2014.04.11 - Back from the Storming Brink

Kilroy looks over the river front. Troubled. Very troubled. His hands are behind him as he looks out on the waves washing in the distant sea and then open and then is informed by the doorman that Mittasurie has arrived. He has the doorman buzz him up. A choice needs to be made, and he needs another perspective. An outside perspective.

Mittasurie Looks up at the building before he before walking. He nods to the doorman as he lets him in. Once in the building Mitt follows any instructions that would of been given to find Kilroy location. Mittasurie walks in behind Kilroy taking in the view before speaking" You seem quiet for someone wanting to meet what's going on" he states with a look of concern.

Kilroy says, "I need perspective. I need as unbiased a perspective as I can find. Doctor Umoja is very wise, and has lived a long time, but he isn't the right person to answer this. Lunair...Lunair I trust and I think there is something growing there. But I need the perspective of a moral person, unburdened by loyalties to the world or to me. I have a perspective, and want a moral perspective. From outside the world even better. There are some decisions I've known I'm right on, but future ones...I am...annoyed...and hurt. This is the way super villains are made. And I don't want to take that path, but ...decisions need to be made. How familiar are you by now about Earth politics? Our nation states?"

Mittasurie Listens quietly locking his eyes and ears on Kilroy and his words. With each word his concern grows seeing a friend a moral impasse is not something he ever thought of happening. He shakes his head finally to the question of earth's political and nation and states." I'm am still very new to it still. I have seen pieces of information in passing about a man named Magneto fighting for his people that are thought held on false pretense but nothing more then that. Are you involved in this plight? If so I can only say that to do stand for the innocent being held to meet the goals of a greater power I would fight to protect those in need."

Kilroy nods, "It's...complicated. Where to begin..." he holds up a piece of paper, "This is a letter from my lawyers that one of my companies, Sheer Accounting, has had several government contracts suspended because of my economic advice to Genosha. Apparently that country, the one that Magneto rules, is on a 'terrorist watch list'...they don't know, almost no one knows about my powers or The Economy, but my actions as Kilroy Conneticut, while low key, are not beyond the ability of law enforcement to find out. Bearing in mind that I have, essentially for free, found out criminals, tyrants and warlords and brought them to justice when no one else could...but God forbid I offer economic advise to a nation full of poor mutants and suddenly I'm persona non grata. My lawyers can probably fight off the charges, keep it ambiguous...I'm not a US Citizen after all, but ...I feel...betrayed. Greatly betrayed, and I'm inclined to take to take revenge. But I have great power. Awesome power, and it is not my place to use it irresponsibly, like my father did. My grandfather is gone. But...I'd like to share two stories with you...to help you understand where I'm coming from on this. Do you drink?"

Mittasurie listens intently, while at the same time trying to make sense of it all. He nods to the question of drink before speaking, "Yes, I do. Whiskey is my preference, but I'll take any drink that is available. I think I'm going to need to hear these stories before I can make and moral judgement."

Kilroy nods and pours Mittasurie a glass. "Good." He pours himself another glass. The good stuff. "The first is about my grandfather, the first priest of the Economy. He helped America. A lot. There was a great war between almost every nation in the world. And the battle on the home front was as important on the world stage. He helped them find money where they wouldn't have it. Defuse war profiteers jamming up productions. Thousands, maybe millions of lives saved. He also worked with a lot of heroes...stopped Russia later in the cold war...he did a lot of good. He earned trust from a select few. But to win the war, they dropped a powerful bomb, called an atom bomb. A fireball literally miles across. But then they foolishly kept testing it. One place, called Bikini Atol, was 'saved' by the United States and the people who lived there were forced to move. But there were invisible people there, called the Spirit People, who did not want to move. But the army couldn't see them and they didn't believe they were real. So to test an even more powerful weapon, more powerful than they would ever need, they destroyed these islands. My grandfather never forgave them for that, which is why while I love America, we're not Americans anymore. Our country is a tiny island in the pacific no one has ever heard of." He takes a shot of whiskey.

