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#is there such thing as professional vigilante conduct
schraubd · 3 months
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See No IDF Evil
I'm in the throes of grading and I'm traveling for most of the period from now through New Year's. But I did want to quickly (for me; it's all relative) speak a bit about the way the American Jewish community is adopting a "see no evil" approach to IDF activities in the Gaza Strip (and beyond). There are plenty of reports of IDF soldiers targeting non-belligerents. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem just accused IDF snipers of killing two women sheltering in a convent "in cold blood". Reuters claims IDF tank fire deliberately targeted its journalists in circumstances where there were no nearby belligerents. MSF likewise claims Israeli forces deliberately targeted its medical personnel (I remember this one because MSF initially did not accuse any particular party of responsibility, which gives credence to the notion that it was not reflexively lobbing out an allegation but rather actually engaged in some measure of investigation). One could go on. One thing that often isn't part of these conversations is the catastrophically high levels of overt racism that exist towards Arabs in the young (which is to say, military-age) Israeli population. If roughly a third of population from which Israel is drawing its soldiers endorses things like "stripping Arab Israelis of their citizenship" and otherwise endorsing hate against Arabs, it would be stunning if we didn't see significant instances of at the very least indifference towards protecting Arab civilian life, if not outright infliction of war crimes. That'd be true in all circumstances, but particularly in the context of this conflict and the brutal Hamas massacre that precipitated it. Meanwhile, David Ignatius reports what many have seen, which is that soldiers drawn from the more radical parts of the settlement project basically view their IDF service and their status a price tag raiders as more-or-less interchangeable. Given all that, the denialism that IDF forces likely are in a non-trivial number of cases either deliberately attacking protected persons, or at the very least not paying due heed to Palestinian life is absolutely incredible. One place one "pro-Israel" American Jews could retreat to would be to concede abuses may be occurring, but say that they (a) are not policy and (b) should be investigated and punished as appropriate. The first part is likely true (or true-ish; whether the rules of engagement are properly respecting the legal boundaries about proportionality and distinction is an open question). The second part causes problems. Even before the current conflict, it was increasingly apparent that potential war crimes that occur in the midst of combat operations will never be significantly investigated or punished by the Israeli government. Just convicting and then commuting the sentence of Elor Azaria almost ripped the country apart; the current government is full of zealots one whose general approach to vigilante Jewish violence targeting Arabs is to propose giving the perpetrators medals. Nobody actually expects significant or serious Israeli investigations into alleged war crimes committed by its soldiers. But accepting that IDF soldiers likely are, in non-trivial numbers of cases, engaging in criminal conduct towards Palestinians during combat operations would put into stark relief the paucity of actual investigation and punishment, at which point it'd be virtually impossible to defend the Israeli government's conduct. Far easier to take advantage of the fog of war to cover one's eyes to the primary instances of abuse. That such denialism relies on almost impossibly optimistic presuppositions about the IDF's professionalism and its putative status -- more of a slogan than an empirically-testable proposition -- as "the most moral army in the world" is besides the point. via The Debate Link https://ift.tt/S4PlMwt
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ofgentleresolve-a · 2 years
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@jeoseungsaja​​ sent in:
Hello I mentioned I was going to send more unprompted asks aND I'LL BE SENDING ANOTHER ONE RIGHT HERE WUIEHDIHD (I hope this is okay but pls feel free to ignore if it's not fitting or something of the sort!):
A thud resonates through; the sound of files harshly cascading down wooden desk, a desk which had to suffer the consequences of Hyuk's despair just a few days ago, when tears stained his face and hand slammed surface until becoming red with numbing ache.
You wouldn't guess he had a breakdown days prior just by staring at his stoic countenance, at those features that fight to stay composed and dry as he slides the files toward the end of the desk; toward the Black Knight.
So many words about their last meeting still unnerve him. It's like he knows, and how? Pigeon carrier. Solving a puzzle. Maybe he's overthinking this time around, unconsciously finding Patrick everywhere (no matter where he goes, a lot of things remind him of his best friend).
Speaking of unnerving, he also remembers the quiet wincing. And he remembers getting hit by a wave of worry. Why should he worry? Why should he care? His jaw clenches. He swore to himself he wouldn't care for anyone else.
"The files you wanted." He sourly addresses; files a little frayed and decayed due to the hands of time. There are new pages too; freshly printed ones that Jae-Hwan added inside. They were the one who got these files for Hyuk; the files of the disappearance of Shin Seonghun and Shin Chaeryeong. It didn't need a lot of budging...as much as he dislikes to admit it, Jae-Hwan is always willing to help (he had to hide the fact that the Black Knight requested them, otherwise, he's sure, they would've insisted on handing them themselves).
However, before the vigilante can take them, a palm grabs them and takes them back to the detective. "Why are these important?" Eyes narrow. "Why do you need these?" The Black Knight didn't expect Hyuk to give in so easily, did he? || a tale from long ago ( ft. unprompted )
If the Black Knight FLINCHES, he only hopes that the detective doesn’t notice. Loud noises- he’s learned anything from the course of five years and counting, nothing good ever comes out of sudden noises. Or surprises in general. But he can’t be that obvious, can he?
