030. [Anon Text + Images.]

[explosivecombat]

[Well, good afternoon, network - it's been a few months since this particular device has been active. There's an ID assigned to it, of course; those familiar with Team Rocket's activities in the past may recognize it as belonging to the individual calling himself Seth.

He's been inactive lately, as far as crime goes; that doesn't mean he hasn't been busy.

Today's message comes with a few lines of text and an attachment; the text is definitely deliberate, to say the least.]

What does this world mean to you? Do you think it's something worth protecting, or would you rather sit on the sidelines and watch it burn? This place is more than sunshine and Pokémon battles. If given the choice to make a difference, would you take it?

[As usual, there's a set of photos attached to the message; the first few show a desk in a nondescript room, covered in various mechanical things - those who are familiar with incendiary devices and triggers in your world will likely recognize them. The rest?

Those are bombs. A lot of bombs.

The last two are the usual shot of the Rocket member in question, in full Team uniform and shot from about chest-level, keeping his face and other defining features out of the shot. He's not holding anything stolen this time around; rather, it's one of those white cards that he's used to deliver messages before, the words written on it scrawled out in thick, blocky lettering as though someone had gone over the words repeatedly, obscuring any sort of distinctive handwriting for the sake of making it far less identifiable.

LET'S HAVE A WAR.

The final shot is similar to the first; only the card has changed.

OLIVINE CITY.

YOU HAVE THREE DAYS.]

Comments

[explosivecombat]

The reason is irrelevant. What matters is that I think it's time that we had one. It's been a bit too long, in my opinion.

[healing_wish]

There's been a war before? Umm, personally I think that we really don't need those here.

[explosivecombat]

Not here, no.

You could say I specialize in war back home.

[healing_wish]

[... well, this one takes a moment to reply back to. So, you're as bad as -- or worse than -- witches in her world, causing chaos and stuff?]

You specialize in war? So, you are either creating wars, or causing a lot of destruction in wars that others created? Or maybe you come from a world full of wars, uummm I guess that would explain it too.

[Or a combination of those all would explain it. Or maybe, if you were a nice guy you would specialize in how to stop them... but nice guys or girls don't thread people with a lot of bombs with three days warning...

THERE ARE SO MANY BETTER THINGS TO SPECIALIZE INTO THAN (CREATING A) WAR!!]

[explosivecombat]

[Lies and slander. There are a few things that are better, of course, but those are few and far between.]

It's mostly the latter two - I'm more a weapon than an instigator. I've started a few battles, but those were generally on someone else's orders to begin with; those orders just weren't publicized.

This, however? This is mine.

[healing_wish]

[No, let the embodiment of hope talk you into the path of light and world without wars! ...Or then not.]

You don't have anything against being one? A weapon, who obeys someone's orders, I mean.

There's no way to talk you out of this? Or it's not just a trick, or an illusion, those bombs and stuff?

[explosivecombat]

Oh, I can assure you that it's all very real. If you choose not to believe me, you'll have your proof in three days' time.

As for your question, I don't have anything against it at all. Why should I?

[healing_wish]

It would be great if you could just not do anything with them! But I believe they are real, even if I don't want to believe it.

Because some people might be forced to do horrible things to others against their will.

[Well, quite obviously you are not one of those.]

[explosivecombat]

This isn't the first time I've had this discussion, you know. There were two people in my military unit back home that insisted that they were being forced into performing terrible acts against their will. They implied they were being taken advantage of; they flat-out claimed that they were being forced to kill innocents.

It was the most repulsive display of self-flagellation that I've ever seen.

I'm a weapon, plain and simple, and I'm not the only one. Those that are like me...those that agree to enter the service of someone else, those that put on their uniforms and take up their guns and use whatever power has been given to them, administrative or personal...all of us chose to be there. Whether it was what we expected or not doesn't change that it was a personal choice.

[healing_wish]

[Well, that's one way to make the whole thing sound like a magical girl contract.]

This reminds me of some conversations back home too actually. Or situations too -- well, a lot of things.

But even if you all chose to go to the military and becoming a weapon, it's still your own choice whether you obey them or not. Military sounds like one would see the whole world from a different angle, so while it's not so surprising that you all went there... Couldn't you change the whole world from such a powerful position if you chose to rebel against their orders? Of course it wouldn't work without a good plan, because there are probably many on the way. But it could work! Somehow, with a lot of time and effort.

If their own lives were on the line, but they had big plans for the future, I guess I could understand how they felt like they were forced to kill innocents. Unless they'd do just that all the time without trying to make things better in any way.

[Killing innocents is horrible, but... It reminds her of Homura trying to save her and only her, really.]

[explosivecombat]

Technically speaking, you could. I'm also the sort of person that would like to see them try; too many are entirely too content with the way life is that they don't see how life could be.

Everyone can change the world; they can do it at any time they like. Most simply choose not to.