#they get rich selling arms and killing innocent civilians

[stilloutofmyvulcanmind]

It Takes Two Part 1

Requested by @verdonafrost (I know it doesn’t seem like what you asked for, but it’ll get there, I promise!)

Pairing: Bruce Wayne x Female!Reader

Characters: Bruce Wayne, Reader, Alfred Pennyworth, Original characters

Word Count: 5.3k

Warnings: Drug deals, arguments, discussion of death, minor violence, threats of assault

Summary: Nearly a year ago you accepted the offer to work with Batman, to train under him, learn from him, be his partner. Yet when a seemingly normal drug bust on Christmas Eve brings memories back from the past, you find that partnership tested to its limits.

Part 1 of 6

Part 2 Part 3

A solid fist to your jaw sent you stumbling backward but failed in its job to knock you down. You grabbed the wrist, moving as you twisted the arm. The other fist came up, aiming at your stomach. You blocked it, using the momentum to swing yourself around, legs hooked around your attacker’s neck, and jerked them to the ground. 

You rolled immediately back to your feet, grinning, believing you'd won. 

A foot swept your legs out from under you then came up with the other, delivering a hard kick to your middle that sent you flying backward. 

You hit the floor hard, the breath knocked out of you. Your attacker was on you in a second, gun pointed at your forehead. 

"Bang. Dead," they growled. "Never presume victory."

You lay panting, glaring up at Bruce. "Got it," you said, batting the hand that was holding the fake gun away. Bruce didn't move though, remaining where he was, keeping you pinned to the training mat. "I'd like to see a crook get up from that beating though."

"Maybe most won't, but there are some out there a lot more dangerous that won't hesitate to kill you." Bruce finally moved, knee leaving your stomach to let you actually catch your breath. He tossed the gun to the side and offered out a hand. 

You refused it, pulling yourself back to your feet instead. “Good thing I have a partner to watch my back then."

Bruce hummed, frowning. He did that a lot. "I wouldn't say partners. You haven't fully earned that mask yet."

Resisting the urge to roll your eyes, you went to grab the water bottle instead. You'd been training with Bruce for months now, and still, he treated you like a child more often than not. Occasionally you regretted your decision to take him up on his offer to take you under his wing and train you properly, thinking that maybe it would've been better to just continue by yourself. But even though he was as tough as it got, the training had made you a better vigilante, and the new kevlar suit he'd had made for you was definitely an improvement. Both design and safety-wise. Plus it was just easier to work with the Batman than against him. You'd learned that the hard way. 

"So what now? Another round?" 

Bruce nodded as he picked up the fake gun again and took his position in the center of the mat. 

You were just about to join him when Alfred appeared in the room. "Sir, the Batsignal."

Bruce dropped the gun and looked at you, "Suit up."

~

You landed silently on the roof behind Bruce, your cape billowing gently behind you. You'd been doubtful when he'd first suggested one, but you'd come to like the steady warmth of it on your shoulders especially in Gotham's harsh winter. 

Gordon was on the other side of the roof, back facing the both of you as he looked out over Gotham. 

"Gordon," Bruce greeted, voice coming out deep and gravely due to the voice modulator. 

"Jesus!" He cursed jumping and turning around. "D'you think one day you could do that without giving me a heart attack?!" 

Bruce said nothing, just walked forward into the light more with you shadowing him. "What is it?"

"Straight to the point it is then,"  Gordon muttered, glancing over Bruce's shoulder at you and nodding in greeting. He flicked the rest of his cigarette to the ground, letting it fizzle out in the snow. "We just got a tip that there's a drug deal going down at the docks tonight. I'd have sent some of my guys but what with the holiday we're already understaffed."

Bruce nodded, "We'll deal with it."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

Bruce turned, giving you a look that meant follow, and jumped off the edge of the building. 

~

The tip-off was accurate. The warehouse Gordon had sent you too was crawling with armed goons patrolling the perimeter. 

"How did we not catch wind of this?" You whispered from where you were perched in the shadows next to Bruce. 

"We'll figure that out later. First, we stop it. Surveillance shows fifteen men outside, and another ten inside. I'll take the North-East, you the South-West and meet on the roof."

You nodded, "Got it."

The goons didn't stand a chance. Not one noticed you swoop in and take them down one by one quick and quiet. Not a peep came from Bruce's area either, not that you'd expected him to be spotted. 

You grappled to the roof, landing silently a second before Bruce, boots crunching softly in the undisturbed snow. You exchanged a look and Bruce motioned to a small panel. A vent. He made quick work of getting it loose, and you followed him, dropping down and keeping your footsteps soft against the metal as you landed. Bruce had already undone the cover on the inside and crept out onto the rafters. Joining him, you found a vantage point to spy on the people below. 

"Boss said to flog the green stuff first, keep the prices low 'til the kids get hooked, then sell 'em the blue pills. Better high, better price." One man said, talking to the others surrounding him.

"What's the deal when they can't pay?" 

"Tell 'em they owe you a favor. Boss'll call it in soon enough."

Your hand balled into a fist on instinct at the conversation. Selling drugs to kids was bad enough, but you also knew that the 'favors' owed would likely end badly, that the poor kid in debt would be more than expendable. 

Glancing over at Bruce, he was still looking down, observing. The moment they started to distribute the drugs, he pounced. 

The smoke grenade landed smack in the middle, with both of you following immediately behind it. The first time you'd tried to fight in the smoke it had ended with Bruce taking you down immediately, but now you moved through the dense cloud with practiced ease, finding your targets and eliminating them from the fight. 

Despite Bruce's insistence that you weren't partners yet, the two of you worked together near flawlessly. You were in-sync, knowing what the other was going to do before they did it. One tried to swing at you as you were fighting another, flailing near blind in the smoke but still coming close enough to land the hit. You swerved to the right, and the attacker was instead met by Bruce’s fist in his face. Another attempted to lurch at Bruce with a knife. In a second the knife was clattering across the concrete floor, and the crack of a bone-breaking filled the air. 

The smoke began to clear and in the corner of your eye, you saw a masked goon grab a gun and aim it at Bruce. Without even needing to think, you threw one of your batarangs, the metal slicing through the air until it embedded itself in the man’s hand before he could even get his finger on the trigger. The gun dropped to the floor and you kicked it to one side before taking him down.

Straightening out, you looked around. Only the two of you were left standing.

“Good work,” Bruce said, and you had to resist the urge of fake fainting. 

You simply nodded instead and turned to start securing the perps while Bruce contacted Gordon. It was a simple process until the sleeves of one of the crooks rose up exposing his wrist and the tattoo on it. 

The small symbol, a dagger through a rose, turned your blood to ice. It had been years since you'd last seen it, but the image was scarred into your memory forever. 

"I know who's behind this."

~

"Curt Roman? No, It's impossible."

You were standing in front of the Batcomputer with Bruce and Alfred, looking at several photos of a businessman. 

"Bruce, it's him."

"I know Curt, he's a friend. He's donated hundreds of thousands to Wayne Foundation programs."

"And no one who does good could possibly have a secret?" 

Bruce gave you a look. "He also has no criminal connections. Or a tattoo of a dagger through a rose."

"Of course he doesn't! He's being clever! Doesn't make him innocent!" 

"Certainly doesn't make him guilty!" Bruce turned to face you, arms crossed over his chest. "What evidence do you have?" 

"I don't have any. I just know it's him!" 

"Not good enough." The words came out in a growl, and it was tough not to wilt away under the intensity of the glare. There weren't many people who could staredown Batman, but you were damned sure you were going to be one of them. 

"It's. Him. Trust me."

"Give me proof and I'll consider it. Until then we're going to focus on what we actually know; that a gang baring this symbol is trying to flood the streets with drugs. Finding out who they are is more important than a wild goose chase."

"It's not-" 

"Enough! Go home, Y/N."

"You're benching me?!" 

"No. I'm giving you a chance to re-evaluate and come back with a clear head."

You wanted to argue. You were pissed and he was brushing you off. But he was also adamant, and arguing would be like talking to a brick wall. 

"Fine."

"Good. Be here tomorrow for patrol."

You turned and stalked your way to the back of the cave where you could change back into your civilian clothes in peace. So maybe you tossed the discarded pieces of armor to the floor a little harder than was necessary, you didn't really care. You hated that Bruce didn't believe you, thinking that by now you'd at least earned some trust. And it wasn't like he never went on gut instinct. He often followed it until he found tangible evidence. But it seemed he valued his rich friend over your thoughts. 

You looked down at the suit once you were done, and started to pick it up. You were mad at Bruce, not Alfred, and you weren't going to let him clean up your mess. 

Like he knew you were thinking about him, Alfred appeared, hands clasped behind his back. "Are you okay, Miss Y/N? Master Bruce can be a bit too brusque sometimes."

Chuckling softly, you nodded. "I'm fine, Alfred, it's nothing I've not handled before."

"He can be quite protective of his friends."

You decided not to say how you thought you were his friend too. 

"So it seems." Busying yourself with putting the suit back in its case properly, you hoped Alfred would drop the subject. 

Thankfully, he did. "Before you leave, are you sure you don't wish to join us for Christmas lunch? There will be more than enough, and as they say, the more the merrier."

"They also say three's a crowd." Facing Alfred again you smiled. "Thank you, I appreciate the offer, really, but I do have plans."

Alfred watched you a moment, looking to see if you were telling the truth no doubt, and for a second you could've sworn he looked disappointed when he saw you were. "In that case, take this." He brought his hands forward, showing you the wrapped gift he'd had hidden behind him. "It's from both of us."

Meaning it was from Alfred, but Bruce had forgotten. 

You took the gift, feeling the weight of it in your hands. It had give to it, so probably a sweater or some other item of clothing. Whatever it was, you had no doubt that it would be gorgeous. You slipped the item into your bag carefully, and kissed Alfred's cheek, feeling him smile. "I've left gifts for you and Bruce under the tree."

"Quite stealthy of you, miss. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Alfred."

~

The present was a sweater. A deep red cable-knit sweater that was almost too soft to be real. It was beautiful and warm and comfy, and Alfred definitely knew you well. 

You wore it to lunch, laughing when the young girl that launched herself at you at the door commented on how soft it was. 

"Wow, Wayne really goes all out for his employees, huh?" Chloe, the girl's mom said, hugging you in return. 

"Not like he can't afford it." It wasn't a lie really. You had started to work for Bruce since you'd started 'working' with him, and he was a good enough boss to make sure everyone received a nice gift. Just maybe not that nice. 

"True enough."  She laughed, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas."

"Aunt Y/N! Come see what Santa brought me!" Mollie tugged at your hand, pulling you away from Chloe and over to the tree where a pile of presents sat. She started showing you each one, going on about it excitedly and making you look every individual item over before moving to the next one. 

Glancing over your shoulder, Chloe was watching you both. She mouthed a 'thank you' and you smiled. You'd do anything for either of them. Including making sure Mollie had the best Christmas possible. 

You helped Chloe make lunch while Mollie played and watched some dumb Christmas movie, and for a couple of hours, everything was perfect. Until you'd just finished clearing up and there was a knock on the door. 

Mollie ran to answer. "Hell-ah!" Her yell had you spinning away from the sink, blood running cold as four masked men barged into the apartment. One had Mollie in his arms, pistol aimed at her head. 

"Stay calm and no one gets it." Another said while the two remaining crooks aimed their guns at you and Chloe. 

"Mommy!" 

"Shut up!" The man holding her growled, pressing the barrel firmer to her temple. 

The first one to speak and one of the others started grabbing everything and shoving it into bags, the fourth keeping you and Chloe trapped in the kitchenette with his gun trained on you. 

"These two're pretty, boss. Whatcha say abou' lettin' us 'ave a little Christmas treat?" 

Chloe shuddered next to you, sniffing quietly. 

"Don't see why not. We can spare a few minutes."

Like hell that was going to happen. 

You glanced down at the counter, weighing up your options. If you were suited it'd be easier to mount an attack, but as it was there was next to nothing separating you from their bullets. 

There was a knife in the dish rack to your left, sharp enough to do some damage. To your right were some ingredients that had yet to be put away. Flour. It could cause enough distraction. 

With one hand you pushed Chloe to the floor in the same instant as you tossed the knife across the room. It hit the guy holding Mollie square on the hand gripping the gun. He yelled, the gun dropping and his grasp on Mollie loosening. The girl reacted, jerking herself loose and dropping to the floor. 

There was no time to make sure she was hidden. You grabbed the flour, tossing it over the man in front of you before he even knew what was happening. You caught the gun, wrenching it from him and tossing it aside. Using his body and the momentum, you shoved him forward, barging him into the other two. 

A gunshot rang out, the bullet flying past your ear. You pushed the one you were holding hard against another, letting him go in favor of taking down the last one steady on his feet. Another shot and you felt the pain in your leg. A quick glance down saw blood on your thigh. Just a graze it seemed. 

You moved again, disarming the one with the gun, a swift blow to the head with the butt of it knocking him down. The third went down seconds later. The only one left conscious was the one who'd grabbed Mollie. He was on his knees, knife still through his hand apparently not even taking notice of everything else. 

Not taking the chance, you jumped over the table, and in a moment he was slumped on the floor with his associates. 

You stood over him, panting. Sirens could already be heard in the distance, getting closer rapidly. You turned, facing back to the inside of the apartment. Your eyes landed on Mollie, hiding under the table. You opened your arms and she came bolting out, all but jumping into your arms as she clung to you. 

"It's okay," you whispered, "Are you hurt?" 

She shook her head and you sighed in relief. "Good girl. You're safe now." Another set of arms wrapped around you. Chloe. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Y/N…thank you."

"I promised I'd look out for you, and I meant it."