So perhaps as the mild literature professor, they know him to be jumpy, nervous despite a mellow demeanor. But the Black Knight isn’t any of that. Decisive, calm, and meticulous, they consider him. A far cry from the Shin Myungdae, the literature professor. They wouldn’t think to connect the two.
( Little do they realize, even a worm will turn. But between the Black Knight and Shin Myungdae, who is Patrick supposed to be? He certainly doesn’t feel like himself in either part. He wonders if Hyuk would know the answer. )
He glances at the leg of the desk. There are new skid marks on the floor, making a lattice with the older ones from their reunion first meeting. Behind the tall neck of his coat, Patrick frowns, watching his dear friend closely. Something happened in the last few days. His expression is even more sour and pinched than usual like he’s trying to cover up whatever is threatening to spill out. Did ANACHRON or even ARGOS do something? Did he receive bad news? The questions keep popping up like bubbles in simmering water and- Patrick bites the inside of his cheek.
That’s right, he’s not supposed to care. Slipping into the seat across, he grips the hilt of his sword tighter, not trusting himself to speak even when the files get slid across towards him.
He glances at the top. Just as he suspected; the sound made might have resounded throughout the room ( although that might also just be because the walls aren’t soundproof- Hyuk really didn’t pay much for this place, did he? ), but the files look more on the…thinner side. After all, their kidnapping was conducted by professionals- experts in the field who made sure the trail of evidence DISAPPEARED sooner rather than later. Or perhaps the police didn’t bother to look much into the case, considering that there wasn’t any family advocating for a search party. Just a seven-year-old boy and his younger sibling shoved into the foster care system.
Either way, it doesn’t surprise him that the police wouldn’t have many paper files on an unsolved case from thirty years ago. There wasn’t much to glean off of the digital records anyways. Still, he takes note of the newer sheets of paper sticking out between the yellowed pages. So there might be something NEW to gain from this after all.
Still. He waits, watching the files. There’s no way it would be this easy to get this information, especially not from Hyuk-
And right Patrick is. The files are snatched back before Patrick can even skim the top folder. Typical of Hyuk. Impatient for an answer. Even more impatient to wait for one.
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The Black Knight scoffs, legs crossing as he leans back. It feels unnatural, how he wants to take back that scoff, the cocky attitude. He shouldn’t be telling his dear friend this. He shouldn’t be seeing him, let alone going ahead with this partnership. The less Hyuk knows, the better; actually, it would probably be even safer if the Black Knight let Hyuk stay STUCK behind that wall.
“And you said you knew everything there was to know about him. But I suppose even the closest of friends keep secrets from one another, no?” In other words, you didn’t know him nearly as well as you thought you did. “If you exclude the fact they were both kidnapped by ANACHRON or the fact one was a researcher in the field of time travel, they’re no one special. Of course, there wouldn’t be much effort put into finding them at the time. They didn’t have much family who cared.”
The Black Knight shakes his head. “Well, save for their children, but I highly doubt the police would listen to a seven-year-old’s pleading. Let alone a four-year-old. One disappeared off the map a year later. And other, well, he was lucky for the time being- another family took him in and gave him a new name.” Patrick peers up at his dear friend. The moonlight is rising, tonight. A pair of dark brown eyes watch Hyuk, carefully. He’ll have to find a way to steal those folders out of his dear friend‘s hands soon.
“I think you would know THAT ONE’S NAME, better than anyone else.”
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newagegs · 1 year
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character details:
basics
name: Koriand’r (Kori Anders)
hero/vigilante/etc alias: Starfire
age: 31
date of birth: November 11, 1994
fandom: DC
faceclaim: SZA
height: 6’3”
pronouns/gender identity/sexual+romantic identity:
specifics: she/her, cisfemale, bisexual birinantic
moral alignment: Nuetral Good
dusted in the snap or not: not
if they were dusted, how did they feel about it and how have they adjusted since returning: n/a
if they weren’t dusted, what did they get up to in those five years, be as in depth as you want, the more the better:
the five years during the snap we’re the most transformative years of Kori’s life. She began dating dick grayson and working in the new world, assisting with the aftermath of the snap and what came of it. Dick and her were engaged, and even had a child together. Though Kori felt as if the relationship was falling flat they had plans to be married. Unfortunately on the day her sister decided to show up and ruin everything (typical) but ultimately it was for the best. Her and Dick split shortly after that and she returned to Tamaran to settle the unfinished business.
are they aligned to any specific team/groups/etc and if so, how did they join and why if not, are they looking to join a team and if so, why:
titans. I’ll explain in the bio below!!
where do they currently live/been living since the return snap:
She bounces around quite a bit Bc she ultimately moves where she can be near dick to make parenting things a little bit easier. Currently she is in Gotham.
what have they been doing personally and/or professionally since the return snap:
kory is now active in her role as the leader of the titans. By day she is her hot super model part time stay at home mom co parenting with Dick. At first there was a bitterness between them after the break up since you know he caught him boning his new girlfriend only 2 weeks after their alleged wedding day and she was dropping off their daughter. But she got over that! They’re good now!
ramble a bit about them, their past, what their current motivations are, go as in depth as you like. again, the more the better:
TW: torture, slavery, drugs
Princess Koriand’r was the second born princess of Tamaran. She resided as a warrior princess with her older sister Komand’r where her life was just as amazing as you would expect it to be. However when Kori was just 11, her planet was invaded by the citadel, who killed off the entire monarchy except for her and her older sister.
