Reviewer: Krell Signed
Date: April 01 2018
Title: Chapter 1: Disorientation
I wanted to say thank you, for not only writing this story but for also sharing it.I find myself agreeing with Grandmaster B and many of the other views here that I can't phantom Alexandra forgiving Bridget nor Evelyn for their actions. Not completely any way. If they have lived and loved together as a family for 10 years and then with such ease they can could turn on Lexis and think her guilty on the words of a few strangers and a simple time stamp on a video. Before even confronting and speaking to Alexandra is just inhuman.
I know the basic concept of the fire and how it invoke duty in the Omegas to protect the betas. But if it can make them behave so inhuman, machine like that they can take 10 years of living and loving someone and just ignore it. When a human would at least try everything in their power to make sure that the loved one in question is guilty before they start to personally torturing them. Just paints the Omega's as megalomaniacs who can't even imagine ever being in error. Not only that it would seem that life long connections to mortals have no real value other than to pass their time as immortal, if they can discard them with such ease in the name of said duty. And that duty is not justice. How can you deal out justice if you aren't subject to it yourself?
Nathaneil had a good point. Bridget will never feel the same fear or pain of a beta or in this case that Lexis experience at her hands. But that didn't stop her form inflicting it. I know that Aegis has pinned the whole crime on Nathaneil but it was their failure and piss poor investigation that lead to Alexandria’s physical and mental damage but none of them will be punished. That is not only hypocritical it is a sign of a government that can't be held accountable for their mistakes. Which in my opinion is a government that will never be fully embraced by many of the Alphas and given that a word of a beta is taken at face value as the truth before you even get to speak and are found guilty based on it. I can't say I blame them.
And this story isn't first example of being found guilty with out talking to the suspect. The Story Tough Love is similar to how fast guilt is determined. Though Ashley was guilty she didn't get a chance to speak until it was already determined. Imagine if that beta asked to touch her feet and she refused and he felt a grudge for it. It wouldn't be hard for him to fake some injuries and then spin the whole shoe ride story up to get back at her for that rejection. Given that they seem to believe every thing a beta says as truth, perhaps because of the fire. Ashley would have received punishment regardless of innocence because they didn't even consider that she might be innocent, didn't ask her till they told her she was guilty and started to apply their "justice".
I personally wished that a news outlet would have gotten a hold of the story like maybe RED. Not that would even begin to make up for the wrongs that Bridget did. But to me it seemed that Aegis really didn't want Alexandra to share her story, to reveal how they weren’t omnipotent and that real justice isn't what they seek as they would have punished one of their own or more for this level of a screw up.
And if an Alpha made an innocent mistake that hurt a beta I have no doubt that person would have suffered some kind of punishment. But Bridget being not only in Aegis but as an Omega as well mostly like got love and support from her mother and friends. You know what Lexis should have gotten from Bridget and Evelyn instead of the torture she received instead. Because love is suppose to be uncondition and it comes with loyality. And if the fire keeps them from doing that then maybe they are less than human and closer to the monsters that a lot of the Alphas make them out to be.
At least when an Alpha is cruel and heartless it's them and not some strange influence. In that light maybe I could say the Omegas are broken and if it wasn't for the power they hold and the things can do, I might pity them. But they do have that power and they use it freely so I can't say that I do.
The main reason I doubt that Alexandra could ever trust an Omega again is it seemed clear to me that she loved two of them above all others in the world. The two that she thought loved her the same in kind. Then they turned on her for something she didn't do, with out even giving her a benefit of a doubt. That love would turn in to a hate in my opinion, maybe not forever.. maybe she would let it go and carry on with her life in time. I would like to think so. But how could she really trust an Omega ever again.. or trust anyone when you own family betrays you like that.
So while Lexi will have to live the rest of her life with her scars. Bridget will one day be free of them. I would like to point out that in the story Consequences that Claire mentioned to Stephanie that she would even forget about her own family in time as her memory faded of them. So it may take a while but Bridget will one day forget what she did and be clean of the sins she committed to a sister she can no longer recall.
A rouge thought I just had, if an Omega hurt or killed a beta would the fire in the other other Omegas require some sort of justice? Would Bridget’s mother punish her own daughter in this case? Since she didn't punish Bridget for hurting and nearly killing Lexis someone she claimed to have loved. But I wonder would she seek justice for a beta she didn't know just because of the fire? I think she would or rather I hope so because if not then I can't really understand how she could betray Alexandra as she did with out the all consuming fire being the reason.
The TLDR. The story and characters sucked me in enough to bend me out of shape. I felt. no I still feel anger at Bridget and her mother and I feel sorrow for Alexandra. And that emotional investment is a nice rare thing to get from a fictional short story. I do hope to read more about these characters in another story some day.
Again thank you very much
Also please forgive my typo's :)