Footsteps were approaching rapidly, and the three of you were still hugging when the police burst in, guns drawn. 

This was going to be interesting to explain. 

~

"Miss Y/N, are you alright?" Alfred asked the moment you stepped foot in the cave. 

You shouldn't have been surprised, but you'd still hoped to avoid the conversation immediately. You smiled and nodded, "It was just a scratch. I've had worse."

"You were lucky," Bruce spoke from his seat at the computer, already suited up. "And foolish."

Biting back a sigh, you crossed your arms over your chest. "I suppose you would've done differently?" 

"I wouldn't have risked too many questions being asked by showing off."

"No one asked too many questions. They barely even asked any questions at all. You seem to forget that I'm from a part of town where it's perfectly common for people to know how to scrap."

"Oh, so you come across regular citizens disarming four armed robbers often, then?" 

"Not unheard of." Not wanting to argue anymore, you turned and walked away, heading to get changed and ready to go out. 

The two of you went your own separate ways on patrol, sticking to your designated areas, and only communicated when necessary over the coms. Bruce thankfully kept any further comments to himself, only speaking when necessary for the job. 

It was a surprisingly quiet night. You'd expected worse since half the police force was off with their families. It seemed even the crooks wanted to take Christmas off. 

You got back to the cave tired and cold, but not entirely unhappy. Being out in Gotham at night was surprisingly relaxing, especially when it was quieter. 

"We need to talk." There went your good mood. 

"About?" 

"Today. If anything like that ever happens again, wait it out."

"So I was supposed to just stand by and watch as they robbed the place?!" 

"We could've tracked them down tonight."

"Yeah, that would've been real easy. Track down four amateurs who just picked the joint at random. Come on, Bruce, we both know that would've been a needle in a haystack!" 

"It would still be a better option than risking yourself!" 

"It's exactly what you would've done in that situation!" 

"I'd have kept my head, and not needlessly risked my own safety if there was no risk of any harm actually happening."

You scoffed, shaking your head. Liar. "They had a gun to a child's head! I don't care if they weren't planning on shooting, the threat was enough!" 

Bruce's jaw clenched. Apparently, he didn't know that. "You could've been killed."

"Worse things would've happened if I hadn't risked it." Bruce frowned, clearly not understanding. "They weren't planning on just leaving once they got the goods. They were going to stay for a little Christmas treat." 

Now he got it. 

"So don't stand there and tell me how I should've waited it out! For once get off your god damned high horse, and stop acting like I don't know what I'm doing! I know, Bruce. I know I could've been hurt or killed, that it was dangerous. Trust me, it wasn't my ideal way to spend Christmas day either. But I'm not apologizing for it. I'm not going to say sorry for protecting an innocent woman and her child, even if it had ended with me going down!" 

"Y/N-"

"I'm going home. I've had enough of being treated like a child for one night." Turning sharply, you stomped away, not failing to notice how the night had ended this way twice in a row now. 

You did love working with Bruce. Hell, you were fond of him in general, but he was infuriating recently. Maybe the two of you were just incompatible as a team. You wanted equal footing, but it always seemed that Bruce wanted someone to give orders to. And it wasn't like you weren't fine with listening to him. He had the experience. But when it came to the point that he was trying to order you about for every little thing? That was too much. 

You were midway through stripping when you heard the footsteps approach the secluded changing area. They were too heavy to be Alfred's, and much louder than Bruce usually was, which meant he was purposely giving you a heads up. 

You didn't stop. You'd been semi-nude around each other enough times over the last few months that it had long stopped being an issue. You finished taking off the outer suit and started removing the thinner layer underneath until you were down to the shorts and vest. 

"Does it hurt?" 

You glanced down at the bandage around your thigh. It had been hours since you'd taken pain meds. "It's fine."

Bruce moved to stand next to you, starting to pull off his own armor. "Are you okay? In general."

"I'm fine." You moved away from him, tugging your jeans and sweater back on. 

"If you keep saying that, it might start sounding believable."

"Didn't think you cared much either way."

There was a long pause, and yeah, maybe that was a bit of a low blow. "Of course I care, Y/N." His voice was soft enough that you were almost inclined to believe him. "What we do is dangerous, and I don't want to see you get hurt unnecessarily. But you were right in what you did today. It is what I would've done."

That was probably as close to an apology as you were going to get. "I don't need you to babysit me, Bruce." You sat heavily on one of the benches lining the wall and looked at him. "I've been through more than even you know, more out of the mask than under it."

Bruce pulled a t-shirt over his head and frowned as he walked his way over to sit next to you. "Y/N-" 

You shook your head, "I'm tired, Bruce. I don't want to argue anymore."

"I don't want to argue. I was just going to ask if you were okay again."

Oh. "Yeah," you sighed, "It's just been a day."

Bruce nodded, "Are they alright? The others?" 

"Terrified, but not hurt. Wanted me to stay with them tonight, but I put them up in my place for the night instead." You'd been looking down at your hands, but glanced up at Bruce as you smiled, "They also kinda hate you now. I told them you had me working."

Bruce chuckled, "Thanks." He fell quiet and you didn't have the energy to muster up any small talk either. You were about to get up and leave when he spoke again. "Who are they? I saw the names on the report, and I know they aren't family."

"It's…complicated. I promised someone once that I'd look out for them."

"Someone who isn't around anymore I take it?" 

"Yeah."

"You were close."

"Something like that."

"I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago."

"With some things, it doesn't matter how much time passes, it continues to hurt."

"Yeah."

"What happened?" 

"It's a long story."

"I've got nothing better to do."

"Would've thought Bruce Wayne would be busy making the most of what's rest of his Christmas night. There must be parties going on still."

"Great. Rooms teeming with people who've had too much to drink and no longer know about personal space. My favorite."

“So you’d rather be here and share feelings? It’s a Christmas Miracle!”

“You’re deflecting.”

“I am. Surprisingly, I didn’t learn that from you.”

“Okay, so I’m not the best sharer. That doesn’t mean you should practice the same habits. I’m here to listen, Y/N.”

You sighed, fingers playing with the hem of your sweater as you debated just getting up and leaving anyway. That’s what a part of you wanted. But the other part wanted to open up. And Bruce was probably the only person you could trust enough to do so. If you got lucky it might even change his opinion on some things.

“His name was Dean. Grew up together. Same building. Same classes. Spent as much time in the other’s apartment as we did our own. Best friends. First dance. First date. First kiss.”

“First love?”

“First love. We didn’t exactly have it easy, but we were doing good for ourselves. Got into college and everything, and that was pretty rare for kids like us back then. There was an old warehouse nearby, abandoned. We used to sneak in and hang out there. About the only time, we actually got some peace and quiet for ourselves. We could stay there for hours, just sitting and...being with each other. No talk, no pretense. Just us. The night we found out we’d gotten into college, we went. It was late. Closer to the next day really. Didn’t matter. Not to us. I don’t know how long we sat there. We talked about dreams, the future, our future, everything two hopeful kids could talk about. It was perfect.”

Pausing a moment, you closed your eyes. “Then men came in. Six men. We were near the back so they didn’t see us immediately, and too busy making sure it was clear outside to notice us scrabble to hide. There were some beams in there, old, surprising they were still standing. We managed to hide behind them. One each. I thought maybe at first they were the owners of the place. Maybe someone had bought it and was checking it out, or something. But then they started to talk, and it was clear that if they did own it, they weren’t planning on doing anything legal.”

“Drugs mostly. How and where they were going to distribute it, you know the deal. We’ve heard it enough times. But one of them went on about something else. About leaving the country for a few years. He was their boss by the sounds of it, and he said that if he wasn't around suspicion would lay off him and that was what he wanted. It…was terrifying. We knew this shit was going on, but to actually listen to plans being made? We were out of our depth. I remember thinking that we just had to keep calm. Hide and wait it out then run and try and decide what to do. So simple in theory."

"Dean must've been leaning on the beam or something, I don't really know. But it creaked. Loudly. Or it seemed loud. They were on alert in a second. They found him. Dragged him out. I don't know how they didn't see me."

"They beat him. He told them what he heard, swore he'd never utter a word, but they beat him anyway. Couldn't really see much from where I was, but I could hear the hits, hear him cry. And then…then the boss ordered another to shoot Dean. Kill him. Said they couldn't risk him going to the cops. I couldn't see Dean, but I saw the gun. I watched it fire and I heard him drop. And they just left him there. They left him and walked out. Said no one would give a shit."

"I ran to him as soon as they were gone. He was still alive. Barely. His shirt was soaked and he was bleeding so fast. I didn't know what to do. He was scared. Knew he was dying. And he asked me to take care of his sister. I told him I wouldn't need to, that he'd be there, but he made me swear. Made me swear that I would and I did. He told me to go then. To get out before the cops showed up to investigate the gunshot."

"And I did. I ran. And I didn't stop running until I was home and locked away and scrubbing the blood off my hands until it hurt. I left him to die. Alone. Because I was scared. What's worse is that I let them get away with it because I was scared. Because I was too much of a coward to say anything. I let the cops brush it off, say Dean just got in with the wrong crowd, and drop the investigation. I just…made sure his sister was okay. Made sure his niece was okay. And…never said a word to anyone. Until now."

You stopped, taking a shuddering breath. Your leg was trembling, knee bouncing, your hands balled into fists so tightly your nails were close to breaking the skin of your palm. Bruce was quiet, but you couldn't bring yourself to look at him and see what he was thinking. He was probably getting ready to tell you how you should've been braver. How you should've stopped them or helped the police, or done something other than run and hide. 

Then his hand was taking yours, prying your fingers so he could slip his own under them. "You weren't a coward."

"I ran. Pretty sure that makes me a coward."

"It makes you smart. You were a kid, Y/N. A kid with no training. If you'd tried to do anything they would've killed you. And going to the cops with accusations like that would've gotten you killed too. You did what you had to to survive, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"Thank you." It didn't particularly change the guilt, but finally telling someone did feel like a relief, and Bruce saying you were right did mean a lot. 

"Of course. Do you have any idea who they were? If they're still around? We can take them down." 

You hesitated and nodded. "Yeah, I have an idea. The man with the gun. I saw his wrist. He had a tattoo." You met Bruce's eyes. "Of a dagger stabbing a rose."

"That's how you knew them. What else?" 

"Not much. It wasn't much to go on, so I left it alone. For years. Just focused on Chloe and Mollie. Then one day, a couple of years ago, I was doing some laundry, had the TV on in the background. Some announcement for a new charity in Gotham. I was only half listening. The founder came on to give a speech. The moment he spoke…I was back in that warehouse all over again. It was exactly the same. It was him. The one who gave the order. The one who disappeared. The one who was now back."

"Y/N, are you saying… "

"It was Curt Roman, Bruce. He was the one giving orders in the warehouse."

Bruce looked surprisingly shocked. "You're sure? It was years…"

"I heard that voice in my dreams every night for years. I'm sure. And I looked into it. He left for Europe days after."

"This is why you started doing this."

"Yeah. I had…some more to go on, and I…I just couldn't let him get away with it again."

Bruce nodded but was silent. You thought maybe he was going to insist you were wrong. That it must be someone else. The trauma of the night must've messed with your memory. He'd be wrong, of course, but you weren't prepared to argue the point anymore. If he wouldn't believe you, you'd take Roman down by yourself one way or another. 

"Then let's get him. Together."

That you weren't expecting. "You believe me?" 

"I do. If you say he was there, that he's involved, then he is."

You smiled. Bruce returned it. "Thank you, Bruce."

"We're going to bring him to justice, Y/N. I promise."

Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee! (I’ll love you forever!)

Tagging: @medicatemedrmccoy @thefanficfaerie @bkwrm523 @theweepingvulcan91 @wonhos-world @sagyunaro @verdonafrost @huntersstuff591 @notsohappysunflower @quoththe-raven @startrekstartrash @thatanonymouschocolate @malaanii @bookcaseninja

(If you want on or off the taglist for this series, let me know! :) )

[looking-for-wisdom]

Bleeding Hearts (chapter one)

a/n: this was a fic I did for the @grishaversebigbang! It ended up being roughly 33,000 words, the longest fic I’ve ever written. I loved participating in this event and working with my gang as well as the tides :)

Corporalki: @villainofthepiece​, @dregstrash 

Materialki: @bucumber​ X, @koelsong​ X [art may contain spoilers]

Summary:   Zoya has spent her life learning to survive a world of fairy tales. She knows better to rely on wishes and fate; those things only protected the nice girls, the ones all the stories were about. She was used to doing whatever gruesome task was needed to get by, but now, with her aunt’s life on the line, she has finally met a monster she’s struggling to beat. A monster that comes in the shape of a kind prince she can’t help to grow attached to. 

But that’s always been the case. The monsters are what you find when happiness is just within reach. But she’s strong and she won’t falter— she’ll do what’s needed, as she always has before, to save the only good woman she’s ever known. Even if it means plunging a knife into the heart of the first man she’s ever loved. Even if it means becoming a monster herself.

Ao3 Link: Bleeding Hearts

(chapter one under the cut)

What becomes of the girls whose parents do not teach them unwavering kindness and whose fairy godmothers are not magic enough to keep them from harm? What becomes of the girls the slipper doesn’t fit and the prince does not steal away from drowning in cruelty? There is no happy ending promised at the close of their story. So they learn, learn to swim through the abuse and lift a sword themselves, lest they become another maggot filled body in the graveyard.

Zoya had read the kind of stories where young women overcame their evil stepmothers with their obedience and compassion. Unfortunately, Zoya had no stepmother, just one horrible regular mother who had birthed her and spent every moment after shaping her daughter into an equally horrible side character in someone else’s story. It wasn’t that she was immune to draw of fairy tales and their promises of futures with a prince who called her lovely, but not every girl had that in her cards. Zoya glanced over the hand she’d been dealt. She was not sweet or innocent enough to be the damsel in distress. The game of fate was rigged— with every girl who was saved from misery a hundred others suffered in her stead. 

