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[b]"HOLD!"[/b]  [color=gray]A guttural growl came from the man in the suit, who seemed completely unaccustomed to raising his voice.

Once again, the clipped sound of fine leather was all that could be heard over deafening silence, broken only by violent coughing from a source unseen.

The Director strode up to the face of the trigger-happy guard and informed him[/color] "Dismissed."

[color=gray]There was no brook for arguments.  The guard immediately left.

He turned to the remaining guards.[/color]  "Leave.  Leave.  You, take him to the door."  [color=gray]He said to the last guard, referring to Fritz, still incapacitated on the floor.[/color]  "We're going to have an additional conversation."  [color=gray]He said to the gaunt boy.[/color]  "But you still need to hear this."

[color=gray]The children were scattered and staggered, but still roughly in one line.  Albeit only seventeen of them visible, and with an auburn haired boy in a hoodie and a blonde in rockabilly attire, seemingly more than ready to take matters into their own hands.

He walked the line again, all the way to the far end where the colossal boy of granite still stood.[/color]

"That was inexcusable..."

"...and for that, I apologise."

"Here, in this facility, you will find a lot of regular human guards.  Regular human guards who have only been armed with non-lethal ordnance.  Who are expected to attempt to enforce order amongst people who, to them, can perform the unimaginable."  [color=gray]He walked the line again.[/color]

"I make no excuses for them.  Again, like I said, 'inexcusable'."

"I do, however, mention this so that you may perhaps be able to empathise with their position, and also understand that old addage of a man with only a hammer sees every problem a nail."

"And hope that you will also extend that empathy amongst yourselves.  You are yet to have become familiar with them, and their stories, why they are here.  How their lives have thusfar turned out.  What their alternatives to here may have been."

"For example, Rex here, Aegis recently purchased the abandoned Old Atlanta Prison Farm and repurposed it as a Ju-V facility down in Georgia.  And yet he finds himself here.  In San Francisco.  Perhaps with time he would trust you with why that would be the case."

"I hope that you would not hold his early behaviour too highly against young Frederick Jackson, either.  I assure you, his life has not so far been easy.  He likely feels scared and vulnerable.  And as someone who's always only had himself he could rely upon, well, his actions to him, I'm sure seem justifiable."

"Likewise... you slapped him."  [color=gray]He said, addressing the young winged girl.[/color]  "When I said taking matters into your own hands would not be tolerated."  [color=gray]He continued.[/color]  "But everyone here saw what happened.  And I'm sure others here would empathise, and not begrudge you what you did."

"But would things be different if you'd been privvy to all of Frederick's life?  Or if you hadn't seen what happened just prior to that slap?"

"This is why... [u]AFTER YOU LEAVE THIS ROOM[/u].  Such behaviour will not be tolerated in any fashion.  You will maintain and care for your own property.  If it is lost or stolen, the efforts for its return will be undertaken by the people here.  Violence will not be accepted.  Neither the initial, nor in retaliation.  It may seem out of place to be quoting Gandhi in a place like this, but as he said 'An eye for an eye will only leave the whole world blind'."

"I can not and will not apologise for the presence of the guards.  Or the impact upon some of your personal liberties.  We have people here for various reasons - for many it is their one and only chance at rehabilitation - and we look to remove temptation where possible.  There are those of you here who feel 'But I have done nothing wrong', and I sympathise, but please understand that it is for the sake of others you share your space with."

"I had not intended to make this any kind of lengthy speech.  But it seems many of you needed to hear more than I'd initially intended."

"Like it or not, this [b]IS[/b] a community.  You don't have to like all your neighbours, but you will learn to co-exist with them."

"Now... I will continue this conversation with young Frederick Jackson.  He will re-join you later in one of our Rec Rooms, where this guard here will now lead you.  Please ensure young Natsumi is well before leaving."