In an attempt to try and conquer the planet, the Citadel named her sister as the ruler of Tamaran. Her sisters first act was to banish Kori from the planet, making her the only true heir. Kori was taken by the citadel and experimented on under torment, for them to further understand exactly how far the Tamarian body could go to absorb ultraViolet light. The Citadel suspected she would die quickly, and the guards revealed the invasion was set up by her sister to ensure her as ruler. However she survived, motivated by her anger. After lashing out against a Citadelian guard, Kori projected huge amounts of energy from her body, and realized the experiments conducted on her had unintentionally given her incredible powers. She was restrained and further experimented on, enslaved and sedated to keep her compliant.
Eventually, Kori was forced to work on a slave ship called the S.S. Starfire, where she met Orn, a rebel Citadelian who had been enslaved by his own people. He showed Kori kindness and love, and smuggled food for her. She began training in secret with Orn, and eventually managed to empower the slaves on her ship to overthrow their captors, leading a rebellion that freed the aliens from their captors. Kori took control of the ship she had been enslaved upon, liberated the people of Tamaran, and became known throughout the galaxy as Starfire.
6 months later Kori crash landed just outside of Los Angeles which caused all of her memories to be wiped. On earth she had no idea who she was, and believed she was human going under the name of Kori Anders. She lived for a while in peace, trying her best to find shelter and an income, when she was spotted on Hollywood Blvd for her extraordinary height and looks and began work as a model. As she progressed in her work, her powers began coming back all on their own, with memories of flashbacks coming to her. In a nervous breakdown, she lost control and unleashed her full potential and caused havoc in the city. But was brought down by the titans.
Her memories came back to her, and she explained who she was. No longer seeing her as a threat, she agreed to join the titans in March of 2011. Protecting earth in whatever way she could, while still managing her new life as Kory.
one plot idea, big or small, you’d like to do with them or connection/dynamic to explore:
More stuff with her sister definitely. And titans things in general if we get a Raven I have idea for Trigon
mun details:
name/alias: az
age: 26
pronouns: he/him
timezone: cst
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mumblesplash · 3 years
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they don’t always patrol together as a family but when they do they regret it
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The Robins as...
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DICK:
Glam rock / Heartland rock ; goes by the pseudonym “Azul”; the Artist Formerly Known as Nightsing
He’s an incredible all-around performer, so it should come as no surprise that he’s a natural frontman (or solo act).
He’s constantly reinventing his look (short, long, mullet - you name it, he’s probably sported the hairstyle). And Discowing’s got nothing on the outfits he wears onstage.
People love booking or working with him because he’s very professional (but does have a volatile temper from time to time). 
The only thing that he requests for in his hotel room or trailer? A poster of The Flying Graysons. Oh, and cereal. Lots of it.
He actually uses the Cirque-du-Soleil-ish set design, blowing minds all over the world.
He likes calling audience members onto the stage, and never forgets to introduce his bandmates and give credit to those who made the concert possible.
His bodyguards don’t get paid enough for the number (and level of aggression) of fans who throw themselves at him.
He actually responds to fan mail, loves visiting sick fans in the hospitals, and gives warm hugs during meet-and-greets.
A substantial part of the proceeds from all his concerts go to the Martha Wayne Foundation, which supports many schools and orphanages.
His “entourage”? His long-term girlfriend, Kory Anders ( “Azul! Over here! Gotham Gazette! Why haven’t you proposed yet?”), and his childhood best friend, Wally West. 
For all his showmanship, he’s notoriously private about his personal life. And, honestly? The spotlight does make him tired.
JASON:
Folk rock / Grunge rock ; goes by the pseudonym “Rason Rodd”
He sings and plays rhythm guitar, while Roy Harper’s on either bass or drums and Lady Artemis slays on lead guitar. Together they’re known as The Outlaws, managed by Mr. Am Not Bizarro.
He sounds so much like Eddie Vedder that it’s eerie. Eerily beautiful.
His debut solo album “I Ain’t No Joker” went straight to #1 on the world charts.
He’s found that music can be an effective political tool, so expect to find him lending his talents, free of charge, to various charities and advocacies. (On that note, he’s already done jail time for his blatantly subversive lyrics.) 