Shivering but far too afraid to risk asking her mother for a place by the fire, the childish part of her hoped. Winter’s might be less harsh if she was not so alone and unloved. But compassion was a rationed resource, like medicine and wheat. It might have been nice to have, but girls with no one to fight for them had to choose their battles, and unlike bread, kindness didn’t keep her alive. 

Sabina Garin had been wealthy once, many years ago, and like most who had never seen sacrifice, she underestimated its sting. It was easy to be fearless when one had never felt real fear in the first place. 

When her father had passed his inheritance had been split equally between his two daughters. Lilyana, the eldest sister had invested in a plot of land at the edge of town where she kept a small garden and a chicken coop. She built a home there, selling vegetables and eggs in town when she was in need of money, and she was happy. 

With her own cut, Sabina enjoyed the same luxuries she had in her youth. Seeing no appeal in farm work the way her sister did she resided in the house that had belonged to her father. At nineteen she married a handsome man with nothing to his name but a winning smile, and for a while, she was happy as well. At least, until the debt hit. 

Marriage for love is an appealing prospect, but the stories never talk about the bloody endings. No one mentions the way he yells when the money runs out. No one mentions the way she hoards the few jewels she has left because they’re the only thing that makes her feel like herself. No one mentions when the house is taken and she’s bloated and raging from the parasite inside her but he is nowhere to be found.

Sabina’s episodes began not long into her pregnancy. With no trace of her husband and no place to stay but an abandoned stone cottage at the edge of town it wasn’t long before she became unpredictable. It was a miracle that the child made it to its due date in the first place, though one could say it would be the first of many times Lilyana Garin would come to her niece’s aid. 

She had offered her sister help on many occasions, but Sabina had repeatedly refused Lilyana’s generosity. Pride, after all, was the only thing she had left. When Sabina became a danger to herself, however, the older daughter could stay away no longer. Though Sabina had no way of paying the housemaid who had worked for her father, Lilyana ensured she stayed the nine months until the child’s birth, hiding knives from the expecting mother and restraining her hands when she desperately clawed at her body until the skin was nearly gone. For months Lilyana held her breath, praying that her sister might be stabilized and the child would survive. 

And against all odds, her prayers were answered. 

The midwife said the birth went by with relative ease. The mother and child both handled the process exceptionally well. The only oddity was when she asked the mother for a name. Sabina had only sneered. “Call it what you will. It makes no difference to me.”

For the sake of simplicity, the midwife had given the child a placeholder name of sorts, at least until her mother came to her senses. She’d call her Zoya, just until Sabina saw fit to name the girl herself. 

She never did. 

So perhaps if it had been Zoya’s mother who fell ill, she wouldn’t have agreed to the witch’s terms. She couldn’t have cared less for her absentee mother, but when a letter reached Os Alta it brought news of the closest thing to family she’d ever had. 

Her young cousin, Lada, had written of her mother’s condition-- Lilyana had grown feverish and weak. The town’s medics estimated she had two weeks to live.

Desperation had a strange way of sending people deep into the woods where good, honest people lost their morals somewhere in the darkness. It had a way of turning skeptics into the arms of witches. But when it came to saving Lilyana’s life, nothing was too high a cost. Kill the prince. Carve out his heart and leave his body bleeding on the floor. Zoya wasn’t a killer, but a few towns away one of the few good people left in the world was dying. Zoya would have given her soul away a thousand times if Lilyana lived. 

The main square of town jittered with anticipation. The feeling filled Zoya’s chest, clamping down on her lungs and stealing away her breath. Gossip was sweet on the lips of housewives and young maidens, like the juice of an apple after taking a bite. Zoya was no fool; she knew what was on their minds. A few months earlier, the young prince Nikolai had proposed-- but not to a distant princess or nobleman's daughter. He’d given the ring to an orphan girl with no prospects or riches. Faces lit with hope and perhaps a bit of envy whenever they spoke of the prince’s fiance. She’d been from a town just carriage rides away from Os Alta. It could have been any of them. But yesterday, news had come that the girl had left Os Alta for good, leaving the promises of riches and romance behind her. Not a single person could figure out why. 

She’d been given a shot at a storybook ending. Zoya wasn’t gullible enough to believe her life would have been perfect, but when she thought of what her own future held, even she couldn’t help a pang of irritation. She would have taken wealth in a heartbeat over her fate. She shifted the basket she carried up onto her shoulder, the weight of it exhausting her arm at a rapid pace. With her other hand she lifted her skirts in a futile attempt to keep the mud from seeping into the fabric as it dragged along the ground. As she walked she overheard elated conversations.

“They say she was beautiful-- hair like starlight and a smile like the sun. It’s surreal, honestly, that some everyday girl won over a prince. She must be quite something,” said a girl she’d met only in passing, to a young blonde woman at the baker’s stand. Then, with a cheeky smile, added, “Maybe I'll find myself a princess soon with my winning looks.” 

Across the way a middle aged woman shared her own thoughts on the matter with her daughter. “Perhaps if you spent less time fooling around that could have been us! We’d have been rich, you idiotic girl!—”

Despite herself, Zoya felt a familiar chill go down her back.

Tiny people, wrapped up in their tiny lives, bound to accomplish tiny things. For perhaps the first time ever Zoya envied them. At the end of the city’s main road, after dozens of wooden merchant stands and civilians homes, were the woods. Travel in Ravka was unavoidable, but most families stuck within the cities borders as much as possible. The forests on the outskirts of town were places of darkness and witchcraft beyond the understanding of the standard civilian. However, there were ways to make navigating the woods less dangerous. Old wives tales said to carry black tea leaves in one’s left shoe or bury a lock of hair in the dirt before beginning your journey. Most nonbelievers opted for a professional guide. 

Zoya had no guide as she found her way between the brush and trees, though, nor was her shoe supplied with tea leaves. Her travels through the woods were not a situation of point A to point B. 

Zoya intended to find a witch. 

An hour in, Zoya had acquired a multitude of new cuts up her arms from low hanging branches and nearly destroyed what was left of her skirt by snagging it on thorn coated weeds. She’d also come across at least fifteen new types of bug she’d never seen before and honestly could have gone her whole life without. Zoya had learned to hold her own against all sorts of dangers growing up in Pachina, but that didn’t make her any less disgusted by the grimes and grudge of the Ravkan forest. 

She dragged onwards, a cool sweat gathering on her forehead and regrets filling her mind. Of course— hundreds of people go missing every year without any explanation and yet the one time she goes looking for trouble the death forest decides to be a normal lot of trees. Typical. 

“Don’t know how to handle someone who doesn’t fear you? Is that it?” She called out to no one in particular. “I didn’t realize witches were such cowards.”

Or perhaps she was just a stupid child, looking for magic where it didn’t exist. Perhaps those people had simply been mauled and eaten by bears and she was the idiot trying to be the next. 

The sun passed over the sky as she became more and more hopelessly lost in a forest where she seemed to be the only inhabitant. Honestly, witches had no respect for willing customers these days. She only realized just how much time had passed when dusk began to fall. Night was coming, and she had no idea how to get back to the city. It was one thing to be in the forest during the light of day, but trapped in the darkness with no food or water was something else entirely. 

The moon shone a sickening white glare onto the black dirt floor, seeming to take all the pigment from her skin. Zoya hadn’t been afraid of the dark for many years, but there was something… off about the way the darkness felt here, as if it was alive and feeding on any sort of life. Goosebumps rose on her skin, and she tensed, waiting for something horrible but not knowing what. 

She stood, frozen, listening for any sound other than her own shallow breathing. But nothing moved, not even tree branches in the wind. She was alone. 

Which made it all the more terrifying when someone spoke. 

“What could possibly bring a lone girl to the woods at night?” said a molasses smooth voice from behind her. 

Zoya spun around and was greeted by a pale faced man with dark hair who was far too close for her to not have noticed his approach. Every instinct in her mind screamed to back up, but she forced her legs to stay in place. She would not be intimidated. She met the man’s void black eyes with a fearsome stare. “I’m searching for a witch with the kind of magic to help me,” she stated, voice like steel. “Tell me, would you fit that description?”

A sly smile curled across his face and sent a chill down her spine.

 “That depends,” he crooned, “what can you offer me in return, Zoya Nazyalensky of Pachina?”

Zoya felt a certain sort of dread sink into her chest. There was something wrong with this man-- he knew things he shouldn’t. She should have been afraid, but a morbid part of her was drawn to it. 

She wondered, despite herself, what would it be like to be him? She’d never feel small with a power like that at her disposal. She’d never be made a fool of. For a moment, the swell of her envy almost overpowered her reason, but then she thought of Lilyana. She was not here to find a way to be rid of her own weaknesses. Zoya shook the initial fog of his presence from her mind and reminded herself that for once, she would not be selfish. 

“What is it you want?” she retorted.

His smile did not falter as he considered. He slipped past her, like an ink spill with legs, so that she had to turn to keep sight of his face. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as he walked away from her, but just as she was about to call out for him to stop he paused and glanced back at her. “Well?” he asked. “Are you coming?”

Her mind was empty of a response, perhaps still caught up on the absurdity of what she was doing. Her legs, thankfully, had instincts of their own and carried her forward when he began walking again so she didn’t lose sight of him in the darkness. He led her through the trees, as if he was navigating a maze for which only he had the map. As lost as she’d already felt, it was nothing compared to the lack of an internal compass she had now. The forest had consumed her completely. 

This was insane. Her mind ran rampant with possibilities as the silence between them grew longer. She’d be murdered by this demon of the woods and no one would even hear her scream as he dismembered her. She should run while she still had the chance. 

Except, if she ran Liliyana died. 

So, she kept walking. They entered a clearing of land. At the center of the plot was a looming mansion of black stone and though Zoya was no expert on the woods, she had spent the day wandering its depths and knew for certain the building had not been there before. This man’s magic was dark, but it was also powerful-- she needed powerful. The dark haired man led her to the tall doorway of the structure and held open the wooden door. “We can discuss terms inside.”

She hesitated for just a beat. This could very well be the room in which he planned to butcher her and bake her liver into a pie. She considered this man she knew nothing about and what he was offering. If there was even the smallest chance he could help her, she had to take it. 

There was no going back. She stepped through the door frame and into the home of a witch.

Whatever she had expected, this was not it. She remembered the tale of witches with homes of candy to lure in naive children. She had thought she’d see cages filled with starving creatures and cobweb covered jars holding various gruesome substances. She had thought there would be a cauldron to brew potions that would cure dying aunts. To her surprise, though, there was nothing of the sort. The floors were a sleek black tile and the walls were covered in bookcases filled to the brim with titles in languages she didn’t understand. Golden lamps hung down from the ceiling, casting a warm light onto the sleek table in the center of the room filled with well kept paper and an ink well. Tapestries of the night sky made with painstaking care hung as the rooms most prominent decor. 

If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought she’d wandered into the home of one of Ravka’s most wealthy nobles. 

She swung around to face the man, who had been observing her carefully since her first step into the room. “First things first, who exactly are you?” She asked, eyes narrowed. 

“Names are a powerful thing, Zoya,” he answered as he walked towards the desk at the center of the room. Something about the way he moved reminded her of black silk. “For now, you can call me The Darkling.”

Her lips pulled together in a tight line and placed a hand on her hips. For a moment she considered calling him out on his pretentiousness-- what kind of title was “The Darkling”-- but she restrained herself. In the grand scheme of things his name hardly mattered, and angering him didn’t strike her as the best way to get what she wanted.

He took a seat at the desk and gestured to the chair directly across from him. Smoothing her skirt as she sat down, she felt almost like she was at a business meeting in the town square and not trying to make a blood deal. “I’ve heard that magic can do things science can’t. Buildings are created without any regard for physics and wounds that normally kill are healed in a split second,” she began, an authority in her voice that she hoped hid the fact there was no real power behind it. “My aunt is ill. The doctors say there’s nothing to be done, but that is the opinion of a medic, not a magician. Can you save her?”

A certain rage sparked within her when he didn’t look her in the eye. She didn’t have the time to waste on a man who could do nothing for her. She had already lost a day to the woods, and here he sat, unimpressed and hardly listening. Part of her wanted to get up and leave right then and there if he wasn’t going to give her request the dignity it deserved, but she stayed seated, waiting. 

He spoke then. “I can,” Zoya’s breath caught half way in her throat. Hope crawled into her lungs and left no room for breath, “but it will cost you.” 

“I don’t care,” she responded, not missing a beat. “I’ll trade my life for hers, just name the price.”

He wasn’t smiling, but Zoya could almost see the grin in his eyes and felt like she’d just walked into a hunter’s snare. “I know you’re afraid of me, Zoya,” he said, and though she wanted to insist that some stranger in the woods didn’t scare her, her words fell flat, “but I have known you for much longer than you believe. Your familiar with a blade, aren’t you?”

Zoya swallowed the lump rising in her throat and nodded. When she was young she’d studied swordplay when her mother was away. Soldiers left home to begin their training at fourteen in Ravka, and for a girl whose home had been anything but stable, it had been an appealing opportunity. The issue was, the army was for men only. She’d hoped they’d see her skill and immediately make an exception, but when she was finally old enough to enlist she’d been turned away at the gate. 

How this witch knew that was beyond her. “I believe we can help one another. For you, I will not only return your aunt to health, but also give you the chance to pursue your dream,” he continued. “All I ask in return is that you rid Ravka of what is standing in our way. The Lantsov line has held this country back far too long-- I plan to lead us into the future, and I’ll need a general by my side. The only thing you need to do is get rid of the old crook’s heir.”

