A/N: Just a heads up, I'll be going on a long training op (a very long one) in a few weeks and most likely won't be able to update while there. That being said I'll be updating on Monday's as well as Friday's until then to provide you guys with as much content as I can. As much as I don't like not being able to update for an extended period of time but the Marine Corps comes first. Anyways, enjoy the chapters coming up until then and stick around until I'm able to return (or jump ship now if you want, but if you've come this far I assume you have some interest here otherwise you wouldn't be reading this). Lastly I want to say thanks to everyone who's liked and reviewed, you guys are the best!
Semper Fidelis
-StormTrooper96
The flight from Gotham had been smooth but to say that they were relaxed during the trip was impossible. Once the adrenaline wore off the realization of what had happened set in and Alex had sat in silence, replaying the events of the battle in his mind, trying to think of what he could have done to prevent the casualties they'd taken. Five Marines, including the commanding officer, had been killed and twelve more were wounded, not to mention the casulties the GCPD took, and he couldn't help but feel responsible, after all it had been his idea to get Harley help in the first place. Had he just let her be imprisoned none of this would have happened. But dwelling on it and blaming himself would be detrimental to his state of mind and he had no intention of joining Harley at an asylum.
Once they landed at Edwards Air Force Base it had been a three-hour drive to the Miramar installation, arriving late in the evening. At the Brig Barbara, still in her Batgirl suit, and Alex got Harley checked in with the MP's and placed in a cell away from the facilities actual prisoners, they didn't need those guys bothering her. In the morning, she'd be properly checked in before being introduced to her new psychologist. Alex didn't like leaving her there by herself overnight but they weren't authorized to stay overnight so, after promising to visit once he was able to he and Barbara left and caught a ride some miles north from a very surprised taxi driver to Camp Pendleton.
General Anderson had booked a hotel room on base for Alex in advance and had some of his effects brought in so after a quick change to a two-bed suite they were finally able to get out of their work clothes, shower, and change into more comfortable civilian wear (Barbara obviously had to borrow some of Alex's). Barbara was currently in the shower while Alex was relaxing on his bed and watching Black Hawk Down on the TV. He was about halfway through the movie and had been loudly cheering on the main characters as they fought their way through Mogadishu when Barbara came out of the bathroom wearing an oversized t-shirt and pajama bottoms. She sat in the nearby chair and cast her attention to the movie, watching the very realistic depiction of combat intently during the movies battles.
"How do they…you do that?" She suddenly asked, catching Alex off guard.
"I'm sorry?" He asked, pausing the movie and turning his attention to her.
"Shoot...kill people. Bru…Batman taught us not to, that it was the one line we could never cross, but I've seen you do it a few times and I was wondering how you do it so easily." Oh boy, it was going to be one of those talks.
"Alright look Barbara. I don't kill people like it's nothing and frankly I'm a bit insulted that you'd think about me." Honestly what kinda monster do you think I am? The only people I've killed had deserved it and while I can joke about killing the act itself is not something I enjoy. I remember General Mattis once reasoned "…There are some assholes in the world that just need to be shot." Alex definitely thought Insurgents, ISIS, gangbangers, and rogue soldiers definitely fall into that category. Seriously though, fuck ISIS…
"Sorry, that was wrong of me." She apologized after realizing her mistake.
"Forget about it. What's brought this on?"
"When I was on the roof Deadshot and I were fighting. I gained control of his weapon and turned it on him…" Fuck, she crossed that line and didn't like what she saw on the other side.
"…And you thought about shooting him."
"Yes, he killed so many people and I couldn't let him escape to kill more. That's the first time I've ever had the idea of killing someone cross my mind and I didn't like it, it felt wrong. but I couldn't do it. Then he tried to make me, placed the muzzle against his head, screamed at me to pull the trigger, and called me a coward when I didn't."
"That's fucked man, no one should be put in that situation… but you're not a coward. You did the right thing and Batman would be proud of you, I know I am." She's a stronger person than she realizes, more than him at least. Alex would have pulled that trigger without a second thought after what he did to those men.
"I know but I don't understand why I couldn't do it, it seems so simple watching you do it." Great, she really wants to dive into the ethics of warfare.
