatants, if Briggs hadn''t gunned down any. They were scattered across the field, taking shelter behind various cars or debris that had fallen from the buildings.


    The closest squadron to Maple hadn''t noticed her presence yet and were still focused on Marcus and Briggs. Maple clicked the button on her radio, "Dad, tell Briggs to focus on the two squads on the left. I''m going after the ones on your right."


    Maple didn''t get a response over the radio, but she saw her father look in her direction then motion to Briggs. Within seconds, Briggs leveled his light machine gun in the direction of the two squadrons on the left and opened fire. The two squads were forced to take cover, granting Maple passage to the nearest squadron. She quickly broke into a full sprint.


    The closest soldier broke his aim for a moment, and spun to face Maple.Too late.Maple''s foot slammed into the soldier''s mask, crushing the mask and any bone structure underneath. As he fell back, Maple latched onto his wrist and slung his body in the direction of his comrade. The now lifeless body slammed into the second soldier, causing him to drop his weapon. As he reached to retrieve it, his hand was suddenly obliterated with enough force to crush a vehicle. The soldier screamed out, looking at the bloody mess that had been his hand. Blood was spattered across Maple''s gloves, but it was nothing new to her. She retrieved the weapon off the ground, and leveled the rifle at the third soldier of the squadron, and gunned him down in seconds. Without even glancing down, she pressed the barrel against the second soldier''s face, and pulled the trigger.


    Maple moved up to flank the two squadrons that were left. They were now caught on both sides, forcing one squadron to focus on Maple while the other contested Briggs. Maple ejected the magazine from the rifle she had picked up and checked its round. Twelve left plus one in the chamber gave her thirteen rounds to finish the second squadron.


    In a flash, she leapt over the car in front of her and lined up the shots. Three squeezes, two kills. The farthest soldier and closest both dropped, blood oozing forth from the holes in their foreheads. The middle soldier had ducked down to avoid Maple''s fire, and raised himself back up to return fire. He was greeted with a crushing blow to his sternum, crushing every rib he had. He hit the ground, writhing in pain and unable to take in air. His gasping could be heard through his mask, but it was had no bearing on Maple''s conscience. They had started this fight. She brought her foot down into the soldier''s face, ending any hope he had of escaping with his life.


    With only one squadron left, Briggs began to advance foward. As he drew closer, the last three men were forced to stay in cover, lest they get shredded by the light machine gun fire. Briggs let out a deep laugh as he keyed his radio, "Sorry princess, these guys are mine."


    It was a habit Briggs had developed. He had always referred to Maple as "princess", no matter how much Maple detested it. It was his way of trying to give her a little joy in such a dark and cruel world. Even so, Maple always blew it off with a sigh just laughed it off. She felt like the farthest thing from a princess.


    "Sorry Briggs, I''m going to have to steal your fun this time." Briggs wheeled around to face Marcus, but he had already sailed past him. Marcus leaped across the vehicles separting him and the squadron, his army green jacket flailing in the wind. His silver hair looked like a streak of lighting as he bolted out into Maple''s line of sight, his black headwrap holding on for dear life. Marcus slid feet first across the hood of the car the soldiers were behind, and landed in the middle of them. With one full rotation of his body, he fired off three shots from his revolver. All three soldiers hit the ground, lifeless.


    "Well, that seemed rather simple didn''t it?" Marcus'' voice reach Maple, and she let out a disgruntled sigh.


    She called back to her father, "Are you sure you needed my help? It didn''t seem like you had too much difficulty there." Despite her father''s age, he could still move faster than Maple than he wanted. All part of being an Alpha.


    Marcus and Briggs began walking over to where Maple was standing, Briggs relaxing his gun over his shoulder as he approached. "Yeah, we probably could''ve handled it without you, but we figured you were getting pretty bored. Nothing like the possibility of death to liven you up eh?" Briggs had a grin on his face that ran from one side to the other.


    Marcus flexed back and let out a chuckle, "Not only that, you can also help us get the truck back up and working again. The refugees need those supplies as much as we do you know." With a quick spin, Marcus began trotting towards the truck, which had now ceased it''s bellowing of the black smoke that had signaled Maple where to go.


    With a shrug, Maple followed behind. Besides, Marcus was right, they really did need the supplies. At least I didn''t burn anybody this time.

 Chapter 2

    Maple raised up out of her seat as the truck lugged it''s way into the sub level parking facility. Built directly into a subway station that had long since been abandoned, the parking garage functioned as both a shelter for many of the refugees as well as a home base of Generation. The subway tunnels were protected from any of the outside elements as well as Helix scouts, and the garage was a good place to gather everyone for supplies and food distribution.


    "At least we made it back in one piece. Especially with how beat up this truck after that little skirmish." Maple knew they had been lucky that reinforcements had failed to arrive before they were able to get the truck upright and running again. While they could outpower the forces, they wouldn''t stand a match for when it came to numbers.


    "I still can''t believe you wanted me to lift the truck instead of Briggs. He''s the muscle man after all."


    "Sorry Princess. Must''ve pulled a muslce during that fight with those guys." Once again, Briggs was grinning from ear to ear. Maple just waved him off with a slight grin, knowing he was simply joking with her. It wasn''t the first time nor would it be the last.


    As the truck circled around the columns and into the center of the garage, a crowd of people began approaching. Among them were men, womenan children, all wearing whatever rags they could find for clothing. Many of them sported tangled hairstyles and grime across their body. Cleanliness just wasn''t a commodity to those who lived under Helix''s rules. It''s not like they could defy them even if they wanted to. They were trapped under the thumb of the corporation and were helpless to fight back.


    Maple creaked the door of the truck open and leaped down, landing one foot down on the hard concrete. The refugees all took a step back and stood waiting patiently. She had never been a fan of the refugees, simply beacause of how they often treated most Alphas. Sure, they all took the help that Generation offered, but it didn''t mean that they all liked it. Many of them were just simply afraid of the power that Alphas possessed, despite that they were still human.


    Maple paced to the back of the truck and unlatched the sliding hatch, the sound of the sliding metal echoing through the spatious garage. Marcus had already exited the vehicle and had made his way around to the back. In the hatch of the truck, boxes were stacked up, full of rations, medical supplies and other necessary supplements. These were meant to be transported to the Helix outposts throughout the region, but Generation often raided the convoys for their own use. While the soldiers of Helix were Alphas that had been genetically modified to do the bidding of the corporation without question, it didn''t mean they could go without food or water.


    One by one, Maple began handing the boxes out to Marcus, where he would open them and separate the contents accordingly. As time passed, each pack would contain food, antibiotics and other materials that each refugee would recieve. Without Marcus and his group, they wouldn''t be able to live a sustainable life and would eventually die off.


    As Marcus began forming the packs, he could hear the refugees begin to grow restless. They sounded like a swarm of flies hovering over a dying animal. It wasn''t their fault, they were just having to live from one day to the next. Marcus could understand why they were restless. He gathered up a few of the completed packs and approached the crowd.


    "First up, the elderly. I want the eldest members who are seventy and over to come up first." Out of the crowd, only a select few stepped forward, mostly women. One by one, they each gratiously accepted the packs from Marcus and bowed their head in appreciation. Marcus gently waved their gesture off and returned it with a gentle smile. Despite having a rough appearance, accented by his rough scraggly beard and dark eyes, his smile was one of his trademarks. It often brought a calm to those who were in his care.


    "Next, I want the children to come forward." As the elders retreated back in the direction of the living areas, children who were old enough to walk came forward. One by one, they followed in their elder''s footsteps and awaited their pack. Most answered with, "Thank you mister." or "Thank you sir.", however some seemed too nervous to even mutter a word. Marcus thought of the stories that their parents must have told them of Alphas. For those who were too afraid to speak, he gently reach down and patted them on the shoulder.


    Finally it was time for everyone else to recieve a pack. The rest of the crowd came forward and Briggs, who had been standing by silently, took over control of the distribution. If there wasn''t enough to go around for everyone, nobody would say anything to Briggs. They simply understood that Generation was doing all they could.


    As Briggs took command, Marcus and Maple began heading to the Generations base. Situated closest to the entrances, it was set up so that if they were ever discovered by Helix, the members would be the first to the frontlines and not the refugees they were protecting.


    "Eager to head back home and get washed up?" Marcus had noticed that Maple was covered in blood and thought about how concerning that would''ve once been to a father in his time. He knew it was no world in which to raise a child, but what choice did he have?Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Yeah. I thought I was going to become a statue on that building where I sat there so long."


    "No, that''s not what I meant. You''re kind of covered in alot of blood Maple."


    Maple galnced down at herself and realized what her father had meant. Blood was streaked across her clothes, and had stained her white tank top red. Her gloves had a film of red over them, and her face was speckled with the blood of the soldiers she had killed. It''s no wonder the refugees were staring at her when they arrived. You don''t usually expect your heroes to return looking as frightening as she did.


    "Oh. Yeah, I should probably take care of that. Alyssa will chew me out anyways if I don''t keep these gloves clean."


    Alyssa Emmerich, a young lady who Marcus had rescued when Maple was still a child, had quickly become one of the only friends that Maple had. Being an only child, Maple had no sisters to interact with much less a normal social life, and since both her and Alyssa were close in age, they quickly bonded. It was also worth noting that Alyssa was the only human friend she had. Most people feared Alphas, but the notion meant nothing to Alyssa, who had been left behind by her parents when she was unable to keep up. She had only been happy to find herself in the company of people who cared for her.


    Marcus gave a laugh at Maple''s mentioning of Alyssa, and tipped his head toward the left tunnel. Further down that way, they had a meeting room set up for discussions on what their plans would be, and Maple knew her father was going to discuss what to do next with the rest of the team members. While they wanted to take the fight to Helix, they knew they were currently unable to do so on such a large scale. No dobut Marcus was going to discuss how to change that. Maple nodded in understanding, and proceeding down the tunnel on the right to the residual area.


    Proceeding down the non-functional escalator, Maple came to the residual area of the camp. It had formerly been an entry way to the upper levels of the city, but had been blocked off by debris and was used to contain all the people who seeked refuge in Marlow city. It was convenient for everyone since the area was so large and small homes could be set up. The area also contained restrooms that, while no longer functioned, could still be used for shower areas given that there was still water to spare.


    Continuing past the residual area, Maple crossed across the platform and down a corridor that led to a living area that Marcus had set up for them. It was two small rooms, extremely small in size, but it was nice that she had a room she could call her own. Pushing back the steel door to their rooms, Maple stepped inside.


    Upon entry was Marcus'' room. Various army fatigues lined up on one of the walls while the rest of the room was fairly barren, save a small mattress and a small framed photo of Maple''s family. Maple gazed down at the photo, and let out a slow exhale.


    In the photo were three people. Marcus, Maple and Maple''s mother, Helen. She stood around the same height as Marcus, but her features were much more gentle. Her skin was a pale the tone of the moon, similar to Maple''s, but her hair was her standout feature. The golden hue of her straight hair shined like the morning sun rising on the horizon of a starlight dusk. It caused her sapphire blue eyes to stand out like precious gems who had been preciously shaped and laid in with the finest details. It had been several years since Maple had lost her mother, but it didn''t mean she missed her any less.


    Her mother had also been an Alpha who had met Marcus during a crossover mission. Seeing that they performed well together in combat, Helix regularly assigned them together on missions and their interest in one another bloomed from there. After the fallout of the first subject Alphas and the birth of Maple, Helen and Marcus had retreated into the confines of a small town. They had lived there for most of Maple''s life until scouts of Helix had stumbled across them. On Maple''s sixteenth birthday, while celebrating in a secluded plaza the best they could, a Helix hunter squadron had descended upon them. With little time to react, Helen had laid her life down to allow Marcus to escort Maple to safety. Shortly after, Marcus created the group known as Generation to wage a fight against Helix.


    Maple broke her gaze at the photo and reminded herself why she had come to her room. She needed to get cleaned off. Stepping into her room, she walked over to the footlocker next to her bed and retrieved a small bottle of water and a cloth. Removed her gloves and laid them aside and then removed her bandana. With the two items removed, she began scrubbing the blood off of her ghostly white skin. She paused as she rubbed her bare hands together. It had been awhile since she had actually felt any sensation in her hands, as her powers often led to her skin being baked in the process.


    A unique feature that no other Alpha had possessed, was Maple''s ability to produce what was believed to be a "flame" from her fists. While most Alphas possessed some form of mutation that led to the manifestation of a weapon from their body, Maple''s was unique in that no weapon was formed but instead some ethereal vapor. Maple was also unique in that no Alphas had ever been able to produce offspring. A side effect of the proccess was the death of all reproductive cell types in males and females. Why Maple had been born was a mystery to all, including the researchers of Helix.


    The downside of the abilities of the Alphas was that the materialization of their weapons often caused bodily harm to them. The Alpha mutation process led to high counts of iron in the subjects body with an accelerated healing factor. This was originally designd to make Alphas more durable, but an unknown side effect allowed a manipulation of the excess iron in the body that could be turned into a weapon. Of course, it was still extremely painful for the weapon to materialize. This was no different for Maple who, often in times of distress, unintentionally triggered her ability, scorching the skin from her hands.


    As Maple''s thoughts continued to spiral through her head, she failed to hear the door opening behind her. As the time frame to react slipped away, she felt someone grab her from behind...

 Chapter 3

    As Maple turned to face her attacker, she was greeted with a pleasant surprise. She came face to face with none other than Alyssa, bearing the grin on her face that one has when a prank has turned out to be successful. Jumping back while chuckling, Alyssa held her hands up in a surrendering position. Maple let a sigh drift from her lungs before letting herself relax.


    "Ha, you''d think after all this time I wouldn''t be able to sneak up on you anymore." Alyssa''s tone was that of a younger sibling mocking the older one. While it hurt Maple''s ego that she had snuck up on her, she was glad to see her friend. It had been a rough day and there was no better way to unwind than sitting around with a friend.


    Within a moments notice, Alyssa''s expression had switched from friendly to one of scorn. Maple felt puzzled until she realized what was sitting behind her. Her gloves. The ones that were still stained. Alyssa had taken special care in crafting the plates onto them so that they still fit comfortably. She was also always onto Maple about keeping them clean so the metal plates wouldn''t rust off.


    Despite her short stature and carefree attitude, Maple was not one who wanted to favor Alyssa''s scorn. Anytime she became serious about something, she could make any person cower, Maple included.


    "Alyssa, I''m sorry. I just got back and I was getting ready to clean them I swear." In hearing Maple''s excuse, Alyssa cocked her head to the side, judging whether or not to let her off the hook.


    "Alright, fine. I believe you. Just try to keep them clean. I get you have to hit people, but do you really have to hit them that hard?" Alyssa did have a point after all. Maple did have problems at times holding back her own power. It wasn''t that she was a fan of overkill, she just wanted to make sure she got the job done. One slipup, and it could cost everything.


    "Yeah, I know. I just want to make sure my target''s dead so I don''t end up being the dead one. You''d think you''d have more sympathy for me considering that I have to kill people."


    "Pfft. The Maple I know? Needing sympathy because she fights on the frontlines?"


    They both let out a giggle at the thought. Maple had always been a fighter since Marcus had taught her how to fight. She was never one to run away from a battle. It''s not the she enjoyed killing the Helix soldiers, but that it just needed to be done.


    "Hey, if you got some free time you wanna go above ground and see if we can salvage some scrap metal and parts? I''m sure this place could use some of it around here." Alyssa had that gleam in her eye like a child that spotted a toy they desperately needed. Not only was she one of the most relaxed people around, Alyssa was also highly intelligent in most things and was a tinkerer of sorts. The people of Marlow wouldn''t have half the luxuries they did if she didn''t provide upkeep to the place.


    "Yeah sure, I''ve got nothing better to do anyways until Dad comes up with a new plan."


    Maple turned and finished cleaning her gloves off, removing the red tint from them but not quite putting the shine back in them. She slipped her gloves back on and quickly tied her bandana back up, letting her hair hang through the back. Her clothes could be washed later.


    <hr>


    Back above ground, Alysssa and Maple had drifted towards an old car center that still had some things that were left untouched. It wasn''t far from the underground either, so they knew they could quickly make it back if it started becoming dark. Being cautious of their surroundings, they moved from shadow to shadow, making sure to avoid the eyes of any Helix scouts that may be nearby.


    It wasn''t always the wisest idea to go snooping around the city with so few people, but scouts were never spotted in the sector of the city they were in. It was so far in that it was easier for the Helix soldiers to bypass around the side and save time. This also made it convenient for the refugees to go out and get some fresh air. Well, if one would call it fresh air that is.


    After going through a back alley and across an old and worn street, they arrived at the back of the vehicle care center. All the windows had been broken out of it, despite them being covered with metal shutters, and most of the vehicles sitting out front of the building were rusted down and ransacked. Still, it was worth the adventure to Maple and Alyssa to check it out.


    Alyssa cautiously stepped out in front of Maple and approached what they assumed was a backdoor into the complex. Stepping up onto the concrete walkway, Alyssa reach down and tried turning the rustic handle. The handle itself shook, but the door itself offered no entry.


    "Agh, it''s locked. How did they even have time to lock it before?" It was surprising to find a locked door in the city, considering that Marlow had been struck without warning during the previous wars. Most people had fled the city to avoid the fighting, but whoever was at this building during this time had done otherwise.


    "Stand back, I got this." Maple quickly stepped forward to the door and slammed her fist into the door just above where the handle was positioned. The door caved in, but still refused to give up. Once more, Maple drew her fist back and slammed it into the door with even more force. A loud, metallic tearing noise ripped through the air and Maple paused for a moment. Her hand was now protruding through the door.


    "Um, I guess my plan kind of worked."


    "Yeah, sure it did. Now how are you gonna solve the new problem? You gonna punch it again?" Maple could hear the mocking tone of sarcasm in Alyssa''s voice.


    "Stand back even more." Hearing Maple''s warning, Alyssa took a few more steps backwards.


    With a sudden burst of strength, Maple ripped her arm back towards herself, taking the door, hinges and all with her. Catching her balance, Maple squeezed her fist tight, with it still protruding through the door, and gave it a powerful kick. The door went shot off of Maple''s hand and crashed into the wall of the center. Taking a moment to favor her hand, Maple then turned and pointed the way through the now open doorway.


    Stepping through the doorway, Alyssa and Maple found themselves in a short corridor. It was dark inside, as there was no electricity being supplied to the building nor did the corridor have lights. Letting Maple take the lead, the two slowly crept forward through the darkness.


    Feeling their way down the corridor, the two soon stumbled across another door. While a distinct bend in the corridor could be seen further down, the two decided to check this door first. Maple felt around for the handle of the door, and upon finding it, gave it a gentle twist. The door slowly creaked open and revealed a a large room that looked like it was used for storage of spare parts for vehicles.


    Maple clenched her fists and eased through the doorway, Alyssa in tow. The two looked from corner to corner of the room. It appeared that the room had been untouched since the building had been abandoned. It was strange considering that the back door had been locked. The hair on the back of Maple''s neck suddenly began to stand on end. If the front of the building was secured with the steel shutters, how did the people leave if the back entry was locked?Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Almost as if to answer Maple''s question, she heard a clattering come from outside in corridor. She quickly grabbed Alyssa and placed her behind, ready to attack if needed. A few moments passed in eerie silence, but silence was all that seemed present. Maple slowly began to creep towards the doorway, fists at the ready. As she drew close, she flattened herself out against the wall, and peeped around the corner.


    For a split second she thought she saw something retreat around the coner of the corridor in the darkness. She knew she couldn''t be seeing things, but also didn''t know what she could have seen. Was it a person? A refugee? Helix? She knew there was only one way to find out. Not wanting to endanger Alyssa, Maple motioned for her to follow behind. The two slowly began advancing towards the turn in the corridor, suspense breathing down their necks.


    As they rounded the corridor, they came out into the front lobby area of the store. A large front desk was situated against the wall just to their left, and various shelves were lined up along the storefront, most empty and others tipped over. A dim and hazy light shone through the steel shutters that were lined along where the windows would have been. The two couldn''t see any signs that anyone had been here in a long time.


    Not wanting to relax her guard, Maple instructed Alyssa to stay by the corridor entrance and began to sweep each and every aisle. If there was someone there, they would be flushed out. Maple was sure her reaction time would be sharp enough as well to get the jump on them. She wasn''t your average human being after all.


    After reaching the second to last isle, Maple suddenly paused. Somebody was close, she could feel it. Bringing her fists up and bracing to strike, she slowly inched forward and peeked around the corner of the aisle. A figure suddenly darted out and came at her.


    Maple threw a right handed punch at the target, aiming directly for what she assumed was it''s head. The figure quickly dodged to the right and slipped past Maple in the blink of an eye.Why didn''t it counterattack?


    Maple quickly launched herself over the aisles and aimed to cut the figure off. Despite it being able to slip by her at first, she was definitely the faster of the two. The figure suddenly changed direction again and headed towards the large counter desk that was mounted against the wall. Maple launched a flying kick towards it, catching the figure in its midsection. The figure let loose a quick shout of pain and bounced across the floor, coming to a stop against the counter.


    Maple braced herself again as the figure struggled to bring itself to it''s feet. Raising one arm, it grasped the lip of the desk and pulled itself up. A long cloak spilled out around it, a hood hiding the back of its head. It slowly turned to face Maple, not seeming to take a particularly aggressive stance. Maple felt a bit of a shock run through her body.


    From behind a tattered cloak and hood, lavender hair gleamed in the dusty light that filled the room. The face was hidden behind a mask, cutting off just as it covered the nose. Two dark eyes stared back at Maple. It slowly held its hand out in a stop position. It seemed to be wanting to offer a moment of peace, however Maple didn''t let her guard down just yet.


    "Please, stop. I mean you no harm." A quiet and quaint voice broke the standoff. It was feminine, at least Maple thought it did. The cloak had slowly slid aside, revealing the small silouhette and figure of a woman. This person was defintely human, but Maple had no idea what their intentions were. Maple gave a glance to where Alyssa was standing, but she was just as much in shock as Maple was. Encountering somebody in this part of the city was unheard of. What this person was doing here they had no idea.


    "So you kick in a door that''s keeping somebody safe and then you go and attack them?" The figure was obviously addressing Maple, showing frustration at the door they came through being destroyed.


    "So I take it you were the one that locked the door?"


    "Well duh, who else could have locked it?" The sassiness of the woman''s response stung Maple. Sure, they may have appeared to be the trespassers, but the woman could have shown herself first instead of fleeing.


    "Why are you even here?" Maple was determined to find out everything this person knew. They didn''t appear to be a simple looter, the store was untouched and the door was kept locked.


    "I could ask you the same question. What''s two kids doing out in this part of the city? You must be with those refugees."


    Maple brought her guard back up once again. How did she know about the refugees? They didn''t have any newcomers in a long time, and they never let rumors of the refugees circulate outside of the city. It''s not like Marlow was the only city that housed refugees, but it was kept under tabs since Generation was also set up there.


    "No, that''s not right. There''s no way you could''ve gotten that door open if you two were refugees. One of you must be what they call an Alpha. Judging from how hard you kicked me and your speed, it must be you." The woman was staring directly at Maple. She hadn''t thought about the consequences of displaying such a force of power to give them access to the building.


    "So what if I am? What does that matter to you?" Maple let her voice slightly rise, trying to intimidate the figure before her. She knew she could easily kill her if she needed to, but it would be better to get as much information as possible out of her.


    "It means I''ve found what I''ve been looking for. You''ve got to realize, when you start ambushing Helix around this city as much as you guys have, it''s bound to draw attention." The woman''s words were chilling to the bone. Had Helix finally figured it out? Sure, it didn''t take a genius, but they were dispersed across the globe. It would be hard to monitor everything at once.


    "Well, I think I''ve heard enough now. Since you''re working for them, I have to kill you." The woman simply chuckled at Maple''s words. Despite kicking her clear across the room, the woman showed no fear of Maple. It made her question if the woman had something up her sleeve. There was no way she could win in a straight up fight, so the woman had to have something planned.


    "Oh, I don''t think I''m quite ready to die just yet. Not just that, I never said I worked for Helix anyways. I''m sure you''ve heard the saying that the enemy of my enemy is my friend?"


    Maple became puzzled at the woman''s question. What did she mean by that? The only reason she could think that the woman was looking for the refugees was due to Helix hunter squads. Yet, this woman was alone, and barricaded in a store at that.


    "Well, I think it''s time I make my departure. I was hoping to keep this store as a little hideout, but it seems you and your friend have ruined that haven''t you, Maple?"


    Maple suddenly felt a chill run up her spine. The woman knew her name. A million red flags was going off in Maple''s mind at once, and she glanced back to check on Alyssa. She suddenly felt alarmed as Alyssa had disappeared from where she had been standing. Seeing Maple''s sudden distraction, the woman tossed a small capsule at Maple''s feet. She glanced down at the capsule but it was too late, a bright flash suddenly erupted into the room.


    Maple turned away from the light. It felt as if her retinas had just been burned away by a hundred fireballs. Her eyes stung, and she couldn''t see anythin in front of her. She froze for a moment, anticipating a strike from the woman who had addressed her by name. However, no strike came. Within minutes, Maple''s vision slowly started to come back to her. She took a quick glance around the room, the woman had disappeared. She quickly turned her thoughts to Alyssa.


    Rushing out of the front room, Maple darted down the corridor. As she passed the door that harbored the storeroom, a hand shot out and grabbed her shoulder. Maple turned to face the woman. However, she was greeted with the feeling of deja vu. Alyssa once again appeared in her vision.


    "Maple, it''s me! Stop!" Alyssa was obviously afraid that Maple would attack out of pure instinct, but she held her attack.


    "Jesus Alyssa, where did you go to during all that?"


    "I knew that woman was up to something so I ran back here in case I would be in the way."


    Maple quickly let her anger simmer. Alyssa had a point. It would''ve been hard to tell what the mysterious woman would have done if Alyssa had still been in close proximity as she had.


    "I hid back here until everything was clear. There was a light that came from the corridor and that woman came running past right after. I tried to get a closer look at her but it was too dark for me to see."


    Maple was frustrated that she was unable to find out anything about the woman, but that could wait. They needed to report to Marcus everything that had happened. If their location had been found out, everyone could be in danger. Maple felt a rush of fear swell up in her heart. What if what happened to Mom happens again? With that worry clutched firmly in her mind, she grabbed Alyssa and the two headed back to the Underground...

 Chapter 4

    Both Maple and Alyssa came sprinting down the steps into the Underground, panicked to report what had occured. The sun was beginning to set, making the entryway seem like some dark void. The two passed through the terminals, making a direct line for the conference room. Some of the refugees stopped in bewilderment, watching the two girls bolt past, causing a stir among some.


    As the two rounded the final turn, they ran headlong into one of Generation''s more seclusive figures, Akatsuya. A middle aged man, Akatsuya rarely socialized with anyone outside of Generation and was a man of few words. He was of thin frame, but his presence was not to be underestimated. Trained in many forms of martial arts and being acrobatic, he was more like a ninja than anything else. He wore a standard gray cloth uniform, layered with leather plates but kept his face concealed by a tenugui cloth, allowing only his eyes and hair to appear from behind his mask.Around his neck, he wore a deep scarlet red cloth, used to conceal the scars created from his power.


    He extended both arms outwards, catching both Maple and Alyssa around their collars and bringing their run to a complete stop. They reeled back on their heels, Alyssa almost falling in the process.


    "Why in such a hurry?" Akatsuya''s voice was deep, but harbored no malice. He was simply concerned to see two young girls in such a panicked state.


    "We have to talk to Dad. We were out scavenging at that old car repair center and we encountered someone. They knew my name and about the refugees." Maple''s voice was shaky and rattled. It was evident to Akatsuya that they were not simply pulling a prank. Their tone was too serious.


    "He''s still back in the conference room. Briggs and Amanda are still there as well. I suppose I should go fetch Germaine if it''s this serious." With those few short words, Akatsuya began walking towards the residential area, leaving no moment for Maple or Alyssa to continue their explanation. The two girls resumed their route to their destination and within a few short moments, arrived at the conference room.


    Barging in without even knocking, Maple and Alyssa stormed into the room. At the far end of the room, going over a regional map with markings and other indicators stood Briggs and Marcus. On the right, a bottle of water in hand, sat one more member of Generation, Amanda Keyes. Originally a part of a special forces anti-terrorism group, Amanda made the move to become an Alpha to further her career and better serve the people. She possessed a larger muscle build than most women, and striking red hair that she kept pinned up, Amanda was capable of turning heads for multiple reasons. Her face had a soft texture until she found herself in battle, capable of holding together units like a seasoned general. After the fallout of Alphas, Amanda had joined Generation to continue her work, considering Helix to be a terroristic force herself.


    All three inhabitants of the room turned to face the two girls, Amanda raising her brow in a confused expression.


    "Dad, we''ve got problems. There was somebody staying in the old car care center, and they knew both my name and about the refugees." Maple still hadn''t calmed her voice down.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Marcus'' let a moment pass before responding, "First, I''m glad you both are fine. Second, you said they knew your name?" The concern in Marcus'' voice was obvious. It was possible that the rumor of refugees could have attracted attention, but to know his daughter''s name was specific knowledge.


    "Yeah, they also knew about us running ambushes on Helix. I thought they might have been part of a hunter squadron, but they didn''t offer any resistance and said something about being the enemy of their enemy."


    "The enemy of their enemy?" The phrase made Marcus feel uncomfortable. There was plenty of people that hated Helix, but almost nobody would ever speak up for fear of persecution. Then again, Maple and Alyssa weren''t part of Helix.


    Marcus spoke up once again, "I assume this person didn''t give you a name?"


    Maple folded her hands. She had planned to get information out of the woman, but that situation had eluded itself, and she had give up more information instead. "No, she didn''t give her name. She only said that the time wasn''t right. We did a glimpse of her though. She had lavender colored hair, and wore a raggedy cloak with a hood. She was also faster than a standard human."


    "So she wasn''t another Alpha. I really don''t like the sound of this. Nomads don''t generally travel that far into the city anyways." Marcus glanced at Briggs who had sat by and was patiently listening. He had a brooding look on his face, and Amanda was sharing the same expression. If this person knew more than what they had already revealed, then there was going to be serious problems around the Underground.


    A moment of tense silence passed before Alyssa spoke up, "Um, Mr. Wright. What are going to do now?"


    Briggs spoke up before Marcus could answer, "Well, if we take her for her word then it doesn''t sound like she''s an enemy does it?" Briggs was obviously trying to bring comfort to the two girls. Even though both had been born into a world of ruin, the rest of Generation had seen many conflicts and intense situations. They never had time to worry.


    As Alyssa was contemplating Briggs'' statement, the door to the conference room swung open once again. A tall and stout man stepped in, sporting cleanly kempt and styled hair, completing his demeanor with a styled moustache. He had a thick and broad face, with bright blue eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses. His maroon dress shirt pressed a little too tightly against the core of his body, and revealed a delicate but conditioned system of muscle. A pair of black suspenders kept his black dress pants sun against him, and a pair of dulled dress shoes topped off the entire look. It couldn''t have been anybody else but the final member of Generation, Germaine.


    In an exaggerated accent, he quickly leaned down to Maple''s and Alyssa''s height gasping, "Oh thank goodness you two are alright. Aki took a brief second to tell me you two encountered some sort of predicament?" Discarding the absurd nature of Germaine''s way of speaking, he meant every word sincerely.


    After a retelling of what Alyssa and Maple had told the others, Germaine proceeded to take a seat at the conference table. He now bore the same gloomy expression that was on the face of everyone else. If the attacks on Helix had been what caused the woman to take notice, then they would have to cease them for fear of drawing attention directly from Helix. This presented another problem however. There would be no way to provide to themselves or the refugees. There was also no way of keeping the entire population nomadic without drawing attention. They always knew they were running on borrowed time, but nobody expects that time to ever truly run out.