Zoya could barely breathe. It was all too good to be true-- first he’d claimed he could help Liliyana and then he’d promised her what she’d dreamed of since childhood.  She would have taken the deal in a heartbeat if he wasn’t asking her to commit treason in return.

“Vasily,” she breathed, but he only shook his head. 

“He’s not nearly competent enough to be a concern. Talents like yours should be spent on a real threat. The king’s second born, Nikolai, is much more clever than his brother,” said the Darkling. “I know you don’t trust me yet, but my intentions are good. You, of all people, have seen the state of this nation-- the hardship it’s people face. You and I are very similar: ambitious, strong,  and intelligent. We can change things.”

She chewed her lip and shifted in her seat, weighing the pros and cons. Zoya was many things, but she wasn’t a murderer. 

At least, not yet. 

Her rejection from the army had allowed her to keep her hands blood free until now. It wasn’t that she had any compassion for the prince, but there was nothing noble about slaughtering an unknowing victim. The honor of serving her country and protecting her people against an enemy who would kill her if she didn’t end them first was vastly different than what he was asking her to do. 

In the end, the morality of the proposal didn’t matter. If it was one life to save another, Liliyana was more important. The only question was whether or not The Darkling had any credibility to his offer. It was true she barely knew him, but for the first time since she had first encountered him he seemed fully sincere. A tug in her gut told her he was right. She didn’t know if they were as similar as he claimed, but something deep inside her made her believe his love for Ravka was as real as her own. 

And if he was telling the truth about that, then he was probably true in his claim that he could heal her aunt, too. Or, at the very least, she had to believe it was true. She feared she would not be presented with another opportunity like this.

It was the best chance she had, even if it would make a killer out of her. She stared him down, taking in the room that had appeared from nothing. “I’ll do it.”

She could repent her sin later by aiding this man in his journey to lead Ravka into an age of prosperity. That was for later, though. For now, Zoya just needed a plan.

The Darkling smiled knowingly, but as far as she could tell it was not mocking. Looking away for only a moment, he pulled a quill from somewhere she couldn’t see and handed it to her. 

“Find your way into the castle and get close to the prince. Trust will make him foolish. If you need to contact me, use that quill. The ink will find its way back to me. When it is time to put the plan into motion I will contact you. Until then, keep your wits about you.”

“Wait--” she interrupted, afraid he’d simply dissipate after giving his orders. “How am I supposed to infiltrate the palace? They don’t just allow anyone inside.”

“Nikolai has been in need of a new Etherialki for a few weeks now,” he answered, unphased. She tried not to wonder what kind of spies he must already have under the Lantsovs’ noses to have that kind of information. “You will be filling the position.” 

The servants of the Lantsov family were divided into three orders: Coporalki, Etherealki, and Materialki. Coporalki had a tendency to remain in the palace. They were responsible for keeping the palace functioning properly and were trained in the art of medicine. Materialki was the class of any sort of specialist working within the Lantsov’s walls. From chefs, to tailors, to blacksmiths, each played their part in making up the artisans category. 

Etherealki were traveling companions to the royal family and whatever rich guest happened to be staying with them. They accompanied their charge from dawn till dusk, braving and complication of man or nature along the way.They were known to think on their feet to quickly amend any problem their employer might encounter. It was, without a doubt, the most fitting role for Zoya’s skill set.

 “What about my aunt? She might not last long enough for whatever you’re planning to be ready.”

“There’s no need to worry-- deliver your end of our agreement and I swear to you that your aunt will live.”

He extended a hand towards her and she examined him one last time. Growing up, she’d been told to never trust witches, and here she stood, going into business with one. If life had taught her anything, it was that the worst monsters aren’t always supernatural in nature. For all intents and purposes, the Darkling seemed to have good intentions. More than that, he had the power to save her aunt. 

From every angle, Zoya came out of this deal with what she wanted. 

She held his gaze and took his palm in a firm handshake before gathering her things and heading back into town.

[enterinit]

Gears 5 and other games coming to Xbox One this week

Gears 5 and other games coming to Xbox One this week. Torchlight II (September 03, 2019) The award-winning action RPG is back, bigger and better than ever! Torchlight II takes you back into the quirky, fast-paced world of bloodthirsty monsters, bountiful treasures, and sinister secrets - and, once again, the fate of the world is in your hands. Torchlight II is fast, fun, and filled to the brim with action and loot. Adventure solo or form a party online with your friends. Features: 4 player co-op online. Experiment with hero synergies and take on the fiercest opponents together, for the world’s most awesome loot.Create and customize characters from one of four distinct classes. Each class can be played as male or female, and robust skillsets and equipment variety give tons of opportunity for unique builds.Explore vast overland areas and multiple hub towns. Fight through rain and snow, day and night. Level randomization ensures fresh new layouts, paths, loot, and monsters every time you play.Choose how to empower your pet with special transforming consumables. Your pet can fight by your side or make a run to town to sell loot so you don’t have to.Once you've beaten Torchlight II's primary campaign, you can start again with the same character for a significantly greater challenge. You'll keep all of the skills, gold, and gear. Final Fantasy VIII Remastered (August 03, 2019) It is a time of war. The Republic of Galbadia, under the influence of the sorceress Edea, mobilises its great armies against the other nations of the world. Squall and other members of SeeD, an elite mercenary force, join hands with Rinoa, a resistance fighter, to fight against Galbadia's tyrannical rule and to prevent Edea from fulfilling her ultimate goal. This product is a remaster of FINAL FANTASY VIII, featuring multiple enhancements including additional options to customise your gameplay experience and difficulty, such as: Battle assist options (HP, ATB gauge, and Limit Break boosts)Game speed boost (x3)No random encounters Gaijin Charenji 1: Kiss or Kill (September 04, 2019) A punk narrative shoot-them-up where you not only shoot to kill, exterminate, and destroy but you can also kiss your enemies to make a more loving world. Originally designed for the Dreamcast in 1998 by Yoshihiro Takahashi, Kiss or Kill has completed it 21 years later by his son Yosuke Takahashi. Post War Dreams (September 04, 2019) POST-WAR DREAMS is a 2.5D Story-Rich, Side Scrolling Action Game, set in the wasteland of USA, plagued with constant war. Following the collapse of the economy, government, and society, you must brave heavily armed militia, lawless gangs, dangerous streets, desolate buildings and underground bunkers on your quest to escape this post-apocalyptic wasteland alive. The road to a new life is paved with danger, hope and constant reminders of everything that’s been lost. You will engage in combating the gangs and militia in order to survive and may choose to help other survivors who are full of their own personal misery, hopes and dreams, where everyone is trying to see the next sunrise in this chaotic wasteland. SUMMARY The United States has broken, and violence fills the streets. Freedom and patriotism have disintegrated, replaced with war and famine, and life is only a reminder of what’s been lost. If Garrett Mitchell hopes to survive this new world, he’ll have to fight his way through dangerous militia soldiers and members of the ruthless gang The Remnants while deciding whether or not to help his fellow survivors. Following years of mounting tensions within the United States, civil unrest caused Washington DC to shut its doors and borders to the rest of the world six short months ago. As lawlessness took over the Midwest, spreading from coast-to-coast, the financial system crashed and soon DC and the surrounding cities became a fortress for the privileged with the rest of the country left to fend for itself. Now, the streets run red with the blood of innocents as militia, gangs and rogue soldiers use lethal means to secure food, water and supplies that will allow their societies to keep going. For those civilians caught in the middle, each day is a fight for survival. As supplies dry up, these neutrals flee from the cities in hopes of starting over somewhere new. Holding onto a shred of hope, all the civilians have left are the clothes on their back and their post-war dreams. Players are introduced to Garrett, their mysterious vehicle through the wastelands of the United States. In the months since society’s collapse Garrett has done all he can to survive, dodging soldiers, gangs and other civilians, but with food, water and other survival resources scarce, he must find his way out of the city if he wants to live another day. Just as Garrett believes he can exit the city scot-free he’s waylaid by enemies and rescued by Kara, a former EMT (emergency medical technician), who is trying to lead her own group outside the city limits to probable safety. Her group is made up friends, neighbors, co-workers as well as strangers she’s encountered along the way. While Kara has medical training and cunning, which have allowed she and her group to survive the weeks since the war began, they lack combat skills and Garrett is a logical choice to help ensure everyone’s survival. The player may choose to help Kara and her friends or go it alone, with the impacts of the decision coming into view as the first few levels progress. Whatever the course, the player will ultimately end up a part of Kara’s caravan whether reluctantly or by choice. While Garrett’s fellow travelers will be excited to learn more about their new compatriot, the player may choose to not be as friendly or forthcoming. As the levels continue on and Garrett is exposed to different backstories, his successes or failures may also lead to the deaths of those he finds himself growing closer to. Himmo (September 04, 2019) Himno is a non-violent, no death platformer. Use wall-jumps, slides & dashes to reach new heights in randomly generated maps! Using intuitive and easy to learn controls, parkour through each map to overcome platforming challenges to reach new districts. Level up as new heights are reached, bringing vibrant lights as torches are ignited and the music begins to change. Rescue wisps to light up the darkness around you, while temporarily upgrading abilities that allow you to move further to other disctricts. Features: Your actions in the world trigger emotional soundtracks and vibrant visualsPlay at your own pace without pressureWatch bright wisps dance around youEnjoyable by a wide variety of player skill Monochrome Order (September 04, 2019) The world must forever make choices. The Arbiters' mission is to use the ancient magic known as “Judgment” to follow their own justice and guide the world to a better place. A newly-appointed Arbiter, is assigned to a desolate country where he will have to make various Judgments. However, not everyone will agree with his idea of justice. When faced with two extreme choices, which will he choose? Your Judgments will greatly affect the story and your character's role in both good and evil paths. As there are multiple endings, explore different routes to guide the world toward the right direction! Get up to 18 allies from your Judgments to try various formations and overcome challenges with each character's unique skills! Features: Guide the world toward the right direction through Judgments in a fantasy RPG with multiple endings!Your Judgments will greatly affect the story and your character's role in both good and evil paths.As there are multiple endings, explore different routes to guide the world toward the right direction!Get up to 18 allies from your Judgments to try various formations and overcome challenges with each character's unique skills! Throne Quest Deluxe (September 05, 2019) Throne Quest Deluxe is a seem-less open-world Action Role Playing Game (ARPG). Delve into an adventurous world full of dungeons and crypts, fighting many types of vicious monsters and search for huge amounts of loot. Change between 11 classes throwing your axes, fire, harps and even a djenty-guitar in fast-paced combat whilst gulping potions and collecting drops to level-up and become a champion. Explore your way through the dangers of the lands on an epic quest to reach the central castle- to claim the Throne held by a demon boss. Features: Seamless Open-world Fast-action-RPG150+ Items90+ Monsters11 Classes River City Girls ( September 05, 2019 ) "There's trouble once again on the mean streets of River City, but this time the boys are in over their heads! In this all-new entry in the legendary beat-'em-up series, hot-blooded heroes Kuni and Riki have been captured, leaving it to their hard-hitting girlfriends, Kyoko and Misako, to serve up some payback. As you punch and kick your way across town - either solo or with a friend in local co-op - you'll gain new skills, chow down on power-ups, wield an assortment of weapons, and unleash an arsenal of combos, throws, and special attacks that will leave the bad guys crying for mama - all in outrageous 16-bit style! The awesome action is punctuated by manga story panels, anime cutscenes, and an epic synth-pop soundtrack. It’s an old-school rumble for a new generation! Features: Wild beat-'em-up action for one or two players!Glorious pixel-art graphics plus anime and manga cutscenes!Fantastic soundtrack featuring Chipzel, Christina Vee, and NateWantsToBattle!Six large city regions to fight through, complete with shops and side quests!Loads of weapons, items, and abilities to power-up your heroines!Guest appearances by classic River City characters!

