RULE THE WORLD | D.DIXON

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Cassie reached out and grabbed the woman's hand, squeezed it. Kelly glanced at her with the smallest smile, as Luke spoke. "We can...We can call Alexandria, right? Call Alexandria, and w...they're get freaks fighters here, right? And...and...and it's not just gonna be us. It's not gonna be just us, right?"

"If all roads are blocked, Oceanside can't get here, then neither can Alexandria." Max pipped in.

Dianne nodded, agreeing. "Not in time. Not after what happened. We're on our own."

"Divvy up your arsenals." Earl orders. "We got catapults up on the walls. And a damn good militia. This is what you've all been practicing for. Come on, now, people! Do whatever you need to get your heads on straight! This is gonna be the fight of our lives."

As everyone was preparing, Cassie sat on the stairs of the pouch of the house, watching her brother play in the dirt in front of her. They were out of the way of everyone, so they didn't disturb anyone. She leant against her elbows against her knees, her hands laced in front of her as Max came up beside her and sat down.

"You two should be inside." He murmured, sitting in the same position as she was.

Cassie didn't say anything for a few seconds, just watching her baby brother play like nothing was happening. "He doesn't understand what happening."

"I know, but that's why you need to be him safe." Her brother says, his emerald eyes locked on their baby brother.

"But when I was his age, I knew what was happening." She watched as Carl looked up from his dirt drawing and spotted their brother. He smiled, running into Max's arms. "Why doesn't he?"

Max held his brother as he glanced at his sister. "He thinks a little different than us, Cas. His mind is more innocent and childish than when you were his age. From what I've seen and learned since he got him, Carl hasn't been conditioned for stuff like this. He's never been in a situation like this. A war."

Cassie nodded, understandingly. "That makes sense. I'll keep him safe, Maxie. I promise."

"I know you will." Max smiled as he stood up. He stuck out his hand, pulling up his sister as Kelly and rest of them came out of the house. "Alright, take C inside and do not leave that house, unless an adult tells you or it's life or death. Got it?"

"Got it." She says, grabbing Carl's hand and walking inside house. As she was leading her brother into the office with all the other kids, she made eye contact with her dad, who was standing on the balcony of the staircase.

She ushered Carl into the room, whispering something in his ear as he went before turning back towards her father, who was coming down the stairs and was talking with the King.

Cassie spotted Judith sitting on the couch, walked over to her and stood in front of her. "You want to fight, too?"

"Yeah, but Uncle Daryl wouldn't let me, or you." Judith replied, fidgeting with her knife holder.

"Hey, you two." Cassie's father says as he wobbled over to them. "You should be with the other kids."

Judith stood up, crossing her arms over her chest. "I wanna help. So does Cassie. We can fight."

"I know you can't. I'm sorry about today. You two didn't need to see those bodies like that." Daryl says, his eyes glancing between his daughter and niece.