    If anyone had been standing outside of the Underground, they might have heard the air being torn apart by the sound of distant helicopters. Fortunately, Akatsuya often had an innate sense of when things were going to turn south, so he had climbed one of the buildings near the Underground. Far off in the distance, he watched the flock of jet black helicopters sit down in a large plaza. That was definitely the trouble he was expecting...

 Chapter 5

    Char glanced out the window of the helicopter him and Faust were riding in. A ruinous city lay before his eyes, desecrated by the tragedies he had fought his entire life to prevent from ever occuring again. The buzzing and whining of the helicopter made him think of how bustling they city may have once been in it''s prime. The sound of a helicopter would''ve been an everyday sound heard across this spanning metropolis.


    The helicopter began to descend, and sat down with a light thud in the middle of a vacant plaza. Char rose to his feet, and exited the lush interior of the chopper. It would be the last elegancy he would see in awhile. Faust quickly followed behind him, eager to begin their search across the city.


    The other helicopters that had accompanied them had already sat down and platoons of Helix soldiers began to fill the plaza. Following behind were Helix Hunter Units. Accompanied by Weaponized Ordinance Launch Fighters, or Wolves for short, these units were equipped for quick movement and shock and awe tactics. They were ample enough to bring down groups of Alphas at a time and were something to be feared by anyone. The Wolves were mechanized suits that were capable of high speed movement and heavy gunfire. Powered by rear thrusters and possessing bipedal movement, few terrains could prove difficult for one.


    Following behind the Hunter Squads were the Scouts. These units consisted of two soldiers that were trained in reconnaissance tactics, and were the information gatherers for Helix. They could provide one shot kill support, and were the most nimble of all of Helix infantry. They were detrimental in getting information on combat situations and cutting down the number of casualties during fights.


    As the last scout units unboarded the choppers, Char felt Faust place a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at the scientist, a slight hesitation in his turn.


    "So, it looks like we have some rats to flush out eh Mr. Director?" Faust was looking forward to the search much more than Char was. While both knew that it was pivotal that they find the girl, Char knew it would most likely end in violence. Marcus wouldn''t hand her over so willingly.


    "I doubt we will send them scurrying Faust. They''ve made their home somewhere in this city. It''s likely they''ll do what they can to defend it."


    "Oh don''t be a spoil sport. This is what we brought our soldiers for. Surely they can''t hope to face a battalion as large as ours, even if they are Alphas."


    "I wouldn''t underestimate them. With the number of ambushes and cargo they''ve stolen, it''s likely that there''s a large number of them." Char knew that with as much as they had lost, they couldn''t just be stockpiling everything. It would''ve been smarter to stay moving if their group was small.


    "Well, I guess we''ll get to see what a valiant effort they''ll put up when terms come to blows." Faust had a smirk on his face, one that could send dread into the heart of the most vile person. He wasn''t just looking to capture the girl, he was looking to make her suffer as her comrades fell around her. The notion made Char feel queasy in his stomach.


    Char turned away from Faust and walked over to a nearby patio, full of dusty and broken tables and chairs. It looked like the place had been a sidewalk cafe at some point. It wasn''t a scenic view, but it was nice to get out from behind the steel walls of the Helix Tower for a change, no matter how grim the surroundings looked. Around him, the soldiers had already begun to set up a base camp, tents and shelters beginning to fill up the plaza. It wouldn''t be long before the search would begin...


    <hr>


    Akatsuya watched as the helicopters began to ascend back into the sky from whence they came. They had dropped off whatever they were carrying and were now returning home. At their landing point, he could see the figures of people populating the plaza and soon, black tents and other shelters began to litter it. It was obvious to him who was there now. With a sigh, he began to scale back down the building he was sitting atop, making sure to stay on the backside as to not be noticed by the enemy across the way.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Akatsuya landed with a small thud on the pavement below, and descended the stairs into the Underground. Marcus was not going to like this. Not only did they have the mysterious woman to worry about, they now had Helix in the vicinity to deal with. The range at which Generation could operate at was now severly limited.


    Making his way back to the conference room, Akatsuya opened the door and was greeted with an atmosphere depressing enough that it could sap the energy out of a battery. He was not looking forward to making it even heavier. He looked around at the glum faces of everyone, who were now looking in his direction. Maple, Alyssa, Briggs, Marcus, Germaine, Amanda. They were giving him a harsh look, knowing that he had more bad news to deliver.


    "They''ve finally figured it out. Some soldiers have set up camp across the city from here in a plaza on the outskirts." Akatsuya expected a dramatic reaction to his news, but everyone just kept staring. It seems that they had figured if he had anything to tell them, this is what it would be.


    "Yeah, I figured it would only be a matter of time considering those two''s run in with that woman. At least we know where our enemy''s at though." It was only a small comfort in Marcus'' mind. Sure, they could get the jump on Helix if they were prepared, but he knew they would be outnumbered. He had hoped to grow his organization more by this point, but people who had been willing to fight were far and few between.


    Amanda quickly shifted her position in her seat, turning to face the others. "I guess that means we need to go tell the people. We can''t gurantee their safety if Helix makes their way here after us." It pained all of them to come to that realization, but it was the truth. If the corporation discovered that they were receiving help from Alphas like Generation instead of turning them in, they would execute each and every last person on the spot.


    With furrowed brows, each person rose from their seat and left through the door, prepared to make a grim announcement to the refugees of the Underground, save for the two girls that had stumbled upon this entire turn of events.


    Maple glanced over at Alyssa, who now had her head pressed down into her knees, curled up in the chair she was sitting in. It was hard for Alyssa to process the situation they were all in. She had been a nomad after her father had abandoned the Helix corporation, and was eventually abandoned by her own parents. Once again, she would be without a home thanks to Helix. It was hard for her to accept, so Maple decided it would be best not to discuss it any further.


    Maple leaned back in her seat, and stared up at the ceiling. The two lights that adorned the ceiling began to flicker. The generator''s that powered the Underground must''ve began to run low on fuel. While Alyssa usually enjoyed taking care of the task, Maple figured it would be best to do it herself. She gently raised herself out of her chair, and quietly passed out of the room and further past the conference room to the generator room.


    Glancing at the markings on the wall, Maple took in as much of the imagery as she could. It would be the last time that she would be able to call the Underground her home. They would have no choice but to fight or flee, and knowing the members of Generation, they wouldn''t be keen on fleeing. They had as much hate for Helix as anyone else did, Alyssa included.


    In a few moments, Maple had arrived at the corridor leading to the generator room. It was fairly easy to get lost in the Underground if one didn''t pay attention to the markings that directed the paths. The generator room was one of the easier rooms to find though, considering the large bundle of cables that ran across the wall above it and dispersed down the other corridors.


    Maple gripped the circular wheel used to open the door, and gave the door a push. It creaked open, rust falling off here and there, and the humming of the generators soon creeped through sounding like a drone of insects. A large fuel resevoir was hooked up the generators that stretched across the room, repaired and refurbished by Alyssa herself. Some fuel tanks had been sat down next to the resevoir, idly waiting to be emptied. Maple walked over, and began filling the resevoir. Within a few moments, the resevoir was full again and began funneling the fuel into the generators. The lights seemed to brighten up a bit, ironic when compared to their current situation.


    As she left the room, Maple heard the sound of something moving from further down the corridor. She paused for a moment, reflecting back on the incident at the car center. After a few brief seconds, a mouse came running down the walkway of the corridor, slipping down onto the railway and disappearing back into the darkness it came from. Maple felt a small pain in her shoulders, and quickly realised it was because of how tense she was. The recent events had made her alot more edgy than she normally was. With a deep exhale, she turned and proceeded back towards the center of the Underground.


    As she approached the center, she could hear a ruckus coming from ahead. The sound of outraged people could be heard, followed by Briggs'' booming voice. It seemed that the refugees were more than displeased at the news that had been delivered to them...

 Chapter 6

    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.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    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...

 Chapter 7

    Maple propped her arms up behind her head, staring up at the ceiling. Her pajamas laid over her like large blanket, softening the soreness she felt through her body. Overhead, the lights cast a hazy glow. The generator''s fuel supply had been purposely choked off so it wouldn''t be so bright, allowing everyone to get some sleep. Next to her, Alyssa had made herself at home instead of going to her own room. The day had been rough for both of them, so Maple appreciated the company.


    In the next room over, Marcus was laying across his mattress, family photograph in hand. He wondered what Helen would''ve thought had she been there. She probably would''ve scolded him over letting Maple and Alyssa venture off to that car place, but he felt it was necessary to let them roam. They weren''t meant to stay cooped up like some livestock. He had hoped there would be a time when it was safe to let them set off on their own, go make a life for themselves. He had forgotten that there wasn''t any life to be had anymore.


    Maple heard him place the frame back down where it had been sitting, followed by a rummaging of blankets. It was evident that despite his general go lucky attitude, a deep anxiety had overtaken him. She suddenly felt her chest grow heavy once more. The recent events had reminded her of emotions that she often turned off. While she mostly remained apathetic to most things, only a few things in her life could spur such a depressing mood from her.


    She glanced over to Alyysa, who had now managed to nestle herself directly up against Maple and was fidgeting, apparently suffering from some sort of dream. Maple pondered how the two had become so different in attitudes. Alyssa had lived an equally rough life, yet she was constantly smiling, trying to spread her cheer to those around her. Instead, Maple often distanced herself and went about things her own way, leaving someone''s problems to be their own. Alyssa was one of the few people that Maple allowed herself to become close to.


    Unable to allow herself to drift off to sleep, Maple gently rolled Alyssa onto her side and crept away. As passed through her father''s room, Marcus rolled over to face her. He addressed her in a quiet tone, hoping not to wake Alyssa, "Where are you heading this time of night?" His tone was sodden and deep. It wasn''t his usual self.


    "I''m stepping out to get some air. I can''t really sleep with everything on my mind." Maple loved her father, she really did. It was just hard for her to talk to him in depth. He did his best, but since they lost her mother, things had never been quite the same. She knew he tried his best, but his mindset was different than hers. This was a time that Maple felt she needed her mother more than ever.


    "Just don''t stay out too late. We''ve got alot to do with little time to do it. Make sure you don''t go above ground either. We don''t know what''s out there right now."


    Maple felt slight frustration at the statement, but waved it off. He was just trying to do his job. She knew that he was aware that she could take of herself, it was just his way of showing concern. "Yeah, I know. I just want to clear my mind so I can sleep."


    A few moments passed before Marcus spoke up again, "Maple, I know I can''t understand what you''re feeling, I never could. That was always your mother''s job. When we lost her, I tried to do the best I could. I didn''t want to shelter you from the world but I didn''t want you to grow up hating it either. I hope you understand."This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Maple felt a tear begin to swell up in her eye. She wasn''t used to hearing him speak like that. Rarely had he ever confided anything that was considered to be a deep subject, it just wasn''t his way. She didn''t know if he felt that it was the right time to say what he did, or if he was afraid this would be the only time. She wasn''t going to run, and he understood that. It was better to say what needed to be said rather than leave it unspoken, never to leave his lips.


    "Yeah Dad, I know. Don''t worry. I''ll be fine."


    <hr>


    Maple ran her fingers across the smooth walls that lined the corridors. While she knew it wouldn''t be long before she couldn''t see them anymore, it just wouldn''t sink in for some reason. There was a fight coming, and she knew they would lose. Even still, she felt her desire to fight still burning. She wondered what her life would''ve been like if they had been on the other side. Would they live in large communities where the priveleged prospered under Helix, or would they be like the refugees? She couldn''t imagine what it would be like.


    As she paced back and forth around the central area, another mouse scampered out from behind a pile of trash behind one of the columns. Maple stared back at it, it''s beady eyes focused on her. How similar they were, running around, scavenging, holing up in the walls living from one day to the next. Were they no better than the rodents that scampered around?


    A shift in the shape of the shadows just beyond suddenly drew Maple''s attention. Somebody was there. She slowly slid her way towards the column in front of her, contouring her body to its shape to hide herself. Out of the shadows, a cloaked figure slowly emerged. Maple instantly recognized the figure, the woman from before.


    How had she slipped inside the Underground? Akatsuya was supposed to be on front watch while Briggs and Germaine were swapping roles guarding the blocked entry tunnels. The woman slowly began walking towards where Maple was hiding. She seemed to have no sense of caution about herself, strolling through as if she belonged there herself.


    This woman, it was because of her that everyone was in the situation they were in. She had to have told Helix that there were people in the city. How else could the timing be explained? Maple felt her hands begin to tingle, and her chest began to burn. She clenched her fists, and prepared to strike.


    Before she could pounce, the woman came to a stop and spoke, "Maple, I know you''re hiding. I''m not here to fight. I come bearing some news. Possibly good news for the predicament you''re in."


    Maple hesitated, unsure of what the woman''s intentions were. Before she could make a decision on what to do, a familiar person emerged from behind the woman. Akatsuya was standing in plain view. Why wasn''t he attacking? Had the woman done something to him?


    As if sensing Maple''s hesitation, Akatsuya spoke up, "Her name''s Lyria. I caught her walking right in our front door. I can''t say that she has our best interests in mind, but she does have information that will be pretty useful for us."


    "See? I told you that I wasn''t an enemy. Why don''t you step out and see for yourself?" Lyria''s voice sounded bewitching, like a siren luring sailors to their demise. Maple felt usnure if she should compromise herself, but she remembered that Akatsuya was there. If she tried to pull her tricks again, he would be able to counter them.


    As she stepped out, Lyria pulled her hood back, letting the dull light shine down on her face. She had a pale complexion, a gentle appearance. Her hair, as Lyria saw, was a light colored lavender, flowing down over her shoulders just above her shoulder blades. On each side of her face, her hair drifted downwards, tightening up into curls at the end.


    Seeing Maple reveal herself from behind the column, Lyria let a warm smile escape from her face...

 Chapter 8

    Marcus looked up at the woman. He had been nearly asleep when Akatsuya had barged into the room and brought him out to meet their new guest. He wasn''t exactly keen on meeting the mysterious stranger face to face on their home turf, but he had little choice.


    The datapad she had handed over backed up everything she was saying. He glossed down over the details once again.


    Her name was indeed Lyria. Lyria Westmire, as a matter of fact. The datapad showed she had once been an employee of Helix, a network engineer for their communication infrastructure. Her reason for leaving? When she had discovered Helix''s intentions, she had begun making a record of every questionable aspect of the company.


    In turn, this soon attracted attention from the officials overseeing all the work being done. Fearing the worst would befall her, she packed her bags and ran. After reviewing the files, she had discovered a file with the subject of "Omega Evolution Specimen." In the file, details about a young girl who had been born from two Alphas had greatly caught the attention of Helix. It showed there had been attempts to capture her, but she had eluded them with the assistance of her parents, one whom had fallen to provide an escape.


    While there were many other dark secrets stored within, this had grabbed Lyria''s attention the most. It became clear to Marcus how she had known Maple''s name, but it still didn''t explain how she had been able to track them down.


    "Granted that what you''re showing me is the truth, it still doesn''t explain how you were able to find us." Marcus still held a defensive tone with the woman. How did he know that she wasn''t just using a coverup?


    "Oh, I''m sorry but a girl can''t reveal all her secrets now can she?" She was obviously teasing them, unclear if she was truly willing to reveal more. "If you''d like a hint, I''ll say you have a bit of a rodent problem around here."


    A mouse came scattering down her leg and out from under her cloak at this statement. It paused in place just in front of her foot, and she reached down clasping it in her hand. She pressed down on the back of it''s head, and the top half suddenly clicked, opening up to reveal a wide range of circuitry underneath. It was definitely the mouse Maple had seen crawling out of the darkness before.


    "So what you''re trying to show us is that you''re a sort of spy? That''s going to make us believe you alot easier." The sarcasm was evident in Marcus'' words. Despite what she said, there was no way for her to clear the suspicion behind her actions.


    "Oh dear, I wouldn''t necessarily say I''m a spy. I''m just handy in the stealth field. Besides, I didn''t come here to make you believe me. I came here to seek your assistance." Marcus raised an eyebrow at her proposal.


    "You? What would you want our help for?"


    "If I recall, aren''t you a group of Alphas looking to revolt against Helix? Seems like that would be pretty difficult to do with a ragtag group like yours."


    "If you''re trying to mock us, I''d suggest you refrain. We''ve accomplished enough on our own." Marcus felt his temper flare a little, scrunching his face in the process.


    "Oh, so being a small inconvenience to a global organization is accomplishing something? Then by all means, I apologize."


    Marcus had had enough of her condescendence. He slammed his hands down on the table and rose in frustration, "Now listen here damnit. We have made a change that matters. If we weren''t here then these people would starve and die."


    Lyria returned the aggression in full, "Because that''s going to matter in the end? That''s going to make some great change that the world will notice? Why do you want to waste your time here?"


    Marcus tossed the datapad back to her, giving a slight hmph as it landed in her arms, "Say what you''ve got to say and then leave. If you''re not with them, you''ll stay away. If you are with them, we''ll make sure you''ll be one of the first we cut down when the time arrives."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Fine, you don''t have to believe me. What I''m here to offer is an opportunity. You''re not the only organization out there you know. I work for one as well. What I''m here for is to ask you to join us. With our combined strength, we may be able to amass a large enough force to actually be a threat to Helix."


    Marcus thought about her statement. He knew they couldn''t protect these people forever, but he hoped that when the attack came, they would be able to escape and let Generation be a martyr to the call to arms. He had hoped it would unite Alphas and humans, bringing them together to fight Helix.


    "You say you work for an organization? Why aren''t they here with you then?"


    The doubts Marcus had were only fair. She had only been seen by herself, and had no apparent company when she had stepped into the Underground. Lyria focused on how to address the question, "You think I would bring my entire team on something that could''ve turned out to be a wild goose chase? Like I said, I''m fluent in the stealth field. We felt confident enough that I could handle this on my own."


    Maple stood by and watched the discussion going on between her father and Lyria. The other members were standing by as well. She was unsure if they all felt the way Marcus felt, but it was clear none of them trusted Lyria that much. They had too much to lose to lower their guard now.


    Maple felt it was appropriate to speak up, "Dad, what if she is telling the truth? What if there is another group out there like hers? What if we aren''t the only ones to actually stand against Helix?" Maple felt strange listening to herself speak. She didn''t like Lyria at all, but the hope her offer provided seemed better than waiting for death to come strolling in their front door.


    Marcus turned his attention to his daughter, "And what if she''s simply trying to fool us? What if we follow her plan? It means we leave here, and then what would the people do? We can''t just abandon them."


    "Why, we take them with us of course. Surely you didn''t think I would expect you to leave them behind?" Lyria seemed generally surprsied at Marcus'' assumptions.


    "And how are we supposed to take them with us? They can''t move like we can, and we have no way of transporting them." Marcus raised a point. Alphas were capable of much longer distances of travel at much quicker paces. With the forces that were going to be bearing down on them, it was doubtful that they would be able to run. He had not even considered the idea of fleeing.


    "I''m glad you asked." Lyria was bearing a smile on her face. She was defnitely hiding something from the group.


    She looked down to the datapad that had been flung back to her, and after swiping around on it for a few moments, she slid it back across the table to Marcus.


    "On the pad before you, you will see my solution. For an organization like mine, moving people around is no issue."


    Shown on the datapad''s screen was a long trainlike vehicle. It was covered in white steel plates, with a black glossing filled in between. At the head, it came to sharp point, like an arrowhead and had a large red ballistic glass covering what Marcus assumed was the operators room.


    "What exactly am I looking at here?" Everybody else seemed as curious as Marcus was.


    "That is a battle class Rapid Transport Hover Vehicle, or RTHV for short. Capable of sustained weapons fire and high speed movement across any terrain, it should be more than enough to carry all the people here as well the members of Generation.


    "How exactly do you even have one of these? Something like this would''ve been destroyed by Helix back when the arms requesition was put into effect."


    "Well, they can only take things by force. Hard to take stuff from someone when they have just as much force to keep it." Lyria let out a smile that almost made Marcus want to chuckle. If she was telling the truth, this might actually be a way for them to escape their impending doom, even if the refugees might not all be on board with the idea.


    "If we agree to this, when could your, let''s see, RTHV as you called it, get here exactly?" Maple felt her heart race. Was her father actually going to go along with it? While she wasn''t exactly as thrilled as he was about a way to save the refugees, she knew it would be the right action. The breadth of possibilities began to open up before her mind.


    "Give it about two days, at least by the time I can get a call out without drawing attention. So I guess this means you''re actually going to trust me?" Lyria had a bit of spark in her eye. Marcus felt that she wasn''t telling them everything they needed to know, but what choice did he have? They could make a last stand, or live to fight another day. They didn''t have many options.


    "I guess we will. Besides, as much as I want to cut down as many of their goons as possible, I''d much prefer taking a shot at the entire corporation." Marcus looked around him at the ones who had joined with him to fight. Briggs, Germaine, Amanda, Akatsuya, and Maple, all nodded their heads in approval. He knew they probably had as many misgivings about the idea as he did, but they were willing to take that chance...

 Chapter 9

    Char leaned himself against the crumbling wall behind him. They had searched the city over a day now, yet had been unable to turn up anything. Was it an anomaly? No, they had to be here. There was no way they could pull off that frequency of attacks and be far away. They had to be somewhere in the city.


    "Looking a little frustrated are we Director?" Faust still had the same grin on his face that he adorned when they had first sat down. Char had no idea how his could bide his patience in such an environment. Directing troops, trying to breathe through the dust, it was all beginning to wear on him.


    "I was sure we would have been able to locate them faster than this. They could be slipping away as we speak." The thought had went through Char''s mind that they had been spotted when landing, but even so, the city was surrounded. The scouts would''ve had them locked down if they had made an attempt.


    As he was recalculating his search strategy, one of the masked soldiers made their way to him. After coming within hearing range, the soldier stopped, through a salute per the norm, and informed Char of what he had been told.


    "Sir, it seems like one of the units found something. A building had been breached recently. The door had been torn off and cast aside."


    "And what exactly is that supposed to mean? With what this city has seen, it could''ve happened forever ago." Char was obviously annoyed by such a trifle report. They needed something bigger.


    "Well sir, it seemed unusual to them. It looked like the door had been punched clean through. They also noticed footprints inside, going into the building sir. It appears someone had entered it recently."


    Char thought about the soldier''s statement. Sure, footprints wouldn''t be uncommon in a dusty city like this, but for one that was supposed to be deserted and as windy as it was, they should''ve been long gone. Perhaps they had stumbled onto something they needed.


    "Oho, sounds like our rats traveled a little too far from the nest eh?" Faust''s sense of cynicism could be overbearing at times. Nonetheless, he seemed eager to investigate the detail.


    "Soldier, where was this building located?" Char had now become intrigued to the idea. He didn''t think that they would be that careless considering how elusive they had been, but people make mistakes at some point.


    "Just north of our position sir. Its located near the center of the city, what would''ve been a densely populated urban center. Reports show that a subway station is also nearby." The soldier remained still, waiting for Char to respond.


    It suddenly hit Char like a pallet of bricks being dropped from stories above. Had they not been in the city the whole time but under it? It would make perfect sense. It''s easiest to hide when there are no open range views, and being underground would also keep them out of the weather conditions of Marlow city.


    "Are you thinking what I''m thinking Director?" Faust had a glow in his eye, one filled with the intent to pounce. He almost looked like a serial killer, about to ambush his next unknowing victim.


    "They have to be there, there''s nowhere else they could be hiding. If we get there and they''re not there, then they were never here in the first place."This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "I suspect you are right. Why don''t we gather up our troops and go find out?"


    Char looked back to the soldier, who was still awaiting orders. The lack of autonomy was almost eerie at times, but they made perfect enforcers for Helix. A marvel of their technology.


    "Soldier, keep the units posted that are close to the subway station. Have the others squadrons gather back here. We''re going to make a full trek to the the underground of this city. Make sure everyone is properly armed."


    The soldier briefly nodded his head, and spun around, heading off in the direction of one of the tents.


    "Faust, make sure you''ve got some protection. We don''t need you biting a bullet in the middle of this. Also, pack a gun. Unlike me, I know you don''t have a means to defend yourself."


    "Yes sir Director. Just do be careful. You know what they say about arrogance."


    <hr>


    Akatsuya peered out from the loft in the skyscraper he was in. Soldiers were moving through the streets in their direction. There were too many to count individually, but he could see the Wolf mechs traveling in tandem. They were coming for a fight.


    He eased back from the ledge he was positioned over and made his way towards the backside of the tower. Marcus needed to know what was happening. Lyria had left some time ago and they were awaiting her return with her transport. It wasn''t clear who was going to arrive first. Helix, or Lyria. He didn''t like leaving his fate hinged on the circumstance of timing.


    He eased himself out the window, a short blade in his hand. He pierced the side of the tower, and began sliding downwards, breaking his speed when necessary. Even if he slipped it wouldn''t kill him, but he knew he needed to be in perfect shape in case Helix arrived first. He wasn''t keen on making a stand against that large of an enemy, but if it was required, he would have no choice.


    He came to a halt as he neared the ground, withdrawing his blade as he pushed himself off. With one final turn, he glanced back at the direction the soldier''s were coming. The sun was at their back, so he would have to move carefully as he traveled back to the Underground.


    <hr>


    Marcus listened to Akatsuya''s words. It seemed that despite his best hopes, a fight was very likely to occur. It was discouraging news. In a matter of 24 hours they had went from being prepared to lay down their lives, to being filled with hope and were now forced to face a grim prospect once again. Regardless, they still had hope.


    Marcus gave Akatsuya a nod, and with that, his comrade left the room. There wasn''t much left to do other than check that all their weapons were in working condition and keep a lookout for Lyria''s arrival. She didn''t tell them where she was going, only that she had to make a call and that she would be back once she got confirmation that their ride would be coming.


    The thought made Marcus nervous. Even during his war days, his team had never depended on outside help. It wasn''t an idea he had ever favored, as it often placed not just himself but his comrade''s lives in the hands of others.


    He leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on the dark, oak fashioned table that decorated the conference room. The door suddenly creaked open, Amanda silking through the entryway.


    "Hey, Briggs and Germaine''s got the train''s moved out of the way. Granted that there isn''t any blockages further down the line, we should have a clear shot out of the city." There was no particular emotion to her words. She had always been a work first, celebrate later due to her experiences. If she was any bit nervous about the situation, she didn''t show it.


    "That''s good to hear. One problem though, I don''t think we''re gonna have enough time to just ride out on the wings of freedom." Amanda dropped her head, understanding what Marcus meant by those words.


    "So, they''re going to arrive before we depart huh?" She sounded disappointed. Amanda had never been one to like to solve problems through violence, but she understood it as a neccessary evil. She would''ve never taken part of the Alpha project if she hadn''t. She was more concerned about possible casualties than anything.


    "Yep. Looks like we got our hopes up a bit too much. Then again, we''re also betting our fate and everyone else''s on one person. You can''t get much crazier than that." Marcus normally would''ve laughed in such times of stress, but this was one he wasn''t sure that everyone would come out of alright...

 Chapter 10

    Briggs let out a bit of a gasp. Even with Germaine''s help, the train car had been difficult to move. It had felt as if it was trying to grow into the ground it had been sittin still for so long. He glanced over to Germaine, who had become fixated with removing every speck of dust he could from his clothes. He could be rather tender at times despite his bulky appearance.


    "Hey Germaine, what do you think of that woman?"


    Germaine ceased pattering his clothes, and brought his hands to his hips. "Well, I can''t say I fully trust the little dear, but she seems to have good intentions. Besides, what are we to do?"


    He had a point. It was evident to everyone around, their end was either going to be greeting them soon, or they were going to live to fight another day.


    "Yeah, I guess you''re right. I''ve never been one to associate with the political aspect of people. If she''s offering a solution, I''ll take it."


    Briggs wiped his brow, and the two left the tunnel to return to thier meeting room.


    <hr>


    Briggs and Germaine couldn''t have chosen a better time to come back. Everyone seemed to be in a panic. Standing in the center of the attention stood Akatsuya. Marcus and Amanda were heading to observe the ruckus while Maple and Alyssa were standing near a column, tense in their stances.


    Refugees were scattered about the place, scrambling left and right, bags and luggage in hand. They seemed to have faith that their escape would be showing up.


    As the two men came to a halt near Marcus and Amanda, Akatsuya turned to face them, "Get your weapons and get ready to fight. They''re going to be here soon."


    Akatsuya''s tone was dead serious. If he was warning them, Helix was alot closer than they had anticipated they would be. Responsible for most of the Underground''s scouting duties, Akatsuya knew that Helix would arrive in a couple of hours. They had little time to prepare.


    Marcus crossed his arms, and approached Akatsuya, "How much are we gonna have to cut down to buy us time?" It was clear Marcus was still giving faith in Lyria''s plan. They still hadn''t recieved word from her, but they had no choice but to believe she would arrive.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Alot more than we''ve got ammunition for. They''ve shown up with a small army. They were only a couple of miles away. Either somebody tipped them off or they found something to lead them here. Regardless, we''re in for a rough way."


    "What are going to do about the people? They can''t possibly fight these soldiers, nor do we have a way for them to defend themselves." Marcus was still trying to prioritize the safety of the refugees, despite his team being at risk.


    "We''ll have to keep them behind cover and hope they don''t get targeted. Not much more we can do." At first glance, it sounded like Akatsuya was being cold hearted, but it was the honest truth. There was no way for Generation to protect the refugees in a direct fight. They were going to have to chance that they may not pay much notice to them.


    A sudden idea crossed Marcus'' mind. The train car. They may be able to stash the refugees in it and wait for Lyria to arrive. The steel car should be able to withstand some gunfire, and that would be better than no protection.


    Marcus turned to Briggs and Germaine, the two almost giving him a look of worry at what he was about to ask.


    "Briggs, Germaine, would it be possible for us to drag the train car down here to store these people in? Chances are once we take off, we won''t have time to stop down the line to pick them up."


    With a nod, the two men sat back to drag the train car even further down than they had moved it. It wasn''t going to be easy but it wasn''t that far down the line.


    As the two walked off, Marcus began gathering up the refugees in a orderly fashion. He needed to organize them to prevent panic.


    After nearly 30 minutes, Briggs and Germaine had the train car in position, broadside to the platform. One by one, the refugees boarded the train car, luggage in hand, ready to board when Lyria arrived. Amanda had departed to bring each member weapons and ammunition and had since returned. While they were capable of exceptional close range combat, they were going to have to keep the fight at a distance to buy time.


    One by one, each member checked their weapons. Marcus was bearing his favorite carbine, Briggs with his light machine gun, Germaine with a pump action shotgun, Amanda with her marksman''s rifle, Akatsuya armed with a sub machine gun, and finally Maple, who had become accustomed to using a carbine much like her father. Alyssa stood with crossed arms, tapping her foot impatiently as nothing had been given to her.


    Amanda shot her a look, "Sorry Alyssa. You''re not going to be fighting on this one. You''ve got the spirit of an Alpha, but not the body of one. You''ll be safer and more useful if you help keep the refugees under control. Chances are they''re going to panic."


    With a a little huff of rebellion, Alyssa began walking to the train car. Her pace was paused by the sound of marching feet, heading directly for them. The sound of clanging machinery could be heard overtop the marching, echoing off the walls of the Underground.


    They were here, and it was time to fight.


    Maple gripped the gun in her hands tightly, and took up position. All around her, everyone had placed themselves into an ambush position. They shouldn''t have arrived so quickly, but they were here now. For Generation, it was time to fight...