Gears 5 Ultimate Edition (September 06, 2019)

Campaign: The world is crumbling. The Swarm has corrupted the Coalition’s robot army and is descending upon human cities. With danger closing in, Kait Diaz breaks away to uncover her connection to the enemy and discovers the true danger to Sera – herself. Escape: Outrun the bomb, outsmart the Swarm, and escape the Hive! Escape is a new, aggressive, high-stakes co-op mode featuring a three-player suicide squad that must work together to take out enemy hives from within. Versus: May the best team win! Rack up points and trade up for superior weapons in Arcade, a frenetic playlist built for jump-in, over-the-top fun. With ten other game types plus new and classic maps, Versus rewards every competitive style, from casual to pro. Horde: Can you and four friends endure waves of ever-stronger enemies and bosses? Survive using new hero abilities, building defenses, collecting power, leveling up your skills and working as a team. Map Builder: Create custom Escape hive maps and experiences to share with and challenge your friends. Features: Three-player Campaign Co-op: Battle alongside your friends in three-player online or split-screen co-op.Tours of Duty: Rank up from new recruit to four-star general in Gears Tours of Duty. Take on new and exciting challenges, earn awesome rewards, and show off your loot.Boot Camp: New to Gears or just a little rusty? Bootcamp is a fun way to learn the ropes, from the basics to advanced combat techniques.Play as Jack: Play as Jack, your personal flying support bot that can protect allies and damage enemies - perfect for players new to Gears.Visual Showcase: Play every mode in 4K and HDR at a smooth 60 frames per second on Xbox One X. Accessibility: Customize your gaming experience with updated accessibility features, including: full controller remapping, single stick movement, Adaptive Controller support, narrated UI and menus, improved subtitles and more. *Some modes including Escape, Versus and Horde, and online multiplayer require Xbox Live Gold on console, membership sold separately. Monster Hunter: World – Iceborne (September 06, 2019) Let your hunting instinct take you further than ever! "Iceborne" is a massive expansion that picks up after the ending of Monster Hunter: World and opens up the new "master rank!" New quests, monsters, weapons, armor, and story await to take your hunting to the next level! Creature in the Well (September 06, 2019) Creature in the Well is a top-down, pinball-inspired, hack-and-slash dungeon crawler. As the last remaining BOT-C unit, venture deep into a desert mountain to restore power to an ancient facility, haunted by a desperate Creature. Uncover and upgrade powerful gear in order to free the city of Mirage from a deadly sandstorm. Pinball with swords: Charge up energy orbs, then bounce and ricochet them to reactivate dormant machinery and stop the sandstorm.Defeat the Creature: Escape the many challenges set by the Creature and confront it in intricate, skillful battles.Dungeon-crawler: Delve deeper into the mountain as you unlock eight hand-crafted dungeons, each filled with unique gameplay themes, unlockables, and secrets to uncover.Over 20 unique items: Customize your playstyle with upgradeable weapons and clothing that change how you play the game. NBA 2K20 (September 06, 2019) NBA 2K has evolved into much more than a basketball simulation. 2K continues to redefine what’s possible in sports gaming with NBA 2K20, featuring best in class graphics & gameplay, ground breaking game modes, and unparalleled player control and customization. Plus, with its immersive open-world Neighborhood, NBA 2K20 is a platform for gamers and ballers to come together and create what’s next in basketball culture. Restless Hero (September 06, 2019) You are about to be a part of an adventure of the Dark Age. Follow Rick in his damned path of vengeance and help him to redeem his soul. The life of your beloved is in danger. Hurry up and make a wise choice. Along the way complete challenging platforming levels and upgrade your powers. Unfold the story by reading dialogs and finding crucial items on the levels. Items are key to the puzzle of the story. There are a variety of obstacles for you that can be destroyed with the help of power. Castle has 3 floors with its set of enemies and obstacles. Find a key to defeat each enemy. Explore the castle and find all of the hidden chests! Read the full article

[milenenestarkrogers]

How can a country move on when its people turn against their own?

Chile is not at war. The People has awoken and we will never close our eyes again!

If you haven’t read or heard about the difficult situation going on in Chile, please take a moment to read this, and then go and search for info on your own.

Chile has been qualified as the economical oasis of Latin America. But we couldn't be so further away from that.

Yes. There’s money... But it’s only for the rich. The minimum wage is $301.000 CLP, about 414 USD for today's conversion (Oct. 23.2019)  where 1 USD costs about 727 Chilean pesos. (Out lowest bill is a $1.000 and out lowest coin is $10)

I’ll put my family as an example. My parents work in the streets markets (Feria) My Dad sells fruits to make a living (tangerines, avocados, lemons and oranges). My Mom sells used items of clothing and house stuff (curtains, bed sheets, etc.) I’m unemployed because I haven’t graduated officially and I take care of my bedridden grandmother. We have enough to live, not a penny less, not one penny more.  My Father is the one who carries the weight of most of the house expenses and he, like many others, does not earn the same amount of money each month. So let me break it down for you:

4 people household:

Basic food items, 2 each: pasta, rice, vegetable oil, tuna cans, mayo, milk, paper towels, toilet paper, salt, sugar, beans and some miscellaneous items: comes to an amount of at least $80.000 CLP (110.19 USD)

Light bills: $36.000 CLP  (49.69 USD)

Water bills: $25.000 (34.44 USD) to $28.000 CLP (38.57 USD)

Internet bill (no land phone): $17.000 (23.42 USD)

Celphones: $27.000 (37.19 USD)

Gas (petrol) for the trucks: $50.000 (68.87 USD)

Gas for shower and kitchen (It’s sold in cans, we buy the 15kl cans): $45.000 (61.98 USD)

This list gives us the whooping amount of $283.000 CLP (389.81 USD). Remember, the minimum wage is $301.000 and I’m not including, public transport (where I live we don’t have Metro (subway/tube), medical bills (which are fucking high because public health sucks ass), medicines, and extra expenses for when you care for an old person and my college bill, which I don’t want to even think about because it’s millions of pesos that I’ll have to pay for the rest of my life because I studied with the CAE (Credito con aval del estado) a deal where the government pays for my college ed until I graduate and then two years later I have to start paying all the money back with interest.

Now that you have this picture in your head, imagine how others live, when there are families of five or more living with less than the minimum wage. My family manages to live like this, but there are others that are not as lucky.

The elderly people have to live with pensions as low as $84.000 CLP (115.7 USD) I’ve seen old people after the street markets hours trying to find scraps of fruit and vegetables so they have something to eat in the daily.

People need to understand that what is happening in Chile is not only about an increase on the public transport prices. Its so much more than that! But I’ll get there, I promise.

This year we’ve seen news like:

- A 4 month-old baby died because a “loose bullet” was shot God knows where and it broke the roof of a house and hit the kid in the head while he slept on its crib!

-A congressman that wants to enter the senate said “I don’t care if they call me lazy”

-The government wanted to increase the electricity bills by 9.2 percent.

-The robbery of the century: Police embezzlement reaches 26.700.000 million pesos. (36751.55 USD)

-Military forces stole 200 million dollars through the Reserved Copper Law doing duplicated invoices.

-Students in Quinteros closed the scholar year early due to contamination in the air and severe health issues.

We’ve seen collusion in supermarket prices, pharmacies, toilet papers, diapers, military, police and politicians tax evasion... What else do we have to endure?!

(Source in Spanish: Sigrid.pe)

And so the 6th of October of 2019 we wake up to the breaking news: “The government announces the increase of the public transport prices”

With everything I’ve told you already... Wouldn’t you be pissed to hell and back as well?? And I haven’t even told you about how shitty the public health is, how our education system favors the rich and forgets the poor. That our drinkable water is owned by privates, so is the energy and the mineral resources. Our highways belong to Spain... We have to pay money to travel from region to region, and the money doesn’t even stay in the country. This neoliberal model is broke us.

Chile has the most expensive subway rates in Latin America, and this is how it was supposed to be starting the October 6, 2019:

(I did my best at translating)

You can do the math with this numbers two or three times a day at least five days a week... 

The richest 10 percent of the Chilean people have an income 19 times higher than the poorest 10 percent... Here in Chile the parliamentarians earn the highest amounts of net income! The most well paid parliamentarians in Latin America and possibly the world. $9.500.000CLP (13076.39USD).  Look at this numbers, don’t even bother with the position of the politicians, just look at the numbers.

And so, high school students decided to take this upon themselves. The “Evasion” movement began, where thousands of underage students refused to pay to take the subway. This quickly escalated as college students and workers of various areas started to jump over the subway’s validation doors. What started as a passive-aggressive movement took a turn as the Chilean police went to the Subway( METRO) stations and started throwing teargas bombs at our under age students who had nothing to defend themselves with. The subway shut down services.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd0d7iFZOB8 (You don’t need to know Spanish to understand what’s going on)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8acIrtYbb-c

This sparked a flame sleeping inside every citizen in this country. More and more people started to come out to the streets armed with nothing but cooking pots, pans and wooden spoons. But when the people rises, so does the government. Hundreds of police men went against the protestors. They started throwing teargas bombs at the people, careless of the children, the old, the innocent. Yes, there were people doing dumb shit like robbing shops, but still, many were innocent.

  After 2 or 3 days of violent clashes, of supermarkets being ransacked, of young people being arrested or killed in the streets, the young still stood their ground and kept protesting, kept evading, we kept rising our voices and pots, and the president had his best idea: For the first time since the end of the Pinochet’s dictatorship the Military forces where released onto the streets. Now it wasn’t only police men beating and shooting, it was soldiers. The president declared State of Emergency for the capital Santiago, for two other regions (Valparaíso and Concepción), and he declared those cities to be under curfew. After that, more regions where added to this list: Antofagasta, La Serena/Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Concepción and Santiago all under curfew.

But the biggest catalyst to this was that President Sebastián Piñera said: WE ARE AT WAR.

War... War? It may seem like it (just look at this), but is it really a war when we have pots and wooden spoons, and he has armed soldiers doing coke and other drugs in the streets before going to beat the hell out of people.

We are supposed to be living under a democracy and yet the president decided to pass the torch to General Javier Iturriaga del Campo, the one in charge of the state of emergency. Thanks to that decision we have soldiers and police men following and running people over with their cars, shooting to kill, people are being tortured in subway stations. People are being terrorized as if we where in a dictatorship once again. look at this image and tell me this is justice. Students are disappearing after being arrested. We are under curfew from 8p.m or 10p.m to 6a.m. But what happens to those who have no home to go back to? those who live under bridges? The soldiers beat the crap out of them. Police invading houses to arrest people, there where children there. Soldiers pointing their guns at firemen, firemen in Chile are volunteers, they don’t get paid, soldiers get paid at least $500.000 CLP.  In the last 24 hours the Chilean Army has spent $50 million pesos (68823.15 USD) to buy 56.725 anti-riot ammo. link.

We haven’t had any national transmissions with the president addressing this situation, only conferences. We’ve had congressmen say that games are plotting attacks while they play... Can ya’ll believe this shit?!

The biggest problem in all of this is that national channels censored everything, we where watching videos of soldiers hitting people, running people over, but the tv showed nothing. Just yesterday soldiers attacked a journalist even when he’d showed his safeguard to be on the street after curfew. News were being staged for outside countries: look at this video, the protestants are far away from where the cameras were rolling. Since last night there some sort of campaing to clean the image of the military men, showing them crying, dancing, and doing “silly” stuff with the people. And yes, there might be good cops/soldiers out there, but it does not erase the fact that two girls where raped by soldiers and that they still are killing and abusing people with brute force. Many civilians have plastic bullets in their bodies because soldier are shooting at close ranges. A young man lost an eye today in the morning after hours of surgery.

Many may be asking themselves: Why? Why haven’t they stopped if the president said he wouldn’t increase the public transport price?

Well, as someone said: They took so much from us, they even took our fear. It isn’t about public transport anymore. Its about the inequality of our economic system.

As a generation, from the kids born in the late 90′s to now, we have nothing. Most of us have absolutely nothing to loose but our lives.

We have no money. We can’t find jobs. We don’t have houses or cars. Those who do, either quit college to work or have almost no life because they work and study. Some are renting spaces smaller than tuna cans for the price of a kidney.

We own nothing, everything is under our parents names. People are in debt just to have something to eat. So of course we are not afraid of fighting against a system that favors the rich, a system that allows the already wealthy people to keep stealing what little is left in the pockets of the poor. We are fighting for the old, for the middle aged, for the ones who are yet to come. We don’t want to have children and eventually have to tell them “Find a job. ‘Cuz I can’t pay your education, I’m still paying mine”

Chile needs a change from the very core! we don’t need short term solutions. First of all the the government needs to be changed completely, every single parliamentarian. How much they earn needs to change. and because I read it, the major change that must be made is the constitution of Chile. A constitution that was written in times were the internet and technology was hard to come by, the Chilean constitution has not changed since the 80′s... A time when the dirty laundry of politicians could be easily brushed under the rug. The economic model need to change drastically.

Right now economic classes live segregated from one another. But for the first time in the history of Chile, every region has come together, there are no politic parties in the marches, there are no football teams, there’s no north or south or capitol, it’s just people fighting for their rights, marching to be heard, banging on pots and pans so the lies of the government can’t reach us anymore. Even with all the violence, all the oppression, there’s still hope, there are happy things going on in the protests. Soldiers playing with the protestants.

Please, inform yourselves on this, if you live in a capitalism model of economics, this could happen in your country too. 

Search for these hashtags: #estadodeemergencia #chile #milicos #pacos #carabinerosdechile #evasion #toquedequeda #santiago #laserena #concepcion #antofagasta #valparaiso . watch the videos, share them. Be the our voice outside our frontiers. 

WE ARE CALLING TO A WORLD WIDE MARCH THIS OCTOBER 24  AT 12.pm CHILEAN HOUR. HELP US, A BILLION VOICES UNITED FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE.

Feel free to add more videos, more proof.

