Dilemma

Verlin was a little confused cause he thought General Smith was gonna ask him to help fight in the war. Verlin said, " So, you want me to stand aside while I watch as thousands of humans go to war and perish."

"People die for a lot less than fighting for a great cause that would benefit humanity for the rest of their history. You know, We have been watching you for a while, but we still don't understand why you care so much about humans. You go around helping with no recognition or any profit. Is it that you feel pity for them and give out a helping hand? Or do you just feel guilt for what happened in City C?"

Seeing that Verlin kept silent, General Smith continued and said, " Regardless of the reason, your intervention would only make humanity lag behind. I appreciate your efforts, but it isn't necessary."

Verlin closed his eyes and fell into deep thought, He wondered if involving himself in the war would be the right thing to do. If the end goal of the war was going to unite the whole world, then maybe the sacrifices made during the war would be worth it.

Verlin took a deep breath and sighed, "I'll see how things are, then I'll decide."

Verlin entered superspeed mode and left the office. After a couple dozen seconds, General Smith sat down on his chair and breathed a sigh of relief. It would be a lie to say he wasn't intimidated, but he couldn't show it. He wasn't allowed to show any signs of weakness. He had an army to lead and soldiers who relied on his guidance. He looked towards the TV screen in his office, waiting for the official announcement to go live.

Verlin didn't bother finding Rachel and flew back into City A directly to Chloe's house. He landed a couple hundred.meters away from her house in an isolated area and trekked the rest of the way. Verlin knocked on the door, and a couple of seconds later, Chloe's mother opened the door and said, " Hello Verlin, Chloe told me you were coming this morning, C'mon in."

Verlin walked into the house and said, " Good morning."

Chloe's mother went upstairs to call Chloe, while Verlin sat down on the couch in the living room. Verlin was still thinking of what he was going to do, If he were to intervene in the war, it would slow down their entire species' progress, but if he were to standby blood would flow like a river. His mind was telling him that standing by would be the best course of action, but his moral obligation was telling him that stopping the conflict was the right course of action.

While Verlin was deep in his thoughts, he slipped into superspeed mode,at the same time Chloe had arrived in the living room and said,

" Morning Verlin, you ready to go?"

But Verlin didn't respond and seemed to be in a daze. This had been the first time she had seen him, so out of it. Usually, he is always aware of his surroundings and very cautious. She walked in front of him and started waving her hand in front of him, but got no reaction.

Chloe's mother saw something was wrong and also came up and said, " Is he alright?"

"I'm not sure. He doesn't seem to be responding to anything."

" Hmmm, maybe it's something that regularly happens to him. Most Enhanced humans aren't normal anyway."

Chloe looked at her mom and said, " What's that supposed to mean?"

As soon as Chloe finished talking, the television suddenly turned on, and on it, they could see a distingushed looking soldier. It was at this time that Verlin returned back to normal, and he could instantly recognize the man on the screen, It was General Felix.

General Felix took a breath and stated,

"My fellow citizens of the West Federation,

I come before you today to address a matter of grave importance, Our great country has been subjected to multiple attacks from foreign forces. The Earth Bubble incident that occurred 2 weeks ago was, in fact, an attack from the South Federation. We had tried to keep it under wraps and prevent further instigation, but it seemed our showing of tolerance had been mistaken for weakness, because not too long after we have been attacked once more but this time, by the hijacking of an aircraft.

The military has been forced to make a difficult decision, one that will require sacrifices and challenges from each and every one of us. As a general, I am duty-bound to uphold the values of our great nation and to protect its interests, both at home and abroad.

I want to start by acknowledging that the decision to go to war is never an easy one. It is a decision that carries with it immense responsibility and one that we do not take lightly. However, I believe that the time has come for us to take action, to stand up for what is right, and to work towards a better future for ourselves and for generations to come.

We are not going to war to promote aggression or destruction. We are going to war to unite the world under a common purpose of peace, stability, and progress. We are going to war to defend our country from external threats, to prevent the spread of ideologies that promote violence and hatred, and to promote democratic values and human rights globally.

This war will not be easy, and it will come with many challenges. But I can assure you that we will conduct it with the utmost professionalism, with a focus on minimizing casualties and avoiding unnecessary destruction. We will work our utmost to ensure that the war is just and that it aligns with the principles of international law.

I understand that this news may be difficult to hear and that it may cause fear and uncertainty among many of you. But I want to assure you that we will not take this decision lightly and that we will do everything in our power to keep you safe and to ensure that your rights and freedoms are protected.

I call upon each and every one of you to stand with us, to support our troops as they embark on this mission, and to work towards a brighter future for all. Together, we can overcome any obstacle, and we can build a world that is free from fear, free from tyranny, and free from hatred.

Thank you, and May this war be the last among our fellow humans. "

After General Felix finished his speech, Verlin could hear the heartbeat of Chloe and her mother Sarah accelerating. Verlin already knew that Chloe's father was a soldier in the army, He wanted to know how Chloe felt about the war since she had someone important to her, directly participating in it.

Chloes Mother didn't seem to like the news as she excused herself and went upstairs, seemingly to go call her husband. Chloe, on the other hand, was silent for a while. Verlin decided to break the silence and said, " Are you alright? "

"Yeah, I'm fine, I was just thinking. Maybe we could also join the army."

Verlin was perplexed he had expected that Chloe wouldn't condone war, especially since her father was participating in it. He said,

" I thought that you wouldn't like the notion of war and would make up some dumb idea to try to stop it."

Chloe shook her head and said, " First of all, my ideas aren't dumb. Secondly, We were attacked first, If we don't strike back, they would just continue attacking us."

When Verlin heard this, he felt a sense of guilt since he had been the cause of the most devasting attack, but he didn't show it on his face. He knew that all this was wrong, but if it truly brought peace to the entire world. Maybe a lie or 2 isn't that great of a sin.