 Chapter 11 (First Arc Complete)

    Maple bolstered herself against the pillar. The marching was growing closer, the steel machines pushing dust up into the air as they stepped. Suddenly, the footsteps came to a halt. An eerie voice craned out through the air, "We know you''re here, so why don''t you come out and greet us?" The voice sounded wicked, malicious in its intent.


    Nobody budged from their position. Maple glanced back to the train car. Alyssa was crouched down in the door of the car, holding a raised fist to keep the refugees silent.


    Another voice, followed the first, Maple recognizing it as the insignificant tone of a soldier, "Sir, we''re detecting movement from further ahead. Scanners on the Wolves are picking up multiple readings from the train car just ahead of us."


    Maple peeked out from behind her cover. The soldier was addressing a man dressed in a white lab coat. He was bald, and his beard a scraggled mess. From behind a pair of large framed glasses, two eyes peered out like a snake focused on it''s prey.


    "Is that so? Why don''t you open fire on it then." Maple felt her heart drop. The enemy knew exactly what they were up to. At some point, the must have figured out that there were more than Alphas living here. Before she could react, she heard her father''s voice break out.


    "Wait, don''t fire." He slowly moved out from behind the concrete slab he had ducked behind, keeping his gun leveled in the platoon''s direction. The soldiers quickly snapped their aim to him, ready to fire at a moment''s notice.


    "Ah, Mr.Wright, if I recall. What a pleasure to see you once more. I take it there''s something important to you in that train car?" The man was grinning wickedly, a smile that shouldn''t have stretched as broadly as one human could muster.


    "What''s in that car isn''t important. We''re the ones you''re after aren''t we?" Marcus wasn''t about to tell the man how many of them there were, he was just trying to keep things at a standstill.


    "Oh, but I am so curious as to what else you may be hiding other than your daughter Mr. Wright. Unload whatever is on that train right this moment, or my men open fire on it." Marcus was at the mercy of their will. Sure, they could let the soldiers shred the train car with the refugees, but he had made a promise himself to protect them when he had formed Generation.


    He turned back towards the train car, unsure if it was the right call to make. It could more than likely withstand the small arms fire from the soldiers, but the warheads that the Wolves were carrying would make quick work of it. With a deep regret in his heart, he called out to Alyssa, "Alyssa, have everyone deboard the train."


    With a grain of hesitation, Alyssa moved up from the door, and slid back into the train car. After a few moments, the refugees came walking out one by one. Their heads were hung low, unsure about the fate that was awaiting them.


    "Good, now that that''s out of the way, have them gather here in front of us." It was unclear what the man was intending. Marcus felt uneasy, but he had no choice. He signaled for them to gather up around them. He looked at the people around him. Nearby, the other members of Generation were still keeping themselves concealed. They weren''t happy to play along with this game, but the less time they spent shooting the more likely they could escape without casualties.


    "Now, I have another question, your daughter. Where is she? I assume she isn''t far away is she?"


    Marcus felt his stomach drop. He wasn''t going to hand her over that easily. "She''s not here. She never was. After you chased us down, I left her with other people that were able to care for her. It was too risky keeping her in my care." Marcus hoped they would believe it, but even if they didn''t it meant they would have to keep pressing them.


    The man let out a sigh, and reframed his glasses on his face. "Fine, we''ll do it your way. Soldier, bring me one of the children from that crowd of people."


    One of the soldiers proceeded over to the crowd, snatching a small child away from a group of two older women. Marcus recognized the child. He was young, and always had trouble looking Marcus in the face on supply days. Marcus thought of the times that he had patted the child on the head, hoping that one day he would be able to look up and say thanks with more than a nod.


    The soldier drug the child over to the man, placing him on his knees in front of him. The man pointed to Marcus and spoke to the child, "You see that man? It''s because of him that you''re in this situation now. I just wanted him to know that." Marcus watched as the child slowly raised his head, fixating his gaze into Marcus'' eyes.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    In a quick fluid motion, the man whipped a small handgun from behind his back and leveled the barrel against the back of the child''s head. Before Marcus had anytime to react and state otherwise about Maple, the man pulled the trigger. A loud bang broke the eerie silence, and the child fell forward onto his face. Within moments a puddle of blood began to form around his head.


    It was all it took for the rest of Generation to snap. Marcus heard Alyssa''s scream from somewhere behind him, but it was as if the world had just stopped. The child lay still a ways in front of him, unmoving. He looked around him as everyone broke from behind cover and opened fire. A sudden sting on his shoulder brought him back to his senses.


    All the members of Generation were laying down gunfire in the direction of the soldiers. A few were falling near the front, but the majority had dug down behind cover after the first shot was fired. The man was walking back towards the soldiers directions, barking out orders, "Make sure you don''t kill the girl. We need her alive. She''ll be one of the ones fighting."


    Marcus tried to level his rifle at the man, but his arm refused to work. He looked down at where he had felt the sting, and realized a bullet had pierced straight through his shoulder, disabling him from lifting his weapon.


    He slid down back behind the concrete he had been hiding behind, the sound of gunfire deafening all around him. He watched as the refugees began to panic, fleeing down the tunnels hoping to avoid the conflict. Alyssa had left the train car and was hunkered down on the tracks behind the platform. It looked like the end was near.


    Maple watched as the soldiers fell before her. One by one, she was going to mow them down, regardless of what it took. She watched as her bullets tore through them, like pellets ripping paper, their blood misting the air as their bodies were openend up. A warhead streaked by her, screaming a high pitched squeal as it slammed into the wall behind them, blowing a chunk of concrete out of the wall.


    There was a loud eruption sound that came from the tracks down the tunnel on her left. Suddenly, a bright light began to illuminate the tunnel, growing bigger as it drew closer. Crushing the debris it came into contact with, a large train vehicle came into view, coming to a grinding halt as it pulled up behind the members of Generation.


    A familiar voice suddenly broke forth from the vehicle, it was Lyria''s. "Everyone get onboard now. We don''t have time to piddle."


    At the back of the vehicle, a large door opened, a ramp sliding out and placing itself at an angle with the ground.


    Marcus looked around him, his teammates fighting with everything they had. Their ride was here, but nobody wanted to leave. He turned to the vehicle, and watched as the side door to the operators compartment slid open. Lyria peeped out from behind door and called out to Marcus, "Hey, I said get onboard. We don''t have time to wage war with these guys."


    Marcus felt like he was still in a daze. What about the refugees? He called back to her, "We can''t leave. The people all ran down the tunnel. We need to pick them up."


    "I''m sorry Marcus, but we can''t. If they chose to ran instead of try to ride it out, it''s on them. You''ve done what you could." Marcus glanced back to the battlefield, the child still laying in his own puddle of blood. He hadn''t done everything he could''ve. He looked around at his comrades, gun still firing.


    He quickly called out to them, "Everyone, our ride is here. Get onboard, this fight''s over."


    Maple ducked down and began making her way to the transport. Amanda and Akatsuya were two of the first to board. As she stepped up the back ramp, still firing off rounds when she could, she noticed Alyssa hadn''t made her way to the transport. Her mind suddenly raced to the missile that had raced by her earlier. She ran off the transport and over to where the missile had impacted, keeping her head down to avoid the gunfire.


    She spotted the chunk that had been blown out of the wall, and underneath, Alyssa. The chunk had fallen on her waist, crushing her pelvis and pinning underneath it. Her heart suddenly felt like it had died. She began making a mad sprint over to her. She felt tears in her eyes begin to well up. She couldn''t lose somebody else, not like this.


    As she arrived at Alyssa''s side, she knelt down. Alyssa was still conscious, blood beginning to trickle from the corner of her mouth. "Alyssa, hol-" Maple couldn''t finish her sentence. The tears were choking her up too much. She began pushing on the concrete slab, and it began to rotate away. Within moments, she had removed it, but Alyssa was unable to move. She quickly picked her friend up, her blood bleeding into Maple''s arms.


    Marcus saw Maple running to the transport, a small person in her arms. He suddenly felt his heart drop, but now was not the time to let his emotions cloud his instinct. Briggs and Germaine were the only two left still fighting, and they were fighting a losing battle. The soldiers were beginning to advance, Wolf units in tow. He quickly called out to them, and motioned for them to board the transport. They nodded and began making their to the back of it, keeping a suppresive fire field using Briggs light machine gun. Marcus quickly jumped onboard, Briggs and Germaine following behind them.


    The transports back doors began to close, and Lyria set the throttle to a full position. They were going to have to make as quick of an escape as possible. She guided the transport down the tunnel, veering off to the left as the path split. She looked onward as they traveled down the line. She looked as onwards as the refugees who had fled watched the transport leave them behind. She had no intentions of telling Marcus that there was no way to carry them all anyways. It was better they had to be left behind.


    In the back of the transport, Maple carried Alyssa over to a nearby table that was mounted to the floor. As she laid her down, Alyssa tried to mutter something, but Maple wasn''t able to make it out. She suddenly felt Alyssa grasp her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. She then watched her friend close her eyes, a tear flowing out from beneath her eyelid...

 Intermission Special: Memories 1

    Several years ago...


    Maple felt a shove against her legs. She quickly rolled over onto her side, letting a grunt escape as she tightened the covers of her bed around herself. The shoving continued.


    A pair of hands suddenly infiltrated the sheets, fingers crawling up her sides. She began to giggle as the hands glided up and down. She heard laughing coming from behind her, and quickly turned to face the tickler.


    Her mother was looking down at her, chuckling as Maple had tossed and turned. The sunlight was streaming through the windows behind her, making her hair glow like the halo of an angel. As she began unraveling herself from the covers her mother reached down and patted her on the head, "Come on dear, the day''s already half over. You''re father should be back from foraging by now as well."


    Maple, finally freeing herself from the bedding, slid her legs over the edge of her bed and plopped down onto the floor. She drifted from her bedroom and into the kitchen area. Three plates had been sat on the kitchen table, and a small arrangement of vegetables were laid out across the table. It suddenly hit her as to why her mother had let her sleep so far into the day. It was her birthday.


    She quickly passed the table and made her way outside. In the fenced in area that had been turned into a front yard, her father was sitting at the picnic table they had built, and was peeling what looked like to be some kind of roots. It wasn''t the greatest tasting food in the world, but out in the secluded wilderness they lived in, there was plenty of it.


    Her mother was sitting directly across, an old and worn book cradled in one of her hands. Whenever her father and mother would depart for the nearby town that had been abandoned, her mother would always return with a book. For her, it was an easy way to pass time and kept her mind from dulling. They would often bring Maple little trinkets they came across, hoping to keep her curious about her world without bringing too much danger in it.


    "Come here kiddo. Have a seat next to your dad." Marcus was smiling, patting the spot next to him on the bench. Maple happily obliged, hopping into place and leaning up against Marcus to get a closer look at what he was peeling.


    "Oh these? I wouldn''t necessarily call these roots. They''re actually called Carrots. They''re a type of vegetable." To Maple, the orange color was odd and they almost looked disgusting to her. She had seen plenty of vegetables, but she hadn''t seen one with such an odd shape.


    "Don''t worry, they''re not bad. I''m sure you''ll like them. Before that though, I think your mother has something to give you."


    Maple''s attention quickly shot to her mother who now had her hands hidden behind her back. "Now, I know it''s not much considering it''s your birthday, but when I saw it I knew you would love it."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Her mother brought her hands foward, a folded red cloth in her hands. Maple reached out and gently accepted it. As she picked it up, it began to unfold, revealing itself to be a bandana. she squealed in delight. Red was her favorite color after all.


    As she turned it in her hands, she spotted the center piece. Part of the cloth was blocked out with a white square, and a leaf adorned the center of the design. It was the same shade of red as the rest, but Maple felt her eyes drawn to it.


    "That''s a Maple leaf dear. It has the same name as you. Do you like it?" Her mother was unsure if she would like it, but the smile across Maple''s face erased her worry.


    "I love it. Um, what do I do with it though?" Maple didn''t want to make her mother feel bad, but she wasn''t quite sure what the cloth was meant for.


    "You wear it on your head sweetie. Just like your dad." It suddenly made sense to Maple. She stretched the cloth out and began fumbling around, trying to figure out how to tie it around her head.


    "Ow. Mom, can you help." Maple had gotten her fingers caught in the cloth, and it was pulling at the fresh tissue that was trying to regrow on her hands. Marcus had been teaching her how to control her power, but she still hadn''t quite gotten the hang of it. Whenever she let herself get too excited, her hands would often become engulfed in a flame, burning away at the tissue as long as it was active. If she hadn''t been an Alpha herself, her skin wouldn''t be able to handle such an ability.


    Her mother raised herself from her seat and reached over the table, holding the cloth up and showing Maple how to properly tie it. Within a couple of minutes, Maple was able to tie it around her head herself. She rocked back and forth in her seat, content that she had figured it out so quickly.


    A noise suddenly arose from overhead. It sounded like massive blades cleaving the air in two. Maple felt afraid, the noise wasn''t something natural. She stopped rocking and watched as her parents rose to their feet. Marcus dropped the carrots and Helen threw her book down on the table.


    "Dear, go get the car. Make sure Maple is buckled in." Maple felt her dad snatch her up in his arms and as her mother walked over to her. "Maple sweetie, Daddy''s going to put you in the car ok? Make sure you don''t leave and wait for us." Maple gently nodded as Marcus carried her to the rough looking four wheel drive car they kept stashed behind one of the shacks.


    Marcus opened the back door and sat her inside, buckling her in safely in the process. "Maple, wait here for Mommy and me alright." Maple once again nodded her head, and Marcus quietly closed the door.


    A few moments passed, and Maple heard the noise grow louder. After a few more seconds, she heard a loud eruption of gunfire break out. She raised up from her seat and peeked out the window. She saw Marcus come running to the vehicle, a rifle in his right hand. He came over to the drivers side and jumped in, starting the vehicle as quick as he could.


    "Daddy, where''s Mommy at?" Maple was concerned that the gunfire was still ongoing yet her mother still hadn''t made her way to the vehicle. Marcus glanced back at her, "Don''t worry Maple, Mommy''s going to be leaving after us. She''s just making sure we get started alright."


    Marcus couldn''t tell her that Helen had stood her ground to give them time to leave. He couldn''t risk sending Maple into that kind of emotional state with her powers as they were. As they sped off from behind the shed and onto one of the rough offroad trails that led through the forest, he could only hope that Helen would find a window of time to make her escape...

 Intermission Special: Memories 2

    3 years ago...


    Maple stuck close to her father. It was rare that he would allow her to venture so far out from the Underground. The outskirts of Marlow possesed little cover, and it was hard telling who exactly could be watching. They were getting desparate for supplies though, and they had nearly eliminated all the resources within the immediate vicinity.


    The sun was already beginning to set, and they were feeling the pressure of time on their shoulders. They still had enough to last them, but that didn''t mean that they would last forever. Without a way to keep some form of food coming in, they would eventually have to leave or starve.


    Maple glanced around her, taking in the surroundings as they crossed each street. It was likely she wouldn''t be seeing much of this area of the city. Deserted homes lined the streets, street lamps were overturned, and vegetation was beginning to creep up through the concrete walkways. It looked like a scene out of an apocalypse, if one aruged that the current state of the world wasn''t one itself.


    She pondered what it would''ve been like to live in one of the homes before the world plunged itself into chaos. She thought about what could''ve been, what should have been. Her mother would still be smiling everyday, her father not having to struggle to provide for so many people. The thought made her sick to her stomach. Nothing had been fair in her life.


    Marcus stopped a ways in front of her, and pointed out ahead. There was what seemed to be a small corner store at an intersection. It was small, most likely family owned during its time of operation, placed simply for convenience instead of profit for those that lived in the neighborhood. Hopefully there was something useful inside.


    It was likely that the store wouldn''t contain the stockpiles of food, medicine and water that they were hoping to find, but anything was better than nothing at this point. As they approached the store, Marcus flattened himself out against the wall next to the single door that served as an entry and exit.


    Marcus motioned for Maple to take up position on the other side, a breaching method where one person would enter and the second would follow, covering the first if any enemies were waiting in ambush. Maple pressed herself against the wall, placing a tight grip on the small caliber handgun her father had handed her. Marcus gave a quick nod, and the two burst through the door, weapons at the ready.


    Marcus spread out to the left side of the store while Maple covered the right side. As suspected, it was a small store with only a few aisles and a small counter that stood to serve would be customers. A shuffling noise from behind the counter drew the attention of both Marcus and Maple.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Marcus crept up to the ledge of the counter, peering over trying to see what the noise was. He looked across the walk area behind, but saw nothing. Again they heard the rustling noise. Maple glanced down at her foot, realizing that the noise was coming from directly under the counter.


    She motioned to her father, pointing directly at the bottom of the counter. It had a curved wall with the shelf mounted directly to it. They had failed to realize the backside of it was hollow, able to store things such as a small safe, a computer tower, etc.Whatever was making the noise was hiding directly underneath the counter.


    Marcus circled over to the side, rifle raised to his shoulder. He glanced over at Maple, "Be ready. Who knows what''s there." Maple gave a quick nod and Marcus sprang into action. He gave a burst of speed and slid down onto his side, using his momentum to carry himself. As he came to a halt, he was to face to face with someone.


    Her eyes were round as saucers, her hair and face dirty and mangled. She threw her hands up in front of her face and let out a scream. She wasn''t armed, and quickly fell back, bumping her head as she did. As she began to wimper, Marcus lowered his rifle. She wasn''t an enemy.


    Marcus reach his hand out and called out to the girl, "Shhh. You''re okay. We''re not here to hurt you." Regardless, the girl kept her face hidden and refused to respond. Maple glanced around the corner, and upon seeing her father with his weapon lowered, slowly approached.


    As she stepped to them, Maple peeked under the counter and saw the girl. She looked like she was around Maple''s age. Her hair was a platinum color, short in length but was severely matted. Her face was small, and her stature was short. Maple noticed her arms and legs, rail thin. It was clear she hadn''t eaten in a long time.


    Without saying anything, Maple reach out and touched the girls knee. She let out another wimper, but pulled her hand back slight, peering from one eye between her fingers. The girl looked Maple up and down, focusing on the bright red bandana on her head.


    Maple extended her hand, reaching out to the girl. She slowly extended her hand in return, and placed her hand in Maple''s palm. Marcus watched the two. It was an interaction Maple had never had. She had always kept to herself, often despising alot of the refugees that they sheltered. Why she had chose to act this way here and now was beyond him.


    As the girl placed her hand in Maple''s, she muttered out in a small voice, "My...my name''s Alyssa. I didn''t...didn''t mean to scare you. I just thought you were...the...the bad people." It was obvious that starvation was beginning to get to her. It was that or shock one.


    Marcus reach over and placed his hand on her shoulder, "Don''t worry. I think we''ve got a place you can go."


    The girl looked up, like a light had suddenly flickered to life in her eyes. With help from Maple and Marcus, she struggled to her feet. The three walked out of the small store, and while they were still empty handed, Maple felt as if she had found something worth more to her...

 Chapter 12

    Maple stood in a state of shock. Her gloves were once again stained with blood, only it wasn''t the enemies blood this time. Laying before her, Alyssa had closed her eyes and remained still. A pool of blood was beginning to creep out from underneath her body, her chest remaining at an eerie calm. Maple waited for her to begin moving, but she lay still evermore.


    The RTHV ascended from the tunnels of the Underground, rising to the surface on the tracks that ran parallel to a roadway on their right. Lyria quickly adjusted their course, aligning the transport on the roadway. Everyone felt their stomach lurch from the momentum shift, but Maple''s was for a different reason.


    Briggs walked over to her, placing his hand on her shoulder, "Hey Princess, why don''t you walk over here and sit down for a bit." Maple gently nodded her head, but as Briggs tugged on her she remained in place, as if frozen in time. It was clear to him that Alyssa''s death still refused to sink into Maples mind. Over at the back of the transport, Marcus seemed to be in the same state.


    As Briggs turned to face Marcus, he felt a hand slam down onto his, still resting on Maple''s shoulder. "I''ll kill them. I''ll kill them all no matter what it takes. Human, Alpha, Helix, it doesn''t matter to me. They''re going to pay." Maple''s voice was cold and sinister, verging on the brink of madness. Briggs felt her hand begin to heat up. If her powers were to activate here, it could be problematic.


    "Hey Marcus, you need to get over here. We need to get Ma-" Briggs was cut short as he felt the heat increase, scorching his hand. Maple suddenly let out a scream, her hands erupting into infernos as the flames licked their way up to her elbow joints. The iris of her eyes began to glow a deep scarlet, and she felt her chest begin to burn with a searing pain.


    Before Briggs could react, Maple suddenly lashed out at him in a rage. Grabbing the arm he had extended, she latched on and spun, sending Briggs crashing into the far wall. The rest of Generation quickly sprang into action. Akatsuya and Germaine charged forward, aiming to grab her arms while avoiding the flames dancing up her arms.


    Akatsuya managed to circle around and latch onto one arm while Germaine subdued the other. Maple lashed out again with kicks, blinded by her fury. Akatsuya smoothly sidestepped the kick with ease, but Germaine was unable to avoid the second one. The kick landed against his thigh with a thunderous crack, a kick powerful enough that it would''ve snapped his femur had he been a normal human being.


    Seeing Germaine falter from the kick, Amanda sweeped in, kicking Maple''s legs out from under her. As she fell to the ground, Akatsuya and Germaine moved behind to restrain her arms. The two men held her down while Amanda moved to check on Briggs who was still slumped against the wall. He was conscious, but was rattled from the force that he had slammed into the wall with.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Maple let forth another scream of anger, "Why? Why are we fighting to protect them? What good are they? They kill what they create and destroy what they are." The flames around her hands and arms began to burn more intensely, forcing Akatsuya and Germaine to release their hold. As they sprung back, Maple flipped up onto her feet and turned to face them.


    To everyone, it looked like a fire itself was burning in her eyes. The scarlet glow they gave off reminded Akatsuya of some kind of demon, unleashed to bring punishment on those deserving. She suddenly charged with lightning speed. Rushing at Germaine, she quickly circled around to his right, throwing a barrage of punches.


    Germaine brought his guard up, unable to find a window to counter. As each punch landed he could feel the flames devouring his flesh. Akatsuya leapt forth to break her attack on Germaine and allow him to recover. Germaine lowered his guard and stood his ground at Maple''s flank. He would wait for Akatsuya to parry one of her blows and throw her off balance, then strike with enough force that it would knock her unconscious.


    Maple lauched a barrage of punches and kicks at Akatsuya, switching from aiming for his head to his body. Even in her rage she had a deadly precision, capable of landing a fatal blow if not careful. Akatsuya avoided the punches as much as possible and aimed to parry a kick, considering it would be the least dangerous and most likely to cause her to reel back.


    From behind a combination of hooks and jabs, Maple threw a kick aimed at Akatsuya''s ribs. As the kick came up to greet him, he blocked it with his arm and quickly sweeped her other leg from under her. Before she could react and regain her footing, Germaine brought a hard fist directly down into her stomach, crushing her into the ground, slightly tilting the RTHV upward from the sudden shift in inertia.


    Germaine wasn''t happy to hit a lady with that much force, but she needed to be stopped. Maple let out a gasp as her body hit with enough force to shatter bone, but hers fortunately held together. Her vision was fuzzy from the impact and she couldn''t make out who was around her. She slightly tilted her head forward, focusing on the table across from her.


    Alyssa.Maple felt the fire begin to burn again, and her vision started returning. As she felt her anger begin to spiral again, she saw her father step over her. Red began to cloud her eyes once more, and she was firmly greeted with an impact to her forehead, throwing her into darkness.


    Marcus looked down at his daughter. He hated to have to do that to her, but her outburst had brought him to his senses and he knew that his daughter needed him. She was perfectly fine, only unconscious. He lifted her off the floor, with Akatsuya''s assistance, and laid her down in the corner, allowing her to get some much needed sleep.


    Marcus walked over to Alyssa''s body, a small tear welling up in his eye at seeing her. He gently removed his jacket and laid across her. It would be best for Maple to not have to see her like that again. As he turned to check on Briggs, Lyria''s voice came over the speaker system, "I don''t know what the hell just happened back there but we''ve got an issue." Ahead of them, blocking the roadway, was a small unit of Wolves. At the head of the group, a bright red mech stood firm, weapons leveled at the oncoming RTHV...

 Chapter 13

    Lyria pushed the throttle of the RTHV to max. She wasn''t about to let a small squad of Wolf units stand in her way. While the red colored one caught her attention, she knew it alone wouldn''t have the power to stop them.


    The transport bucked back, the front end slightly raising upwards from the increase in speed. The four Wolf units parted, two each moving to each side of the road. Lyria realized that they weren''t aiming to stop the transport, but line up in pursuit. As the transport blew past, the wolf''s gave chase.


    Lyria knew they wouldn''t be able to penetrate the thick armor of the RTHV, but they definitely didn''t need to follow them back to where they were headed. It was also worth noting that they mechs could cause the transport to crash if Lyria wasn''t careful. She had experience handling the large vehicle, but anything could happen.


    Lyria glanced down at her control panel and located the weapons lock system. She pulled the speaker system up, releasing the lock system simultaneously, "Hey, we got baggage. I need some of you to jump onto the side turrets in the mid-bay as well as the heavy gauge rifle up top. We need to get these guys off of us before we can head to where were going."


    Amanda jumped up from attending to Briggs, who was coming back to his senses, and responded through the small intercom next to the door, "We hear you Lyria. We need anybody on ammunition duty?"


    "No, that''s not neccesary. This machine''s got an autoloader function installed. You guys just need to aim and fire." Lyria checked her monitors as they were beginning to pass through the outskirts of the city. She was going to have a difficult time keeping the vehicle on a straight line for them to fire thanks to all the debris and small roads that lined the residential areas.


    Amanda and Akatsuya proceeded through the doors to the mid-bay, and located each turret. Germaine followed behind, slightly limping from the kick he had endured. In the middle of the mid-bay was a ladder leading up top. A heavy assault turret was located above, housing a direct in seat firing position for the gunner. The two small turrets on the sides were operated from within the mid-bay, a secondary computer system set up to assist with recoil dampening.


    Germaine ascended the ladder, emerging into a small dome like area almost too small for his size. A twin handle system was used for firing control with the triggers on each handle. A small seat was attached to the frame of the turret, allowing the gunner to spin with the motion of the turret to help with tracking. For Germaine, it wouldn''t be a problem to hold the units off.


    As Amanda and Akatsuya took their seats at each turret, the computer screen in front of them powered on, a heads up display being overlaid onto it. There were two units on each side of the transport, the unique red one hanging close to the rear of the vehicle. As they went to line up their shots, the red mech suddenly struck the transport, shaking it from side to side.


    Lyria reeled on the controls, holding the vehicle steady as the red mech pulled back from the strike. A channel suddenly opened up in her comms link and a voice crackled to life, "This is Director Char Malkovich of the Helix corporation. You are hereby demanded to bring your vehicle to a stop and surrender. Failure to do so will result in live fire upon your vessel and your safety cannot be guranteed."


    Lyria almost wanted to laugh at the way the man had addressed her. They had already opened fire on civilians with the intent to kill. What was their defintion of live fire? "Um, sorry Mr. Director, but you''ve kind of already violated those terms. You see, your men opened fire on a group of civilians back in the Underground."


    A moment of silence greeted the channel before Char spoke up again, "Don''t think I''ll fall for your lies. My men reported that you took those civilians hostage as a means to gurantee escape. I''ll repeat, this is your last warning. Bring the vehicle to a halt or we will proceed to stop it ourselves."


    Lyria began to be amused at his negotiation attempts. Something seemed amiss though. Why would he think that they had taken the refugees hostage? Had there been an error in their communications, or was there something larger at play going on?Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Before she could address Char again, Lyria felt a slam into the side of the RTHV. She pulled up her camera feed on the right side and spotted the culprit. It appeared as if one of the mechs had latched onto the hull and was trying to throw the thrusters out of equilibrium. That wouldn''t do.


    Lyria called up her intercom once again, "Hey, right side. I need to somebody to get that thing off of us." Akatsuya looked at his heads up display. He lined up the triangular reticule with the crosshairs and opened fire. The turret''s gunfire ripped through the hull of the mech, shearing an arm off of the machine. It detached from the transport and crashed downwards, plowing up the ground as it slid. One down, three to go.


    Lyria glanced back at her camera feeds. There was still one more on the right with the other two on her left. She looked ahead up the road, spotting an intersection in the road. A small store sat on the corner of it, a perfect opportunity to take another unit out. As they approached the intersection, she reeled the transport left, kicking the back end around. The second mech had no time to react.


    The mech bounced off of the hull of the RTHV, losing it''s thrust balance as it was tossed away. The pilot attempted to restabilize mid trajectory, but it was too late. The mech slammed into the small building, burying itself under the rubble that collapsed onto it. Two more to go.


    Lyria looked back at her screen. The red mech had moved from the rear of the transport and was coming up alongside them. The second had begun to initiate a strafing thrust, and was leveling its attached rifle at the walls of the RTHV. Gunfire suddenly began to pepper the side of the transport. Before Lyria could cue up her comms, she heard their turrets open fire.


    Amanda tried to line up her fire on the mech, but every time she came close it would alter it''s speed, altering between positions at the front and rear of the transport. As Amanda was struggling to perfect her aim, Akatsuya saw the red mech come into view. On it''s right arm, it carried the same rifle as the other mechs but on its left was a large gauss looking weapon, different from the traditional operating arm most Wolf units carried.


    Akatsuya ignored the reticule placement that appeared on screen, focusing instead on the gauss weapon he saw. He didn''t know if the transport could handle that kind of firepower, but he didn''t want to find out. He opened fire, grazing the mech with hot lead. It darted left and returned fire with the machine gun attachment. The jarring was making it even more difficult for Akatsuya to get a lock on the perfect shot.


    Germaine watched as Amanda struggled to place a bead on the standard mech. Left, right, left, right. He was beginning to see the timing of its movements. He lined his turret up on the left, waiting. It was as if time had slowed down when he pulled the trigger. The mech darted left, directly into the large caliber round he had fire. The shot ripped through the center of the mech, exploding in a fiery blaze, crashing into some debris.


    He quickly reeled his turret around to the right. It was clear that Akatsuya was having trouble with the special red mech. It''s movements were much faster than that of a standard Wolf, almost as if it could read the firing trajectories before they were made. The mech suddenly leveled the gauss rifle at Germaine and fired. A large projectile streaked past the turret, leaving a small channel in the hull of the housing.


    Too close. Germaine aimed for the leg thruster of the mech while Akatsuya aimed for the weapon. Germaine fired a shot off in front of his target while Akatsuya fired directly at it. The red mech darted back, right into Germaines shot. The shot ripped through the leg, black smoke pouring out of the thruster. Still holding its speed with the transport, the mech lost its ability to move so quickly. Akatsuya took the opportunity and directed his fire at the body of the mech.


    Each shot slammed into the mechs hull, chipping away at the metal protecting the machinery itself. A shot suddenly tore through the arm and shoulder of the mech. More smoke began to pour out of the machine, faltering as it tried to keep pace. Lyria grinned and pulled up her comm link once more, "Her, Mr. Director. That''s a pretty nice machine you have there but I think we broke it. You also should check on your soldiers. I didn''t realize making them mindless drones would also make htem liars. Your men fired the first shot, so you should look into that."


    Lyria cut the channel, watching in her rear view screen as the mech began to slow down, sliding to a halt as its thrusters began to fail. As it came to a halt, it suddenly raised the gauss cannon once more. Lyria braced for the shot, trying to figure out which side she would have to sway to. As the mech began to grow smaller, she thought she saw it lower is weapon.