He’s on the road so much that he practically lives on the tour bus (that’s always stocked with beer and cigarettes). At this point, he’s... trying not to mind. He’s been away from what he used to consider “home” for so long that he’s not sure where to go.
With The Outlaws and their connections, he holds free music workshops and provides informal foster care for Gotham’s street children, who often don’t have proper adult supervision.
During his downtime, he visits prisons in Gotham City to perform for the inmates, hoping to encourage them. Then he’ll anonymously send their low-income families some groceries every now and then.
It’s either you’ll barely recognize him on the streets because he’s so low-key or know it’s him because he’s wearing something outrageous, like a tinted gas mask or a plague doctor getup, on a grocery run.
TIM:
Rap rock / Electronic rock ; goes simply by his last name, “Drake” (not to be confused with other famous artist Drake or Gotham vigilante Drake or male fowl -- "I'm not any of them, alright!")
He’s moved on from his punk rock roots and has been experimenting with fusion subgenres.
Once in a while, he’ll do reunion performances with former bandmates Bart Allen and Cassandra Sandsmark.
Nowadays, he frequently collaborates with other artists with different musical backgrounds, such as rapper D.u.k.e. T and country crooner Conner “Kon” Kent. 
He’s notoriously hardworking (and his PA’s got some toned legs from all those coffee runs). 
His albums are a hit among the younger demographic, but his famous adoptive father says that he “is extremely proud of my son, but I... I don’t really understand his music.” (Hmm. Makes you wonder if billionaire Bruce Wayne’s got a closet full of Drake’s “Sedimentary / Metamorphic / Igneous - The Anthology”.)
He’s developed his own state-of-the-art software for composing music and even performs live as a hologram (through the help of information technology magnate Barbara Gordon’s company, Oracle).
He’s made the said software, which makes it possible to produce professional-quality music using little to no equipment other than a mobile phone, free and accessible so that aspiring musicians who can’t afford to work in studios can pursue their dreams.
He enjoys discovering new talent, especially among young people who haven’t had as many opportunities as he’s had, and offers to manage them for free.
His on-again-off-again relationship with pop star Stephy Brown has made him a tabloid staple.
When asked by a reporter what he likes to do for fun, he answered, “Sleep” while slowly sinking into the couch. 
DAMIAN:
Heavy metal meets orchestra music (think Metallica’s “S&M”concert) ; goes by the pseudonym “Habibi”
He’s a musical prodigy who can play practically any instrument from percussion to wind, but the need for control led him to being a conductor.
Like Timothy, he likes to experiment. His latest project, which he’s very secretive to the media about, has to do with oriental influences. He’s called upon the help of his sister, a musical prodigy like him, Cassandra Cain.  
He’s notoriously a perfectionist, which makes it challenging to work with him. (But no one argues that he’s a musical genius, so they put up with it.)
He owns the Wayne Conservatory of Music, which offers full educational scholarships and training programs to the poor youth in Gotham who are musically gifted. 
He once told a news reporter that his greatest dream is to conduct the ultimate performance -- his obra maestra --  starring Azul, Rason Rodd, and Drake.
When he’s not busy in the studio or mentoring budding musicians, he’s just in his mahal (palace), hanging out with his best friend Jon Kent, practicing martial arts, or enjoying the company of his pets. 
And in the quiet moments of their famous lives, they dial one number that always brings them back down to earth...
Alfred: *picks up* Hello? I’ve missed you, too, Master -- What’s the matter? Why are you crying? Oh, bullocks, don’t listen to what they’re saying... In which part of the world are you right no-- Ah, never mind. I’ll just follow the tracker Master Bruce has put on you. I’ll see you in a bit.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *  ~ 
For you, @xellexavierxau.
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longitudinalwaveme · 3 years
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Villainy Squared
Dramatis Personae
Batman/Bruce Wayne, the heroic but grumpy crime fighting vigilante
Harley Quinn/Harleen Quinzel, the eccentric and dimwitted girlfriend of Joker
Harvey Dent/Two-Face, the angry D.A. turned mob boss who bases his decisions on coin flips
The Riddler/Edward Nygma, a childish, riddle-obsessed technological genius
The Scarecrow/Jonathan Crane, a psychopathic psychologist; obsessed with fear
Script
Act I
(Enter Riddler and Two-Face from different directions)
Riddler: Riddle me this, Gotham! What has- (Pause) Two-Face? What are you doing here?
Two-Face: Out of the way, Nygma. This is the Second National Bank, and I’m going to rob it.
 Riddler: But this is my heist! I’ve been planning it for months! You can’t just interrupt months of detailed planning because of your obsession with the number two! Why, I’ve already set up my riddle-based death traps of doom in there!
Two-Face: Tough luck, Nygma. You should’ve known better than to gamble on  the Second National Bank with me on the loose. Now get lost. (Shoves Riddler to the ground)
Riddler: Ow! (Stands up, brushes himself off) That was entirely uncalled for! And I’m not going anywhere until you find a different bank to rob. This one is mine! Mine! All mine!