"It's more than just pulling the trigger, you have to want to kill. Especially in a fight cause like we were just watching, you're not only worried about yourself but the guys to the left and right of you. Like I told you before I care more about getting you guys home alive than I do about some insurgents or whoever. But like you said you've been conditioned not to kill people, you don't have the mindset that allows you to take a life." That's not some bullshit either. From day one the Marine Corps begins to instill that warrior mentality into recruits, supplemented with lessons taught in the classroom to training scenarios to produce Marines capable of taking the fight to the enemy and killing them, but at the same time you have to remember that the whole world is watching you. Despite however much you want to make the enemy suffer for the atrocities they've committed you can't cause unnecessary suffering.
"And you do?"
"I've been in the Marine Corps for seven years' now, our entire culture is built around fighting wars. Just as Batman conditioned you to not take lives, the Marine Corps conditioned me to be able to. But just because I can doesn't mean that I should, in fact sometimes it can be against our interest to go in guns blazing. You can't just go into battle thinking only with your trigger finger, you need to keep a level head and identify who your targets are, assess the threat level and determine what amount of force to use, and act accordingly."
"Never thought of it that way but I see what you mean, and your right. With your job and the danger you guys face being over there you should have the capability to kill someone but it's nice to know that you also have options."
"Right. But fighting terrorists and protecting American interests is my job not yours. You guys do a great job of keeping the home front safe while we're over there and how you've managed to do so for so long without killing is beyond me. Since being in Gotham I've killed more people than I ever had in country, but taking a life can weigh on you if you let it, and if pointing a gun at someone's eating you up this bad I hope for your sake you don't actually have to use one. But don't be afraid to learn to use one, you know what they say about better to have one and not need it than to not have it and need it."
"I won't but I also think I won't start carrying a gun either, but I hear they have recreational uses. Might try that sometime if you want?" Eh, good enough he guessed.
"Hell yeah I'm down to go to a range with you, we'll just have to wait till we get outta Cali. Can't use any of the fun guns in this communist state, speaking of which ever been to Cali before?" Alex asked, glad that they had changed the conversation to a more pleasant topic.
"No, but I've heard it's a pretty cool state."
"Yeah, if you can look past the unreasonable gun laws, rampant liberalism, and bad traffic. There's a reason people have started calling it Commiefornia."
"Ha ha, that's actually pretty funny. But I agree, the local government is a bit paranoid with guns, even Gotham doesn't have as much restriction. You must hate it here."
"Eh, other than those things it's not so bad. There's a lot of stuff to do, especially here in SoCal. In fact, I plan on going out tomorrow, maybe meet some beautiful girl who knows?"
"Uh, excuse you, beautiful girl right here?" She exclaimed and Alex looked at her more closely. He'd never really looked at her that way before, to busy with the mission to pay any attention but now that she brought her looks to his attention he couldn't deny that she was beautiful and would make anyone happy to be with her…but no, she was like the little sister Alex never knew he wanted.
"Barbara, you are one of the most beautiful women I've ever known and anyone would be lucky to have you, but we're just friends." Alex hopes he hasn't hurt her feelings but at the same time he found it amusing to have put her in the friend zone instead of the other way around however she just chuckles to herself.
"Pfft, I was just messing around Alex, I know you still have feelings for Harley. You'll be good for her, I know that. If anyone can help her get better it's you and if you need my help I'll be there for you." Man, she's the greatest, always doing her best to help him out without asking for anything in return. That and she hasn't tried to kill him.
"Thanks Barbara. Have I told you how great a friend you are?"
"Mm, once or twice but I don't mind hearing it again."
"Well it's like past midnight so you'll have to wait till morning. Anyways, I know you're not supposed to be here but you should take the opportunity to relax while you can. Way things are looking shits about to go down in a bad way for a lot of people. What Deadshot said to you on the roof, about all the hero's and villain's being in danger, that's gotta lot of higher ups worried and I wouldn't be surprised if General Anderson reassigns us with hunting these guys down."
"You don't think someone's crazy enough to actually take on ALL the hero's and villain's out there, do you? They'd have to take out the Justice League and a lot of people have tried with little success." This was true, the League would present a sizable challenge to any force using conventional means of warfare like these guys were. Although if they were to get their hands on something like a nuke...
"If they got the manpower it's entirely possible. Bullets are a good way of getting rid of problems, and someone out there has a problem with both the League and its enemies it seems. I know the General and his people are reviewing the drone footage and interrogating Deadshot so hopefully we get answers soon. Hopefully Harley gets better sooner rather than later, I don't think we got that much time before something else pops off."
…Mission Complete…