    Lyria leaned back into her seat, letting out a pent up sigh. They had made it out safely, for the most part. She corrected their course, pulling up the intercom one more time, "Nice shooting guys. We should be in the clear now if they haven''t set up another ambush. Next stop, the beautiful city of Celestia."


    Germaine, Akatsuya and Amanda felt a weight lift from their shoulders. They would live to fight another day. As they removed themselves from the turret positions, Akatsuya felt a bit of nostalgia flow into him at the mention of Celestia City. Why did it seem so familiar to him?

 Chapter 14

    Char watched as the transport pulled away into the distance, disappearing into the horizon. Why had he not taken the shot? The woman''s words echoed through his mind, "We weren''t the first ones to open fire." He had given specific directions that none of his men were allowed to open fire unless first fired upon. Was the woman lying, or was there something more to it?


    As he opened the hatch of his Wolf and stepped out, he looked across the scene that lay before him. Ruins, as far as his eyes could see.Is this truly what I wanted? Before Char could continue his thoughts, the watch he wore on his left wrist began to ring. It was Faust, most likely wanting to hear how the Alphas had been captured. He felt a tinge of disappointment, thinking back to how excited they had been to stumble across the girl again.


    "Faust, are you there?" The established line was fuzzy, and Char was unsure if the signal was properly getting through.


    "I read you loud and clear Director. So tell me, how many of them went down fighting?"


    "Three, but not of theirs." Char glanced back at his mech. If his hadn''t been a specialized model, he would have suffered the same fate as the other three soldiers that were with him. Sure, the soldiers were all genetically produced and conditioned by Helix, but that didn''t mean he still refused to think of them as human beings.


    "What? Are you trying to tell me they managed to get away?" Faust sounded furious. They had let another perfect opportunity escape from their hands, aware it may be a long time before they get another chance.


    "Just get some soldiers up here to pick me up. We have some discussing to do anyways." Char cut off his comm link, and rested his body against the leg of his mech. He realised that given the distance they had traveled, he may have a bit of a wait...


    <hr>


    Maple felt her head throb as the darkness that surrounded her vision began to clear. A bright light was shining down onto her, covers tucked under her sides. As she tried to move, she felt her arms sting, the pain resonating throughout them. She looked down at her chest, realizing she was laying in a bed, a white room surrounding her.


    From a window across from her, she saw buildings sprouting from the ground. They were clean, almost as if they belonged in another world entirely. As she followed the buildings up, her eyes came to rest on what was supposed to be the sky. Instead, a large, azure blue dome blocked out the view, its crystalline shell shimmering from the sunlight striking it from outside.


    She looked back at the room around her. It lacked any detail, just plain white. Next to her, a chair had been placed, her clothes, gloves and bandana stacked neatly upon it. As she tried to raise up, she felt her arms go limp and slid back down into the bed. Everything was still a haze to her. How did she get here and where was she?


    The door at the end of the room suddenly creaked open, and she saw her father step through. Marcus peeked through the door and saw Maple leaning up to try to see who was there. He felt a wave of relief come over him at seeing her awake and alert. He gently pushed the door open and stepped on through.


    Maple followed him with her eyes as he stepped into the room and placed her clothes at the end of her bed, taking a seat upon the chair. As she went to speak, he held up a single finger, hushing her, "Don''t worry. You''re fine now. I''m just glad to see you awake."You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    It was fairly obvious that she was curious to her surroundings, and she wasn''t satisfied with his answer, "I don''t really remember much. Where are we?" Maple tried to cross her arms, but the stinging sensation returned tenfold. She let out a small cry and looked down at her arms. Each arm had been wrapped up in a spongy gauze and had been secured in place with the gown she had on.


    "I know you''re concerned but you need to rest. You lost control of your power again, and we brought you here." Marcus was still hiding something from her. She remembered carrying Alyssa onto the transport, but everything else was black to her. "Your arms were severely burned this time, even for an Alpha with skin like yours. You''re in what we call a hospital. Back when the world was still functioning they were used to treat people who were sick or hurt."


    The word sounded foreign to Maple. Her father had never told her of what a hospital was, nor did the idea make sense to her. Why dedicate a facility to helping sick people when it was difficult enough to take care of oneself? She quickly brushed the thought away and brought her mind back. Where was Alyssa?


    "Dad, where''s Alyssa? I remember carrying her onto the transport, but everything else after that is gone. Is she here at the hospital too?" Maple''s tone was anxious, worried that Alyssa was injured as well.


    Marcus bit his tounge. He knew he couldn''t tell her about Alyssa at the moment, she was still too volatile. He thought about how to approach the situation and slowly replied, "She''s...she''s here at the hospital too, but I can''t take you to see her right now." To his surprise, Lyria had insisted that they stop at the hospital first before checking in with her group. She had been concerned at seeing the extent of Maple''s condition and also seemed to want to make sure Alyssa''s body was properly cared for. It was something Marcus found they had in common.


    Maple glanced back down, averting her gaze. She didn''t like the idea, but if she couldn''t even raise herself out of the bed, then how could she even visit Alyssa? She only hoped that her injuries had been properly cared for. "Um, I know you said this is a hospital, but where are we exactly?"


    Marcus figured it wouldn''t cause any harm to at least let her know where she actually was. "We''re actually in a place called Celestia. Lyria brought us here. Her organization works out of this...sanctuary if we can call it that." Marcus glanced out at the dome. He knew that it should have already caught Maple''s attention. "If you''re curious about that dome, it''s made of a crystalline structure. It''s molecules are packed so close that even warheads can''t penetrate it. It''s what''s keeping Helix from enforcing their law in this place."


    Maple gazed at the dome once more. It was like a guardian angel to the city, protecting it from the world outside. She never thought a place such as this could exist. It had always been one ruined place to the next, death lurking around every corner.


    "Um, Dad. Is everybody else ok?" The thought had just occured to her that everybody else had been fighting and she was unaware if they were hurt. Marcus simply nodded his head, giving a small smile to add to the reassurance. She felt bad that it wasn''t the first question she asked, but she was glad that the outcome had went well.


    "I''m going to step back outside now and speak to everyone else. We still need to figure out what we''re going to do from here. If you need anything, there''s a small button on the side of your bed that you can use to call for someone. Whether it be going to the restroom or even a glass of water, they can bring it to you." Maple simply nodded at his statement, spotting the small button on the rail of the bed, speaker attached to the side.


    As Marcus left the room, she looked back down at her arms. Her powers had always left burns on her hands, but she couldn''t recall them ever leaving injuries that far up her arm. She tried to move her hands from within the wraps, but the gauze kept her fingers secure. She laid them back down on her legs, and stretched her body out.


    As she gazed up at the textureless ceiling, she pondered about what she learned about Celestia. It almost seemed bizarre to her to be in such a place. She had remembered spending her whole life in seclusion and now she laid in a hospital bed. As she began to close her eyes, she let her thoughts drift back to Alyssa. She hoped that she wasn''t too badly injured from the concrete slab...

 Chapter 15

    Lyria glanced at the clock displayed on the monitor in front of her. Half the day was already gone. She expected Marcus to take his time at the hospital but she was hoping he would have been just a little quicker. Hopefully he had remembered the way to their operations center. It wasn''t hard to miss, being one of the largest buildings in Celestia, but for a newcomer it was possible.


    As she went back to surfing through some files, she heard the elevator ding behind her. The large cylindrical chute had stopped on her floor, and she could see Marcus through the clear glass on the other side. As the doors opened, he gazed around the room. It looked like something from a futuristic sci-fi movie. The floors were adorned with shiny metal plates, covering up luminescent wires underneath. Thin, modernized desks were lined up around the room, monitors thin as paper attached to them. At the back of the room, he saw Lyria.


    She had her legs folded and a cheerful smile on her face. It was obvious she was proud of the operations center, hoping Marcus would chime in about it. A few moments passed before he took the hint, "This is... advanced. How are you able to maintain this kind of environment?"


    Lyria jumped up out of her seat and spread her arms to frame the room, "First and foremost, welcome to the World Revolutions Alliance, or W.R.A for short. You are now standing in one of the many terminal rooms of the operations center, maintained by Dr. Sukomoto and her staff. Here at the W.R.A., we provide shelter for those in need while advancing our current technology to provide resistance to Helix."


    "Um, I appreciate the breakdown but you don''t have to be so formal." Marcus wasn''t displeased with the presentation, he just didn''t want to feel like he was being freshly recruited into some task force. They planned on offering their assistance, but he wasn''t about to let Generation be directed by someone else.


    "Oh, I apologize. It''s just been awhile since I''ve got to show off the place. People are usually more awestruck when they step in." It was the first time Marcus heard her apologize something. Back in Marlow she had been very standoffish and seemed more like a give or take person. Maybe it was because she was back in her home territory that she appeared so lax now.


    "Yeah well, I''ve seen some things in my time kiddo. You kind of learn to not be shocked so much." Lyria simply nodded her head and sat back down in her seat, motioning with over her shoulder for Marcus to come join her.


    "I was just pulling up the files and going over them again. If you recall, I showed them to you on the datapad but I doubt you took time to actually read them." Marcus didn''t want to admit it, but he had wounded his ego with his immaturity back then. He remembered flinging the pad back to her at first, and finally realized she had only been trying to help all along.


    As Marcus approached the monitor, Lyria was scrolling through a research report that had been locked away deep within the Helix servers. She had pulled it and other files from the servers back when she had worked for Helix, realizing they could be extremely useful in not just finding a way to fight Helix, but to boost morale and bring in supporters from those who wanted to fight.


    Lyria quickly scrolled back to the top of the report and pointed her finger to the name of the document, Project Omega. "Sounds pretty ominous doesn''t it?" The sarcasm in Lyrias voice did nothing to undermine the topic.


    "Project Omega. Is there anything specific in the file?" Marcus felt his curiosity peaked. The name made him think of when they had first started the Alpha project, making him feel slightly uneasy.


    "While there''s no identifying plans that lead me to figure out what it was meant for, I had noticed a name mentioned specifically from within the file." Lyria scrolled partway down the file and pointed at the screen once again. Marcus felt his stomach tighten up. Under the heading, possible subjects, he saw his daughters name, Maple Wright. Lyria scrolled further back up the page and nodded at the log date of the file. It was dated around 1 year before the soldiers had attacked him, Maple and Helen at their home.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    He wasn''t sure what the plans meant, but it at least gave him a reason for what had happened so long ago. "So, I take it this is what made you come looking for us?"


    "Well, we didn''t have much more to go off of besides a name a brief profile of you daughter. It seems that they somehow knew about her little fire ability. Using that knowledge, I simply began monitoring their communication channels. It took a while to pinpoint you guys out, but when I noticed a large number of attacks being reported with some soldiers being burned, I kind of figured it was a good place to start." Marcus felt a worry grow within him. He had never directly reported Maple''s birth during his time serving as an Alpha for Helix, and neither had Helen.


    As he rummaged through his mind for an explanation, Lyria grabbed his attention once more, "I should also mention that the man who was overseeing this project is a man named Faust Nikifor." Lyria quickly pulled up a photograph of the man. While it was less aged, Marcus recognized it right away. It was the same man that had first walked into the Underground and made demands.


    "Well, that explains why he asked for Maple specifically. And you''re positive that there''s nothing in there about the project itself?" Marcus didn''t want Lyria to feel that he didn''t trust her, but there should have been something that at least hinted at what was intended.


    "Well, most of it''s just sample reports on something called the Omega gene. It never tells what it''s for, but if I were to place a bet I would assume that Helix was planning to make a weapon of it somehow. Your daughter must have been the only candidate that possesed the gene."


    Lyria''s explanation made sense, at least to a certain extent. Why create another weapon though? They already had the mass produced Alphas and were hunting down the originals one by one. Why repeat their mistakes once again?


    Lyria clicked off from the file and began to logout from the terminal. "So where to now?" Marcus was aware that there was still more to be done, and wondered where she would take him next.


    "To meet Dr. Sukomoto of course. I already notified her and the rest of your crew. We''ll be meeting her over at the research hangars. She''s always got a habit of showing off her pride and joy to newcomers."


    "Wait, you mean you have aircraft here?" Marcus was surprised at the thought. He could see them keeping the operations center running, but with the dome overhead how would an air based machine have any use?


    "Oh, did I forget to mention that it''s not technically a plane?" Lyria was smiling. She seemed just as eager as the doctor must be. Marcus still felt confused at her statement. What else could a hangar possibly be used for?


    They took the elevator back down, emerging in the lobby that Marcus had first entered. A young woman had first shown him the way to the elevator, and she was standing back at her desk as they exited the elevator. Marcus gave her a sllight wave, soliciting a soft smile in response. As they left through the front doors, a small black SUV was parked out front.


    Lyria hopped into the drivers seat and started the car. Looking to bring out a little humor, she looked over to Marcus, "Don''t worry. I won''t drive like when I drove the RTHV." Marcus gave a small chuckle and they pulled out, headed in the direction of the hangars.


    A short trip down the main street followed by some turns and they had arrived at a small security gate. In the booth, a tall and lean man stood on duty. Lyria gave him a wave and he nodded, opening the gates allowing them to pass through. As she pulled up onto the small runway, Marcus saw the rest of his team waiting out front of a large hangar.


    Lyria pulled the car up to the doors and shut the vehicle off. Jumping out of her seat, she proceeded past the rest of Generation and beckoned them with her finger. She walked over to a door on the left, and knocked three times. A small but pudgy woman came to the door, seemingly throwing her hands up in excitement. Her dark brown hair was pulled up onto her head in a bun, and a thick black coat covered most of her body. She waved past Lyria to the rest of them, motioning for them to come in.


    As Marcus walked through the doors he turned his attention immediately to his right. In the center of the hangar sat a large machine. It was sleek in appearance, a combination of red and white colors adorning the hull. Marcus clearly recognized it as an airship, technology that had supposedly been banned by Helix back during the inital peace conversion. It was massive in length, but was slim in thickness. Two large wings grew from the sides, turbines placed in the middle of the wings for vertical take off. At the rear, quad thrusters adorned it from one side to the other.


    The rest of the members of Generation gazed on in amazement. Surely this thing wasn''t capable of flight...

 Chapter 16

    Dr. Sukomoto looked at the group before here. They seemed like a ragtag band of heroes you would see in a comic book. She stepped forward, passing by Lyria, "Hello everyone, my name is Maria Sukomoto. I''m the head engineer here at Celestia."


    Each member of Generation nodded their heads in respect and stepped forward to introduce themselves.


    "Name''s Briggs. I specialize in heavy suppression tactics."


    "Hello m''lady. You may address me as Germaine. Much like Briggs I also help with the heavy lifting."


    "Call me Amanda. Let''s just say I''m a sharpshooter."


    "Akatsuya. Reconnaisance and stealth."


    The four stood before her with the poise of veterans. Maria couldn''t tell just who had been through what, but it was obvious they had their hardships. She turned to the last one left, "And I suppose you are the infamous Marcus Wright, correct?"


    Marcus wasn''t sure how to take her address. He wasn''t infamous as far as he knew, but considering how much information Lyria had dug up it was hard telling what kind of reputation preceeded him. He gave her a nod and pointed to the airship, "So, what''s the story with that thing?"


    "That, Mr. Wright, is the pride and joy of my previous research. It is called the Red Wing, an airhsip that was ahead of its time. Capable of rapid transit, stealth engagements and heavy firepower that could level a city."


    Marcus wasn''t sure how to take her enthusiasm. He understood that it had to have taken alot of work to create, but he didn''t feel like she should be so proud of creating something so destructive. It was, after all, the reason that the world had ended up in the shape that it was today.


    "So, if it''s housed inside this hangar and under this dome, how exactly do you plan to ever use it?"


    "Patience Mr.Wright. We have a way. First, I think it''s neccessary that you take time to familiarize yourself with the city and its people. From what Lyria has told me your group lived in the ruins of a city that had long been forgotten. It may take time for you to adjust back to a normal life."


    Marcus felt insulted at her words. Who was she to make a judement on them? It must have been nice to have a dome protecting them and their people. They couldn''t understand what the world was truly like on the outside, no matter what they called themselves. Before he could say anything, he heard Amanda speak up from behind him.


    "So what you''re trying to say is that we''re too out of place for this place?" It was clear that Amanda was pissed at the doctor''s statement. The others seemed to share her feelings as well.


    "Oh no, I didn''t mean it that way at all. I just know you must have been through so much for so long. I only wanted you to feel like you''re welcome here not just as soldiers but as citizens as well."


    Marcus appreciated her apology, but being a citizen wasn''t something they were interested in. While they lived their lives inside this dome, there were lives all around the world that were suffering at the hands of Helix. He felt it was his duty to change that. It had been the only reason he had placed trust in Lyria. She had the means to assist them in that goal, even if it meant being indebted to them.


    "I''m sorry doctor, but we came here to do one thing and one thing only. We appreciate that you''re welcoming us with such open arms, but we didn''t come to live here. We left thos refugees back in Marlow to come here and fight. You said it yourself. We''re soldiers, but that''s all we will be."


    "I understand. I''m sorry if I offended the rest of you. I guess we just have our different views of how to correct what is wrong. We too have an unmatched desire to bring down Helix, but we also would like to try and restore a little of what a normal life is to the people. They''ve become so used to living from day to day that they''ve never had time to think about what it''s like to sit back with their families and enjoy their lives."


    Marcus could understand where she was coming from, but for him, his hatred of Helix ran deeper. He had also never had been able to live thinking of the future with his family, nor would he ever get that chance. Maple was all he had left and would be all he would ever have left.


    "I understand your point doc, but I think I speak for the rest of us when I say that it''s just not for us. We''ve all lost stuff along the way. Family, friends, comrades, everything. We''re going to lay down our lives if we have to in order to bring Helix to its knees."


    Maria nodded, motioning to Lyria that she had said everything that needed to be said. The doctor returned to the Red Wing and took a seat at a panel that was wired into the machine, most likely diagnostics and fine tune settings. Lyria motioned for the rest to walk outside, and they all left the hangar.


    Back outside, there were now multiple vehicles lined up where Lyria had parked. "Figured you guys could use a lift. I went ahead and called so you wouldn''t have to walk."


    In addition to Lyria''s vehicle, there were two more of the SUVs lined up. At the driver side of the other two were soldiers, black balaclavas covering their faces. They were dressed in black battle dress uniforms and had a standard kevlar helmet. On the right shoulder of their uniforms was a red patch that read W.R.A. outlined in yellow. For an armed resistance movement, they appeared to be very professional.


    "Two to a vehicle. I wouldn''t suggest putting Briggs and Germaine in the same vehicle either. I''m not sure that the car could take the weight." Lyria gave a small chuckle at the statement. While she meant it as a joke it could have very possibly been the truth.


    <hr>


    The convoy pulled up in front of a large, multi level building that had been placed across the street from the operations center. As they came to a halt, the soldiers hopped out and opened the doors for everyone. "Professional and well mannered huh?" Marcus was slowly beginning to see potential in the idea of joining forces with the W.R.A.


    As Lyria hopped out, she motioned to the building behind her, "This here is the barracks. It''s where you guys will be staying and where our forces stay as well. It houses our weaponized vehicles, armory and ration supply for our men and women."


    "About that. Who trained your soldiers? You don''t generally get that kind of conduct from a civilian you just hand a gun to." Marcus had a right to show concern. This went beyond the general aspect of simple organization. This seemed more like paramiltary than anything else.


    "That, is a very good question. One that I''m not sure if you will necessarily like." Marcus raised his eyebrow in hesitation. Just when he was beginning to trust her, Lyria pulled her truth in the shadows trick again.


    "Listen, I''m not sure that you''re getting it. If we''re supposed to work with you then you need to be fully upfront and honest with us."Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Well...just don''t go on a rampage or anything."


    Marcus was definitely cautious now. What reason would she have to say that?


    "The truth is, most of our soldiers here are former Helix soldiers. Before you freak out at that, I can explain." Marcus didn''t know what to say. While it explained the organized structure the W.R.A. seemed to have, he definitely was no longer onboard the idea of working with them. He suddenly felt a sense of danger. Had they been lured into a trap? HIs mind suddenly raced to the thought of Maple being alone at the hospital.


    "Before you go barging off thinking you''ve walked into some kind of ambush, I promise you, that is not the case. It is as I said, they are former soldiers. Emphasis on the former. They''re more or less renegades, failures you might say. That or we disabled the control chips placed in their brains. We gave them the ability of autonomy and in return, the majority of them wanted to return the favor through their service."


    "You said majority of them. What about the others?"


    "Well, not all of them are going to have the same ill feelings toward their creator. They''re still human after all. They chose not to come with us. I assume that they wandered off in search of a purpose or some probably tried to go back to Helix. With the chip disabled however, they wouldn''t be able to return. The other soldiers would be unable to identify them as friendly and would shoot them on site."


    Marcus and the rest of Generation still felt on guard. The idea sounded absurd. They all knew that the soldiers of Helix were cloned an modified to follow all their orders, like drones to a queen. They had always seen them as enemies. The thought of them now being allies didn''t settle too well.


    "So you expect us to trust these soldiers, who turned on their own forces in the first place? How do you know that they won''t suddenly change their minds?"


    "Well, we trusted them, and thanks to them, we''ve managed to keep Celestia safe and allow people to live here. As far as changing their minds go, you trusted me did you not? How did you know that I wouldn''t change my mind and decided to leave you back in the Underground?"


    "We didn''t have a choice. We had to trust that you would show or we would die."


    Lyria gave a smirk at Marcus'' response, "There you go. We didn''t have a choice either. People couldn''t simply protect this town. We needed something more to protect us. It was thanks to Dr.Sukomoto that we were able to come up with such a plan. Otherwise, Celestia wouldn''t be standing where it is now."


    Marcus felt his own words come back on him. He now understood their point. Even though their surroundings were much more pleasant, it seemed the people of Celestia had faced the same fears that the refugees of Marlow had. Celestia just had more luck when it came to who their saviors were. He felt a tinge of disappointment in the way he had handled the people of Marlow over the years.


    "Fine, I see you''re point. I can''t promise that everyone else will agree though. We may be a team, but they each have their own feelings on the matter." Marcus turned to face his team behind him.


    Briggs was the first to speak up, "I see her point. I don''t neccesarily like it, but she came through for us back at Marlow. If she says we can trust them, then what choice do we have? We know that we can''t change anythings by just doing things on our own."


    Amanda was the next to offer her thoughts, "Briggs has a point. I can''t say that I will put my life in danger to rescue one of them, but if they''re able to do their tasks and fight for the same reason as us, they''re allies to me."


    "I agree with the lady. It''s not very sporting to judge one negatively from the actions of others. As she said, they are human beings after all." Germaine''s sense of mannerisms was almost overbearing for the situation they were discussing.


    "I''ll be honest Marcus. I don''t trust the idea. Nonetheless, I was never one to voice my thoughts that much. As long as you can promise me that you feel this is what we should do, I''ll continue to provide my services."


    Marcus felt a warmth come to his heart. All the years he had took to organize Generation had paid off. Sure, there were only a few of them but he knew that based on what they all felt, they had been the right people to reach out to. He felt that now he could finally accomplish what he had set out to do. He turned back to face Lyria and gave a determined nod, "Alright, we''re in. It''s going to take us time to get used to them, but we''ll learn to work with them."


    "Good. On the bright side you won''t have to take time to learn alot of names. We mostly just went down the alphabet giving them a name. Also, I hope you don''t expect alot of personality out of them. They really haven''t had a life like ours. Some of them are still a little...odd. Well, when it comes to being social at least."


    Lyria gave a smile much like the operator of a roller coaster would just before they send their customers off on a wild ride.


    <hr>


    Maple began to slowly come to again. How long had she been asleep this time? Everything around her seemed the same, aside from the light that had been coming through her window. Outside, it had grown dark and the dome that was once shining a vibrant blue was now a deep purple. Scattered across its surface, there were glowing orbs, shining like little stars in a night sky. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.


    The domes color cast a haze over the city, drowing the buildings and streets in a purplish aura. It looked like something out of a fantasy novel. Maple tried to bring herself up out of her bed to look out the window. She gently eased herself up, placing her arms under her with an uneasy tension. She wasn''t sure if they would give out again.


    To her surprise, she managed to lift herself up. She sat upright in her bed, and looked at her arms. She suddenly noticed something protruding from underneath the bandage on her arm. It was a long clear tube and clear liquid was flowing from a pouch that had been hooked up to the bed. How had she not noticed it before?


    She reached down and felt of the tube. It felt like plastic, and she ran her fingers down it, tracing the extent of its length. Inch by inch, she came closer to her arm. As she approached the site where it led under the bandage, she felt a sting when she bumped it. Was it running into her skin? As she started to pull on the tube, something suddenly crossed her mind? Was this something the hospital had placed?


    She looked over at the button her father had pointed out to her. She reach out and thumbed it down. Within seconds a voice crackled forth from the speaker, "One moment, we''ll be right with you." Maple leaned back and waited patiently.


    The door to her room eased open and a woman stepped inside, dressed in all white clothes. She walked over to Maple, a smile on her face. "Yes dear, what do you need?"


    "Um, there''s this thing in my arm. It kind of hurts, so does it need to be there?" Maple felt a little dumb after she heard what she had asked. She sounded like a little kid who was just learning for the first time.


    The nurse gave a small chuckle at Maples ignorance and offered an explanation, "That dear is what''s called an IV. It puts fluid and nutrients back into your body as well as medicine. It helps you heal quicker. It wouldn''t be very good if you tried to pull it out."


    IV? Maple wasn''t familiar with the term but she knew what medicine was. Most Alphas never required it due to the mutations in their body, but her father had told her before that sometimes an Alphas abilities could cause injuries bad enough that their natural healing wasn''t enough at times. "I must have had some pretty bad injuries then."


    "Yes dear, that''s correct. Your arms were in pretty rough shape when they brought you in. Is that all you''re needing?"


    Maple gave the woman a nod, but a thought suddenly crossed her mind, "Um, I forgot. There is one more thing. My friend was also hurt. I remember carrying her onto our transport, but I don''t know what happened after that. My dad said she was here in the hospital."


    The woman felt a weight bear down on her chest. Had they not told her yet? "Um, well yes. She is in this hospital."


    Maple felt her heart jump. She couldn''t keep her mind off the thought that Alyssa was seriously hurt, "Um, can you tell me where to go so I can see her? I''d like to check on her."


    "Dear, I don''t think that that would really be a good idea. I mean, she is here in the hospital, but...well her body is. She was gone before they brought you in."


    Maple felt her heart sink. Surely the woman was mistaken. Alyssa had just closed her eyes when she had lain her on the table. Maple suddenly felt a pain shoot through her head, her memories beginning to flood back to her. She looked at her arms. She had remembered what had happened to them, what she had done. She thought back to Alyssa, but instead of anger this time, she felt pain. Her chest hurt, her mind swirled. She felt a hot tear roll down her cheek.


    "Dear, are you alright? Do you need me to do anything?" The woman was concerend about Maple. She had been warned to keep her calm considering her condition. It wasn''t fair though to let her go on thinking that her friend was alright. It was cruel.


    "No. I don''t think I''ll need anything. That''s all." Maple heard her own words. They were shockingly calm, the anger she had first felt fading into despair. Alyssa was gone, and she now realized that. It didn''t mean it hurt any less though.


    As the woman left the room, she could hear Maples sobbing from outside the closed door...

 Chapter 17

    Char stood in front of his men. Not a single one budged, standing firm waiting for his address. The look on Chars face was definitely not something to take lightly. He was scowing, displeased in both what he had heard and the result of their attempts. He turned to face Faust, who was no longer bearing his usual grin that made him look creepy.


    "I take it you are upset with us Mr. Director?" Faust was obviously displeased in the outcome as well, but he feared what sort of backlash his approach would bring. Yes, Char had given the order not fire unless fired upon, but that wouldn''t have worked. Faust had taken his own initiative, hoping the shock value would be enough to make them surrender. Instead, he had fueled their escape and angered his commander as well.


    "Is it true what I heard? You executed a child in front of them?"


    "Yes sir. That is correct."


    "Why?" Faust lingered on the question. He could answer honestly that he didn''t put any value in the refugees lifes, but he knew that would bring even more backlash. Knowing that Char wasn''t there to witness it with his eyes, he played that to his advantage.


    "Sir, they were already threatening to use the hostages against us. I knew that if we showed that we had no concern for them they would abandon the idea." It was a farfetched lie, but Faust knew that Char might bite on it. It made logical sense in his mundane sense of justice. Sacrifice one to save the others.


    "So you''re telling me, that the Alphas, who were actively protecting the refugees, suddenly turned and used them as shields? I''m sorry Faust, but you can''t expect me to believe that."


    "But si-"


    "You''re hereby relieved of command and will be facing suspension. You will return to the Helix tower and continue assisting the staff there. I will handle this ordeal on my own from here on out." Faust felt his temper flare. Who was he to reprimand him? Sure, he may be the director, but Helix would have been nothing if Faust hadn''t of contributed to the research.


    "Char, don''t you think that''s a little harsh? I am, after all, the one that began the search for the girl. I''m even the one that heads the project we need her for."


    "You have a point Faust. You are the one that heads that project. We can''t have you putting your life in jeopardy out here can we?" Faust stung with regret. He shouldn''t have said anything in the first place about the project. This did present him with a counter argument however.


    "But sir, if I''m to stay in the safety of the tower then what about you? You are our director and chairman after all."


    Char considered Faust''s statement. If he was to argue that Faust needed to stay for safety, he couldn''t side on a different front for himself. It was reckless of him to lead the assault as he had in his Wolf, but he didn''t expect their transport to be as heavily armed as it was.


    "Fine. You have a point Faust. I''ll bring out one our operatives then. Why don''t we call in Kirsch?"


    "Sir, you don''t mean Kirsch Vossel do you? You''re just as likely to be in danger being around him as much as you are fighting directly."


    Kirsch was one of the first humans to undergo experimentation for the Alpha program. Unfortunately, it wasn''t perfected at the time, and Kirsch suffered a horrible accident. The excess iron that was put into his body for the process became defective, being pushed out of his body. What was left was a man in constant pain, his cutaneous layer of skin covered in metal shrapnel. Despite his defect, his body had been strenghtened by the process, and he continued to work with Helix. He soon became one of their most feared captains.


    "Yes, I mean that one. Despite his brutish appearance, we happen to get along quite well. He was one of the first people to accept my vision for the future after all."


    Faust had no choice. He was going to have to return a failure. That didn''t mean he couldn''t assist from there either. A thought suddenly crossed his mind as well. If the director is absent from the tower, then maybe there were some things he could poke his nose into to further his research. He nodded to Char, and began walking back to their base.


    "Oh, one more question Director."


    "What is it Faust?"


    "That transport. Did it look familiar to you at all perhaps?" Char thought about the transport he had engaged in combat with. The weapons were far too advanced to have been crafted by a simple group of rouges. It required complex thinking and engineering. Only one person with talents to those extremes came to mind.


    "It was Sukomotos wasn''t it?" Fausts grin returned to his face once more. So Char hadn''t forgotten about her. That was good for them, because it meant they knew where to look to next. Even if it would be a hard fought fight.


    <hr>


    Marcus and the others toured through the barracks. There was nothing particularly special about them. It was a standard living house for soldiers, divided into sections with stacked beds. On the side of the barracks was the W.R.A. armory. Inside, various weapons and ammunition could be found, in addition to a shooting range if one felt their aim was getting rusty.


    As they walked through the facility, they felt the soldiers taking glances at them. They seemed just as suspicious of Generation as they had been at first. It was only natural though, as these soldiers were never accustomed to what a normal life was. Instead, they had been raised to fight, looking to return the favor to their creators.