Two-Face: Do you really want to tussle with me, Nygma?
Riddler: You aren’t so tough. I can take you. Probably.
Two-Face: (Laughs) A skinny little nerd like you? In your dreams, loser.
Riddler: I’m not a loser! Why, I’m Gotham’s greatest criminal mastermind and the smartest person in Gotham! You’re just a dumb thug!
Two-Face: I may be a thug, but I’m far from dumb. I was a lawyer before I turned to crime, remember? You have to be smart to get through law school!
Riddler: Whatever you say, Two-Face, whatever you say.
Two-Face: (Grabs Riddler by collar) Look here, punk. I’d feel bad fighting a weakling like you, so I’ll give you one last chance to leave. If you don’t, I’ll beat you to a pulp. Got it?
Riddler: But-but I can’t leave! I spent ten thousand dollars on this heist! If I don’t make a profit, I’m gonna be broke! Those riddle traps aren’t cheap, you know.
Two-Face: That’s your problem, Nygma, not mine. Now leave, or it won’t be just your bank account that’s broke.
(Enter Harley)
Harley: Hi, Two-Face! Hi, Eddie! What are you guys doing here?
Riddler: Hi, kid. I’m trying to rob this bank with the help of my riddle-based death traps of doom, but apparently Two-Face had a similar idea, and so we’re now having a difference of opinion regarding who should rob the bank.
Two-Face: (Shakes Riddler a bit) Yeah, and Nygma was just deciding to leave the bank robbing to a professional. What are you doing here, Harley?
Harley: Mister J sent me to rob the bank to fund our next comedy show.
Two-Face: Well, tell that green-haired freak that Two-Face beat you to it. This is my bank to rob, not his or anyone else’s. Isn’t that right, Nygma?
Riddler: Y-yes, sir. Just let me go and I’ll be out of your hair- (Aside) And out of money again! This stinks! How am I supposed to get respect when this keeps happening?
(Two-Face releases Riddler; Riddler rubs his neck)
Harley: Uh, I don’t think Mister J will like the idea of you taking his money, Two-Face.
Two-Face: Well, that’s too bad, because I’m taking it anyway.
Harley: Couldn’t the three of us just split the money, Two-Face? That way, we can all get what we want, and we don’t have to fight over it.
Riddler: Kid, we’re villains. We don’t share money with anyone, not even adorable little things like you. Sorry to disappoint.
Harley: But we’re friends, aren’t we?
Two-Face: No, we aren’t. At best, we’re acquaintances. Now you two had better get lost before I lose my temper. Like I said earlier, this is my heist, and I don’t share.
(Harley starts crying; Enter Scarecrow)
Scarecrow: Greetings, citizens of Gotham. You are about to participate in the largest experiment in mass hysteria ever recorded, courtesy of me, the Scarecrow! (Notices others) Wait- what are the three of you doing here? You’re not part of my experiment.
Two-Face: Go away, you sadistic creep. I don’t want anything to do with a sicko like you.
(Harley pulls out improbably long handkerchief to blow nose)
Scarecrow: Scared, Two-Face? You should be. And Riddler, how nice to see you.
Riddler: H-hello, Scarecrow. I-I was just leaving. See you around! (Tries to exit, only for Scarecrow to grab him and pull him back)
Scarecrow: Leaving so soon? Why, the experiment has only just begun!
Two-Face: (Mutters) Experiment, my foot. (To the others) I thought I told all three of you to leave! This is my bank robbery, not a fear experiment or a way to fund stupid jokes or a way to prove intellectual superiority! Now go before I get violent!
Scarecrow: Leave intimidation to me, Two-Face. You lack the proper finesse to be truly frightening to anyone-except for cowards like Riddler, of course.
Riddler: I-I’m not a coward! I’m a genius! (Aside) Why, oh, why did I have to pick the one bank in Gotham that three other supervillains wanted? It’s going to ruin me, and then I’ll never be able to prove that I’m better than Batman! It’s not fair! They cheated me! They cheated! (Pouts)
Harley: (Notices the Scarecrow, runs to him, hugs him) Hiya, Professor Crane! It’s nice to see you! How have you been?
Scarecrow: Good evening, child. I have been doing well, and I have conducted many fascinating experiments in fear. How have you been?
Harley: Great, Professor Crane!
Two-Face: (To Harley) You actually like this psycho?
Harley: Of course! He was my professor of psychology!
Scarecrow: And she was my favorite student. Her grasp of the physiological and psychological effects of fear, as well as the names and causes of many phobias, was astounding. (Pause) Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I have a fear experiment to conduct.
Two-Face: Oh, no, you don’t. No one’s committing a crime in that bank but me!
Harley: No, I’m robbing it for Mister J!
Scarecrow: Child, my experiments are much more important than petty thievery, and there are plenty of other banks for you to rob. Couldn’t you attack one of them instead?
Harley: Mister J specifically told me to attack this one, Professor Crane. Couldn’t you do your experiment somewhere else? Or just wait for me to rob the bank before you start your experiment? I really wanna impress Mister J, and he’ll kill me if I don’t do what he says.