[alexsmitposts]

West’s “Humanitarian” Claims Struggle as Syrian War Nears Endgame Headlines emanating from the West regarding Syria’s ongoing war have a common theme – allegations of Syria and Russia’s “ruthless barrage” of the northern region of Idlib. So often – however – has the US and its allies falsely invoked “humanitarian concern” that these headlines fall on informed and discerning ears who not only reject it, but have cemented in their minds a familiarity with this ploy that will make it all but impossible to use it again on whatever battlefield the US shifts its foreign policy to next. Like a Broken Record CBS in its article, “Syrians trapped by Assad’s ruthless Russian-backed barrage in Idlib beg for help,” peddles an all-too-familiar narrative of helpless, innocent civilians in desperate need of “help.” That “help,” of course always comes in the form of US intervention and the eventual, total destruction of the nation as was the case for Libya in 2011. The article claims: More than three million people are trapped under a Syrian bombing campaign as Bashar Assad battles to reclaim the last enclave held by rebels in his country. Idlib is the only remaining opposition stronghold after eight grueling years of civil war. There are no “rebels” or “opposition” in Idlib. There are – however – legions of militants operating under the banners of Al Qaeda, the self-proclaimed “Islamic State” (ISIS), and their various affiliates. These terrorists are the recipients of foreign arms and support – and many of them are not even themselves Syrian – making CBS’ claims that Syria’s conflict is a “civil war” wholly inaccurate. Far from Syrian or Russian “propaganda,” the fact that Idlib has been occupied by terrorists and not “rebels” is one admitted by the Western media itself – and a fact admitted to since the region first fell to foreign-armed terrorists. The Associated Press in its 2015 article titled, “Assad Loses Final Idlib Stronghold to Al Qaeda-led Insurgents,” would report: After a two-year siege, al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria and other insurgents on Wednesday captured the one remaining Syrian army air base in Idlib, a development that activists said effectively expelled the last of President Bashar al-Assad’s military from the northwestern province. From the moment Idlib fell, throughout its occupation by terrorist forces, and up to the current Syrian assault to liberate Idlib, it is – by the West’s own admission – terrorists that Syrian and Russian forces are fighting. The collective attempt by the Western media to sidestep this fact – a fact they themselves have previously acknowledged and reported on – is aimed at condemning and impeding ongoing security operations organized by Damascus in Idlib. Still Trying to Sell US Intervention The CBS article – like many examples of Western war propaganda – after deceiving readers as to who Syrian forces are fighting in Idlib – makes the case for US intervention, claiming: In the aftermath, one woman screamed hysterically at a news camera, begging for an American intervention. “We are getting killed every day,” she cried. “Mr. Trump, please, please stop this!” But there is no help. Like many of the West’s narratives, CBS’ story depends on readers believing without any evidence that not only did their “witness” really exist and said what CBS claims they said, but really begged the US to intervene despite seeing what US interventions have done everywhere else in the region over the past two decades. Extra irony can be drawn from CBS’ reporting – considering that the US itself has carried out airstrikes and drone attacks on Idlib over the years as well. As another part of the West’s admissions of Al Qaeda, ISIS, and other terrorist organizations occupying Idlib – there have been reports over the years of the US carrying out airstrikes and drone attacks targeting various leaders of Al Qaeda. A 2016 Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) article titled, “Pentagon Says It Killed Senior Al-Qaeda Leader,” admitted: A U.S. drone strike in Syria killed a senior Al-Qaeda leader who once had ties to Osama bin Laden, the Pentagon said on November 2. The October 17 strike near Idlib killed Haydar Kirkan, who “was intent on plotting and carrying out attacks against the West,” Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said. The Business Insider in another 2016 article titled, “Egyptian al Qaeda leader killed by US drone strike in Idlib, Syria,” would reveal: Syria’s militant Jabhat Fateh al Sham, formerly the Nusra Front, said on Monday that Egyptian cleric Abu al Faraj al Masri, a prominent member of the militant group, had been killed in a strike by the U.S.-led coalition. The US – finding Idlib to be a seemingly target-rich environment for Al Qaeda leaders – and by having carried out military operations there itself – not only contradicts its current accusations of Syria and Russia bombing “rebels” and “opposition” groups, but also reveals the US as equally guilty of bombing the population of Idlib – whatever the reason – as it now claims Syria and Russia are. Despite the best efforts by CBS and others to sell US intervention in Syria at this late juncture – the prospects of US intervention are remote – not only because the lies told by media networks like CBS to justify it have run their course, but also because the US is out of options militarily, politically, economically, and even covertly. The Endgame Lacking any coherent, viable proxy force on the ground, the US is left with only a few, equally unattractive options including carrying out its own military campaign against Damascus, or having proxies like Israel or Turkey initiate hostilities it can then join in shortly thereafter. Russian diplomatic efforts to give Turkey an exit from its involvement in Washington’s apparently failed proxy war appear to be gaining traction. Turkey will remain for the time being teetering between East and West as its economy and special interests within the spheres of business and politics cultivate ties in both directions. Creating the conditions on the ground – however – that leave little for Ankara to gain from by aiding Washington’s proxy war further is key to having Turkey place both feet down firmly on Damascus and Moscow’s side at least in this regard. Israel – on the other hand – is an eager proxy who remains committed to provocations including air strikes on Syria, Iraq, and now even Lebanon. Israel is also equally committed to provoking Iran – the primary target of the US-led war in Syria. Israel’s ability to “invade” Syria – let alone Iran – is nonexistent and its inability to win any war through air power alone was already fully demonstrated in its failed 2006 war with Lebanon. Without a sizable commitment of US forces, “US intervention” or that by its proxies in Syria – or Iran for that matter – is unlikely and were it to happen, not guaranteed to succeed. The Russian military presence in Syria also greatly complicates US ambitions to escalate hostilities in Syria – and as Russia expands its ties throughout the Middle East – it complicates Washington’s campaign of sowing regional hostilities as well. Assuming those in Washington are aware of their failure in Syria and their current lack of options, the threat of simply sowing chaos in the region and delaying peace and reconstruction is more likely an attempt to find leverage and force concessions as the conflict reaches its endgame. The US and its media’s “humanitarian-based” accusations against Syria and Russia will continue despite its growing impotence as a political tool. Thus, the alternative media who helped dull the blade of this tool in the first place, must continue exposing Western disinformation and war propaganda to ensure it remains impotent. In many ways, complacency and misplaced trust in Washington’s feigned rapprochement with Russia, Syria, and others in the early 2000’s invited the current conflict. Lessons must be learned from how this conflict began and how it is being ended in order to avoid it from ever unfolding again.

[uncensoredmagazine-blog]

Juxtaposing Regional Media Coverage of Yemen Civil War

The European Union has been dealing with an ongoing refugee crisis not only since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, but since many civil war outbreaks throughout the African continent; thus, approaching a solution to the potential consequences of one of the latest ongoing civil wars now occurring in Yemen would be in the best interest of the European Union. However, confronting the current media playout in western democracies, the Yemen “civil war” doesn’t seem to be of much interest. A coalition of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom, the U.A.E., and some help from other Middle Eastern countries, has continuously bombed Yemen since the beginning of 2015. Recently, the coalition of these countries have ramped up the ferocity of its airstrikes, but have concealed the exact notion the U.S. has much involvement in this conflict. Major Western media outlets have, obscured the responsibility Saudi Arabia, and its US and European supporters, bear for launching these airstrikes, not leaving much room for the average person to be informed about the current crisis we’ve been so blindly involved in. There are no other countries other than the ones listed presently bombing Yemen, so media cannot avoid the ignorance as to who is responsible for the attacks.

           CNN[1] continuously reports the U.S./ Saudi coalition as fighting Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen’s “civil war” however when reporting airstrikes and death tolls of countless civilians, it’s misreported as Yemenis people dying at their own hands. Starr Barbara, CNN, disregarded the US and Saudi roles in the conflict entirely. She went further and repeatedly speculated about “direct” Iranian collusion in the Mason attack and how that could fuel even more U.S. backed operations, despite there being zero evidence. Fox News[2] doesn’t get any better as a one of the most biased in my opinion mainstream media outlets in the west they like to compare Western media coverage of Yemen like their coverage of Syria, where attacks are Assad bombings.

           Juxtaposing these domestic media outlets, that clearly have an agenda for those in favor in the war, which is the U.S. investor’s pockets, to the less biased news media outlets such as BBC[3] and Reuters[4], there are still some conflicting language being used. BBC posted an article on who is fighting who, an informative article that not once mentions U.S. involvement, well probably because of the U.K.’s involvement in backing the U.S.’s cooperation’s in the Yemen war, blaming most it on a Saudi-Iranian proxy war.  

           Nonetheless, Media bias travels across a spectrum depending on the political influence the country wants to portray in favor for itself, but should we let the media have so much control when they are being influenced by outside investors only concerned with their own profits. Not only BBC but France 24[5] another U.S. ally, falsely reports the war as a “civil war” and fails to mention the blame on who is killing innocent civilians continuously.  

           When it comes to Europe, Europe Free Radio[6], reports a lot of Anti-Trump propaganda, however disregards a lot of the Obama-era wars we became involved in and blames a lot of the human rights violations on the Trump administration. The situation has definitely received more attention under the Trump administration, because Europe has somebody to point the finger at and get away with it. The Czech Republic, had an article on Czech Radio[7], one of the only articles to cover Yemen, and was concerning the cease of funding for economic projects in Yemen due to the current “turmoil” and “conflict” in the country, reported in 2015. The Czech Republic wants to mitigate any immigration into its country, just as Germany reported a cease of exporting weapons to countries involved in the war in Yemen, as reported in the DW[8]. Also, Belgium’s Flanders Today[9] Magazine mentioned it’s embargo of weapons to Saudi Arabia, as you cannot sell weapons and save lives simultaneously. It’s clearly shown who Is concerned, Central and Eastern European countries are willing to deter from any involvement in the Yemen Civil war because they are already dealing with enough refugees as it is. However, as unbiased and lack of weapon sales, enough to avoid a bigger refugee crisis on Europe’s hands? I’m not sure If the European Union will be able to stand together, while so divided between east and west on foreign affairs.

Reports seasoned with ambiguous rhetoric and downright misleading language has left people out of the conversation in the west, anywhere from CNN, Fox News, to even less biased news resources such as BBC and Reuters. The European Union is at risk of splitting with its already overbearing refugee crisis, and to make matters worse could allow Russia to gain influence in a destabilizing Europe, especially in the Eastern region, where I have had the privilege to represent the Czech Republic. However, even my own peers have yet to bring up the discussion of the Yemen “civil war” in our simulation debates, as they are either blind-sighted by mainstream media or just decide to not further themselves into why the refugee crisis has worsened.  The Czech Republic and other eastern neighbors have no influence in this refugee crisis alone but standing with the E.U. can help resolve any waves of refugees coming from the aftermath of a destructive Yemen “civil war”, but it lacks support from the closest of U.S. allies such as the U.K., because of recent right-wing populist movements due to the cultural backlash of refugees.

Can we really blame anybody but ourselves, the U.S., for electing government officials that are clearly heavily influenced by the mainstream media lobbyist, that are received tons of money for supporting the military industrial complex and silencing any voices of reason, that scream we are killing innocent people in other countries to keep the rich, rich. To think of the damage, the U.S. can cause and has caused, the ripple effects have already been felt throughout Europe with Brexit, and the elections and re-elections of xenophobic and anti-refugee officials. We are destroying ourselves and giving room for influence around the Globe for other countries to take over as the U.S. recedes from having any kind of positive impact on the west.

           To justify this ambiguous reporting by any of the mainstream media, they decide it’s okay claiming it is not clear who sent any of the airstrikes. However, as I have mentioned there are no other parties flying warplanes in Yemen, other than the U.S. and the Saudi government. The Houthi-Saleh Yemen troops, that govern the northern part of the country and about eighty percent of the population, have not been bombing their own country, so to claim it’s a civil war is slightly misleading. For example, In Syria, It’s hard to calculate the numerous opposing countries that have been sending airstrikes and bombing a few of the many different groups on the ground, in this case I understand that media may sometimes have to be cautious before reporting who is exactly at fault.  Calling the air-strikes Yemeni air-strikes is utilized to have a political effect, obscuring the morality of it all. This framing is part of the “civil war” semantics the media have being promulgating over the conflict for the past three years. When the discussion of Yemen, if brought up at all, is discussed, it is always through the perspective of a “civil war”, this which has created a widespread myth of who is in control. The U.S. and European allies since Obama’s administration have allowed media discourse, denying the extent to which is a foreign war on Yemen.

           The Saudi coalition and its American influencers/profiteers, whom have been portrayed as nothing but a side-factor have quietly provided military equipment, aerial refueling and targeting should not be allowed to continue killing civilians and destroying what is left of Yemen because of the horrific consequences and backlash we may face in Europe.  I’m ecstatic that I had the chance to further my research on this topic, that is why it is imperative to publicly identify the unconscionable slaughter of innocents by assessing where we get our news and fully researching topics before making decisive decisions in our politics at home, and to hope that this will shame Saudi Arabia and its American backers to search for a humane end to Yemen’s hell. The US military needs to stop refueling Saudi jets midair as they’re bombing and stop our involvement or it’ll come back to haunt us just like Iraq and Syria. Noting has changed and we’ve continued to be involved under Trump’s administration, and this is, of course, in addition to the billions in weapons sales that have occurred over the past couple of years used to kill innocent people.

    Bibliography

Robertson, Analysis By Nic. "A Clear View of Enemy Lines, but No End in Sight in Yemen." CNN. Cable News Network, 30 Jan. 2018. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.

Starr, Barbara. "White House Looks at Stepping up Military Role in Yemen." CNN. Cable News Network, 28 Mar. 2017. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.

"Yemen's War within a War: What Does New Fighting Mean?" Fox News. FOX News Network, 30 Jan. 2018. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.

"Trump Foreign Policy: American Military Increasingly Involved in Yemen Civil War." Fox News. FOX News Network, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.

Bayoumy, Yara. "Exclusive: Civil War Costs Yemen $14 Billion in Damage and Economic..." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 17 Aug. 2016. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.

"Http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29319423." BBC. N.p., 30 Jan. 2018. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.

“U.S. Envoy: Undeniable Evidence Of Iranian Weapon Supplies to Yemeni Rebels.” RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, 14 Dec. 2017,

Crosby, Alan. “Amnesty International Says Trump Setting 'Dangerous Precedent'.” RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, 22 Feb. 2018,

RFE/RL. “Russia Opposes U.S. Bid To Condemn Iran Over Supply Of Yemeni Arms.” RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, 22 Feb. 2018,

Johnstone, Chris. “Development aid climbs political agenda but Czech spending is still low.” Radio Prague, Czech Radio, 2015,

Wires, News. “Several killed, dozens wounded in Yemen car bombings.” France 24, France 24, 25 Feb. 2018

Deutsche Welle. “Saudi Arabia minister tells Germany it will find weapons elsewhere | News | DW | 23.02.2018.” DW.COM

“Development minister suggests embargo on Saudi arms sales.” Flanders Today, Flanders Today Magazine, 27.03.2017,

“Ansamed.” Yemen: air raid hits Somali refugees' vessel, dozens dead - Yemen - ANSAMed.It, March, 17th, 2017.