    As Lyria brought them down one of the halls, she pointed to two divisions on each side of the hallway. "These will be your rooms. Inside, you''ll find W.R.A. fatigues as well as hygiene supplies and a bed for each of you."


    Marcus glanced inside of the rooms. There were two stacked beds in each room with a singular bed having been placed for accomadation. Each member looked over their new homes with a bit of reservation. While the Underground hadn''t been exactly what you would call spatious, these rooms were smaller. They were only barracks though.


    "If the clothes don''t fit, please bring it to my attention. And yes Briggs and Germaine, we have sizes that will fit you. You two have the room on the right with Akatsuya. The three on the left will be Marcus, Amanda and Maple whenever she is released from the hospital." Marcus had tried to keep Maple out of his mind for the time being. He knew she wouldn''t take Alyssas passing so easily, and dreaded going over it with her.


    "Now, while the rest of you make yourselves at home, I''d like to speak with Marcus." What did Lyria want this time? The rest of Generation nodded and made their way into the room . On the right, Akatsuya claimed the top bunk while Germaine and Briggs fought over who would get the bottom bunk versus the single bed. Amanda proceeded into the other room and pointed to the singular bed. Marcus gave her a nod, affirming that he was fine with that arrangement.


    Lyria grabbed Marcus arm and drug him back outside and pointed back at the hospital. "About Alyssa, we have arrangements if you would like to go that route. I know it probably isn''t the preferable idea of a resting place, but we can bury her here if you wish." Marcus had yet to give it much thought, but he knew there was no way to bring her back. She was gone.


    "Yeah, I think that would be best. I''d like to talk to Maple first. It was the cause of her eruption in the first place." It was better that Alyssa was buried here than in the middle of nowhere anyways. At least they would be able to come back and visit her once they finished the task that lay before them.


    "Yeah, that would probably be best. I know I didn''t really get to meet her, but she seemed like a nice young lady. I''m sorry for your guys loss." It was odd. Marcus had noticed it before in the operations center, but Lyria seemed to have dropped her sassy attitude towards the members. It was a reminder that everyone was who they were at first glance. He thought of how they had treated her as enemy when she first appeared but now she was their greatest ally.


    "Thanks. If you don''t mind, I''d like to go back to the hospital and check on Maple again. I''m assuming by the tone of the dome above us that it''s nigthttime?"


    "Yes, glad you noticed. The dome changes shades of intensity as the day passes. It doesn''t only protect us, but it helps decorate this city as well. Enough about that though. I''ll take you back to the hospital." The two jumped into Lyrias SUV, driving off towards the hospital.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    After a short drive, Lyria pulled around the front of the hospital, parking her suv in a reserved space near the front. The two hopped out but Lyria stopped short of the entrance, "Um, do you want me to accompany you to see her or would you prefer that I hang back?" Marcus was glad that Lyria respected their boundaries and relationships, but he didn''t mind if she was there. They would have been more losses if she hadn''t come through for them.


    "Sure, you can come along. It might help Maple to sit down and talk with someone else besides me anyways." Lyria gave a nod and the two proceeded into the hospital.


    <hr>


    Maple turned from the window as she heard her door open. She was now standing and had been gazing out at the cityscape when the sound of the turning handle broke her daze. From behind the door, Marcus poked his head in. He had a pleasently surprised look on his face, most likely at seeing Maple walking so quickly. It had only been half a day since she had awakened.


    Maple gently raised her hand in a casual wave when she noticed somebody else step through the door. Lyria poked her head out from behind Marcus and gave Maple an enthusiastic wave. Maple gave a gentle smile back but turned her attention back to her father. They did have things to discuss after all.


    "Dad, about Alyssa. Why didn''t you tell me sooner?" Marcus didn''t know how to answer the question. He could see the redness around Maples eyes, signs that she had been crying recently. Her face was sunk in, almost corpse like. Alyssas death was defintely taking a toll on her.


    "Um, I''ll be honest Maple. I didn''t know how to tell you. You ended up losing control last time, and I didn''t want you to hurt yourself futher." Marcus wasn''t sure if she had remembered everything that happened, but something had definitely changed in what time he had been gone. He was glad to see her body beginning to heal, but he was doubtful that her mind had.


    "The nurse told me about Alyssa. It''s ok though. I''m going to make sure they pay. Every last one." Marcus felt his stomach drop. The way she had stated that, along with the sinister grin on her face told him that Maple was far from recovering. In fact, it seemed she had let her mind dip into an abyss that might be impossible to climb from. He couldn''t tell her that they wouldn''t avenge Alyssa, but turning everything into a bloodbath wouldn''t solve their issues.


    Marcus felt Lyria slip past his shoulder, cautiously approaching Maple. She extended a hand, resting it on Maples shoulder. "Hey, I know how you feel. We''re going to right everything wrong they''ve caused in this world, but simply killing them all won''t make it go away. I''m sorry about your friend, but letting that hatred drive you is just going to get you killed too."


    Maple slowly turned her head to meet Lyrias eyes. "What the hell do you know? You worked for them, had a nice home, had a nice city. We''ve never had nothing thanks to them. I couldn''t have a mother, I couldn''t have siblings. The closest thing I had was Alyssa and they took that too. Why shouldn''t I let it drive me? The more I let it burn the stronger my powers are. I can use that to burn their world to the ground."


    Lyria felt a sense of dread come over her. She had figured the events that transpired would change Maple, but she never thought it would push her to this extent. It was almost as she was the walking incarnation of hate and tragedy altogether, waiting to lash its fangs out at the world at any time. Lyria steeled herself and reapproached, "Maple, you may think that because I worked for Helix that I never saw their crimes against the world. Those crimes are what drove me to leave though and make a stand against them. You''re not the only one that''s suffered, nor will you be the last if we don''t do something. However, we have to get the people on our side and realize that we can make a change. If we go through your approach, they''ll just fear Alphas even more than they do now."


    Lyria hoped her rationing would break through to Maple, but it seemed to only go through one ear and out the other. She contined to have that deep, dark look in her eyes. Lyria gently pulled her hand back, and looked to Marcus for help. He walked over, wrapping his arms around his daughter, "Maple, I know we''ve lived an unfair life. Killing them isn''t going to change it though. We need to bring them down not just with violence, but justice as well. If you go about killing them without showing why, we''re showing that we''re nothing but murderers, villains who seek to enforce their ways through bloodshed. We would be just like Helix. Just think, if we stop them and fix everything, nobody else in the world will have to go through what we have. They''ll get to keep their mothers, have siblings, have families, live in nice homes. Don''t you want to bring about that change?"


    Her fathers words echoed in her mind. Could they bring about that change? Would it really be possible to combat that fear that people had of Alphas and truly make a change? She cast the thoughts from her mind. She had already lost too much. She wasn''t willing to bet something of that scale on the idea of justice. If it was so reliable then why had it fell in the first place?


    "I''m sorry Dad, but I don''t think your way works. I think mine would be better." The words haunted Marcus. Maple had never really defied his way of going about things, and this was not a great time to make that change. He had always let her have freedom in her views of the world, but he knew she was going down a path she would never be able to return from. He felt desperation kick in.


    "Maple, please listen. You''re still under too much stress right now. Why don''t you go lay back down and get some rest?" He hoped that maybe if she got some more rest and recovered more, her mind would return to her in a clearer way. With what had happened, it probably felt like everything was shrouded in fog to her, peeking out from a frosted window.


    "Yeah, I probably do need to rest. Sorry for startling you Dad. I guess I just haven''t fully woken up yet." Coming from a normal person, Marcus would have shrugged it off, but the sinister smile was still on her face. He didn''t know what to do. Surely no parent had to go through this, but there was nothing he could do but leave her be for the time being and see if she began to improve as time passed. He motioned to Lyria to step out with him, and the two left, Maple staring in a daze at the ceiling.


    Outside, Marcus shut the door and turned to Lyria. Before he could say a word she spoke first, "Marcus, I''m sorry. I swear, I told the staff to not let her know about Alyssa until you felt she was ready." Marcus wanted to yell at her, to say it didn''t matter how sorry she was. He knew, however, that it wouldn''t have changed anything. Maple was going to take it hard regardless of who told her and when. He just didn''t expect her to crack.


    "Don''t worry about it. Hopefully it will fade as time passes. I remember when she found out the truth about her mother she went through a similar spell. I shouldn''t be too surprised with how rough her life has always been. Most of the stuff I saw as a soldier she saw as a child. I only wish there was some way to change it."


    Marcus folded his hands over his face. Not wanting to show his weakness, he covered his tears with his palms. He tried to remember the last time he cried. Helen. At least, when he knew that it had been too long for her to escape, he had shed tears. He suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around him, a face bury in his stomach. A muffled voice came from beneath him, "Um, this is out of character for me, but we don''t really need the heroic Marcus Wright to be crying do we? I mean, it would probably hurt morale if they saw this. I''ve only known you and your team for a short time. Most of it was a nervous standoff and shouting orders at you guys to shoot, but... I really am glad your team is here. We''ve held out for so long but we''ve never been able to launch our own offensive. If you can do what you did in Marlow, I''m positive we can inspire others to take up arms and join us. With that strong of a force, we can change the world to be better for everyone. That way, nobody will have to live like you and Maple, nobody will have to lose anyone."


    Marcus didn''t know how to respond. He felt his breath at a standstill, his demeanor faltering further. He was never one to need support from others, Helen being the only one that had ever went out of her way to nurture his emotions. He felt alienated from the idea that a stranger could share the same passion that he had to bring justice back into the world for not just the people, but the Alphas as well. Yet, tightly wrapped around him at the moment, was one such person that had that same passion.


    He felt her grip loosen as she stepped back and heard her rummaging through her pockets. Within seconds he felt something soft being shoved into the crease between his hands and face. It was a handkerchief. "There you go big guy. Why don''t you take some time to get yourself together? We''re gonna have alot of work to do." Marcus grasped the handkerchief and wiped his eyes. He nodded to Lyria, and she gave back a warm smile. She walked past him and down the hall, calling out as she went, "Just come find me in the operations center in the morning. We''ll go from there."


    Maple closed her door back shut. During their discussion, she had creaked it slightly ajar and peered from within. She wasn''t surprised at how her father had handled her reaction. He had always been one for the idea of chivalry and that justice should reign supreme for the equality of all. She had decided that wasn''t the case for her.


    She looked at the armwraps, the bandages clinging to her skin like leeches. She slowly began to unravel them, careful to loop them under the IV that was ran into her. Piece by piece, she felt the air run to her arms, snaking their way across the flesh. The skin on her arms and hands had grown a shade darker from the burns, giving it a similar appearance to the texture of bark. It creased and folded it way to her fingers.


    She looked at the IV that ran ino her arm. She ran her fingers around the tube, pressing down to find its depth. The pain in her arms no longer hurt the same way as before. While they still stung, it felt like her body was eager for her power to reawaken. She grasped the plastic tube, and began yanking it out. Inch by inch, the IV slithered its way out, coating itself in blood as it regressed. Maple gave it a quick tug as it hung up, and it tore loose from her arm, dangling across the floor, fluid still flowing from it.


    Maple looked at the hole that was left in her arm. Blood flowed freely from the wound, tracing its way down her forearm and hand, dripping like a leaky faucet from her fingers. Yet, the hole in her arm didn''t hurt. Instead, she felt a warmth go up the length of her arm. It felt as if her body was speaking to her. She held her hand over the hole and pressed down firmly. Her hand suddenly flickered into a warm glow, flames dimly sprouting up. Instead of pain, she only felt warmth. Her skin remained intact, feeling a tingling sensation pass over the spot under her hand.


    Maple pulled her hand from the wound and gazed it. It had completely closed up. Her skin on her arms suddenly began to peel back, a gentle flame cloaking her appendages. She braced for the pain to follow, but just like with the hole, a tingling sensation ran up the length of her arms. She watched in amazement as the skin flaked away, dropping like ashes. Underneath, a smooth skin coat shined in greeting. It looked like the skin had been freshly grown anew. Maple extened her distorted smile. Finally, something had changed for the better...

 Chapter 18

    Marcus awoke to the sound of a knocking on his door. The room had no windows, so he wasn''t sure what time it exactly was. He pulled himself from his bed and staggered over to the door. The door popped ajar and a hand thrust through the opening. "Wait, are you properly dressed?" Marcus recognized the voice right away. It was Lyrias. Why ask that question after she opened the door?


    "Yeah, you''re good to come in. Is there something you need?"


    "Well, yeah. It''s like 7 a.m. You''re the only one that didn''t come out of their room. We''ve got business to discuss remember?"


    Marcus felt shocked. He was never the kind to sleep in or be the last to rise. He had always had too much responsibility for that. Was it because he had been so stressed from last night?


    He quickly pushed the door open and was greeted by Lyria, arms crossed with a foot tapping out an impatient rhythm on the stone floor. She motioned with her finger and quickly began pacing her way down the hallway. Marcus followed suit, making their way to the operations center.


    As they entered through the front entrance, they were greeted by the rest of Generation as well as Dr. Sukomoto. Briggs quipped at Marcus, "Rise and shine hey sleepyhead? About time." Marcus waved him off as Dr. Sukomoto approached them.


    "As you all now, we here at the W.R.A. aim to stage a revolution at Helix. By gaining public favor since our institution, we have strived to bring the population over to our side as well as amass enough weapons and tech to dive straight into the heart of their operations. I believe that with the help of Generation, we will be able to accomplish that."


    Marcus and the others sported a look of confusion. They had only barely been here longer than a day and they already had plans that aimed this high? He wasn''t sure what they were up to specifically, and the lack of information made everyone feel nervous. It seemed foolhardy to jump in with such few resources.


    "I can see some of you are worried. Allow me to crush those for you." Lyria pointed to a large wraparound display to their left. On the screen, there were five displays set up around it. Each one was roughly the same size as the others, all flashing the phrase, "awaiting approval." Lyria stepped over to the console next to the screen and pressed a few keys followed by a prompt stamp on what Marcus assumed was the enter key.


    The screens suddenly flashed, followed by the apperance of a visual and audio feed from each. On the top left screen, a grim looking man stood at rest. He wore a half face mask, a military beret promptly placed on his head. Only his chest up remained showing, and Marcus recognized the uniform right away. He had been an initial Alpha force member like Marcus had been. The black and grey uniform had lost its luster that it had first possessed when issued, but it still remained iconic.


    On the top right, a woman was positioned in a similar fashion. Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, leaving her narrow face to be the main focus. Her left eye was covered by an eyepatch, the W.R.A. acronym sewn into it. Her shoulders were narrow, a blue sweater mocking the serious tone of her face.


    For the third, it was filled with the view of a tall man with white hair, slicked back across the entirety of his head. His mouth was hidden behind a well groomed mustache, the strong face of a veteran warrior completing his look. Like the others, only from the shoulders up was showing. Metal plates laid across the length of his shoudlers, a large black trench coat encompassing the rest of his body.


    On the fourth screen was the final person in view. A short woman with surprisingly bright green hair struggled to make it to neck level on the camera. A pair of goggles were strapped across her head, the lenses also having a shade of green tint. Her face looked young, just barely that of an adult.


    Finally, on the fifth monitor, there was four panel split with a view of a city on each. Judging from the appearance of each panel, they were of different cities. In the background of each, a dome similar to the appearance of the one covering Celestia could be seen. Marcus wasn''t quite sure at who or what he was looking at. He felt that he knew where they were going from here though.


    "On the top left, we have Kane Rogers, leader of the Silver Rouges. When we came across his organization, they took up arms with the W.R.A. and have fought for us since. The dome you see on the top left is the one covering their settlement, Apex." Lyria graced Generation with a smile. She was happy to see them so surprised.


    "What, you didn''t think that Celestia was actually the only place to have a dome like this? War was worldwide, so of course there would be other cities that had the same defense strategy. They were built by the same engineers after all." Marcus looked at Dr. Sukomoto, who was also grinning from ear to ear.


    "On the top right we have Amelia Barnett, leader of the Beholders. Much like the Silver Rouges, they joined the W.R.A. under the pretense to help us take the fight to Helix. They stand guard over the city of Noire. In the bottom left, we have former general David Kelcher, leader of Blitzkrieg. They were an instrumental force in providing us with weapons and supplies and have since become a crucial part of the W.R.A., standing guard over the city of Bastion. Finally, we have Ms. Mint Evergreen. I can''t promise you that it''s her real name, but it''s what she goes by." The girl on the bottom right gave a hushed giggle and a slight wave.


    "Evergreen commands the Sages, a group responsible for causing all kinds of issues for Helix. They joined up with us shortly after the Silver Rouges and stand guard in Astral city. With the introductions out of the way, I''d like you all to meet your new comrades." With Lyria''s statement, each person on the screens took a bow. Marcus felt overwhelmed. He looked at the rest of his crew, who were also as surprised as he was. They had no idea that such an organized resistance existed. How long had they lived in the dark about this?


    "I have a question." Akatsuya had stepped forward, possibly troubled by something. "You claim to be an organized faction, consisting of the multiple groups before us. Yet, how have you managed to stay organized under the thumb of Helix. Surely they would have taken notice by now." He raised a valid point. Marcus had scrambled over the years just to organize a group like his without drawing an all out assault from the corporation.


    "Again, you assume things. Helix is very well aware of our presence. However, thanks to the domes and our considerable force, they can''t risk an all out attack on our own turf. Therefore, they have mostly left us be, save for the occasional skirmishes outside the domes of the cities."


    "What she says is true Marcus." Kane had spoken up across the monitor. Marcus and Briggs instantly picked up on the voice. While the mask had hid his face, there was no denying that tone. It was the same Kane that had originally served in the unit Marcus and Briggs were in long ago. It was comforting to see he had been able to live this whole time. When the exile of the original Alphas had began, most had went their separate ways. It was only by change that Marcus and Briggs had been reunited after fleeing to Marlow.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "Kane, it''s good to hear your voice. Nothing more uplifting than hearing an old friend after a long time." Kane gave Marcus a nod, sharing the comraderie. Lyria quickly grabbed everyone''s attention, not waiting for the others to speak up.


    "Moving on, I''d like to discuss our plans of action. First, as I had made you all previously aware, we uncovered the Omega Project. While we were unsure as to what its intentions were, we have now disabled that strategy as we hold the subject in question in our care. Maple Wright was recovered along with Marcus and his team, Generation. With the project no longer a prospect, I feel that we now have an upper hand."


    Everyone saw a side of Lyria that they were unaware of. Her snarkiness had dissipated, replaced instead by the presence of a commander well experienced in the field of strategy. The others stood by patiently listening, captains listening to their general.


    "With the acquisition of Generation, I feel the time is ready to reveal our intentions to the rest of the world. It will, without a doubt, trigger an armed response from Helix but if we don''t strike now we may come to blows with another obstacle like Project Omega. If we show that we can make a stand, we may inspire others to do so and target other outlets of Helix wordwide."


    Something still wasn''t making sense to Marcus or the others. How were they going to inspire the world? There was no way for their actions to reach out across the areas controlled by Helix, and even the word did spready Helix would have a failsafe to shut down such an uprising. They didn''t rule over everyone just by pure luck.


    "Um, Lyria. This applies to the doctor as well. How are we supposed to inspire the world exactly? We have no way of showing our actions. We''ll be as easily forgotten as yesterday unless we topple Helix completely."


    Lyria and the doctor both grinned at each other. "So you''re telling me it still hasn''t set in? Look back at how we''re communicating right now. While we''re running on signals sent between the dome cities, you think I didn''t leave a hole in the system when I worked for Helix?" Marcus slowly began to realize what the magnitude of their plan truly was. Had she left some way for them to manipulate Helix themselves?


    "I can establish a direct communication network across any cities and areas controller by Helix. This includes their bases, prisons, internment camps, protected establishments, slums, etc. We can be a voice that will be simultaneously heard across the world all at once."


    The brashness of the statement shocked Generation. Above on the screen, the man that had been addressed as David Kelcher left forth a chuckle. "So, I see that the aptitude of our little organization has actually rattled you Amanda." The mans voice suddenly became familiar in Amandas mind. It was her former commander back in her anti-terrorism days. His name had changed, but his way of speaking to her had not.


    "Commander, is that actually you?" He had aged quite a bit since she had last saw him, his jet black hair turning white, the moustache sheltering what was once a clean shaven face. She was aware he had underwent the Alpha process as well, but had left the task force shortly afterwards. It was the last time she remembered seeing him.


    "In the flesh. Although I have looked a little worse for wear since I was last in charge of your forces." It was odd that Generation had so much common ground with the captains, but Marcus felt it only meant they were truly destined to be here.


    "So Marcus, before we continue. I heard you had a daughter. I suppose Helen had talked you into that huh. Where is she now by the way?" While the mask hid his mouth, Marcus could see the outline of his smile behind it. How was he supposed to answer that?


    "She...she uh, didn''t make it. As for my daughter...she''s not doing so well right now. Lyria was kind enough to allow us to admit her to the hospital." Kane felt a sting of regret at his question. Marcus and Helen had been inseperable since they were assigned to one anothers unit. He couldn''t imagine what Marcus had went through trying to raise Maple on his own.


    "I''m sorry for asking. Shall we continue Lyria?" Kane felt it was best to get off the subject right away. He was glad to see his friend once more, and didn''t want to bring back painful reminders.


    "The plan stands as follows. We''ll ready all our soldiers and march on Helix Tower. With the transports that we have all acquired, we should have no issues being able to take up a front in the town of Loredo, just south of the Helix central complex. Before we begin our march, we''ll make a worldwide broadcast announcing our intentions. With luck, we''ll draw a large majority of Helix forces into an armed conflict. Using the Red Wings firepower, we should have no problem decimating their initial forces."


    "Wait, you''re saying that thing actually flies?" Everyone was shocked. They had simply assumed it was a prototype that had long been unfinished due to the breakdown of the world. When Helix had took control, all weapons manufacturing that wasn''t approved had presumably been shut down. The city of Celestia had been an exception to that.


    "Yes, it actually does. Continuing on, if we can broadcast that conflict, and show that we can gain an upper hand, it should cause the people to break into an uprising. If that occurs, it should scatter the Helix forces even further. This will give us a clear line on Loredo. Our forces will rally there and we''ll stage an assault on the brains of Helix. Their beloved tower. Once there, we''ll throw everything we have at them."


    Marcus pondered on their plans. Would it really be that simple? What if their plans failed to inspire the people? Would they still be able to fufill their goal? The questions swirled through his mind. Suddenly, he found his thoughts focusing on Maple. What would he do about her? He couldn''t just leave her here, but it was too dangerous to bring her on the front lines.


    "If there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to bring them up now." Lyria kept her posture stiff, awaiting the flurry of questions she knew that were going to assault her ears. To her surprise, she only heard one come forth from the silence.


    "What about my daughter? What about Alyssa?" The question hovered in the air, as if it was reluctant to be heard. Lyria turned to face Marcus. She knew he wouldn''t like what she was going to say about Maple, but there was no other choice.


    "When we set out, Maple will remain here. Dr. Sukomoto will look after her as well as the rest of the hospital staff. She may just be an egineer, but she has had experience prior in a medical setting. Hopefully, she will be able to help Maple recover. As for Alyssa, I already told you. She has a burial spot here for her. We only need you give the word to move forward with a service."


    To her surprise, Marcus simply nodded his head. He knew that it was going to be impossible to bring Maple with him. It was best that she would be able to stay here and be provided with care. He thought of how much it would mean to her if they returned victorious. It would avenge Helen, avenge Alyssa and hopefully give Maple peace to carry on with her usual self. Even if the changes would be odd to get accustomed to.


    Silence persisted past her statement, leaving Lyria to carry on. "Since there are no further questions, we''ll carry on. At the later hours of today, I would like to make the broadcast that we discussed. The Red Wing is already ready for flight, leaving only the time needed to gather our forces. By the time we make the broadcast, I expect that Helix will mobilize their forces within three days. At this point, we will set out to meet them, ground forces first engaging their units followed by an attack from above."


    With their plans finalized, each member on the screen gave a nod, their feeds cutting out one by one along with the view of their cities. Lyria turned around to face the team. "I know you guys haven''t had any time to settle in here at Celestia, but I hope you understand that time is of the essence. For all we know, they''ve already figured out that we fled to Helix. While I estimated three days for their largest forces to arrive, they may have already sent out a dispatch to track Maple down. If we don''t do this now, we may not get the chance."


    Marcus and the rest nodded in agreement. Dr. Sukomoto gave them a quick and casual wave, leaving for the hangar. No doubt to make final checks on the Red Wing. The rest of Generation began to disperse, heading back to the barracks. As Marcus went to join them, Lyria grabbed his attention for a moment, "Before you go to discuss things with your teams you should head to the hospital. None of us our sure how, but your daughters injuries are gone. The nurse checked on her in the middle of the night to find that she had pulled her IV out yet her arms had fully healed. I''m not sure what''s happening with her, but I feel you should keep her in check."


    Marcus felt that same sense of dread return from yesterday. How had she healed up so quickly? Before it always took around five days for even the smallest injuries from her powers. With a sense of worry in his heart, he set off for the hospital...

 Chapter 19

    As Marcus entered the hospital, he was stopped by a familiar face. It was the nurse who had been attending to Maple previously. "Ah, Mr. Wright. We just finished releasing your daughter. Her physical condition was in top shape so we didn''t any reason to continue holding her. You Alphas are really something."


    "Where did she go exactly?" How could they have just let her waltzed right out? She may have been physically healed but her mind was far beyond repaired. Had they not noticed it?


    "Oh, we directed her to the barracks. We figured it was best for her to be able to get to her new home right away. One of our workers here actually took her there himself."


    Before the woman could continue, Marcus bolted back out the door and in the direction of the barracks. He wasn''t sure why he was in such a rush. It just felt as if something was wrong. Who knows what she would do in her current mental state.


    After running a few blocks, Marcus made his way into the barracks. As he sprinted down the corridors, he came to a halt as he was greeted by a sight so bizarre that he wasn''t sure how to interpret it. The members of Generation were gathered around Maple, her arms glowing with a gentle blaze. He started to call out to her, but he took a second look. The flame wasn''t burning her or her garments. It only glowed, eveloping her arms in a warmth.


    As he walked up to join the rest of the team, Maple turned and gave a small smile to him, yet said nothing. It wasn''t as eerie as the grin she beared in the hospital, but it still made Marcus feel uncomfortable. Maple gently raised her hand in a wave, channeling the flames into her fingertips. How did she suddenly have so much control over her power?


    "Princess, what happened to your arms? Last time we checked, your powers had nearly baked you alive." Briggs had issued the question that was racing through everybodys mind. Maple slowly turned to him, and reached her arm out. She nodded down to her arm, Briggs approaching with apprehension. As he drew within reach, she grasped his wrist and sent her hand into a blaze. Briggs instinctively tried to reel back, but it quickly faded as he felt no pain.


    Everyone watched in shock as the flame traveled up Briggs arm, somehow still leaving his skin intact and unharmed. As Maple drew her hand back, the flames withered from Briggs arm before smothering out altogether. Nobody could come up with an explanation for what they had just witnessed.


    "How...how did you do that?"


    Maple simply shrugged her shoulders, then clenched her fist. The flames that were drowning her arms suddenly faded out with a whisper. Marcus felt his head reel. What was happening? Why was it happening? Had she finally learned to control her powers, or was something else with graver consequences happening?


    "Maple, are you alright?" Despite the fear he felt, Marcus was still concerned for her. She had only just been on the verge of a nervous breakdown the last time he had seen her. Now, here she stood in a completely different state. The dark and sullen look no longer haunted her eyes, instead replaced by a bright shine.


    Before Marcus could ask any other questions, Maple turned and began approaching him. "I told you Dad, they''re going to pay. It may not be today or tommorow, but it will come." There was the sinister tone Marcus was prepared for. She sounded the same as she did in the hospital. Marcus braced himself, ready for her to break down and lash out again.


    Instead, he was greeted by something unfamiliar. He felt Maple wrap her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. " I know you''re trying your best, but your methods just don''t work for me. We let them get away with killing mom. I can''t let them get away again." Marcus understood her plight, but he couldn''t let her go down that path. Not only would it lead her to nowhere, it would also get her killed, something he couldn''t let happen.


    "Maple, you''ve got to listen. You''re not yourself right now. I told you before, you''re still rattled from everything that''s happened. You just need to rest and let your mind heal." He didn''t know what else to tell her. What he spoke was the simple truth. Maple had always had a hard exterior since her mother died, but he knew that the Maple that used rationing and logic was still there.


    "I can''t Dad. You want to try and reason with them, find a way for everyone to coexist. That can''t work." Marcus felt confusion overtake him. Why did she say them? He had never tried to reason with Helix, nor would he ever. They were a corrupt organization that used violence and bloodshed to keep an upper hand.


    "Maple, I never said that our goal was to reason with Helix. I agree with you, they must pay for their crimes, but just going out and killing everyone we find won''t change that. We''ve been over this."


    "No, not Helix. Humans. You want us to live alongside them. Don''t you get it? It''s because of them that we''re here now. They created us, and now they try to destroy us because they fear us? Why should we try to accomodate them? Humans created Alphas, humans killed mom, humans killed Alyssa, humans created this world. It''s only right that they should be the ones to suffer for it, not us."


    Everybody stood in shock. Maples rebellion against her fathers ideals rocked more than just him. What she was saying was the essence of pure madness. Did she plan to rebel against more than Helix?


    "Maple, you can''t think that. We were all humans at one point. Briggs, Amanda, Germaine, Akatsuya. Even your mother and I were human. How can you possibly blame everything on them?"


    "Why? Because it is their fault. They were tearing their existence apart, so they had to create something greater. Something that could stop them. You told me yourself, they celebrated Alphas when they were first created. You were war heroes, a blessing delivered on the world. You were saviours, even if it was with violence that you brought about peace."


    "We still are heroes Maple. That''s why we''re here. We''re here to show the world that. They need to know that we''re not the monsters that they think we are, that we still fight for them. Helix made it seem like we needed to be hunted down, that we caused the world to be as it is. That we''re just warmongers that had no purpose after the wars came to an end. We have to stay strong and show them the real truth."


    Maple clenched her fist. Why was her father so stubborn. They had fought this whole time trying to achieve that dream and all it had gotten them was death and prosecution. Why bother shielding humans when they were the very reason they were being hunted down?Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Why should we even bother Dad? It was a stupid idea in the first place to believe that we could change their way of thinking. They want us to be monsters, so why don''t we act as such? We should just kill them. At least then we''ll have a reason to live than just being hunted down."


    Her words shocked everyone. This was not the Maple that existed back in Marlow. If this was truly how she felt, it was clear that she had indeed, become a monster. Marcus felt his heart sink. What would Helen do? How disappointed in Marcus she would have been.


    "Maple. If what you say about humans is true, then what of Alyssa?" Akatsuya had raised his voice. Nobody had ever heard him use the tone he had just addressed Maple in. It was dark and heavy, like a stone pillar crushing an insignificant ant under its weight.


    Maple turned to face him, her face distorted into a mixture of scorn and hatred. There were no tears in her eyes at the mention of Alyssa, only rage. "What about her? She was weak, a human. That''s why she died. That''s why she left me."


    Akatsuya paused for a moment. He was beginning to understand where Maples rage was coming from. "Then, if she was weak, why do you have to avenge her? You wanted to kill them because of what they did to her right? If it was her fault that she died, why would you fight for her?"


    "Because...because they have to pay. She was like my sister. I''ve never been able to have anything thanks to their kind. They killed her, so they must be punished."


    "But I thought you just said it was her fault that she died?"


    "It... it was. If humans didn''t exist then she wouldn''t have died." Maple had fallen right into Akatsuyas paradox. The next question he would ask would either break her, or make her come to a realization.