Two-Face: Why do you stay with that clown? He’s such a creep!
(The three ad lib an argument)
Riddler: Fellow villains, I have a brilliant solution to our problem! (Pause) Hey, guys, I have an idea! (Pause) Is anybody listening to me? I said I have an idea. (Pause) BE QUIET SO I CAN TELL YOU ALL MY PLAN!
(Other villains stop arguing)
Scarecrow: So, you finally grew a spine. I’m impressed, Riddler. What’s your idea?
Riddler: We all want to attack the same bank, but none of us are willing to team up or take turns, right?
Harley/Scarecrow/Two-Face: Right.
Riddler: So why don’t we bet for it? I have a fine set of cards at home, after all. The winner of the game gets to rob the bank-or spread fear gas, as the case may be- and the other three have to help them. Does that sound like a brilliant plan or what?
Harley: I love games! I’m in!
Two-Face: Everybody has equal odds of winning. That sounds fair to me. But I’ll have to flip my coin to decide. (Flips coin) The coin says that it’s a good idea. Let’s play.
Scarecrow: I normally dislike games, but, as this one will allow me to spend time with Harley, study three severely disturbed individuals, and get assistants for my experiment, I will play your game as well, and study how much you suffer from Ludophobia- the fear of losing-by so doing.
Riddler: Terrific! Let’s go to my Riddle-Lair.
(Exit all)
Act II
(Enter Batman on the phone)
Batman: Hello? Hello, Commissioner Gordon. Is something wrong? (Pause) The Scarecrow’s escaped from Arkham, too? That makes four high-profile criminals on the loose. Do we have any leads as to where they might have gone? Mmm-hmm. Uh-huh. Make sure that Gotham’s citizens know not to attempt to engage them. The last time someone tried that, they ended up in the hospital. Thanks for telling me about his escape. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Well, I’ll start looking for him-and Arkham’s other three escapees-straightaway. Good-bye, Commissioner. (Puts phone away) Hello, audience. I am Batman, the guardian of Gotham City. I have been protecting the innocent citizens of Gotham City from its large collection of lunatics, mob bosses, corrupt politicians, psychopathic psychologists, and ordinary thieves and thugs, and I have also trained my ward, young Dick Grayson, to help me fight crime as Robin. However, he is in Washington, D.C. for a field trip, and so I am single-handedly striking fear into superstitious, cowardly criminals until he returns. However, I am currently facing a much more serious problem than usual: namely, the fact that Harley Quinn, Two-Face, the Riddler, and the Scarecrow have escaped from Arkham and are running amok. Each one is a dangerous criminal in their own right, and the idea of all four on the loose simultaneously would be enough to strike strong fear into the hearts of the good people of Gotham. Therefore, I must quickly defeat and recapture all four criminals before they can start committing crimes-or, worse yet, decide to team up. To the Batmobile, audience! (Batman pantomimes getting into car and then driving it) My sources tell me that the Riddler is hiding out in an abandoned publishing facility, while Harley Quinn is in an abandoned amusement park and the Scarecrow is in an abandoned haunted house. Two-Face is probably in one of his many apartments, but I’m not sure which one he’s in, so I should probably look for him first. Tell me if you see anything, audience. Thank you.
Act III
(Enter Riddler, Two-Face, Scarecrow, and Harley)
Harley: Nice place you got here, Eddie.
Riddler: I know, right? I took over this publishing facility after it was abandoned, added a few personal touches, and wallah! Instant masterpiece of home decorating!
Two-Face: If you like neon green question marks, maybe.
Riddler: Who doesn’t ?
Two-Face: 99.9% of people who aren’t you.
Harley: I like it. It’s so shiny and pretty!
Two-Face: That’s because, you, like Nygma, have the attention span, maturity level, and taste of a six-year-old.
Riddler: I do not have the brain of a six-year-old! Why, I’m the world’s greatest criminal mastermind! If I wasn’t a mature adult, I couldn’t be.
Two-Face: One, your claim to that title is very, very debatable. Two, even if you are a mastermind, your crimes are based on riddles, puzzles, and brainteasers. You’re an adult who uses children’s games for your crimes, and you throw hissy fits when you lose. Even I can’t deny that you’re a genius when it comes to tech and wordplay, but you have an extremely immature outlook on the majority of life.
Scarecrow: In other words, Riddler, you’re a technological and linguistic savant. Your skill in those areas far outstrips your capability in any other aspect of life, and in terms of social behavior you are extremely delayed to the point of it being clear that, emotionally and socially speaking, you’re still a small child. And Harleen has regressed to that point as well, in large part thanks to the Joker. Both of you are adults who act like children, and it’s why you’re insane.
Riddler: Whatever. You’re just jealous because neither of you has a brilliant mind like mine. (He grabs a box of cards and sits down at a table with them)
Scarecrow:  (To Two-Face) And, of course, his delusions of grandeur make his mental issues worse. (Both laugh and sit down)
Harley: Professor Crane! Two-Face! Stop being mean to Eddie! (Sits down)
Riddler: Yeah, stop being mean to Eddie-er, me!
