The Kaiju Runt in the Room....

[genericbiggerbrother]

One fine day, someone posts a general video message on the Unity Group network.

"Hello! This is Ranger Yancy Beckett, on loan with his brother from the Pan Pacific Defense Corps."

He smiles. "I've been impressed by everyone I've met here, and I'm looking forward to defending the Earth with you all!"

His smile fades. "That being said, there's something that I've been meaning to ask folks, something that's been bugging me for a bit." He fidgets, then blurts out:

"Why are there so many kids here?"

Comments

[ugyuuya]

[Watching the message on a monitor Yuuya nods and sends back a quick note.]

Glad someone else was bothered enough to ask the question. I know Stella's been working with Kei and Leos but hormonal high school drama with elite world saving strikes me like something from those bad Japanese cartoons they used to make.

[genericbiggerbrother]

"It is like one of those badly-dubbed anime, ain't it?" Yancy chuckles.

He suddenly gets a grave look on his face. "Honestly, though, what worries me more than their age...is whether they actually made an informed choice to become pilots. There's a reason sick would-be warlords like to use child soldiers, after all."

[ugyuuya]

"I'm leery of Leos but one of the members of my flight is looking out for him. Seems to have taken an interest in Kei with team Rabbits too. She, Ataru, and Asagi may be in decent shape for combat but Izuru and Tamaki have the skills but really don't seem to be quite there maturity-wise yet."

"I may have started young to enlist at 17 but I've had a bit of time to settle into the role and duties. I'm just afraid that we're going to have another incident with someone pulling a stunt like Leos that won't wind up quite so clean as that one did in the end."

[gold_four]

Who knows? Maybe it means the next generation of heroes just can't wait to get some action?

[Ataru's grin is a combination of sass and cockiness.]

Just messing with ya. There's still a pretty decent number of grown ups around, its just... you've got a few exceptions here or there, and then the entire MJP project involved genetically engineering us for the job.

[genericbiggerbrother]

Yancy nods. "Okay, gotcha. I've read the press releases about MJP engineering new strains of humans for the wars in space."

He rests his chin on his hand. "But what does that mean, exactly? How did this affect your life and upbringing and whatnot?"

[gold_four]

[Ataru blinks, thinks and a bit, and...

Shrug.]

I dunno. I mean, I can't remember most of it. Memory was wiped after fifteen so I wouldn't have any existing regrets or ties to society after the foster family had done its job and raised me. But hey, guess I had to get my exquisite taste from somewhere, right?

[herodrawing]

Ehh? We have kids around the Unity Group?

[genericbiggerbrother]

Yancy stares, then despite himself, chuckles.

"That's right...Kid."

[herodrawing]

M... me? But I'm not that young!

[Izuru starts to gesticulate.]

I am sixteen, my stories had heroes already fight at this age. Besides, Tamaki is even younger...

...

I'm not helping am I?

[majestic_keiki]

We're teens, not kids. But at least the members of Team Rabbits have years of training for the job.

I do wonder about some of the others, though.

[genericbiggerbrother]

"I can't agree more, ma'am." Yancy says with a nod. "That Leos kid needs therapy and, like, a billion hugs."

He frowns. "But what kind of training did you and Team Rabbit receive? For that matter, how did you join MJP?"

1/2

[majestic_keiki]

He needs to get away from anything resembling fighting as well. Regardless of what he says.

2/2

[majestic_keiki]

We received a comprehensive military education. It was primarily focused on piloting, but tactics and personal combat was involved as well.

[She paused for a bit.]

And I don't want to talk about why we joined. I'm sorry.

[kill_all_vagans]

I'm here because the UE don't care if you're a civilian or not. I've lost two homes from them already, and I'm sure between other threats there's people who've had to suffer the same fate.

And I can do more good helping fight, using the AGE-1, then I would if I was just on the sidelines.

[genericbiggerbrother]

"I'm not disputing your ability to make a difference, kid." Yancy says quietly. "I'm not even saying that you should be forced onto the sidelines."

He meets Flit's eyes. "But are you sure you want to do this? Every time you sortie in your mecha, you risk getting killed–shot down cleanly in an instant, or dying painfully as your cockpit slowly caves in around you, or you choke on toxic fumes. If you fight at less than your peak ability–hell, if you get unlucky–you could lose your comrades and friends, with only memories and dust to show they were even there."

He nods slightly–a nod of respect. "You're already shouldering a big burden, kid, and doing it admirably. But there's no telling how much heavier it'll get.

Knowing all that, do you still want to fight? Risk death so people can live, feel fear so they won't?"

[blackhole_sunattack]

Why question someone's dedication to protecting this world based on their age? I say, if they have the will, and the means, let them do their part.

Sometimes the adults are too stubborn in their ways to get the job done.

[genericbiggerbrother]

"I don't mean to put down the kids I've been fighting with, Mr. Haran." Yancy says quietly. "I've seen them kick alien butt and saves lots of lives, a lot of them better and more ethically than most soldiers I've known."

He coughs. "But how many of these kids actually chose to become mecha pilots? And how many were shanghaied into it? That's what I'm worried about."

[abugslife]

A keen observation. I noticed it myself; Earth must be in a pretty desperate state if it has to resort to using child soldiers so often.

[genericbiggerbrother]

"I never believed we would have ever gotten that desperate." Yancy growls suddenly.

"I thought we were fighting the good fight, keeping the monsters at our doors at bay so kids would never get caught up in this...this terror and pain and death!"

The Jaeger pilot suddenly looks weary. "Does this make us evil, Ms. Heterephares? Or just failures?"

[monophonic]

[Tsubasa takes some time to consider this question. It's not every day that someone, a Ranger no less, asks you something like this...]

I can't speak for the others, Mr. Beckett...

...However, Kanade and I fight our enemies because we are some of the few who can do so. Like the Majestic Princes, we were trained to accomplish this for years now.

[Granted, she doesn't know that the MJP situation is kind of complicated, but they had that in common at least.]

[genericbiggerbrother]

"Were your memories erased like theirs were?" Yancy asks. "Granted, I can't see people doing that to a pair of famous music idols..."

[dolorous_sensei]

It's depressing, isn't it?

[genericbiggerbrother]

"You could say that, yeah." Yancy agrees. "But what should we try to do about it?"

[3xmadder]

You got me. Only thing I can think of is we've got enough bad guys that when kids end up in the crossfire and winning, everyone's too practical to tell them no.

[genericbiggerbrother]

"Yeah, that could be it." Yancy says, sounding a little glum. "Does that mean that us adults just suck at protecting the world?"