In the aftermath

[itbelongsinamuseum]

1 [Backdated to just after Crazy Little Things.]

[After the debriefing and cleaning up, Alex can be found returned to the scene of the battle overlooking the destruction of what used to be the museum of fine arts before taking a look up the hill to the royal palace, seeing some scarring from stray shots on it.]

So this is what protecting Flanders is? Give me a break...

2

[Making use of how operations has taken her back to Belgium, Alex took a day off to go back to Antwerp to visit her parents and reassure them that she was still well and catching up. That was yesterday, now she's getting back to the rest of Unity Group and something seems to be weighing on her mind. She's even so deeply in thought that she's watching a random chess championship in one of the break rooms.]

Comments

[star_of_sad]

This kind of people don't fight for anything. They only fight against something. Terrorism is based on hate. You hate someone, possibly someone who hurt your people deeply in the past so you have a grudge now, and act on it.

... This is what Chief said once. And I can see now that he was right.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

I know...Just how can somebody be that short sighted and self-centered? Where do they find these people?

[star_of_sad]

This is a very dangerous world... getting people who have little to lose can't be that hard.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

Yes, but ones who have little to lose and are obviously hypocritical?

[star_of_sad]

I don't know. I wish I had answers for all these hard questions, but... but I don't. Sorry.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

It's fine. I'm not asking you to. I'm just angry at what they did here and needed to vent.

And think. On some level, they're doing it in my name too. I'm Flemish as well, after all.

[star_of_sad]

No, they're not! They just... usurped the right to speak up in other peoples' names, that's all. But it doesn't mean you agree or support them.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

You're right. But they still claim to do it while killing innocents and destroying the heritage they claim to preserve. I'm going to my part to prevent them from claiming their position as the face of Flanders.

[Her voice and expression wavers just a bit as she says it, though.]

[star_of_sad]

It sounds like you made up your mind.

[And Setsuko tries to be encouraging.]

But, do you think they might even show up again after what happened?

[itbelongsinamuseum]

I have no idea, but if they do we'll be ready.

So will the regular military, I imagine.

[star_of_sad]

The regular military...

[Setsuko looks down, with a peculiar expression. Almost remorseful.]

Sometimes it feels like only Unity Group can really achieve anything... not sure if I like it.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

You're right. It's rather worrying for the future of the world...

[star_of_sad]

It feels like a very heavy burden to carry.

There must be a better way to do this than just let one group do everything.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

It's easy for all the governments to just dump it on us and avoiding the PR problems of sending a lot of people off to die. Probably cheaper too. And for now it has been working, so they don't have much reason to change.

[star_of_sad]

It won't work forever. There is only one Unity Group. Even if teams split up, we can't be everywhere at once.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

I know. And Ren isn't going to be the only one to die either, so our numbers will probably shrink if we don't get more people.