    "Maple, if humans didn''t exist, then we wouldn''t exist. Alyssa wouldn''t exist. You wouldn''t have memories you do have with her, or with your father, or with your mother for that matter. Can you truly say we must kill them to change things?"


    Maple froze. The clearness of Akatsuyas statement shattered her mind like a baseball slamming through a glass window, letting light pour in past the dirty frames. If she killed every human, she may kill ones that were like Alyssa. She thought of children that would be forced to live a life like hers. They would grow up in constant fear, having their families torn from them.


    She fell to her knees, her hands clutching the sides of her head. As she slumped down, she felt a trickle down her face, a warm glow leaving a trail. She was crying again, however, instead of a simple tear, a small glowing trail was being left behind. It was like watching a little trail of napalm slither down her cheek. It didn''t burn, but glowed with the pain that radiated inside her.


    Maple felt her voice break through her sobbing, her mind screaming at the top of its lungs, "Why? Why can''t we just erase them and it solve everything? Why can''t that bring Mom back? Why can''t it bring Alyssa back?"


    It was heartbreaking for everyone to watch. The weight of the world had finally broken her. All the questions she had kept pent up, all the pain, the sorrow, the grief, came pouring out at that instant. Instead of a rage bursting forth from her body, a wailing shine grew from her. The flames that had scorched her for so long now cloaked her in a veil, burning a deep blue with the intensity of the sorrow she felt.


    "I had a feeling that this was going to happen." A voice penetrated the sound of Maples wailing from behind Marcus. Lyria gaited through the door to the lounge room that had been reserved for Generation. Everyone stared at her while Maple continued releasing her grief. They all seemed puzzled.


    "I thought your daughter was special for mroe than just the fact that her abilties manifested in an element. They also seem to be reliant on her emotional state, as we are seeing now. I gave it some thought when they said she had made a full recovery. It made sense that before if she had distanced herself from feelings, she would never be able to control them."


    Marcus thought back to when Maple was a child. Even then, her powers had always been on the renegade side. They would flare out of control. It made sense that her powers were linked to her emotions judging by what he saw, but what did that mean when she was a child?


    "After seeing her in the hospital, I began to suspect she was slowly coming to terms with her feelings for once. Only then did her powers actually work in conjunction with her, instead of hurting her. This also brings me to the next subject, Project Omega. If Faust was onto this idea, I suspect he had some idea of a way to control this to ones advantage. If properly handled, Maple could grow her power to exponential leves, far outpowering any Alpha that has ever existed."


    What Lyria said seemed to make sense to everyone. If what she said was true, and Maples power could be controlled, it could prove to be the most destructive weapon to exist in the hands of the wrong person. They weren''t sure if it was neccessarily a good thing that Maple had become attuned to her power, as it put her at a much greater risk if Helix ever managed to capture her.


    Amidst the ongoing discussion, Maple had managed to stop herself from crying. As she calmed herself, she felt the flames begin to simmer. They still burned a brilliant blue, but they only glowed on as dying embers. She felt her mind slowly coming back to her, her thoughts becoming more coherent as moments passed.


    Wiping the mucous and tears from her face, Maple stood to face Lyria. "You said I could grow my power didn''t you?"


    "Yes, I believe it may be possible as long as you don''t distance yourself from you true feelings. If you deny them, the flames deny you."


    "Then I want to get stronger. Maybe killing humans isn''t the answer, but I still want every member of Helix to pay dearly with their lives." Instead of fury that possessed her before, her voice was replaced with determination. Freed from the shackles of her own bindings, Maple felt herself renewed with a sense of duty. She still didn''t feel that her fathers path was really the right one, but she knew it would lead her to her own goal of vengeance.


    "Sure, we can look into it. First, why doesn''t everyone get some rest tonight? We''ve got a broadcast to make in the morning."


    <hr>


    Char looked down at his datapad. "Commander Vossel has been dispatched to your position and is currently en route." It was staggering how fast he had responded to the call. Before Faust could even make it back to the Tower, Kirsch had already readied his platoon and had set out to regroup with Char. Along with him, he was bringing a repair barge, capable of repairing Chars busted Wolf unit.


    Having taken up camp alongside a canal that ran out of the city, Char took a moment to gaze out at the concrete jungle. Under the night sky, it looked like something out a zombie flick. The deep shades masked the decay of the city, shining down on the long forgotten remains of what was once home to many. The canals remained dry, lined instead with garbage and dirt. It was quite a depressing site.


    As he was lost in thought, a large convoy began approaching on his position from behind. At the front, a large vessel, sleek in ebony black, pushed aside whatever debris stood in the way. Down to its sides were smaller vessels, remniscent of a Rapid Transit Hover Vehicle. These too, were black in color. As they approached the encampment, the convoy roared down to a snails pace before coming to a complete halt.


    The front of the largest vessel slid down and met the ground with a loud clang, hydraulics hissing under the burden of its weight. As the dust began to settle down, a large figure gleamed in the moonlight. It was the figure of a man, grown to an overly disproportionate size. His figure was a hulking mass, his muscles disgustingly large. Flakes of silver shined through the dust cloud, an ill light.


    As he stepped forward off the ramp, the ground shuddered beneath him. All across his body, blades of metal protruded through his black leather uniform. Pauldrons of black steel adorned his shoulders, punctured by the metal that skewered his body. Across his chest was the Helix symbol, a red strand of DNA split apart in the shape of an H. His head and face remained hidden behind a large gas mask, metal sticking out from behind the seals. It was as if he was War incarnate.


    The man walked up behind Char and reached down, placing a large hand that dwarfed Chars down upon his shoulder. With a small but brutish pat, a whispy voice creeped out from behind the mask, "It''s good to be back on the front lines for a change Director."


    "It''s good to have you here again Commander Vossel."

 Chapter 20

    Everyone gathered in the operations center. It was time to become the spark that would light a flame. Lyria stood at the console, Dr. Sukomoto at her side. Behind her, all the members of Generation were gathered around, Maple included. As they had been shown before, the other members of the W.R.A. were pulled up on the screen.


    Lyria turned from the console to face her audience, "Today is the day that we will rally to bring an end to Helix. With this broadcast, we will aim to dethrone them from their tower and give a true life to those who are shackled by their reign."


    Marcus stared on, his dreams moments from being pulled into reality. If this declaration was able to arouse a fighting spirit across the world, it would be the change that everyone had fought for so long.


    "If everyone is ready, I''m going to begin accessing their servers. A video feed will be sent out ot those who are able to receive it while a direct audio feed will be transmitted across a range of frequencies to ensure that we can be heard."


    Maple hesitated for a moment. Glancing down at her radio on her side, she wondered if something so small could hear a proclamation so large.


    "Good. It looks likes everybody is ready. Once we finish the broadcast, we''ll begin loading our transports and Dr. Sukomoto will begin prepping the Red Wing."


    At the end of her statement, Lyria went to work on the console in front of her. Everyone watched as different boxes began to pop up, the chattering of keys drowning out their silence. Within moments, a window stretched out across in front of them, a sort of hologram being displayed from the floor.


    The words "Awaiting Feed" flashed across the blue hologram, flickering every so often. Lyria''s clicking continued on the console, multiple angles jumping to life on the Feed screen. Within moments, the W.R.A. members were being displayed as well as a view of Celestia and the members of Generation.


    Everyone felt their nerves tense up. While word of Generation had spread back when Marcus had first formed the group, this would be their first large scale appearance since their existence. It was exhilirating, but terrifying at the same time.


    As Lyria turned away from the console, she walked into the hologram, passing through it to join the rest of Generation. Behind them, a small display sprang to life, similar to the one in front of them. Instead of seeing themselves however, there were hundreds of images of bases, cities, prisons and other dwellings of the like.


    "Those are all the places that our video feed is transmitting to. You''ll notice that on one you''ll see the Helix Tower. I intend for them to recieve our message loud and clear."


    "You weren''t kidding when you said you were prepared were you?"


    Briggs had took a shot at humorous relief, but it fell flat with everyone. It just wasn''t the time for them to laugh. It was the largest moment of their lives and their purpose. They all felt the weight of the future begin to press down on their shoulders.


    "We''re going live in 5...4...3...2...1..."


    A red lilght suddenly appeared on the hologram in front of them in the upper left. It kept flashing, transmission in progress with a small helical logo spinning next to it. They were definitely broadcasting through the Helix servers. It was like pouring salt in the wound for Lyria. They would die to think that their very servers were being used to announce their downfall.


    "To everyone viewing this and hearing this, I have one thing that you all must hear. We are here to announce our war on Helix. We are the World Revolution Alliance, we are the ones that dare to stand against the might of Helix."


    Marcus felt goosebumps begin to break out across his skin. This was real, this was his dream. Whether it cost them their lives, it didn''t matter. All they truly needed to do was spread the infectious thought of retaliation.


    "For too long we have lived under their thumb. They claim to have brought a peace over the world, but in truth they only brought suffering. They forced us to live as vagrants, clinging to life each day. Only the select few were given the benefit of their peace."


    What Lyria said was every bit the truth. The peace Helix had provided had only been a front to give them power and control. They had grasped they world by the throat and refused to loosen their grip, uncaring if it caused humanity to suffocate.


    "From this day forward, we of the W.R.A. ask that you rise up with us and defy the illusion that Helix has given us. We ask that you stand with us, be you alphas or humans. It matters nothing to us, for we all deserve a better fate than this."


    As Lyria''s speech carried on, Maple felt her heart sink. If only Alyssa had been here to witness this. Her mind drifted away from the current scenario and to what would happen after. Lyria had given them access ot let Alyssa have a proper memorial service. Her body had been preserved and would be buried within the walls of Celestia, laid to rest under the peaceful glow of the dome.


    "Behind me you will see those that have suffered, those that have sacrificed for the better of others. They are Generation, a group of alphas that all once served Helix. They were cast aside by us and we have allowed them to be hunted down. I ask of you, is that truly what we believe in?"


    Lyria turned and faced Generation giving them each a nod, strengthening the comraderie that they shared. They never stood as individuals, but as a whole that shared one anothers losses and pains. Lyria hoped that their image would provoke those watching to become inspired and join them in arms.


    "For the longest time we considered them heroes, our saviors. When Helix decided they were a threat, we simply listened, unable to think for ourselves. We never stopped to consider that Helix was the cause of our current condition, not the alphas."


    Everybody noticed one screen on the monitor behind them that was beginning to show a large amount of movement. It was a sky view of a forced residential community. These had been set in place by Helix where individuals were forced to live and hold daily routines. At first glance, it would look like a small happy town but in reality, it was nothing but a game to Helix. They treated the people there like puppets, stating that if they were given free will they would only lead to self destruction.


    While people were first uncomfortable with this idea, they had little choice when Helix had sent in their goons to enforce this policy. Slowly over time, much like the general hatred of alphas, the idea had become second nature to those living in the communities. They slowly began to accept the ideas as if they were their own. It was also a strong reinforcement when the armed guards appeared to be their protectors rather than their captors.


    There seemed to be a large commotion coming from one of the communities itself. Everyone watched as a large crowd began to gather in the streets. Lyria quickly flipped the feed to display the scene throughout the transmission.


    "See? We are not the only ones that feel this way. Watch as the truth comes to light. Join us as they have and rise up against your transgressors."


    As Lyria continued her speech, everyone watched as soldiers began to face the crowd that was gathering. There was a bustling among the crowd then they slowly came to a halt, an imaginary line dividing them from the soldiers. In a split second, everything changed.


    Shots began to ring out from the soldiers as the crowd charged them. Everyone watched in shock as the bullets tore threw them, scattering chewed up limbs and bodies across the street. Throughout the slaughter, the crowd continued its charge. Marcus felt horror overtake him. Were they so eager to run to their deaths?


    Men, women and children began to litter the streets, their blood creating a river of scarlet as it trickled down the cold stone. Just as it seemed that everything was falling apart, the crowd began to break through the soldier''s defensive line. Slowly they began wrench the guns from their hands, the soldiers unable to fight in close quarters.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Maple watched as the soldiers began to panic. How were they unable to quell such a small uprising? The soldiers began to fall back, firing at whoever they could. Within the panic they began to gun down their own men. Hot lead crashed through skulls, limbs, bodies, anything they could find to strike. The screaming of the guns began to die down as the soldiers began to turn and run.


    The remnants of the crowd seized the opportunity. They began picking up the guns from the soldiers that had been shot down and returned fire. The tide slowly began to change. Through their sheer commitment and spirit, the inhabitants of the community had begun to remove their shackles.


    Lyria turned back to face the camera feed and switched it back to the previous display of everyone. She gazed into the camera before continuing her speech.


    "What you just witnessed was the potential of the change that we can make. We''ve lived so long in fear that we no longer believe we have the power to make a future for ourselves. All I ask is that you do the same and drive Helix out. With the factions that make up the W.R.A., we are announcing that we are going to make a full out assualt on their home, Helix Tower."


    Lyria looked back over her shoulder and motioned to Marcus and Maple to step forward from the group. She definitely had something planned for them.


    "Behind me, you will see Marcus Wright, leader of Generation, and Maple Wright, his daughter. For all of her life she was hunted down by Helix, losing both her mother and closest friend. Helix never bothered caring what that meant to her. They only cared about one thing, the fact that they could use her special ability to further their own power."


    Lyria turned and placed a hand on Maple''s shoulder. As Maple met Lyria''s eyes, she knew what she was asking for her to do. Maple once again channeled the pain she had felt before, her arms slowly beginning to glow with the blue flame. As the flames grew in intensity, Lyria turned back to face the camera.


    "For those of you who are unaware, most alphas have the ability to channel a weapon from their body in some material way. Maple is an exception. Her power eminates in an aura, one that fluctuates on her emotional state. We discovered that Helix had plans to try and extract this power for their own purposes and acted accordingly. With Maple in our hands, they have lost the ability to initiate that plan."


    Marcus felt confused for a moment. Yes, Maple was now out of the grasp of Helix, but how would that inspire anyone to take up arms?


    "The fact that Maple is standing here with us now is proof that they can be beaten. Her and Marcus have evaded Helix since she was a child, and made a valiant stand for refugees much like all of you watching or hearing this. If the two of them can beat an organization like Helix for so long by themselves, imagine what we can do together united as one."


    Lyria made a valid point. Despite the best efforts of the hunter squadrons of Helix, Maple stood in Celestia at the moment. Whether it be due to the incompetence of the mass produced grunts Helix used, or just the sheer determination that Generation had, it didn''t change the fact that it made Helix looks alot less invincible.


    "I have now said everything that I can hope to say. With this, we will depart and begin our assault against Helix and their Tower. I can only hope that we will see some of you on the front lines. The W.R.A. is looking forward to the day that we will send another broadcast out from the Tower itself, a declaration that a true peace has arrived."


    At the end of her statment, Lyria proceeded to the console and began shutting everything down. As the feed flickered away, everyone gazed at the hundreds of screens that began to fill with the images of riots. There plans were beginning to work. With just the slightest display of bravery and the largest shout of bravery, the W.R.A. and Generation had set forth a revolution.


    Maple calmed the flames from her body, the glow dissipating into the air with a hiss. She felt a relief come over her, the sadness dying back down. For once, something had gone right. She felt that things were beginning to change just as she had witnessed the first rioters change the tide of battle.


    Marcus approached from behind and gave Maple a pat on her shoulder, "I know it''s sudden, but would you like to give Alyssa a vist? I think she would be proud to see this don''t you?"


    Maple felt something different begin to swell up inside her. It was sadness, but it was paired with something else. It was almost like a sense of determination but fueled by sorrow rather than ambition. She steeled herself and gave her father a nod. She knew that visiting Alyssa''s corpse wouldn''t change anything, but she felt that it was only the right thing to do.


    As the began to leave the operations center, Maple gazed up out one of the windows. From beyond the glow of the dome, she felt as if Alyssa was looking down on them from somewhere.


    <hr>


    "What the hell do you mean that there was a broadcast made across our servers?"


    Char felt his anger rise like an angry tide. What fools they had been made out to be. Did they not realize what damage that would result from something like that? As calmed himself, a transmission broke in over the soldiers report. It was Faust ringing in, most likely for the same reason that Char had been contacted.


    "Faust, what is it?"


    "Oh, you don''t sound too happy Mr. Director. I ''spose the recent broadcast is what has you all flustered?"


    "Of course it does. Do you know what will happen if they manage to get people armed and fighting against us?"


    Char picked up on the aggravation in his own voice. How long had it been sine he had been this rattled? The thought of the armed uprising was severe to him. If they were unable to quell it, it would only lead to the state that the world was in before Helix had taken over.


    "I''m very well aware Mr. Director. I would advise that you find the girl quickly and bring her here. I''ve already dispatched battalions to your current heading. Have you met up with our dear Commander Vossel?"


    Char dismissed the snarkiness in Faust''s voice. Now was not the time to be sarcastic or snappy. They were in the middle of a crisis for Helix and the people of the world. While it wasn''t the ideal way of peace he had first set out, Char knew that if humanity wasn''t forced into the lifestyle they lived now, the world would be torn apart and all life would be lost.


    "Yes, we''re currently en route to Celestia. Kirsch will be leading the charge and I''m going to be commadering a dispatch of WOLF units designed for shock and awe. We''re not looking to wage a war, just retrieving the girl and escaping."


    "Oh, wasn''t that the plan last time? If I recall didn''t they shoot you down last time?"


    "This time will be different Faust. I won''t have someone taking hostages. These aren''t refugees, they''re an armed terrorist group. It''s going to be to shoot to kill. Thanks to their little announcement, I don''t have the luxury of morale ambiguity this time."


    Char quickly cut the line off and pocketed his transmittor before Faust could fire back with another sarcastic remark. He gazed out from the bridge of the large transport vessel. They would use the vessel they were currently traveling in as a ram to breach the walls of Celestia. It wouldn''t be pretty, but they had no choice.


    Char thought back to how he had overlooked cities like Celestia and it''s siblings. He had never considered them a threat and allowed them to build up their walls and defenses prior, hoping to avoiding armed conflict at all costs. He now was beginning to regret that choice.


    He thought back to how the world had been when he had first started the Alpha Program. He had hoped to create saviors of mankind, wanting to induce treaties with their powers rather than crush the forces that waged war. He quickly realized that this was going to be impossible to do. How much had he sacrificed of his personal beliefs to achieve such a state?


    He knew that the stipulations put in place by Helix would never fly with humanity, but it was for their own good. If left to their own devices they would only bring a downfall upon all life itself. The oppresion of humankind and alphas were sadly a necessary evil.


    As he was lost in thought, he felt an ominuos presence behind him. He turned to face his sense, a large figure before him. It was Kirsch. How did a man of such large stature move so swiftly and quietly?


    "Pondering your ethics again Char?"


    Kirsch had always been keen to Char''s thoughts. It was as if he could read him like a book. It had been that way since they had first met during Kirsch''s alpha creation procedure. Char had been one of the first people to tend to him after his body attempted to reject the procedure. Perhaps the common ground of a scarred appearance had given them something to connect to.


    "In a way Kirsch. I just wonder if all the choices I''ve made up to this point were the correct ones."


    "Remove it from your mind my friend. If you had not made the decisions you have, we most likely would have died at the hands of our own self destructive ways. I remember fighting in the wars before I became what I am now. It''s not something I would have wanted to pass down to my children."


    Char paused for a moment, almost forgetting that Kirsch was indeed a father. Despite the alteration of his appearance, his family refused to shun him. Instead, his two daughters looked up to him in a sense of respect, proud of what their father had endured to protect them.


    "I suppose you are right. I just hate feeling like the villain."


    Kirsch flexed his brow behind his mask. It was obvious that Char had said something that had upset him, most likely the villain cut.


    "I do not see how we are the villains. Yes, we may appear cruel in our methods, but someone has to be. It is thanks to you that people still have the opportunity to draw breath for every day that dawns. I do not ever recall any villains to my knowledge that could say such things."


    Char casted the weight from his shoulders at Kirsch''s words. He was right. What he had done was neccessary.


    As he felt the relief come over him, Kirsch grabbed his attention once again, "Come. We are not far from the city of Celestia. I suspect that they will not be expecting us this quickly. They knew we would respond to their little declaration, but I doubt they anticipated that you would know where they retreated to. It''s time for us to prepare."


    As Char left the bridge, the silouhette of Celestia loomed in the ever shrinking distance...

 Chapter 21

    Maple stared down at Alyssa''s body. They had lain her in an ornamental style coffin, the bottom half closed due to her injuries. The coffin was a sleek black with silver onramental linings. If Alyssa could have seen it herself she probably would''ve laughed at how intricate was. She had never been the one to be elegant. Everything she had dawdled in required a mess, whether it had been repair or construction.


    As she gazed at the friend she had lost, she felt the determination in her building. After finally recovering her stability, she knew that she couldn''t just go out and start killing, but she still planned on making them pay. She wasn''t exactly sure how she would make them suffer, but she decided she would wait until the opportunity arose, fighting alongside her father until that time came.


    Marcus stepped up beside her, "I know it''s hard, but at least we were able to give her this. I''m glad to see you''ve recovered from the shock of it. I don''t want you to let it go, I just didn''t want that rage you felt consume you before."


    "I know. I''ve come to a greater understanding now. My feelings still stand though. There will be punishment, even if I have to take my entire life to administer it."


    "I know, I''ve accepted that. What they''ve done to your mother and Alyssa, I won''t let it go either. We''ve just got bigger deeds to do right now."


    Maple turned her head and looked upon her father. Was he that willing to place the priority of vengance below all others? She understood that their role was neccessary to bring down Helix, but why couldn''t they use that to their advantage and unleash a torment against their transgressors?


    "Take as long as you need. The rest of us already said our goodbyes while you were recovering."


    Marcus turned away from Maple and Alyssa and began to walk up the stairs that led out of the little visitational room but was stopped in his tracks.


    "I already said my goodbyes before I even got here. How do you think I gained conrol over my power?"


    He thought about her words. They sounded cold, like a shot of ice water through his veins, but he understood what she meant in that statement. She had made her resolution and moved past the grief already. There was no need to dwell on it any longer.


    "Alright. If you''re ready I''ll tell Lyria and they''ll go ahead and bury her here in the memorial grounds. You sure you''re good to go?"


    "Positive. Standing here crying won''t bring her back. She''s gone, I have to accept that."


    "I''ll go fetch Lyria then."


    <hr>


    The members of Generation watched as the coffin was lowered into the ground. The memorial grounds of Celestia were fairly small but were still well maintained. There wasn''t any flowers or keepsakes left on the graves, simply because there wasn''t any to be found nearby. However, the graves still seemed to be treasured, the weathering kept to a minimum to preserve their writing.


    Alyssa''s headstone was made from a slick marble like rock. It had been elegantly engraved with the words, "Here lies Alyssa Wright, valiant member of Generation. May her soul rest in peace." Maple looked at the last name. Alyssa had abandoned her family name long ago and Marcus felt it was only appropriate that she be gifted with the last name Wright since she had more or less been family to them. It was a touching thought.


    As they finished lowering the coffin into the ground, Maple gazed up at the dome. The night sky had drifted in overhead and the purplish hue of the dome had returned once more. It cast an eerie tint across the grounds, a haze of lavender sifting its way across the tombstones.


    Lyria watched as her men began covering the tomb with dirt. How valuable Alyssa would have been to the W.R.A. with her ingenuity and understanding of machines. Lyria was no slouch with technology and was a genuis in her own right, but it didn''t mean that her or Dr. Sukomoto could have used an extra mind when pursuing new methods. For her, it was more of a loss than most realized.


    "Well, there we go. You all will have free reign to visit her here whenever you''re in the vicinity. Unfortunately, I have to cut this memorial short. We have a mission to accomplish, and we need to start getting ready. It won''t be long before they send out an armed response. We have to be ready by then."


    Lyria was right. Helix wouldn''t stand for the callout against them, and would send a large armed response aimed at wiping them out. The plan was to lure them out into a wide open area and use the Red Wing''s systems against them. With the unprecedented amount of firepower it possesed, they could clear the field almost immediately. The only downside is that they would get one shot due to the weapons long chargeup times. It was neccesary for an ambush.


    Everyone understood where Lyria was coming from. They truly didn''t have time to sit around and mourn the lost. Unfortunately, they weren''t aware just how close Helix actually was. What they expected to be a response in about 2 days was actually right on top of them at the moment.


    As the began to leave the burial site, a sudden shock rattled the ground underneath them, followed by the loud bang of an explosion. Far across the city, black smoke began to rise from the outer wall. Had it been breached? Lyria quickly brought up her communicator and put a connection in to the guards over the outer perimeter.


    "What the hell was that?"


    Lyria''s tone was panicked. This was obviously something she wasn''t prepared for. There was no way Helix could have covered that much ground in such a few short hours. There were no operating bases in the nearby vicinity. Her mind raced as she waited for a response. Was it someone else?


    "We...we''ve got a breach in the outer wall ''mam. There''s Helix soldiers pouring into the city. It looks like they''ve used some kind of large vessel to crash through. I don''t know how long-"


    The line suddenly cut off. The soldiers words played through Lyria''s mind. How had Helix been able to approach so fast? How were they able to simply crash through the thick walls that surrounded the city? Would they also be able to breach the dome from above as well?


    Lyria turned to face the members of Generation. As they looked at her stressed face, they knew something was wrong. Maple felt her heart stir, her emotions beginning to boil up. Would she be able to exact some form of vengeance here? Before Lryia could even speak she felt her arms begin to tingle with her powers.


    "Change of plans. We''ve got a breach in the wall. Helix has somehow managed to arrive at an unprecedented pace. I need everyone to gather at the barracks and arm themselves. Our battalions will begin an armed response and should be able to hold their forces back from the inner city."


    "I thought you said this dome of yours was impenetrable. How did they manage to break through with one strike?"


    Marcus was frustrated. Was there a lapse in truth in what Lyria had told them? Was the dome not nearly as strong as she had let on? Or was there more to it?


    "I...I don''t know. It''s supposed to be able to withstand a blow even from a missle. I don''t know how they broke through but I don''t really care right now. We need to get armed and try to hold them off."


    "Fine, but what about Maple? Isn''t she a bit of risk to place on the front lines since they were after her to begin with?"Stolen story; please report.


    Germaine''s statement brought a realization to Lyria. Had they known where they were fleeing to all along? Not only that, but he raised a valid point. It would be risky placing Maple in direct combat. She had to be kept out of their hands at all costs. Not only would it allow them to further their work on the Omega Project, but it would crush morale across the world if the people found out that Maple had been captured. They simply couldn''t let that happen.


    "Maple, I want you to meet with Dr. Sukomoto in the hangars. They''re the farthest from the point of conflict and should give you time to escape if this goes south."


    Maple snapped back, disregarding the importance of her presence, "I don''t care. I''m going out there to fight them. I already said it before, they''re going to pay."


    "Maple, we don''t have time for this. We can''t risk letting you get captured. I know you''re eager to fight, but you''ve got a more important role in all of this. If they capture you, you''ll never be able to get payback for what they did."


    She pondered over the words. They made her think back to what her father had said before about not letting it go, but instead prioritizing what was important. Maybe if she did follow along, she would get a better opportunity to unleash her hate upon them.


    "Fine, but if I come across any of them, I''m going to kill them."


    "That''s fine. If they make that far before you get to the hangar then we''ve more than likely already lost. Everybody else, get to the barracks and arm yourselves. Everybody will need a communicator. I''m moving to the operations center to get a grasp on the situation."


    Everybody nodded in agreement and stormed away from the memorial grounds. Marcus wondered how well Maple would follow Lyria''s command, watching over his shoulder as his daughter sprinted off in the direction of the hangar. Hopefully she would use her head more than her fists for once.


    <hr>


    Char pulled checked his HUD inside of his newly repaired WOLF. Their plan to use the transports magnetic breaching ram had proved more than succesful, creating a clean albeit loud entry into the city. When Celestia had been built the dome was made to withstand the current level of arms technology at that time. They had never considered the fact that Helix would make such large advancements in their weapons R&D in such a short time.


    He glanced over the readings of his mech. Everything was reading clear, including the new arm mechanism that was added. Instead of being able to hold just a rifle, the mech now had a mounted gauss canon on its left arm with an opposable right arm capable of lifting twice the weight of the mech itself. In its hand it currently carried a large gauge gatilng gun, capable of tearing through buildings themselves. He wouldn''t hesitate to pull the trigger this time.


    "Char, Kirsch here. These aren''t just regular men we''re fighting. They appear to be our own soldiers, fighting of their own free will. Were you aware of this?"


    The words didn''t make sense to Char. How were they fighting their own men? Had there been a malfunction in the chips in their brains? They shouldn''t be capable of autonomous thought, only following what they were ordered to do by an approved commander.


    "No, I wasn''t. Are you sure they''re not being controlled from something else?"


    "I just watched one of them try to save their comrade. They were never programmed to do that. I''m positive that this is more than just simple chip manipulation."


    Char''s mission just became more than a simple target extraction. He needed to find out what had happened to these soldiers and why they were fighting against them. He hated the thought that they had never programmed them to try and help one another in training, but that would just mean they would be more likely to falter. A thought just crashed into Char''s mind as he questioned something from long ago. It made him realize that his way of thinking wasn''t incorrect. They were human after all.


    "Just keep cutting them down. I don''t like having to kill our own but if they''re opposing us we don''t have any choice. I''m going to try and take my unit deeper into the city. I''ll need heavy armor for support."


    "Eager to get into the field Char? Glad to see that your role as Director has muffled your sense of duty. I''ll issue two destroyer tanks to your unit to escort you throughout the city."


    It seemed overkill considering that one destroyer class tank could level a building, but Char knew that Kirsch was just doing his job of keeping him safe during the combat mission. He was the Director after all. The next in line of command would be Faust, and the thought of him being in charge as a leader made Char cringe. After what he had pulled back in Marlow, it was unclear whether he was fit to be in his position or not.


    "Thanks Kirsch. Just stay on guard. I know they have weapons strong enough to bring down our forces. They wiped out my previous WOLF squad with a beefed up transport. These aren''t your normal fighters after all."


    "That''s funny Char, you telling me to be careful. You forget, my body is an atrocity of steel. I fear no weapon they have. Instead, they should fear me on the battlefield for it is us that will reign victorious. I have a family to return to after all."


    <hr>


    Everyone loaded up their weapons. Germaine had stuck with the shotgun, Briggs with his machine gun, Marcus with a carbin, Amanda with a sniper rifle and finally Akatsuya with his trademark blade and submachine guns. Some things just never changed no matter how much time passed.


    As they were finishing getting ready, they all watched as multiple squads of W.R.A. members poured out of the barracks, all dressed in the same uniforms. It was creepy just how much they mirrored the Helix soldiers, only with a different appearance of attire. Their masks remained the same, but they''re purpose stood for something else. They now had a free choice to lay their lives down for something they believed in.


    Marcus watched as they marched out, undaunted by the fight that lay before them. Were these really the same grunts that they had faced before? He had always thought of them as being mindless, but watching their decision to fight now reminded him of how helpless they really were to their fates. They were the same person, cloned again and again and all put through the same routine to make them the perfect killing machine. Who the original was never mattered to Marcus until now. What a horrible fate their destiny suffered.


    As everyone finished, they proceeded out of the barracks and into the depot. Lined up for deployment were multiple transports, small class tanks and a few modified WOLFS, sporting a black and yellow design. As they loooked over the machines, one soldier approached from a large black vessel. It was clad in armor and sported multiple turrets,with a large cannon attached to the front.


    "This is your vessel sir."