“Yemen conflict: Saudi ban 'catastrophic' for aid.” BBC News, BBC, 7 Nov. 2017,

[1] Starr, Barbara. "White House Looks at Stepping up Military Role in Yemen." CNN. Cable News Network, 28 Mar. 2017. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.

[2] "Yemen's War within a War: What Does New Fighting Mean?" Fox News. FOX News Network, 30 Jan. 2018. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.

[3] "Http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29319423." BBC. N.p., 30 Jan. 2018. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.

[4] Bayoumy, Yara. "Exclusive: Civil War Costs Yemen $14 Billion in Damage and Economic..." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 17 Aug. 2016. Web. 23 Feb. 2018.

[5] Wires, News. “Several killed, dozens wounded in Yemen car bombings.” France 24, France 24, 25 Feb. 2018

[6] Crosby, Alan. “Amnesty International Says Trump Setting 'Dangerous Precedent'.” RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, 22 Feb. 2018,

[7] Johnstone, Chris. “Development aid climbs political agenda but Czech spending is still low.” Radio Prague, Czech Radio, 2015,

[8] Deutsche Welle. “Saudi Arabia minister tells Germany it will find weapons elsewhere | News | DW | 23.02.2018.” DW.COM

[9] “Development minister suggests embargo on Saudi arms sales.” Flanders Today, Flanders Today Magazine, 27.03.2017,

[clubofinfo]

Expert: It appears that the KSA has crossed all lines of decency, if there were ever any. In the eyes of many in the West, it crossed them not because it has been brutally killing tens of thousands of innocent people in Yemen, not even because it keeps sponsoring terrorists in Syria, (and, in fact, all over the world), often on behalf of the West. And not even because it is trying to turn its neighboring country, Qatar, from a peninsula into an island. The crimes against humanity committed by Saudi Arabia are piling up, but the hermit kingdom (it is so hermit that it does not even issue tourist visas, in order to avoid scrutiny) is not facing any sanctions or embargos, with some exceptions like Germany. These are some of the most barbaric crimes committed in modern history, anywhere and by anyone. Executing and then quartering people, amputating their limbs, torturing, bombing civilians. But for years and decades, all this mattered nothing. Saudi Arabia served faithfully both big business and the political interests of the United Kingdom first, and of the West in general later. That, of course, includes Israel, with which the House of Saud shares almost a grotesque hatred towards Shi’a Islam. And so, no atrocities have been publicly discussed, at least not in the Western mass media or by the European and the US governments, while weapons, worth hundreds of billions of dollars, have been arriving into the KSA, and the oil, that dark sticky curse, kept flowing out. Was Riyadh enjoying total impunity? Definitely! But all this may soon stop, because of a one single man, Mr. Jamal Khashoggi or more precisely, because of his alleged tragic, terrifying death behind the walls of the Saudi Consulate in the city of Istanbul. According to the Turkish authorities, quoted by The New York Times on October 11, 2018: Fifteen Saudi agents arrived on two charter flights on Oct. 2, the day Mr. Khashoggi disappeared. Supposedly, they brutally murdered Mr. Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen, and then they used sawmills to severe his legs and arms from the body. All this, while Mr. Khashoggi’s Turkish fiancé, Hatice Cengiz, was waiting for him on a bench, in front of the consulate. He went in, in order to take care of the paperwork required to marry her. But he never came back. Now the Turkish nation is indignant. Ten years ago, even one year ago, everything would have been, most likely, hushed up. As all mass murders committed by the Saudis all over the world were always hushed up. As was hushed up the information about the Saudi royal family smuggling drugs from Lebanon, using their private jets – narcotics that are clouding senses and are therefore used in combat zones and during terrorist attacks. But now, this is the end of 2018. And Turkey is not ready to tolerate an atrocity by an increasingly hostile country; an atrocity committed in the middle of its largest city. For quite some time, Turkey and the KSA are not chums anymore. Turkish military forces were already deployed to Qatar several months ago, in order to face the Saudi army and to protect the small (although also not benign) Gulf State from possible attack and imminent destruction. In the meantime, Turkey is getting closer and closer to Iran, an archenemy of Saudi Arabia, Israel and US. It has to be pointed out that Mr. Khashoggi is not just some common Saudi citizen – he is a prominent critic of the Saudi regime, but most importantly, in the eyes of the empire, a correspondent for The Washington Post. Critic but not an ‘outsider’. And some say, he was perhaps too close to some Western intelligence agencies. Therefore, his death, if it is, after all, death, could not be ignored, no matter how much the West would like the story to disappear from the headlines. President Trump remained silent for some time, then he became “concerned”, and finally Washington began indicating that it could even take some actions against its second closest ally in the Middle East. The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been ‘cultivated’ both by Washington and other Western powers, but now he may actually fall from grace. Is he going to end up as Shah Pahlavi of Iran? Not now, but soon, or at least ‘at some point’? Are the days of the House of Saud numbered? Perhaps not yet. But Washington has a track record of getting rid of its ‘uncomfortable allies. ***** The Washington Post, in its editorial “Trump’s embrace emboldened Saudi Crown Prince’, snapped at both the ‘Saudi regime’ (finally that derogatory word, ‘regime’ has been used against the House of Saud) and the US administration: Two years ago it would have been inconceivable that the rulers of Saudi Arabia, a close US ally, would be suspected of abducting or killing a critic who lived in Washington and regularly wrote for the Post – or that they would dare to stage such operation in Turkey, another US ally and a NATO member. That the regime now stands accused by Turkish government sources of murdering Jamal Khashoggi, one of the foremost Saudi journalists, in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate could be attributed in part to the rise of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s 33-year-old de facto ruler, who has proved as ruthless as he is ambitious. But it also may reflect the influence President Donald Trump, who has encouraged the Crown Prince to believe – wrongly, we trust – that even his most lawless ventures will have the support of the United States. “Wrongly, we trust?” But Saudi Arabia and its might are almost exclusively based on its collaboration with the global Western ‘regime’ imposed on the Middle East and on the entire world, first by Europe and the UK in particular, and lately by the United States. All terror that the KSA has been spreading all over the region, but also Central Asia, Asia Pacific, and parts of Africa, has been encouraged, sponsored or at least approved in Washington, London, even Tel Aviv. The Saudis helped to destroy the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, and then the socialist and progressive Afghanistan itself. They fought Communism and all left-wing governments in the Muslim world, on behalf of the West. They still do. Now both the West and the KSA are inter-dependent. The Saudis are selling oil and buying weapons, signing ‘monumental’ defense contracts with the US companies, such as Lockheed Martin. They are also ‘investing’ into various political figures in Washington. The current alleged murder of a journalist triggered an unusual wave of soul-searching in the Western media. It is half-hearted soul searching, but it is there, nevertheless. On October 2018, the Huffington Post wrote: By directing billions of dollars of Saudi money into the U.S. for decades, Riyadh’s ruling family has won the support of small but powerful circles of influential Americans and courted wider public acceptance through corporate ties and philanthropy. It’s been a solid investment for a regime that relies heavily on Washington for its security but can’t make the same claims to shared values or history as other American allies like Britain. For years, spending in ways beneficial to the U.S. ― both stateside and abroad, such as its funding Islamist fighters in Afghanistan to combat the Soviet Union ― has effectively been an insurance policy for Saudi Arabia. It means that the White House will most likely do its best not to sever relationships with Riyadh. There may be, and most likely will be, some heated exchange of words, but hardly some robust reaction, unless all this tense situation ‘provokes’ yet another ‘irrational’ move on the part of the Saudis. The report by Huffington Post pointed out that: One of the few traditions in American diplomacy that Trump has embraced wholeheartedly is describing weapons sales as jobs programs. The president has repeatedly said Khashoggi’s fate should not disturb the $110 billion package of arms that Trump says he got the Saudis to buy to support American industry. (Many of the deals were actually struck under Obama, and a large part of the total he’s describing is still in the form of vague statements of intent.) Keen to keep things on track with the Saudis, arms producers often work in concert with Saudi Arabia’s army of Washington lobbyists, congressional sources say. This is where the Western reporting stops short of telling the whole truth, and from putting things into perspective. Nobody from the mainstream media shouts: ‘There is basically no independent foreign policy of Riyadh!’ Yes, oil buys weapons that are ‘giving jobs to men and women working in the US and UK factories’, and then these weapons are used to murder men, women and children in Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria and elsewhere; they threaten Iran, Qatar and several other countries. Oil and Western support also help to recruit terrorists for the perpetual wars desired by the West, and they also help to build thousands of lavish mosques and to convert tens of millions of people in Southeast Asia, Africa and elsewhere to Wahhabism, which is an extreme, Saudi-UK religious dogma. (My book Exposing Lies of the Empire. contains important chapter on this topic – “The West Manufacturing Muslim Monsters: Who Should Be Blamed for Muslim Terrorism”). ***** Despite what many in the West think, there is hardly any love for Saudi Arabia in the Middle East. The KSA is sometimes supported, out of ignorance, commercial interests, or religious zeal, by such far-away Muslim countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, but as a rule, not by those who live ‘in the region’. Many, if not most, in the Arab countries have already had enough of Saudi arrogance and bullying, by such monstrous acts like the war against Yemen, or implanting/supporting terrorists in Syria, Afghanistan, Libya and elsewhere, or by recent the de facto kidnapping of the Lebanese Head of State, by moral hypocrisy and by turning holy Muslim sites into business ventures with vulgar commercialism all around them, and the clear segregation of the rich and poor. Many Arabs hold Saudi Arabia responsible for turning an essentially socialist and egalitarian religion into what it has become now, of course, with the determined support from the West, which desires to have an obedient and rituals-oriented population all over the Muslim world, in order to control it better, while plundering, without any opposition, its natural resources. Saudi Arabia is a country with some of the greatest disparities on earth: with some of the richest elites on one hand, and widespread misery all around the entire territory. It is an ‘unloved country’, but until now, it has been ‘respected’. Mainly out of fear. Now, the entire world is watching. Those who were indignant in silence are beginning to speak out. Few days ago, an Indonesian maid was mercilessly executed in the KSA. Years ago, she killed her tormentor, her old ‘a patron’ who was attempting to rape her, on many occasions. But that was not reported on the front pages. After all, she was ‘just a maid’; a poor woman from a poor country. All of us, writers and journalists all over the world, are hoping that Mr. Khashoggi (no matter what his track record was so far) is alive, somewhere, and that one day soon he will be freed. However, with each new day, the chances that it will happen are slimmer and slimmer. Now even Saudi officials admit that he was murdered. If he was killed by Saudi agents, Mr. Khashoggi’s death may soon fully change both his country and the rest of the Middle East. He always hoped for at least some changes in his country. But most likely, he never imagined that he would have to pay the ultimate price for them. This time, the Saudi rulers hoped for a breeze, which would disperse the smell of blood. They may now inherit the tempest. http://clubof.info/

[foursproutwealth-blog]

"These 'Freedom Fighters' Fly Planes Into Our Buildings" - A List Of All The Times Trump Warned Against Attacking Syria

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/wealth/these-freedom-fighters-fly-planes-into-our-buildings-a-list-of-all-the-times-trump-warned-against-attacking-syria/

"These 'Freedom Fighters' Fly Planes Into Our Buildings" - A List Of All The Times Trump Warned Against Attacking Syria

President Donald Trump ran on a platform of “America First” non-interventionism, promising to bring US troops home from the Middle East and to back away from other lower-profile military entanglements.

Instead, the president has presided over an unprecedented increase in military spending, authorized a small troop surge in Afghanistan and now launched his second round of airstrikes – much to the delight of the mainstream media establishment Trump claims to despise.

As we pointed out earlier, even John McCain, who has seized every opportunity to spite Trump and his allies, praised the president for taking action against the Assad regime.

I applaud the President for taking military action against the Assad regime, and I am grateful to our British and French allies for joining us in this action. To succeed in the long run, we need a comprehensive strategy for Syria and the entire region. https://t.co/2xrHwVGYKK

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) April 14, 2018

Trump’s transformation from noninterventionist to neocon hawk is a relatively recent development. In a testament to his transformation, the Daily Caller gathered all of Trump’s tweets warning against a military intervention in Syria.