Two-Face: (To Riddler) Aww, did we hurt your feelings? Scarecrow: (To Two-Face) Knock it off, Two-Face.
Two-Face: Why? It’s fun to watch Nygma freak out.
Scarecrow: I told you to knock it off! I don’t particularly care for Riddler, either, but we’re upsetting Harleen by making fun of him, and I hate it when she gets upset.
Two-Face: Who are you, and what have you done with Jonathan Crane?
Scarecrow: Harleen is my only friend, all right? I’m allowed to be nice to one person, aren’t I?
Two-Face: So, the big bad Scarecrow has a soft spot, huh? How cute.
Scarecrow: Mock me again and I’ll give you a faceful of fear gas.
Two-Face: Okay, okay, I’m sorry!
Scarecrow: That’s better. So, Riddler, what are we playing?
Riddler: I was thinking poker, but it’s really up to you three. I mean, I’ll win no matter what we play, so it doesn’t matter to me.
Two-Face: (Flips coin) The coin says we play blackjack.
Scarecrow: I was hoping to play rummy, myself, but as I am here to win, not to enjoy myself, I don’t particularly care what we play.
Harley: Um, the only card game I know how to play is Go Fish. Can we play that?
Riddler: You’ve never played a card game besides Go Fish? Really?
Harley: Really really, Eddie.
Riddler: Why?
Harley: All the other ones confuse me.
Riddler: I see. Since I don’t feel like teaching you to play poker, I guess we’re playing go fish.
Scarecrow: Very well. As I said, this  is merely an opportunity for me to study human behavior, nothing more. Go Fish is as good a game as any for that purpose.
Two-Face: No way are we playing Go Fish. That game is for little kids, not super criminals. Can you imagine how we’d look playing a game for little kids?
Riddler: Well, according to you, Harley and I act like children anyway, so why wouldn’t we play a kids’ game?
Two-Face: Okay, then, imagine how I’d look playing a kids’ game.
Harley: Aww, you’d be adorable , Two-Face!
Two-Face: Not the point I was trying to make. I wouldn’t look adorable, I’d look stupid, and nobody in the underground would ever take me seriously again. I am not playing Go Fish!
Scarecrow: All right, then you forfeit the game and have to help whichever one of us wins carry out our crime.
Two-Face: Fine! If that’s how you’re gonna play it, then I’ll ask my coin whether I should participate. (Flips coin; groans) Deal me in.
(Riddler deals and the four play Go Fish, ad libbing all the while)
Riddler: Yipee! I won! I won! I actually won! And you two thought I was a joke!
(Two-Face and Scarecrow grumble and glare as Riddler does an obnoxious happy dance)
Harley: Congrats, Eddie! Do you mind if I steal a little something for myself to keep Mister J happy while we’re helping you?
Riddler: Of course not. I may be a psychotic maniac, but even I don’t want to see you get hurt by that barbaric clown again. Speaking of which, you should really find a new boyfriend who treats you with the respect you deserve.
Harley: Whaddaya mean, Eddie? My puddin’ loves me!
Scarecrow: No, he doesn’t. If he did, he wouldn’t threaten to kill you for failing to fulfill his requests. I’ve told you this a thousand times before-he doesn’t love you, he’s using you.
Harley: Well, maybe Mister J is a little rough sometimes-
Riddler: A little rough? He pushed you out of a fourth-story window! What’s a lot rough for you, having him drop a nuclear bomb on you? Oh, wait-he was willing to do that, too!
Harley: But I l-l-love him!
(Harley starts crying again, Riddler pats her on the back awkwardly)
Two-Face: Does anyone else find it a little odd that three supervillains are lecturing someone about how they’re in an abusive relationship?
Scarecrow: Maybe a little. But then again, I used to be a psychologist. I know the signs of an abusive relationship when I see one.
Two-Face: You do? I thought you only cared about fear.
Scarecrow: I may be fascinated by the effects of fear on the human psyche, but that doesn’t mean that I have completely forgotten everything else I learned in order to become a psychologist. And besides, that poor child’s fear of disappointing the Joker, while invigorating for me in the abstract, is also what keeps her from leaving him. Fear plays a large role in such abusive relationships, and as such, I know a lot about it. (Pause) Poor child. Poor, poor child.
Two-Face: Why does her relationship with the Joker bother you ? You’re the psycho who deliberately makes people see their worst fears for your twisted “research”!
Scarecrow: That doesn’t mean I entirely lack standards, Two-Face. And, even if it did, that doesn’t mean that I want the only person in my entire life who ever wanted to be my friend to be constantly abused by the clown who claims to love her.