    The soldier was quick and to the point. It was apparent that Lyria had ordered that this transport be under their command for the battlefield. Without saying another word, the soldier turned and marched off to a separate vehicle, leaving Generation standing in awe of the vessel.


    It almost looked like a shark, with the front coming to a point. The back tapered down on the top while its wheels jutted out from its sides. The turrets had pods for their operators, the orange tinted glass aimed to protect its riders. On the front, the large canon they had spotted gleamed a white silver, the barrel nestled in the body of the vessel.


    Before anyone else could react, Briggs hopped forward, "Shotgun. I call the drivers seat."


    "But, I have the shotgun." Everyone cringed at Germaine''s pun. Nonetheless, it did offer a moment of respite before they proceeded into the battle. It was nice to enjoy a chuckle for once, considering everything they had recently been through. They never knew if it would be their last.


    As the proceeded into the vehilce, Briggs ran forward and settled into one of the pilots seats. The cockpit offered a wide display thanks to the conditioned glass, letting the driver see almost to each side of the vehicle. The cannon was also controlled from the cockpit as well. This gave the vehicle an all around offensive advantage.


    Briggs looked at the controls in front of him. It was a simple dual lever control design, the acceleration controlled by a set lever, with the emergency brake operated by a footpedal. The cannon was controlled by a dual trigger design that was placed on the levers. As he strapped himself into the seat, he began flipping the switches. Bit by bit the vehicle stuttered to life, a loud roar erupting from its engine.


    In the back, Marcus took one of the gunner positions. It was the turret mounted to the top of the vehicle, giving him a wide scope from above on their targets. Germaine, Akatsuya and Amanda each went to a separate turret. Germaine decided to focus on their rear, aiming to keep any hostiles away from what could be considered a weak point of the vehicle.


    As they all secured themselves into place, Briggs eased out of the garage of the depot and into the streets. As he manuvered around the other units on standby, a screen suddenly popped onto his display. Lyria''s face soon flashed onto the screen, static hinging around the edges.


    "Generation, this is Lyria. Can you read me?"


    "Loud and clear miss. Briggs here. Just tell us what you need from us."


    "I''m surprised Marcus isn''t the one driving. Anyways, we''ve got Helix soldiers waging firefights in the outer residential areas. We need your team to get there and offer backup to our units in any way you can. Think you can manage?"


    Briggs let out a grin and turned to shout out to the others behind him, "You hear that guys? She wants to know if we can handle it."


    "As if she didn''t witness what we can do back in Marlow. We managed to hold our own against those numbers. Let''s go show them what Generation can really do."


    The confidence in Marcus'' voice had grown. He was beginning to believe that they finally stood a chance at making a change. If they managed to repel the attack, it would be a major boost to their confidence and morale. Marcus let forth a grin and flashed a thumbs up. Briggs kicked the transport into full throttle and roared toward the residential district...

 Chapter 22 (Second Arc Complete)

    Maple made her way towards the hangar where the Red Wing was stored. She could hear the sporadic gunfire across the city, plumes of smoke beginning to rise upwards, clouding under the dome. Despite the short notice, the W.R.A. seemed to be well prepared, seeing that they hadn''t been able to push any farther.


    Within a few minutes, she had arrived at the doors to the hangar. She quickly pushed through and looked for Dr. Sukomoto. The doctor was rounding up some of the soldiers, shuttling them onboard the ship. It was obvious she was preparing for a worst case scenario. Looking past the chaos, she waved to Maple.


    Jogging her way over, Maple called out, "Dr. Sukomoto. What do you need me to do here?"


    The doctor stared at her for a moment, as if she wasn''t expecting Maple to ask anything, just stand by patiently.


    "Um, just get inside and wait. If they make it here we need to be ready to take off."


    Maple felt her anger fluster. She wasn''t feeling keen on simply standing around. If it was too dangerous for her to be on the frontlines she at least wanted to be of some help at the hangar. She hated feeling like she was an object more than a person. Just because Helix was after her didn''t mean that she needed looking after.


    "Sorry, but sitting around isn''t my thing. What can I do?"


    "FIne, um, see if the troops need help with fortifications."


    It was good enough for Maple. It kept her hands busy and her mind off the battle that was raging outside. As she scurried over to a group of soldiers setting up some barricades near the airfield entrance, she heard a voice crackle over their radios.


    "This is Lyria requesting assistance in the residential area. Any available reinforcements proceed to assist Generation in repelling strike squads."


    Maple hesistated, knowing she had to ignore the command. Her father and comrades could take care of themselves. It was most likely a call just in case they got in a tight situation. Before she could give it any thought, multiple voices rang in unison over the radio, "Affirmative." They sounded like a chorus consisting of the same voice. It was almost eerie.


    She continued setting up the barricades, passing each piece down in a line, forming a wall. It wouldn''t stop anybody from getting to them, but it would definitely slow them down. It could mean the difference between casualties and a smooth getaway.


    Maple felt the ground underneath her shake as another explosion rocked the city. This time it was much closer, just a ways from the command center. Had a line already been breached that quickly?


    "This is Lyria. We have a code red. I repeat, code red. Multiple W.O.L.F. units have breached our frontline and are traveling in a direct interception course with the airfield. All backup units deploy to the airfield now."


    That answered her question. Either Helix had a trump card, or they were just that vastly outnumbered in the first place. Maple braced herself, knowing that a fight was coming to her whether she wanted it or not. She felt eager to test out her new capabilities.


    <hr>


    Briggs whipped the vehicle hard around the side of a building, bringing a group of soldiers into view. Marcus, Akatsuya and Amanda opened fire, raining down an inescapable amount of gunfire upon the soldiers. The shots ripped and tore their way through the armor and flesh, stripping the meat from the bone. The group crumpled in a heaved mess, their blood washing over the pavement.


    Briggs charged on, shoving the bodies aside in the machines wake. As they headed further up one of the streets, they emerged in a section of the residential area that was home to a large park. On their left, W.R.A. soldiers were bolstered down, returning fire at the entrenched Helix soldiers in the park.


    Briggs brought the machine to a halt, realizing they would be unable to fire effectively thanks to all the brush in the park. One by one, they exited the vehicle, weapons in hand and took up defensive postions. As they brought up formation, the W.R.A. soldiers spotted them, signaling that they acknowledged their presence. At least they wouldn''t have to worry about friendly fire.


    Marcus took point with Briggs while Germaine brought up the rear, Amanda and Akatsuya in the middle. They moved up on the right side of the park, looking to flank the soldiers that were set up within. Making their way past the gates, they charged through the east entry side, breaching the steel gates that served as a door.


    Gunfire erupted down on them as they scrambled to find cover. Helix soldiers were scattered behind benches and other various park decorations while they reinforced themselves with a destroyer tank in the middle. The machine was mounted wtih a high explosive cannon and an infrantry turret, dangerous even to Alphas like Generation.


    Marcus signaled for Amanda to take up a sniping position along a row of trees. It would offer the most protection for her at a distance while the rest could move. Germaine moved to the front with Marcus while Briggs took a defensive position near a kiosk. While the three proceed forward, Akatsuya circled around to provide a distraction.


    Akatsuya stayed out of the lines of sight, snaking his way closer and closer to the enemy ilne. Briggs'' short bursts of suppressing fire were perfect to keep the attention away from him while Marcus and the others acted as a clear threat. As he drew close, he saw the nearest group of soldiers. Three of them, all unsuspecting.


    He drew his submachine guns level, and squeezed the trigger down. They ripped through the first one, splattering his blood through the air. Before the other two could react, Akatsuya drew up behind one of them and swung his blade. It sliced through the soldiers neck, spraying a shower of blood into the face of the other. Blinded by his comrades blood, the soldier never saw blade coming at him. It skewered him through the chin and penetrated into his skull cavity, making his brain a shishkibab.


    Seeing the break in cover, Marcus and the others charged forward, using their superior muscle builds to move at a pace faster than a human could. They began squeezing off rounds at the rest of the enemy force, making a dash for an embankment behind the destroyer tank.


    Amanda squinted through her scope. A group of soldiers, formed up in a diamond shape, had turned their attention towards Marcus and company. They were too far out of range for Briggs so it was left up to her. She zoomed in her scope and held her breath still.


    The first shot ripped through the eye socket of one of the soldiers, sending glass from his mask flying. The other four men scattered for cover, surprised by the sudden attack. The had already lost focus on Marcus and the others and were now scouting the distance for Amanda. Too late.


    The second shot slammed into the chest of the second man, sending him reeling to the ground. He squirmed around on the ground, blood gushing from his chest. Within moments, he lay still. Amanda took aim at her next target, but the soldier was covering himself. Well, for the most part.


    The third shot tore into the soldier''s foot, splintering bone across the ground. He cried out as he stumbled into the open, a fourth shot carving a path through the back of his head. Only the one soldier remained of the squad.


    Amanda considered letting Marcus and the others deal with him, but where was the fun in that? She peered through her scope, eyeballing the belt that the soldier wore. On it, two grenades dangled loosely. Perfect. She squeezed a round off and smiled as she was answered with an explosion, scattering the parts of the soldier across the ground.


    With that squad out of the way, the rear of the destroyer tank was now clear. Briggs and Amanda also began to move up, aiming to suppress the units in front of the tank. It was going to become risky trying to attack from behind and front with both the W.R.A and Generation.


    The W.R.A. soldiers began to rally against the Helix units in the park. They began to push forward, bearing down upon the front gate. The destroyer tank greeted their enthusiasm with destruction. It blasted a shot from its cannon, the explosive slamming down in the middle of the group.


    Marcus watched as the black and yellow clad soldiers were flung in multiple directions, loose limbs following in their wake. Yet, the others refused to falter. It was disturbing to see them in such a calm state after their comrades had been decimated in front of them. Despite having formely been mindless clones, they seemed to have transcended some aspects of humanity in their freedom. Fear must have been one of them.


    The soldiers stormed the field of the park, laying down heavy fire upon the Helix units. Their offensive caused the attackers to falter, and slowly, they began to push Helix back. As they tried to retreat, they were greeted by the gunfire of Generation. Germaine''s shotgun easily split the soldiers apart, each blast dropping them instantly.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Marcus kept firing off short bursts of fire from his rifle, each burst aimed at taking off as many heads of the Helix soldiers as possible. Within a few moments, they had already begun to thin the herd of Helix units that had taken up refuge. The only target still proving to be a large threat was the tank that kept firing off rounds from its cannon and machine gun, ripping and breaking the surrounding with every consecutive blast.


    They weren''t sure how they were going to deal with the tank, considering they didn''t have any heavy arms and it was impossible to get a clear shot with the transport. They needed to bring it down quickly though. The longer they had to deal with it, the more likely they would be overrun in the other sectors.


    As Marcus was glancing around for a means to dispose of the tank, he heard his radio come to live. It was Lyria''s voice that greeted them, a frantic call being sent out. "This is Lyria. We have a code red. I repeat, code red. Multiple W.O.L.F. units have breached our frontline and are traveling in a direct interception course with the airfield. All backup units deploy to the airfield now."


    Marcus keyed his comm in, trying to flag Lyria down. He couldn''t just leave Maple there knowing that it was heading her way.


    "Lyria, Marcus here. We''re trying to dispose of a destroyer tank. Can you get some extra units over here so we can withdraw to the airfield."


    Marcus waited several moments, trying to keep his ears open over the loud gunfire and explosions. He was stuck. He couldn''t just up and retreat, they were already too close to the tank to get away unnoticed, but he also couldn''t just leave Maple alone. They were most likely after her anyways.


    "Sorry Marcus, we''re doing what we can. That red W.O.L.F. we fought before was spotted heading towards our airbase. I can''t risk taking soldiers away from there. Do what you can there and then retreat back."


    As he heard Lyria''s words, Marcus suddenly noticed that the gunfire from the tank had stopped. What had happened? Did something go wrong with the tank and it suddenly malfunctioned? What a blessing that would be.


    Marcus raised himself over the embankment and peered out, looking over the tank. It had indeed ceased its fire, the W.R.A. soldiers gathered around it. In the blink of an eye, he watched as a massive figure jumped out from the machine and slammed into the ground, knocking the WRA soldiers to their feet.


    Everyone stood in awe at the size of the figure, its hulking mass highlighted by the protrusion of metal shards from underneath its uniform. From behind a large black helmet, the figure glanced around at its opponents, their reflections staring at them from the glass in its mask.


    Before anyone could react, the figure launched forward, smashing one of its large fists into a soldier. A loud and sickeneing crack filled the air, the soldier rolling backwards in a crumpled heap. Blood oozed out from his chest, his sternum split wide open from the force of the impact.


    The other soldiers began to open fire, but they were met with a grim sound. As the bullets struck the body of the figure, they made a loud metal clang, ricocheting off of it. A deep grunt came from the figure as it sprung forward once again. This time, it was much more gruesome.


    Marcus and team watched in horror as the soldiers were ripped apart limb by limb, their bodies used as clubs to crush one another. The large man crushed them under his feet, splitting their bodies open, their insides spilling out. It was a pure bloodbath. This foe was much more dangerous than the tank had been.


    Marcus braced himself as the figure turned to them, pointed a blood covered steely finger at them. The man had made it clear that they were next, and Marcus knew they were in for a fight. This wasn''t going to one they could simply run from, nor one that they had a clear chance of winning.


    <hr>


    Maple watched as soldiers came rolling into the airfield in droves, transports with fortified weapons taking up positions at each entryway. Four black W.O.L.F. mechs situated themselves in front of the hangar. It was obvious that they were preparing for something dangerous. Maple also knew that this was all just to protect her. She hated it.


    She glanced down at her gloves, still stained from Alyssa''s blood from before. She hadn''t had a chance to wash them, and the stain had become permanent. She let out a sigh. At least it was a reminder of why she had to fight. No matter what it cost her, she was going to avenge everything she had lost.


    Almost as if that opportunity was eager to greet her, Maple heard the distinct sound of W.O.L.F. mechs traveling in high speed. The thrusters let off a high pitched whine when they were pushed to their limits, signaling that they were at maximum output. She braced herself, recognizing that it had to be the attackers that Lyria had signaled about.


    Despite being ready for the attack, the blitzkrieg tactic was effective. A large assembly of mechs smashed through the front gates, led by the red one Maple recognized from before. The soldiers opened fire on the machines, acting only as insects to the heavily armored machines.


    The WRA mechs proved to be the most effective tool, as they clashed with the machines. Two of the enemy mechs came crashing down in a fiery blaze, toppling some of the transports in their wake. Maple shielded her eyes as the flames spat out, threatening to burn anything nearby. She became frustrated, realizing that wouldn''t be able to do anything as she was.


    While the other mechs continued to fight, Maple looked around for anything that could let her take part. Mounted to the top of one of the transports was a heavy gauge turret. Recognizing its capability, she darted over to it. As she leapt up to situate herself, she saw why the gun remained still.


    Inside the seat of the turret, one of the soldiers had been decaptiated by a piece of debris that had flew off from one of the destroyed mechs. Pushing aside the gruesome sight, Maple threw the body from the seat and slid down inside, flicking blood from her shoulder.


    She began to fire on the enemy mechs, but they were proving elusive. Much like the red mech before, these units darted in and out of lines of fire, making it nearly impossible to track them. Maple watched as the WRA was quickly losing control of the situation.


    The battlefield had become pure pandemonium. Corpses were scattered everywhere, a barrage of yellow and black mixed with red littering the airfield. Maple ignored the scene, focusing on trying to bring down the mechs. Still, it was hopeless.


    The red mech suddenly turned to face her, sidestepping her barrage of fire and slamming itself into the transport she was in. The vechile rocked back and forth before falling over onto its side, tossing Maple from the gunner seat. She landed with a thud on the hard ground, her head slightly fuzzy from the sudden impact.


    As she picked herself up, the red mech had leveled its weapon at Maple. It was obvious that it wanted her to surrender, but Maple knew she had the advantage in this situation. If she was so important to them, they wouldn''t kill her, only incapacitate her.


    Maple suddenly trigger her powers, her anger and sorrow causing the flames to explode around her. The mech quickly jumped back as Maple attempted to go on the offensive. As she struck the machine, her hands and feet stung with pain. She knew she was striking harder than her body could handle, but she couldn''t go easy.


    As the pain began to increase, it suddenly quit. Was it the ability that had healed her arms from before? Without questioning it any further, she continued her onslaught. Unable to strike her back for fear of killing her, the machine gave way to her attacks. It retracted backwards before landing on the ground, Maple panting from the multitude of strikes she had thrown.


    She suddenly felt surprised when the machine lowered its cockpit and a figure dropped from the mech. Landing with a gentle grace, his bright red clothes shone under the light of the dome. The red hue matched the paint on the mech, his white hair standing out against the chaos of the city behind him.


    Maple pulled her guard back up as the man approached, his face coming into plain view. For one half of his face, it was rather pleasant. Gentle yet sorrowful in shape, but the other half told a different story. The scarred and burnt appearance told that there was much more to this man than his regal outfit and style.


    "Maple Wright, daughter of Helen and Marcus Wright."


    His tone was bold, almost as if he was addressing somebody in a formal manner. It was an odd scene amidst the fighting taking place around them. Maple kept her guard up, expecting an attack at any moment.


    "I am Char Malkovich, head of Helix. I would politely ask that you stand down and surrender. I don''t take kindly to violence, but if you refuse then we will have no choice but to execute those that we capture here today."


    It was a bold announcement, giving Maple a feel of arrogance to make such a demand in the current situation. She wouldn''t just surrender that easily. Even if she did, she knew she couldn''t take the mans word. Not after what happened at Marlow.


    "Sorry, but I refuse. Instead, I suggest you surrender."


    Maple flared her flames out in response, showing the man that she was nothing to be trifled with. She knew that he wouldn''t fall for such a primal intimidation, but it was a sign nonetheless that she wasn''t afraid.


    The man let out a sigh before continuing on, "I really don''t want to have to hurt you. You must understand, I could have killed you while I was in my mech."


    "You didn''t kill me because you need me."


    Maple lunged forward, hoping to catch the man off guard. She threw a strike aimed at his neck, but he quickly sidestepped. She felt him grab her arm, and saw as her vision flipped, slamming into the ground. Before another attack could come, she kicked away and flipped back to her feet.


    The man had taken a fighting stance, his legs spread shoulder length, his right foot in lead. His left hand was tucked to his waist while the right was extended, hand firmly held with an outstretched palm. Maple realized that when he had stepped, he was waved her strike with his right hand and tossed her. His outfit defintely didn''t speak for his fighting skill.


    Maple rebraced herself and charged forward once again. She feinted the same strike, and instead threw a kick to her left. She felt a hard impact as the kick landed directly into the stomach of Char. As she expected to see her opponent reel backwards, she felt herself be launched once again. This time, she felt a hard heel come down on her spine as she hit the ground, knocking the wind from her.


    As she struggled to regain her breath, Char stepped over her, "I told you, I don''t like to resort to violence. Would you please surrender before you get seriously hurt?"


    Amidst her gasping, Maple grasped his leg and channeled her flames. They shot down her arm and circled around his leg, licking at his red pants. He jumped back, yet didn''t show any sign of pain. Underneath the singed fabric, Maple saw a terrace of scar tissue, black in color. She definitely couldn''t have scarred him that quickly. There was something else happening.


    She brought herself to her feet once more, this time building up her flames as much as possible. As they began to peel back her skin, her awakened ability kept it intact, pushing new skin to the surface as quick as it was burned away. It was extremely painful, but she knew she would need it to take Char down.


    Maple darted to the left and right, zigzagging in a confusing pattern. Char''s eyes darted back and forth, tracking his target as she moved like lightining. Not quick enough. As she burst forth in a barrage of strikes coupled with shots of fire, he parried them, keeping his head moving, bobbing in and out. As she began to slow, he brought a strong knee into her stomach, lifting her from the ground.


    Maple felt her insides twist. This was no mere man. He had to be an Alpha, yet he had tissue that had refused to heal. Just what was he? Before she could catch herself midair, a heavy elbow came crashing into the back of her skull. As she landed face first into the pavement, her vision began to grow blurry, and darkness soon overtook her...

 Chapter 23

    Marcus stared at the behemoth before them. Blood ran down its steely body, the crimson hue giving it a demonic appearance. It quickly dropped it''s gaze, eyes slanting beneath it''s helmet.


    "So, this is the famous Marcus Wright and crew eh?"


    The man''s tone was deep and demanding. Of the many dangers Marcus had faced, this encounter made chills run down his spine. Would they truly be able to combat such a force of destruction?


    "Not in the mood to speak huh? No matter, your words would have fallen on deaf ears anyhow."


    Before Marcus or the others could react, the man charged forward with blistering speed. Before Germaine could react, the man slammed shoulder first into him, sending him reeling back.


    Before Germaine hit the ground, Briggs found himself face to face with their opponent. He shot low aiming for the legs but found himself quickly crushed into the ground. The man grabbed him by his arm and quickly flung him away as if he was as light as a feather.


    "I really hope that wasn''t the two strongest members of your team."


    There was sinister tone in the man''s statement. He was obviously toying with them. Marcus wasn''t sure if he was doing it for mere fun or if there was a strategic reason. Either way, they needed to take him down quickly.


    The man suddenly went reeling back as a heavy crack rang through the air. As he hit the ground, Marcus realized where the shot had come from. Amanda had taken aim and placed a shot directly in the top of the head of the target.


    Marcus quickly exhaled, realizing he had been holding his breath in anticipation of an attack. Just as he felt some form of relief begin to settle in his nerves, it was washed away when the man begin sitting up.


    "Surely you know who I am? Did you really think something like that would kill me?"


    Before anyone could respond, Akatsuya quickly stepped forward and addressed the man.


    "You''re Kirsch Vossel correct?"


    "Oh, it appears one of you do know me."


    Akatsuya''s body was completely stiff. Marcus had never seen him appear like this before. What was causing such a faltered state in him?


    "I''m surprised you don''t remember me. That must also mean you don''t remember my wife or child do you?"


    "Thats a bit of a broad question to ask someone like me isn''t it? I''ve been in this business far too long to remember all the faces of those I''ve killed."


    Marcus could see the words sting Akatsuya. He rarely spoke of his family, only ever mentioning that they had been lost in a raid by Helix. It didn''t take Marcus long however to figure out the connection between the two.


    "Years ago, I had to watch as my family was slaughtered before my very eyes. You and your men didn''t hesitate to pull the trigger on a helpless woman and infant. Fortunately, you managed to miss me in your little cleanup operation."If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Kirsch hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "So, that''s what your issue is. In that case, I have something to ask you."


    Akatsuya braced himself, expecting a counterattack. Instead, Kirsch quickly raised himself up off the ground, turning his attention to Akatsuya.


    "From my knowledge of your little band of heroes here, you all are considered Alphas. If you''ve carried such a disdainful hate for so long how did you become an Alpha in the first place?"


    "It''s simple. I opted into the Alpha experiments. Your organization gladly took me. I was a foreigner from a home that had been wiped off the face of the planet. If something went wrong during the trials there was nothing to trace back to. I could easily be disposed of."


    "I see, yet you served under Helix after your trials? Aren''t you the hypocritical type?"


    "I only served in hopes that we would cross paths. In the time that hid in that organization, biding my time, I never once struck down an unarmed innocent. Once they began discarding their creations like cattle, I left."


    "Well I can certainly understand your anger. However, I too have a wife and child. Despite my demeanor, I do not relish in bloodletting. I only do what my role requires and that, in turn, keeps them safe. Maybe you should have done the same."


    Those words were all it took for Akatsuya to snap. He shot forward, blades in hand. Kirsch quickly raised his arm as the cold steel bounced off his metallic hide. The tense hesitation between the two parties had ended and they were engaged in full combat once again.


    Marcus circled Kirsch, popping off rounds from his assault rifle hoping to find a kink in the armor. Meanwhile, Akatsuya continued his frontal assault while Amanda scanned for weaknesses through her scope.


    The rounds kept bouncing off no matter where Marcus fired. Even if one round did make its way though there was no way that it would be enough to bring this man down. Even worse, Akatsuya''s blades didn''t even seem to leave a dent in Kirsch''s body. Sparks were the only response to his barrage.


    Another loud crack rang through the air, knocking Kirsch down to his knees. Even if the bullets didn''t get through, there was still enough kinetic force there to stagger him.


    Seeing his opportunity, Akatsuya threw his blades aside and went for broke. Marcus watched as a sudden flash of scarlet red fanned out into the air. Akatsuya had triggered his Alpha ability.


    No matter how much Marcus had seen it, it was still shocking to see. From the left side of his neck to the right and down his arm, a hardened but flexible scythe of blood extended from Akatsuya. As it originated from his neck, the inside of the blade spider webbed to avoid his veins and arteries before coming to a fine crescent over his right arm. Akatsuya could retract the length of the scythe as desired, making it deadly at mid range or close quarters.


    His red scarf now hung loosely over his shoulders, making him look like a reaper thirsty for the kill. Marcus had never seen him in such a rage fueled state.


    Before Kirsch could get back to his feet, Akatsuya brought the scythe down with tremendous force. Kirsch raised his arm in defense only to feel the metal shear in two, the feeling of pain being so new to him after so long.


    Without hesitating, he launched a heavy punch at Akatsuya. Despite the weight behind it, it was still too fast for Akatsuya to dodge and sent him sliding backwards.


    As Kirsch readied himself for a full out assault, Chars voice keyed in over his comm channel.


    "Kirsch, this is Char. We have what we came for. It''s time to withdraw and let the engineers take care of the rest."


    Kirsch locked eyes with Akatsuya, his gaze stopping Akatsuya in his tracks momentarily.


    "It seems our time is up. I would love to stay and finish this but I have a family to get back to."


    As Kirsch turned away, Akatsuya charged forward but felt an arm quickly stop his attack. He spun around in an anger only to see Marcus with a stern look on his face.


    "Look, I understand where you''re coming from but we''ve got bigger issues. We need to get to the airfield. You can finish things with him once we bring down Helix."


    Before Akatsuya could make a counter argument, the familiar roar of a W.O.L.F. unit began to draw closer. In one seamless blur, Kirsch latched onto a red mech that shot by, heading in the direction from which the Helix forces had come from.


    Marcus instantly knew something wasn''t right. His heart sank as he realized why they would be retreating. They had either retrieved what they were after or something devastating was about to happen to the city. Somehow, he felt it was going to be both.

 Chapter 24

    Lyria whipped her mech around the corner, the airfield coming into view. It was a complete mess. Everywhere she looked, black smoke billowed up and the W.R.A. and Helix soldiers were engaged in heavy firefights. It was obvious to her that the hangar was compromised and was in danger of falling.


    She quickly cued up her comm and sent out a distress call, ¡°This is commanding officer Lyria. We need all available units to fall back to the airfield. Those stationed in the residential areas, begin to evacuate any citizens to safety.¡±


    Lyria felt her heart sink, the quickness of Helix''s armed response being much quicker than what was anticipated. Had they planned this all along or was it just a coincidence of timing? As she continued to approach, a group of Wolf mechs gave her the answer she was looking for. The red sheen of the leader was unmistakable. It was the man from before.


    Lyria cranked her mech to a sharp bend, leveling her weapons in the direction of the group. Normally a Wolf''s weapons wouldn''t pose any threats to high speed targets, but Lyria''s machine wasn''t standard. It possessed a heavy bore rifle with optic sensors that could trace high velocity objects. It had no problem locking onto the red mech. As she fired a round off, one of the escorts suddenly shifted, placing itself right into the firing line. The round ripped into it, blowing a cavity through the cockpit, the mech slamming down hard.


    The red Wolf spun 180¡ã, facing Lyria head on while keeping its trajectory aligned in the same direction. It didn''t fire however, but instead sent out a comm call. As Lyria glanced down, it suddenly killed it''s thrusters and skidded down into the pavement, coming to a firm stop. Lyria pushed down onto the controls, bringing her mech to a stop with a sidewards skid.


    Picking up the comm call, she answered, ¡°Exactly who are you?¡± She had a feeling that she already knew who it was but she was willing to confirm her suspicions.


    ¡°I''d suggest you lower your weapons first. You wouldn''t want to harm my passenger.¡±


    Lyria felt puzzled at the man''s statement, the bluntness of the statement catching her off guard. She felt hesitation grip her, but slowly released her hands from the firing controls. Her mechs arms slowly lowered in response and came to a rest at it''s sides.


    ¡°That''s better. We''ve already crossed paths once before but this time I''ll let you know who I am. I am Char Malkovich, leader and head of Helix. Onboard my machine I''m carrying one of yours so I suggest you be more careful with who you''re aiming at.¡±


    Lyria felt her stomach wretch. There''s only one reason and person that Char would show his face on a battlefield like this one, and she knew that Maple was aboard the red Wolf. She realized how much at a disadvantage that she was truly at. She couldn''t open fire due to the risk of killing Maple but she also couldn''t let him leave with her.


    ¡°I see you''re at least easy to reason with. Now I suggest you begin to gather your people, as I''m going to be the least of your worries.¡±


    In a split second, the red Wolf took off again. Lyria quickly raised her rifle but refused to pull the trigger. She just couldn''t risk it. If they lost Maple for good, then they would lose their beacon for their revolution. They would just have to try and intercept them further out from the city. Lyria reached down and began trying to reach Kane. Hopefully his reinforcements would be close enough to try and cut Char off outside the city. The chances were slim, but they were better than nothing.


    Marcus and the rest of his team circled around from the residential area and picked up a highway lane that would bring them around to the airfield. As the armored carrier let its engine roar, everyone began to clean up their wounds and check their equipment. Kirsch had been no easy battle for them, and they felt every inch of his attacks throughout their entire body.


    Marcus glanced out one of the windows of the vehicle, taking in the atmosphere around him. The dome above appeared in patches, the dark smoke blotting out most of it. The purplish hue it gave off before was now mixed with tints of orange and red glows from the fires that had spawned across the city. From high up, he could truly see what chaos had been brought forth form the fighing.


    Spurts of gunfire still rang out across the city but something else was drawing his attention. The central line of defense at the central HQ was still holding fast but a large target was bearing down on them. Identical in appearance, a large onyx black vessel was rampaging through the streets in a direct charge towards the tower that served as their central operations. It was impossible to tell what was on board, but he knew that it was probably more than the W.R.A. soldiers could handle alone.


    ¡°Lyria, this is Marcus here. It looks like we have some kind of large transport bearing down on HQ. Do you copy?¡± After a few minutes, silence was the only response he received. Was she busy and couldn''t respond or was something else going on?


    ¡°Yeah, I''m here but we''ve got bigger issues. Marcus, it''s Maple. I ran into that red mech again and after confirming it with some of the soldiers at the airfield, they saw the pilot kidnap Maple.¡±


    Marcus suddenly felt as if the world had dropped out from under him. Surely they had been mistaken. She had promised to stay in the hangar. He knew she was hot headed but surely she hadn''t been stupid enough to run out into an ongoing battle herself?


    ¡°You''re positive. She''s not at the airfield anywhere?¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry Marcus, but I''ve got reinforcement units set to try and intercept but right now we need to get everyone out of here, especially if the HQ is going to be in trouble.¡±


    He slammed his fist into the wall, the steel squeaking out in a cry. The sudden outburst brought everyone''s attention to him. Amanda and Akatsuya hesitated, Briggs too busy driving to notice and Germaine up in the turret away from everyone. How was he supposed to just walk away from his daughter? How could he leave her safety to the hands of someone else?