Mittasurie sighs with disbelief as he listens to the story; hearing about weapons of mass destruction and saving of peoples' lives. His eyes then narrow at the words of even more powerful weapons being brought to the field. The idea of an entire cove of islands being destroyed to take warfare further makes Mitt's skin crawl, and he becomes even more disgusted by the fact these spirit people were taken out in the process. He takes a shot of whiskey himself before speaking. "Please go on I want to hear more."

Kilroy says, "The second is about what the United States has done in the time since. They're a nation that tries to be moral. They helped out an isolated city state called Berlin that was surrounded by a tyrant. They organized boycotts against that same tyrant with an economic system that involved taking rather than allowing someone to earn. But the thing is, that men will be men...and so dark lines were crossed and compromises made. It was called the Cold War, and the United States and her allies won. At great cost, and not without help from my father and grandfather. Despite all they had done, my grandfather helped the US win the war because they were the most moral country in the situation. Then the crash..." He sips his whiskey, calming but become more resolute, "A group of evil men flew one of our flying machines into a building, killing thousands. It stung the United States because after they won the war with the Russians they thought they were invulnerable. They weren't...so they were scared. People do dark things when they're scared. That's why there were lessons learned...for example in the United States, mutants, those born with magic, were able to be persecuted and at one point they built robots simply to kill them. But in theory they got over this. In theory, they passed laws forbidding registration of mutants or those who wear masks to fight evil...but the fear of the crash has had the United States government do terrible terrible things. Torture, false imprisonment, lies. I know. I can see ALL of it, because I can follow the money. I know the filthy lucre that has passed hands...and now that government is corrupt, more corrupt than it has ever been. The poor have nothing...the rich have everything. Among the most poor on Earth are mutants...and Genosha treats them well. The United States supports several nations of immoral character, with evil dictators, including theocracies. Russia is even worse and has invaded another country. But Russia was one of the countries that fought in the great war in my first story, so they have a permanent seat on the UN security council...but Genosha does not. Genosha, which used to treat mutants as slaves, as commodities to be bought and sold..and was freed from that tyranny and now they're an 'immoral nation.'"

He takes a deep breath, "There's a lot. It's a lot to take in. But let's summarize shall we? Russia has no moral authority here. They broke international law, but now the majority of Earth's heroes are against Magneto...even though HE is actually following international law. And I could accept that...but now? Now that I'm being called a criminal merely for offering economic advice? From people with no moral authority whatsoever?" He stands, clearly angry, "I am...inclined to show them just how evil they are. But I am ...unclear as to just how far to go to do that.""

Mittasurie nods his head with thought his right hand hand, coming up to rub his chin as he does so. One point he sees that Russia is in the wrong for its past needs and the US for supporting them against a place of solitude for the mutants wishing to live a life without pointed out for being different. This Magneto is the binding point in Mitt's mind in all of this. "I see were your coming from this is a very hard choice to make. On one hand you have the people placing you on the hangman's noose for doing something that is right, but on the other hand they don't view this Magneto as man of peace but a man of carnage for his past deeds...let me think."

Kilroy nods and finishes his whiskey, pouring another glass, "Magneto has done things, terrible things. I'm under no illusions there. But he's not as blind to non mutant kind as others might think and concerned for their plight. He is not as violent as others think, nor is he as craven. Moreover...unlike the JLA or Shield or anyone else, the thing is he doesn't merely sit by and watch it happen. He is ACTING rather than Reacting. The United States allied with a dictator and evils many times to win the peace...Russia is ruled by a very dire and evil dictator just as bad as Magneto...who wants to take land. All Magneto is doing is freeing captives who, under the UN Declaration of Human Rights, have every reason to enjoy peace and freedom. The only reason the UN isn't siding against Russia in this is because Russia has a seat at the security council...because they fought in a war 70 years ago...and won."