  Why is Senator John McCain in Syria visiting with the rebels- MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2013

  Obama wants to unilaterally put a no-fly zone in Syria to protect Al Qaeda Islamists http://t.co/DCgP83Oxas Syria is NOT our problem.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2013

    We should stay the hell out of Syria, the “rebels” are just as bad as the current regime. WHAT WILL WE GET FOR OUR LIVES AND $ BILLIONS?ZERO

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2013

    Remember, all these ‘freedom fighters’ in Syria want to fly planes into our buildings.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 28, 2013

    Why do we keep broadcasting when we are going to attack Syria. Why can’t we just be quiet and, if we attack at all, catch them by surprise?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2013

    @walaa_3ssaf No, dopey, I would not go into Syria, but if I did it would be by surprise and not blurted all over the media like fools.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2013

    Let the Arab League take care of Syria. Why are these rich Arab countries not paying us for the tremendous cost of such an attack?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2013

    What will we get for bombing Syria besides more debt and a possible long term conflict? Obama needs Congressional approval.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2013

    “@jasonsweis: @realDonaldTrump agreed, we need our troops on the streets of Chicago, not in Syria”

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2013

    Is everyone seeing how incompetently our country is being run by watching the mess with Syria? Our leaders don’t know what they are doing!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2013

    If Obama attacks Syria and innocent civilians are hurt and killed, he and the U.S. will look very bad!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2013

    How bad has our “leader” made us look on Syria. Stay out of Syria, we don’t have the leadership to win wars or even strategize.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2013

    “@jenconservative: @RKDrake @realDonaldTrump I would be totally surprised if the US even HAS any money to spend on Syria!!” We don’t!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2013

  “@Joe1sPro: @realDonaldTrump the president of Syria is killing people inhumanly” But the so called “rebels” may be just as bad (or worse)!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2013

    Syria has prepared for an attack based on all of our “talk” – they have moved targeted ammunition and supplies to new locations.Amazing!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2013

    President Obama’s weakness and indecision may have saved us from doing a horrible and very costly (in more ways than money) attack on Syria!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2013

    “@mguarino64: @realDonaldTrump ” How would you treat the Syria situation if president ?” I’d let them all fight with each other-focus on US!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2013

    The Arab League stated that it wants nothing to do with an attack on Syria, but they want us to attack.Are our leaders insane or just stupid

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 2, 2013

    If the U.S. attacks Syria and hits the wrong targets, killing civilians, there will be worldwide hell to pay. Stay away and fix broken U.S.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2013

    Think of it, the Arab League doesn’t want to get involved with Syria – but they want us to do their dirty work. How stupid!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2013

    China, OPEC and Russia laugh at us. But now thanks to Obama so does Syria. Very sad!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2013

    “@BigSexyBDAvis: @realDonaldTrump mr trump would attack Syria or no?” No, lets make our country great again as they fight their war!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2013

    What I am saying is stay out of Syria.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2013

    Many Syrian ‘rebels’ are radical Jihadis. Not our friends & supporting them doesn’t serve our national interest. Stay out of Syria!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2013

    .@GOP must stay focused on defunding ObamaCare and the impending budget battle. Don’t let Syria rule the agenda.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2013

    The only reason President Obama wants to attack Syria is to save face over his very dumb RED LINE statement. Do NOT attack Syria,fix U.S.A.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2013

    While everyone is waiting and prepared for us to attack Syria, maybe we should knock the hell out of Iran and their nuclear capabilities?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2013

    AGAIN, TO OUR VERY FOOLISH LEADER, DO NOT ATTACK SYRIA – IF YOU DO MANY VERY BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN & FROM THAT FIGHT THE U.S. GETS NOTHING!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2013

    All former Bush administration officials should have zero standing on Syria. Iraq was a waste of blood & treasure.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2013

    Russia is sending a fleet of ships to the Mediterranean. Obama’s war in Syria has the potential to widen into a worldwide conflict.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2013

    We should not attack Syria but if they make the stupid move to do so, the Arab League,whose members are laughing at us, should pay!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2013

    The terrorists in Syria are calling themselves REBELS and getting away with it because our leaders are so completely stupid!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2013

    If Syria was forced to use Obamacare they would self-destruct without a shot being fired. Obama should sell them that idea!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2013

    Don’t attack Syria – an attack that will bring nothing but trouble for the U.S. Focus on making our country strong and great again!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2013

    Do you believe what is going on in Washington with respect to Syria – these people don’t have a clue!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2013

    “@bingham_tammy: @realDonaldTrump why wasn’t Obama more concerned w/Benghazi #americans killed. Syria not our business”

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2013

    Obama must now start focusing on OUR COUNTRY, jobs, healthcare and all of our many problems. Forget Syria and make America great again!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2013

    If the Saudis are so concerned about Syria then they should go in themselves. Stop telling us to do their dirty work.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2013

    “@BackOnTrackUSA: Remember the terrorists that Obama has been arming in Syria against Assad. Well now they are marching on Bagdad.”

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2014

    Crooked Hillary Clintons foreign interventions unleashed ISIS in Syria, Iraq and Libya. She is reckless and dangerous!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 21, 2016

  Now, compare that with a tweet Trump posted this morning…

  A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military. Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2018

  What a difference an electoral victory can make.

[clubofinfo]

Expert: The first time it was reported that our friends were being butchered there was a cry of horror. Then a hundred were butchered. But when a thousand were butchered and there was no end to the butchery, a blanket of silence spread. When evil-doing comes like falling rain, nobody calls out ‘stop!’ When crimes begin to pile up they become invisible. When sufferings become unendurable the cries are no longer heard. The cries, too, fall like rain in summer. ― Bertolt Brecht, Selected Poems, March 24, 1971 There are days I wake up, and I’m not sure what country I live in anymore. There are days I wake up and want to go right back to sleep in the hopes that this surreal landscape of government-sanctioned injustice, corruption and brutality is just a really bad dream. There are days I am so battered by the never-ending wave of bad news that I have little outrage left in me: I am numb. And then I get hold of myself, shake myself out of the doldrums, and remind myself that it’s not yet time to give up: America needs our outrage and our alertness and our tenacity and our fierce determination to remain a free people in a land where justice matters. This is still our country. Don’t just sit there. Do something. When you hear that the U.S. government “lost” 1,475 migrant children within its care over a three-month period, in some cases handing them off to human traffickers, don’t just chalk it up to incompetent bureaucrats. The Trump Administration’s plan to separate immigrant children from their parents at the border should outrage anyone with a moral conscience, especially in light of the government’s latest revelation that it is unable to account for the whereabouts of 1500 of those children. Mind you, this is not just a Trump problem. A recent report indicates that under President Obama’s watch, migrant children were allegedly beaten, threatened with sexual violence and repeatedly assaulted while under the care of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials. According to Newsweek, “Border authorities were accused of kicking a child in the ribs and forcing a 16-year-old girl to ‘spread her legs’ for an aggressive body search. Other children accused officers of punching a child in the head three times, running over a 17-year-old boy and denying medical care to a pregnant teen, who later had a stillbirth.” ACT. It doesn’t matter what your politics are or where you stand on immigration issues. There are some lines that should never be crossed—some government actions that should never be tolerated or justified—no matter what the end goal might be, and this is one of them. Demand that Congress stop playing politics and endangering children’s lives. When you read that Attorney General Jeff Sessions wants police to use stop and frisk tactics randomly against Americans without even the need for reasonable suspicion, don’t just shake your head disapprovingly. ACT: Call the Justice Department (202-353-1555) and read them the Fourth Amendment: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” After you watch the video of how the Transportation Security Administration, unfailingly tone deaf to the spirit of the Fourth Amendment, subjected a 96-year-old World War II veteran in a wheelchair to a patdown that left no part of her body untouched, don’t just seethe in silence. ACT: Contact your representative in Congress and file a complaint on the TSA’s egregious practices. When old women and little children are being groped by government agents, things have gone too far. In light of revelations that the TSA “has created a new secret watch list to monitor people who may be targeted as potential threats at airport checkpoints simply because they have swatted away security screeners’ hands or otherwise appeared unruly,” you can expect even more headache-inducing behavior in the near future. When you find out that Amazon is selling police real time facial recognition software that can scan hundreds of thousands of faces, identify them, track them, and then report them to police, don’t just shrug helplessly. ACT: Harness the power of your wallet to urge Amazon to favor freedom principles over profit motives. It’s only a matter of time before these programs are used widely here in the U.S. They are already being used and abused abroad. For instance, Amazon’s Rekognition software was used by broadcasters to identify attendees at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Chinese police have used similar facial recognition tools to scan crowds at rock concerts, malls and gas stations in order to catch alleged lawbreakers. Just recently, Chinese police used the technology to capture a suspect who had been living under a pseudonym after he failed to pay for $17,000 worth of potatoes. Chinese schools are even employing the facial recognition cameras in classrooms to alert teachers to students who aren’t paying attention. When you hear Sessions bragging about how much he loves civil asset forfeiture, which allows the government to seize Americans’ personal property—money, cars, homes and other valuables—without having to first prove that any criminal conduct has taken place, don’t just take his word for it. ACT: Do your own research. You’ll soon discover that because of the corruption that surrounds this abusive program, countless innocent Americans have been robbed blind by government agents out to get rich at their expense. Billions of dollars have been taken without probable cause. Anthonia Nwaorie, a Texas nurse who had saved up $41,377 to start a medical clinic for women and children in Nigeria, had her life savings seized by Customs Agents who refused to return the money unless she agreed to pay their “expenses.” Six months later, even though Nwaorie was never charged with a crime, she’s still waiting to get her money back. When you hear about armed Denver police pulling a gun on a school official and conducting a classroom-to-classroom search for a missing student at an area high school, don’t just thank your lucky stars your childhood was more idyllic. Likewise, when you hear that the lieutenant governor of Texas thinks the solution to school shootings is fewer school doors (entrances and exits), don’t just marvel at the short-sightedness of government officials. ACT: Say “enough is enough” to government-sponsored violence. The systemic violence being perpetrated by agents of the government has done more collective harm to the American people and our liberties than any single act of terror or mass shooting. Violence has become the government’s calling card, starting at the top and trickling down, from the more than 80,000 SWAT team raids carried out every year on unsuspecting Americans by heavily armed, black-garbed commandos and the increasingly rapid militarization of local police forces across the country to the surveillance drones that are already crisscrossing American skies. When you read about how 28-year-old Andrew Finch of Kansas answered a 5 pm knock on his front door only to be shot in the head and killed ten seconds later by a police sniper because a SWAT team responded to a prank “swatting” phone call with full force, don’t just tsk-tsk over the senseless tragedies arising from militarized and police and overzealous SWAT teams. Not only did police refuse to identify the officer who pulled the trigger, but he was also never charged with Andrew’s death. ACT: Demand accountability. If any hope for police reform is to be realized, especially as it relates to how SWAT teams are deployed locally and holding police accountable for their actions, it must begin at the community level, with local police departments and governing bodies, where citizens can still, with sufficient reinforcements, make their voices heard. The rise of SWAT teams and militarization of American police—blowback effects of the military empire—have unfortunately become entrenched parts of American life. SWAT teams originated as specialized units dedicated to defusing extremely sensitive, dangerous situations. As the role of paramilitary forces has expanded, however, to include involvement in nondescript police work targeting nonviolent suspects, the mere presence of SWAT units has actually injected a level of danger and violence into police-citizen interactions that was not present as long as these interactions were handled by traditional civilian officers. Nationwide, SWAT teams have been employed to address an astonishingly trivial array of criminal activity or mere community nuisances: angry dogs, domestic disputes, improper paperwork filed by an orchid farmer, and misdemeanor marijuana possession, to give a brief sampling. In some instances, SWAT teams are even employed, in full armament, to perform routine patrols. All too often, botched SWAT team raids have resulted in one tragedy after another for American citizens with little consequences for law enforcement. When you find out that police and other law enforcement agencies are accessing the DNA shared with genealogical websites and using it to identify possible suspects, don’t offer up your DNA without some assurance of privacy protections. ACT: Protect your privacy. It’s not just yourself you have to worry about, either. It’s also anyone related to you who can be connected by DNA. These genetic fingerprints, as they’re called, do more than just single out a person. They also show who you’re related to and how. As the Associated Press reports, “DNA samples that can help solve robberies and murders could also, in theory, be used to track down our relatives, scan us for susceptibility to disease, or monitor our movements.” By accessing your DNA, the government will soon know everything else about you that they don’t already know: your family chart, your ancestry, what you look like, your health history, your inclination to follow orders or chart your own course, etc. Capitalizing on this, police in California, Colorado, Virginia and Texas use DNA found at crime scenes to identify and target family members for possible clues to a suspect’s whereabouts. Who will protect your family from being singled out for “special treatment” simply because they’re related to you? As biomedical researcher Yaniv Erlich warns, “If it’s not regulated and the police can do whatever they want … they can use your DNA to infer things about your health, your ancestry, whether your kids are your kids.” In the face of DNA evidence that places us at the scene of a crime, behavior sensing technology that interprets our body temperature and facial tics as suspicious, and government surveillance devices that cross-check our biometrics, license plates and DNA against a growing database of unsolved crimes and potential criminals, we are no longer “innocent until proven guilty.” Finally, when you hear someone talking about how two American citizens in Montana were detained by a Border Patrol agent because he overheard them speaking Spanish at a gas station, don’t just shake your head in disgust. ACT: Remind yourself (and those around you) that despite the polarizing, racially-charged rhetoric being tossed about by President Trump, this is still a nation whose strength derives from the diversity of its people and from the immigrants who have been seeking shelter on our shores since the earliest days of our Republic. As President Ronald Reagan recognized in one of his last speeches before leaving office: We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people—our strength—from every country and every corner of the world. And by doing so we continuously renew and enrich our nation… Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we’re a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a nation. If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost… Those who become American citizens love this country even more. And that’s why the Statue of Liberty lifts her lamp to welcome them to the golden door. It is bold men and women, yearning for freedom and opportunity, who leave their homelands and come to a new country to start their lives over. They believe in the American dream. And over and over, they make it come true for themselves, for their children, and for others. They give more than they receive. They labor and succeed. And often they are entrepreneurs. But their greatest contribution is more than economic, because they understand in a special way how glorious it is to be an American. They renew our pride and gratitude in the United States of America, the greatest, freest nation in the world—the last, best hope of man on Earth. As I  make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, if the freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, are to mean anything anymore—if they are to stand for anything ever again—then “we the people” have to stand up for them. We cannot allow ourselves to be divided and distracted and turned into warring factions. We cannot sell out our birthright for empty promises of false security. We cannot remain silent in the face of ugliness, pettiness, meanness, brutality, corruption and injustice. We cannot allow politicians, corporations, profiteers and war hawks to whittle our freedoms away until they are little more than empty campaign slogans. We must stand strong for freedom. We must give voice to moral outrage. We must do something—anything—everything in our power to make America free again. As Reagan recognized, “If we lose this way of freedom, history will record with the great astonishment that those who had the most to lose did the least to prevent its happening.” http://clubof.info/