    ¡°Listen, I get that you''re frustrated but we don''t have the manpower to back you up if you pursue and we need all hands on deck here.¡± Lyria''s voice cut across as jagged as stone. It sounded harsh, but she was simply trying to prioritize for the least disastrous outcome. While Maple''s safety was of high importance, the imminent problem was those citizens in the residential areas that needed to be moved away from the fighting. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Marcus felt a flashback enter his mind as he thought of those refugees they had abandoned in Marlow. As he glanced out across the city from the high road, he wondered what they thought of his people and his message he had first tried to bring to them. Aplhas were not the enemy, but were humans that were willing to help all the same. If he turned to pursue Maple, could he still stand by that?


    ¡°Fine, where do you want us?¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it. I want you to meet me at headquarters. If we lose that we lose communications with our teams and then we''ll fall where we stand.¡±


    Marcus cut his comms line and made his way up to the cockpit. Briggs stature dwarfed the driver seat so much that it looked like he was in a clown car. Marcus gave him a quick pat on the shoulder and pointed him in the direction of the HQ. Briggs pulled the carrier off the next exit and made a beeline for their destination.


    <hr>


    Maria stood in a gaze at the Red Wing. For so long it had remained covered, unable to be of use to anyone. Now, it wouldn''t be long before it was to be unveiled to the world and to bring it''s justice down upon Helix. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn''t notice the approach of footsteps from behind.


    ¡°Dr. Sukomoto! You need to get to safety!¡±


    She was greeted by a disgruntled W.R.A. soldier, his uniform scorched and torn from the battle raging outside. She quickly waved him off and began pacing over to the Red Wing. It''s massive frame occupied all of the hangar, its red gleem dulled by the dim lighting from above.


    ¡°I am already in a safe enough area. Do me a favor and bring me your comm link.¡±


    Without hesitation the soldier walked over to her and quickly passed off his comm device. Maria situated it upon her ear and dialed up Lyria''s channel.


    ¡°Hello? Lyria here.¡±


    ¡°Ah good. This is Dr. Sukomoto. It seems were losing control of the situation very quickly so I concur to resort to drastic measures. I''m going to deploy the Red Wing.¡±


    There was a momentary pause before Lyria''s voice rang back. Her tone was stark and cold, ¡°You realize we haven''t even finished clearing everyone out from the city right? Can we risk launching it with the city this occupied?¡±


    It was a reckless plan. The Red Wing was not fit to take off in such a small confined space, especially with the dome overhead. The initial plan however was to bring it through the outer wall upon takeoff, using its glide capability to hover over the city.


    ¡°I can''t promise that there won''t be damage but at this point, I don''t think we really have to worry too much about the city being damaged. As far as I''m concerned they''ve gotten the jump on us. It''s time we depart and go on the offensive ourselves.¡±


    While they had chosen to disclose a large amount of info to Marcus and his team, both Lyria and Maria had never revealed the true intentions of the W.R.A. They had planned on defending Celestia as long as possible but in the end, they knew they would have to leave it and the people behind. They had hoped that they could implement a self sustaining existence in time of their absence, but with the ambush at hand it just wouldn''t be possible.


    ¡°I understand. Just give us time to get everybody out of the city. Once we give you the all clear feel free to load everybody up there on the Red Wing and take off. We''ll rendezvous with you once we''re outside the city.¡±


    Maria dropped the line and gave a small grin. Finally everyone would realize what a great engineer she is and would be gracious with the Red Wing at her side. If Helix had learned to do the same she might not have defected. Then again, she couldn''t have accomplished this with how strict the oversight was with them. They had quarreled over her design in the first place, claiming it was ¡°an abuse of the power to control with the company.¡±


    She spat onto the ground. What did they know anyways? They were the ones that used human experimentation in order to place themselves in a seat of power. How was this so different? At least she used machinery to do it, instead of using people as puppets.


    Maria turned and handed the headset back to the soldier. He softly retrieved it from her and slid it back in place. As he turned to return to the battle, Maria stopped him, feeling his shoulder stiffen from the unexpected action. Even though they were all clones of some unfortunate soul, they still had human reactions.


    ¡°I want all the fire squadrons outside to maintain a defensive line at these hangar doors. We''re going to begin loading up for takeoff. The airfield is a loss, we only need to protect this hangar now.¡±


    Without turning around, the soldier gave a quick nod forward and charged off towards the exit of the hangar. Sure, Maria would wait to allow the evacuation of the civilians but she wasn''t about to compromise the integrity of a takeoff. What would it hurt to be a little extra prepared?


    <hr>


    Lyria came to a screeching halt in her wolf mech, an active firefight greeting her at the frontline of the headquarters. Fire raged around the building, gunfire being peppered back and forth from all sightlines. It was evident that the HQ was Helix''s main target.


    Off in the distance, just ahead of the plaza, Lyria spotted what had been the source of the distress call. A large black vessel, like the one that had breached the wall, was slowly making its way to the headquarters. Whatever was onboard couldn''t be anything good.


    She sized up the battle scene in front of her. The W.R.A. was holding a pretty solid defense line, keeping the wide open plaza area in front a killzone for any Helix forces that tried to wade in. On the side of the W.R.A., a compound entry way and stair complex offered a variety of cover. On the side of Helix, they were faced with much larger open spaces, with only benches, streetlights and other small terrain to offer a defensive shield for them.


    The black vessel still slowly crept up the now debris covered roadway, unyielding to the gunfire that greeted it. Lyria leveled her rifle at it, lining up a shot just above the pointed front. She fired a round off and watched in surprise as the round only dented the vessel, leaving its armor intact.


    It was evident how they had been able to punch through the outer wall now. Whatever armor this ship had on it, it was something they had never faced before. Lyria was willing to bet that these vessels were far and few in the Helix forces, meaning it was likely carrying something extremely important.


    As the ship kept pushing up the line, it suddenly came to a halt. Suddenly the plates on its sides fanned outward, created a slanting shield shape. In the front, the blade split in two and moved outward to either side, revealing what lay underneath. A large bore cannon shot forth from the depths of the machine and began emitting an intense purplish light.


    Before anybody could take cover, the cannon jolted back into the machine, recoiling it backwards. Lyria watched as the ball of light began to approach, the sound of thunder cracking following a split second afterwards. The ball suddenly curved to her right and slammed into one of the stair complexes beside her.


    An eruption shook the earth beside her and Lyria looked in horror as a crater was left where the stairs once stood. Not even a trace was left of the soldiers taking up a defensive line there. As the dust began to settle, the metal in the stairs groaned, the lack of a support from below bearing too much on the upper level.


    Suddenly the upper stair complex began to collapse, burying soldiers underneath it. In the matter of seconds, Lyria had just lost her right defensive line for the HQ. Something about that vessel had to be done right then and there...

 Chapter 25

    T-10, or Ten as most called him, looked all around him, his head fuzzy and ears ringing. Dust clouded his vision no matter where he looked, a dull thumping fading in and out. His head foggy, he struggled to recall where he was at.


    Suddenly, a strange taste entered his mouth. A strong metallic taste flooded his taste buds as a warm liquid began to fill his jaws. He felt his jaw drop as a rush of bright red came spilling out, splattering across the ground under him. He felt his lungs begin to grow heavy as his senses came back to him.


    Just a ways in front of him lay his weapon. He stared at the rifle for a moment before he began to reach for it. To his surprise, its distance from him remain unchanged. As he shifted his gaze to his arm, a chill came over him.


    The reason he didn''t move, or even see his hand, was that there was nothing to reach with. Instead of his arm, he was greeted with an avulsion at his shoulder. A thick and meaty stump rotated about as it attempted to work in conjunction with what should have been his arm.


    As blood oozed from his shoulder socket, he felt a panic set in. His mind flashed back to his first memories. A large and dark room, tubes with bare people inside lined up alongside him. He remembered the pressure he felt in his lungs, the same as he felt now.


    Then it all began to come back to him. His beginnings, his birth, had began from Helix. He had been one of their soldiers, grown in a lab and manipulated to do their bidding. When he had been ordered to gun down a woman and child, he had felt something inside him telling him to resist. In a flash, he had turned on his squadmates and gunned them down.


    He remembered how the woman had stared at him, cowering in fear. Both her and the child had eased away from him, their reflections staring back at them in the red tint of the lenses of his mask. He couldn''t remember how long he had stayed there before someone else came across him.


    He remembered the woman who had found him. She had said her name was Lyria and that they could use people like him. He had been confused, but once again that feeling came back to him. A sort of calling telling him it was the right thing to do.


    That feeling came back to him once more as he gazed out in front of him. Taking in his surroundings, he recalled where he was. Above him, a crumbled staircase had collapsed on him, trapping him underneath it. He remembered seeing the intense light barreling at him and his squad when it had struck the stairs beside of him.


    T took a moment to see who had survived the initial blast. All around him, more soldiers like him crawled from inside the rubble, their black and yellow uniforms covered in dust and blood. Some had lost their helmets, masks were cracked, uniforms ripped and yet they still pushed forward, weapons blazing in hand.


    Suddenly he felt his head grow light. Everything around him began to grow dim and hazy. He may have lived a short life, but he knew what was coming for him. Despite this, he felt proud for what he had done in what little time he was given. He had proven that he wasn''t just meant to be someones puppet but instead, had found something to fight for just like those around him.


    As this thought lingered in his mind, he closed his eyes. Within moments, the sound of the world around him had faded away. He was left alone with only his thoughts. As he felt himself begin to drift away, he took one final breath. Letting out a deep exhale, he left the world not as a number to a corporation but as a person who had made a difference.


    <hr>


    Lyria began to pace her mech forward, the hydraulics of the machinery groaning from the strain. As more survivors poured from the wreckage on her right, she pushed up across the plaza. Helix members were attempting to take advantage of the chaos the cannon had caused, desperately trying to uproot the W.R.A. from their headquarters.


    Directly ahead of her, smoke still poured from the barrel of the canon on the gunship. This told her that it would probably take a bit of cooldown time before they could use it again. Seeing an opportunity, she charged, the machine gun on her mech''s right arm ripping through the air. While none of the shots were accurate, it did a good job of keeping the gunfire off of her.


    The pings off the hull of the gunship mixed with the stomping of her machine created a parade of deafening sounds. As she grew close, the gunners began to pick up on her approach path. Heavy gunfire peppered the ground around her, cracking and splintering the concrete.


    Lyria quickly put the mech into a strafe, aiming to avoid a crossover with the turrets line of sight. Taking advantage of her quick thinking, she qued her comms channel up once more.


    ¡°Marcus, where the hell are you at?¡± At this rate, she wouldn''t be able to shut down the gunship and the headquarters would fall. If they lost the HQ then they were going to lose it all. There would be no vengeance or anything of that matter. The thought put a damper on her rush of adrenaline.


    After a few seconds there was still no response. What could be taking them so long?


    ¡°We read you loud and clear little miss.¡±


    ¡°Briggs? Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Loud and clear miss. I assume you''re struggling with that mammoth of a gunship?¡±


    ¡°How could you tell?¡±


    ¡°Just a hunch. Stand clear, we''re on it.¡±


    Lyria heard the comm channel fall silent and wondered what they were up to. Suddenly one of their own gunships flashed across her view, smashing into the enemy in a t-bone fashion.


    Glass flew everywhere and the sound of tearing metal could be heard. As the smoke cleared, Lyria saw a hopeful sight. On its side sat the enemy gunship, tipped over from the impact of Brigg''s vessel. The downside was that Briggs had wrecked his own by smashing it into the enemy, the front firmly wedged in place.


    Lyria quickly charged over, using the utility arm of her mech to wrench the side door off its hinges. She lined the cockpit up to the door and opened the hatch of her W.O.L.F., dropping down inside the wrecked gunship.


    Up front, Briggs was holding himself up on the wall, a slight grin on his face as blood oozed down from a laceration on his head. Much to her surprise, nobody else was inside.


    ¡°Briggs?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I told you. We''re on it.¡±


    ¡°You said we''re as in we are.¡±


    ¡°Yeah and?¡±


    As if they were waiting for her to ask, everybody else suddenly came crashing down from above. It seemed as if Germaine was the only one to not land on their feet, as he hit face first.


    ¡°Sorry, but we had to buckle up for the impact.¡± Marcus had been the first to speak, but it was clear he was in no mood to chat. He was ready to clean up this mess and clear everything out so he could go after Maple.


    ¡°We need to get out there and start pushing them back so we can make sure everybody gets out of the city.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I get that, but how do you even plan on evacuating everybody?¡±


    ¡°Oh, did I fail to mention that not only did I dispatch Kane and his men after your daughter but also called for Amelia, David and Mint to arrange for evacuation orders?¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you telling me you had a plan for this all along?¡±


    Everything suddenly felt suspicious to Marcus and his team. Lyria had seemed surprised by the quickness of the Helix response yet she was this confident in an evacuation order?


    ¡°I wouldn''t exactly call it a plan but I knew Helix wouldn''t let it slip by so easily. Let''s just call it being prepared. I had everybody on standby in case something went wrong and now I''m glad I did.¡±


    ¡°If that''s the case then where are they at?¡±


    Everybody''s comm links suddenly began beeping. It seemed that everybody was getting the same incoming call from outside the wall. Lyria was the first to answer the call, her action greeted by a disturbingly cheery voice.


    ¡°Mint here. Everybody''s in position now on the East, South and West entrances.¡±


    ¡°Good job Mint. When those gates open, I want everybody to begin loading the residents up. Make sure that all the members in families stay together. They''re our priority right now.¡±


    ¡°Yes ''mam.¡±


    The young girl seemed too eager to be assigned such a task, especially in such critical times as now. Marcus approached Lyria, face to face, a determined gleam in his eyes.


    ¡°So that''s just it? We get them out while we fight the good fight and hope we make it out? Your plan seems to be lacking in conciseness.¡±


    ¡°No, we get them out and then we extract. The civilians will be going to the corresponding cities while we meet up with Kane and pursue your daughter.¡±


    ¡°At this rate they''ll be so far ahead of us that we''ll never catch up. It''s pointless unless we leave now.¡±


    Lyria braced her posture and delivered a sharp slap to Marcus''s face. He staggered back, startled by the sudden impact and the sting. His cheek tingled from the slap, causing his temper to start to flare up.


    ¡°You need to quit your whining. I''m aware of the situation but if you hightailed it now what would be so different from when you were forced to flee Marlow? Was it not your original goal when you started Generation to try and save people to show them Alphas were not the enemy?¡±


    Marcus felt his frustration begin to simmer down. No matter what argument he wanted to make, she was right. If he were to abandon the people of Celestia now, it would be no different than back in Marlow.


    ¡°We''ll simply hold our ground here until everybody''s out then we''ll use our secret weapon to catch up?¡±


    At this point Amanda felt her curiosity pique up, ¡°Secret weapon? You''re not talking about what I think you are, are you?¡±


    Lyria gave a quick grin before pulling her comm link up again, ¡°Dr. Sukomoto, are you there?¡±


    Almost instantly she heard a response, ¡°Dr. Sukomoto here. Awaiting your instruction Lyria.¡±


    ¡°It''s time. I want you to start preparing it for flight.¡±


    ¡°I thought you would never ask.¡±


    Marcus watched as Lyria cut her comm channel and began to reproach her mech. It was pretty clear as to what her intentions were. With a shrug the rest of the team followed suit, weapons in hand. Lyria climbed back into the pilot compartment of her mech, leaving the hatch up.


    ¡°I want everyone to try and relieve some of the pressure points of this firefight for our men. I''ll take frontline with Briggs and Germaine. Amanda, I want you to stay back and pick off our targets from a distance. Marcus, Akatsuya, you two are to flank any squads giving us resistance.¡±


    Marcus felt a little chaffed at his team being given orders, but this wasn''t the time to make a fuss. From this point on, they would be operating as one solid force, not a team doing favors. It was time to buckle down and push back.


    ¡°Give me a second. I need to wrangle up a weapon. I''m gonna hop in that enemy gunship.¡±


    Briggs slid down the side, keeping himself covered from the firefight raging outside. He brought himself around to the side of the gunship, pulling himself through the damaged hatch.


    Inside, Helix soldiers lay unresponsive, either killed from the crash or incapacitated from injuries. As he peeked around, a shot suddenly rang out. The bullet ricocheted off the metal wall next to his head and skipped further down in the transport. In the corner, one of the soldiers lay slumped against the wall, his left hand clutching at a bloody area in his chest, his right right clutching a now jammed up pistol.


    Briggs slowly approached him and gently pulled the pistol from his hand. The soldier offered no resistance but instead, began trembling. Briggs didn''t know if it was from fear or from going into shock, but he did the soldier a favor. In one fell swoop, Briggs brought down his heel into the soldier''s head, crushing his skull underneath it. Blood gushed out from behind his mask, his body sliding over onto its side, lifeless.


    As Briggs went to resume his search, a loud beeping suddenly caught is attention. He followed his ears, stepping over the dead bodies and debris, finding himself standing in front of a large slide lock steel door. He tried to open it but instead, found firm resistance. Yep, it was definitely locked for a reason.


    He took one moment to brace himself, then smashed into the door full force, using his weight to his advantage. Not many Alphas were built like Briggs, but those that were possessed immense strength. Fortunately, the door couldn''t withstand it.


    The door fell straight back with a loud thud, the metallic ring echoing throughout the vessel. As Briggs stepped through, his eyes were drawn immediately to the source of the beeping.


    In the middle of the room sate a large steel crate. It seemed to have some sort of technology integration, the seams of it glowing a pale blue. On top of the crate there was a digital display, a sequence of bright blue numbers being displayed. Briggs watched for a second, ¡°00.15.14, 00.15.13, 00.15.12.¡±


    As he read the numbers aloud, it suddenly became clear to him what he was looking at. This was no crate but appeared to be something much worse.


    ¡°Hey guys, we got a problem here.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? And what''s that beeping?¡±


    ¡°That beeping is the problem.¡±


    Lyria quickly hopped out of her mech once again and made her way over to the gunship. Following the same route, she made her way to Briggs, the rest of the team directly behind her.


    Lyria eyeballed the crate as soon as she stepped into the room. It was indeed a problem. One that was going to grow in size in the next 15 minutes.


    ¡°Please tell me that isn''t what I think it is?¡± Briggs tried to contain the nervousness in his voice but it was obvious that he was unsettled. Surely they wouldn''t blow up their own soldiers.


    ¡°I believe it is a bomb indeed.¡±


    ¡°You''re telling me that they had a bomb inside this thing and I rammed it?¡±


    ¡°It''s a thousand wonders it didn''t detonate right then.¡±


    The news was beyond unsettling. Fighting a firefight was one thing, defusing a bomb another. Even with Lyria''s intelligence, they didn''t have the equipment on hand for such a task. Besides, one as complicated as looking as this one was would take more than 15 minutes to defuse.


    Marcus stepped forward, cautiously approaching the bomb, ¡°So what now? We only have 15 minutes to not just get the civilians out but ourselves as well?¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the case. I''m afraid we''re going to have to do something even more drastic than planned now though.¡±


    ¡°How can you get more drastic than this? Besides, how do we know that we can escape the blast radius of this thing?¡±


    ¡°This bomb... it''s blast radius will engulf the city but the dome should keep it from extending past that.¡±


    ¡°So what you''re saying is if we can make it out of the city before 15 minutes are up then despite the fact that Celestia will be wiped off the face of the planet, we''ll still be ok?¡±


    Lyria took a moment, not sure if she should give them such a false reassurance. While she had planned on Helix taking many actions to thwart the W.R.A. and the revolution, she never expected them to go far as destroying an entire city.


    ¡°Honestly, I''m not even sure then if we''ll make it. Our best bet now is to go ahead and give the others the go ahead to take off with the residents in the next 10 minutes while we make our way to the air field.¡±


    ¡°So that''s it. We''re being forced to run again.¡± Marcus slammed his fist into the wall as the words left his mouth. It was all going wrong again. Just as they had renewed themselves for a fight, the option was stripped from them before their very eyes. It was run or die, take care of yourself before others.


    ¡°Trust me, we''re not running. We''re retreating to a safe point and then we''ll rain down on them from there.¡±


    The rest of the team gave Lyria a quick nod and proceeded to leave the vessel, Briggs snatching up a rifle from the corner of the room. Lyria took a quick moment, placing her hand on Marcus''s shoulder, ¡°Listen, I know this isn''t ideal. Every since your arrival it hasn''t been, but we''ve got a fight to carry on. The whole world, not just the people of Celestia, are depending on us right now.¡±


    ¡°I know, but nothing seems to go right for us. Every since I started Generation, we were supposed to be the good guys but it seems like we''re losing at every turn.¡±


    Without responding, Lyria continued on past and back to her mech. She knew nothing she could say would comfort that feeling. They had always been fighting a losing battle, but she wouldn''t give up hope. She couldn''t.


    As Marcus stared at the timer counting down, it was as if it was mocking him. Not only was it a countdown to destruction, but it also meant that with each passing second, Maple was getting further and further away from him and closer to the clutches of Helix. Turning away in frustration, the timer continued its rhythm. Tick tock, tick tock...

 Chapter 26

    Maria made her way up the rusty stairway, bringing her up to deck level with the Red Wing. The loading deck stretched out before her, its wide berth credited to the sheer size of the vessel. As she made her way across the bridge, her footsteps echoed out, a metallic ping with every step.


    She looked up above her, the dust still unsettled from the ongoing fight, making the lights above give off a hazy atmosphere. It almost made the place look like some rundown warehouse, not an airfield hangar.


    Giving off a quick sigh, she regained her breath from the long walk across and stepped foot onto the flight deck. To her right, a long span of the ship ran, sporting a small runway and turrets lined up on two rows. The nose of the ship then tapered off into a fine point, a seam running down where each side met in the middle. Underneath the runway sate a large MAC cannon, exposed only when the nose separated and pulled itself out to the sides.


    To her left, the command bridge and pilot compartment sat nestled atop. A wide spread of windows gave full view of the front of the ship from the commander seat, the green glass embedded with pop up UI and HUD interfaces.


    Inside, there was seating for everyone of the command crew, including battle stations for the turrets up front. The captain sat in a modest looking throne like seat that had different control capabilities on either side of the arms. In front, a dual handle steering device and altitude lever could be used to control the ship.


    Directly under the command bridge, the living quarters were situated. The halls contained a red and gold themed setup to match the exterior style of the Red Wing. There were 20 rooms onboard, more than enough to accommodate a large scale force. Each room contained a set of bunk beds, with a false window that was a large piece of glass that stretched across the far wall. The glass screen received a transmission of the outside view from an external camera that simulated a real window without the danger of compromising hull integrity.


    Finally, behind all that sat the supply armory and cargo hold. The armory contained all the ammunition and supplies the ship needed and had direct access to the engine compartment directly overhead in case of an emergency. The cargo hold contained ground vehicles and a drop hatch for the use of bombs. Despite the sheer amount of things loaded onboard, the Red Wing still possessed more than enough room to be comfortable.


    As Maria finished looking over the ship, she strolled across to the command bridge and made her way inside. She quickly shut the door behind her and placed herself firmly in the captain''s seat. If anybody was going to be in charge of her creation''s first takeoff, it was going to be her.


    ¡°This is Dr. Sukomoto. We are beginning takeoff preparations for the Red Wing. I need the flight crew and respective units to begin boarding and prepare for takeoff. We have directives for an emergency takeoff and must begin now.¡±


    ¡°Copy that doctor. We''ll begin to withdraw from the airfield and will begin boarding immediately.¡±


    It was reassuring to hear the soldiers answer so diligently. Despite little experience as what it was like to truly be human, they were dependable. While she never sympathized with them quite like Lyria did, Maria still understood why they were important to the cause. Not only were they willing to fight to the death for their cause, they were also quick learners. It had not taken very long for Maria to train a handful on how the airship should be handled.


    While she waited for the crew to begin boarding, Maria ran her fingers across the controls of the ship on the arm of her chair. The thought of the ship taking off sent a rush through her body. It was almost time to show everyone just how strong she really was. She laughed as she thought of what the faces of Helix''s scientists would look like when she showed off the Red Wing. She wouldn''t just be a number to them anymore, her name would be known.


    She reached over and began flipping the power switches, sending electricity throughout the vessel and allowing all the oils and fluids to begin priming. After a few moments, she reached over to on of the levers and cranked it downwards. One of the sensor lights lit up and from far behind, she could faintly hear the sound of hydraulics kicking in. From outside the ship, the noise was much more intense as the cargo bay doors opened, allowing quicker entry for the incoming crew.


    Maria had to wait until the she was greeted by the crew members at the command bridge before she could begin to start the engines. The vessel was just too large to see what was immediately around it, so it wouldn''t be safe until everyone was confirmed aboard.


    From somewhere behind her and down either side of the stairway leading to the bridge, Maria could hear the clanging of footsteps charging to her position. It was nice to know they were in a hurry.


    One by one, W.R.A. soldiers began to populate the command bridge, taking up seats along the battle stations and other system stations. After the last one had taken their place, a lone standing threw a salute and called out, ¡°M-57 reporting for duty ''mam. All personnel for takeoff accounted for. We can begin takeoff procedures.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear. How many are left on the airfield of our own?¡±


    ¡°Around 3 fire squadrons mam.¡±


    ¡°That''s a shame. I would''ve preferred not to leave anybody behind but we don''t have a choice now. Let''s continue on.¡±


    Looking above the city, it would questionable to any normal individual as to how an aircraft was going to take off with no way to enter clear skies. However, a fact had been undisclosed to the citizens of Celestia about what lay underneath the city. A series of channels had been discovered deep beneath the city by Lyria and the others when first coming to Celestia.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    These tunnels had proven more than useful when establishing the airfield. They could be used to store fuel underground, but one tunnel had shown a special priority. Beneath the hangar the Red Wing sat in, one of the tunnels had been converted into a launch shaft leading underneath the wall that encircled Celestia. It''s exit lay outside the city, covered over by artificial terrain made to be impossible to detect.


    Maria gave a grin as she began firing up the systems. It was time to give everybody a shock. She reached over and placed what looked like an eyepiece on her face, a lens folding over to lay over her right eye. A miniature HUD system popped up, with a hologram overlay in front of her. She darted through the different menus, the soldiers waiting patiently for her actions to take effect.


    Suddenly, a loud popping and whining could be heard from underneath the airship. Slowly, the floor beneath them began to turn and spiral downwards, the hissing and stirring of hydraulics filling the air. As the began to descend, the interior of the vessel grew dark. In a matter of seconds, it was too dark to see anything inside.


    After a few more moments, the platform came to a slow halt, spitting out a large hiss of steam as it did so. Time seemed to stand still for a moment as they sat in complete darkness. With a large thump, the lights in the tunnel began to spring to life one by one.


    As light began to pour into the command bridge, a voice suddenly came over the intercom. It sounded devoid of life, signifying that they were hearing an AI speak instead of a person.


    ¡°Beginning launch sequence. Launch bay doors opening.¡±


    The crew waited in silence, expecting to hear the loud groans of metal as the terrain would be split apart and a way out exposed. However, the length of the tunnel was too long to be able to actually see the exit.


    ¡°Launch bay doors open. Scans detect no debris in tunnel. Proceed with takeoff.¡±


    Maria grinned once more and began to flip switches. Lights on the consoles began to flash on, signifying that everything was good to go. Finally, she reached down between her feet and pulled a long handle up towards her, then gave it a quick shove back into its initial position.


    With a roar, the ship sprang to life. The four thrusters in the back burst to life, the whine of the turbines filling the hollow interior of the tunnel. Maria began to crank forward on the throttle knob, the thrusters turning from a dull orange to an intense blue flame as the vessel began to lift up and forward. In a matter of seconds, the ship was moving down the tunnel, hovering just above the ground beneath it.


    ¡°Alright everybody, this is it. It''s time to take to the skies and show Helix what we''re all made of.¡±


    The crew let out a impulsive cheer. It didn''t matter how prepared or armed they were. Dr. Sukomoto knew that they wouldn''t be prepared for this. As they neared the end of the tunnel, a dark sky greeted them from above.


    As they approached the end of the runway, Maria began to lift up on the altitude lever, pulling the nose of the ship up to greet the heavens. Slowly, the ship began to lift off further off the ground. As it soared up and out of the tunnel and into the sky, dust blanketed the land behind it. The force of the thrusters began to shake the dead and barren trees and throw debris across the terrain.


    With a loud cry, the Red Wing ripped upward and into the sky above the city. It''s shadow blanketed the city, the light shining through the dome becoming an abyssal purple from the blackout.


    <hr>


    ¡°Lyria, this is Dr. Sukomoto. We have a successful liftoff. We''re ready when you are.¡±


    Lyria gazed upward as the figure of the Red Wing could be seen through the mostly transparent dome. As it soared overhead, her hope for the success of the W.R.A. began to soar.


    ¡°Jesus Christ, is that what you meant by drastic action?¡±


    Marcus was just as surprised as everybody else. They had seen the Red Wing but its sheer intensity didn''t hit them until it was full flight above the city.


    ¡°I told you, we had a plan.¡±


    ¡°We wondered how you even planned to get that thing airborne. You could have told us about going under the city.¡±


    ¡°Too much risk. We trusted you, but we didn''t know how committed you would truly be to our cause.¡±


    ¡°Well with the things the way they are now, we don''t have much of a choice but to be committed.¡±


    ¡°Fair point. Alright, let''s hit the road and get out of here. By the time we reach outside, most of the residents should be evacuated by then.¡±


    As Lyria climbed back into her mech, she realized it wouldn''t be so easy to just ¡°get out.¡± Helix soldiers still encompassed the area around the headquarters and Briggs had also wrecked the only means of transportation that Generation had.


    While trying to quickly determine the best course of action, a call from one of the commanding soldiers on the battlefield popped up in her comm link.


    ¡°What is it soldier?¡±


    ¡°Mam, we have a request to make.¡±


    ¡°A request soldier? You would be the first to ask one from me.¡± It was the first time any of the soldiers they had recruited to the W.R.A. had wanted to ask something. Before they had always done as they were told and were given freedom to do as they wanted when not on duty. The behavior caught Lyria off guard.


    ¡°Yes mam. We''re aware you''ve enforced an evacuation order, but we would like to discard that order. We wish to stay here at the headquarters and hold out for as long as possible.¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry soldier, but I can''t allow that. We have a live bomb on our hands. It would be meaningless to try and save the HQ at this point.¡±


    A few seconds went by before the soldier responded, ¡°I see. That still doesn''t change our resolution. This is our home. We want to do what we can to protect it as long as possible. If we can buy you and Generation extra by holding the line here we will.¡±


    ¡°I-¡±


    Lyria cut herself short. She could hear the dedication in his voice. He didn''t just speak for himself, he spoke for all the soldiers throughout the city. Sure, they had plenty of soldiers aboard the evacuation vessels outside the walls, but she didn''t want to let go so easily. It was obvious they weren''t going to give her a choice though.


    ¡°I understand. You all may hold your ground. We need a transport if you have it though.¡±


    ¡°No problem mam. We''ll get one around to you. Also mam, it''s been an honor. We''ve had more of a chance at an actual life with you and the W.R.A. than we ever could have asked for. We couldn''t be more thankful.¡±


    While she was never directly attached to any of the soldiers under their command, she felt a pain sting in her chest. A tear almost began to well up in her eye but she fought it back. After all, she was their leader. She couldn''t dishonor them by growing into despair at this moment.


    Marcus and the rest just stood in silence at the soldiers request. Many a time Marcus had been in the field before as a soldier. He understood what it meant to these men to have this request granted, as did the rest of Generation.


    In a few moments, a large black jeep vehicle pulled around to the crashed gunships. Two soldiers hopped out, one from the drivers seat and one from the turret mounted up top. They were both bloody and covered in dust. It was clear they had been fighting valiantly. Without saying a word, Marcus and the others hopped into the vehicle and fell in line behind Lyria in her mech. Behind them, the soldiers stood at a firm salute, disappearing from view as Marcus and the others drove away...