Mittasurie nods again letting all this information seep into his mind and making as much sense from it as he can he can, not claim that his thoughts are right but he feels an agreement; that someone must pay for these deeds. "I'm not of this land or world so I can't say I'm the best counsel for this plight. But I feel to put people in bonds for the sole purpose that they are different is wrong; I lived with elves all my life and if they treated me poorly because I was different I would not be here today. But with all masterminds I feel their is something our eyes are not seeing that needs to be found out did Magneto truly find these imprison comrade in this prison for mutants?"

Kilroy says, "He did. I have seen them and talked to them personally. I have seen the bills paid by corrupt men conducting unspeakable experiments. I have seen the politicians pulling a blind eye to the suffering of an entire people that did not offer them a strategic advantage. The mightiest 'heroes' on earth are going to end up doing nothing but being tools of the status quo and elite rich men who see people as things rather than living minds. Wittingly? Probably not. But the result is none the less the same. The question is...how far do I go? How far am I willing to show them that they're wrong? I certainly know that at minimum I've chosen a side of dark gray compared to their own dark shade of gray and mine involves helping the oppressed...the question is...this is not stopping a bank robber...this is international politics, and war...and if we're at war...do I truly treat them as hostile soldiers? They have minds more intelligent than mine and still don't see, so how would reason sway them?"

Mittasurie's eyes seem distant and he lets Kilroy's words sway him. The thought of a puppeteer pulling strings making his puppet dance for amusement comes to mind from all these words. But people are not puppets they are living things that demand respect. "Then if these people of high standing refuse to see reason we find a way to cut their strings, so to speak, from the shadows; then watch as they no longer can fool the heroes they plan to use, to strengthen their standing is what I would do."

Kilroy says, "Is it that easy? I've looked. I think this is more because they just don't like him and want it to be about black and white, with the Red White and Blue on the side of good, and the evil mutant tyrant on the side of bad, ignoring the plight of those in between. I have met some of these people, and they're GOOD people. I don't want to do something I'll regret. I certainly know I can't beat them in a fight...but...I guess..." he sighs, "Let's assume there no strings...there is no secret master deceiving the heroes into serving people ready to make a fast buck on a pipeline or a handshake with Russia in the background but that they honestly are just...acting in a manner I disagree with....do the laws of heroics apply...or the laws of war? And how much offense am I justified when they attack me as 'evil' when they act with no moral authority on their own?"

Mittasurie says, "I see. So in this act, you see a possibility that you may need to throw away your moral compass so speak. To fight above their level when they use Gods like the heroes of today against you, and even though they feel it is right for their land, and you feel your doing right yourself what is right as a whole. This is a question of when a unstoppable force meets an immovable object. I would say, gather your allies, pool your resources, and push to protect what you value most of this land and rally people that feel the same to your cause."

Kilroy says, "hmm..." he considers, "You are right. Moreover, by discussing it with others I can avoid the desire I have within me to retaliate personally...I have always been proud of my grandfather in me...what I didn't know was how much I had of my father..." he nearly crushes the glass in his hand, "How much I want to show them how wrong they are....curse them....but I'm not going to do that." He takes a deep breath, "That would be wrong. As wrong as what they're doing. But Genosha needs to be protected. That much is sure." He smiles and puts his hand on Mittasurie's shoulder, "Thank you. Thank you for listening to me and helping me make this decision.""

Mittasurie smiles and brings his hand up on top of yours to share the sentiment. "You are most welcome friend, Kilroy I hope to be able to help with your cause is some way let me know I do not find myself enjoying taking on fellow heroes, but if their is a chance to shed light on what is wrong or unjust, I'll be there."

Kilroy says, "I will speak to Umoja. I am concerned because he has ties to a powerful branch of the US government. At least I believe he does, so he may take the side of the JLA on this...but at some point if I am to be on the team I should be up front on my thoughts on this. And maybe they can shed light on other things as well. It's worth a shot."

Mittasurie says, "I see Umoja as wise and a understanding person. I know he will not turn from a friend in need unless there is a very good reason. I and the others I feel same they will hear you out and I will stand by and push for it with my all my might."

Kilroy nods, "In the end, at the least we can try. And they might think of something I have no considered."