Two-Face: Okay, you have a point. (Examines his gun)
Harley: Why does everyone think that my puddin is abusing me? He doesn’t mean anything by what he does to me. (Blows nose)
Riddler: We think he’s abusing you because he is! He threw you out of a fourth-story window, drove you insane, got you involved in battles with a crime fighting ninja, throws you around, hits you, never listens to what you have to say, lies to you, makes fun of you, makes you do things against your will, and ignores you when you’re not convenient. What else would you call that?
Scarecrow: It’s simple psychology, really. He follows the standard pattern of abusers: he pretends he’s nice to win you to his side, then he makes you think that you can’t live without him, and once he’s convinced he can control you, he starts with the abuse.
Harley: But I love him!
Riddler: Is loving him worth him trying to kill you when he gets angry?
Harley: Yes.
(Riddler and Scarecrow groan)
Scarecrow: Child, if you stay with him, he will kill you. I am very similar to him, so I know that he is incapable of love. At best, you are a diversion to him. At worst, you are a punching bag. You need to break up with him and find someone else-preferably someone else who is less prone to creating gigantic explosions.
Riddler: My vote would be that you turn “puddin” into pudding, but that’s neither here nor there. Either way, you should ditch that creep and move on with your life.
Harley: But where would I go?
Riddler: Poison Ivy likes you. Maybe you could go live with her.
Harley: Thanks for the suggestion. You guys are the best friends a psychotic nutcase could ask for. (Blows nose) From now on, I’m done with that homicidal, abusive clown.
Scarecrow: Wonderful! And if he tries to bother you, I’ll give him a nightmare that he’ll never wake up from.
(Harley hugs Riddler, who looks thrilled, then hugs Scarecrow)
Riddler: (Aside) I got hugged by a girl! Score!
Two-Face: Can we go rob the bank now, please? I’m as fond of weird counseling sessions as anyone else, but if we don’t get going soon, I’m going to forget our deal and rob the place by myself using my own plan.
Riddler: Okay, okay, we’re coming. Don’t have a cow.
Harley: You know, now that I’ve broken up with Mister J, I don’t really need to rob the bank, so I’m going to go find Ivy. Good-bye!
Riddler: Atta girl, kid! Bye!
Scarecrow: Farewell, child.
(Exit Harley)
Two-Face: You two really are crazy.
Riddler: And we wouldn’t have it any other way. Let’s go rob that bank!
Commercial Break!
Act IV
(Enter Batman)
Batman: I’ve checked the hideouts of Two-Face, Harley Quinn, and the Scarecrow, but they weren’t at any of them. That means that they must’ve teamed up with Riddler for some reason, and they must be hanging out here, at the abandoned publishing facility Riddler uses. I hope that, whatever nefarious crime they’re planning, they’re still here now, because if they aren’t, I’ll have to deal with panicked civilians.
(Enter Harley)
Harley: Hi, Batman! (Does double take) Batman?
Batman: Surrender  quietly and things will be much easier for you, Ms. Quinzel.
Harley: Great! I was just looking for you! (Hugs him) I’m breaking up with the Joker, so I need to go to Arkham to get away with him and meet up with Red.
Batman: (Confused) You’re surrendering?
Harley: Yeah! I’m breaking up with the Joker, so I need to go to Arkham so that he can’t get me, and this is the quickest way to do it.
Batman: All right. (Handcuffs her) Why the change of heart regarding the Joker?
Harley: Eddie and Professor Crane told me he was abusing me, and they made sense, so I decided to leave him and become my own person again.
Batman: I’m glad to hear that, Ms. Quinzel. I wish you the best of luck with your attempt to break the cycle of codependency and abuse.
(They pantomime getting into the Batmobile and driving to Arkham in it. Harley throws her hands in the air like she’s on a roller coaster)
Harley: WHEEE!
(Batman stops the car and lets her out. They ‘walk inside’ Arkham)
Batman: Good-bye, Ms. Quinzel.
Harley: Good-bye, Batman. (Hugs him) And next time, you can call me Harley. Everybody does.
Batman: Good-bye, Harley. (Aside) Now I just have to hope that the other three have kept out of trouble.
Act V
(Enter Riddler, Scarecrow, and Two-Face)
Two-Face: If this plan fails, I’ll make you eat your hat.
Riddler: Fail? I’m a genius! So long as Batman doesn’t show up, my plan can’t possibly fail!
(Enter Batman)
Batman: Hello, gentlemen.
Scarecrow: (To Riddler) Congratulations, Riddler. You jinxed your own plan. How predictable.
Batman: I assume that asking the three of you to come in quietly would be too much to ask.
Riddler: How did you solve my riddles, Batman?
Batman: I didn’t have to. The three of you left a trail so obvious that anyone could have followed you here.
Riddler: You didn’t solve the riddles I sent you? Then I won! I won! I actually won!
Batman: Sure. Whatever makes you happy. (Aside) It’s like fighting a six-year-old.
Riddler: And now, I’ll kill you with a riddle-based death trap of-
(Batman knocks him out)
Batman: There’s your prize, Nygma.
Scarecrow: Did you see Harleen, by any chance?
Batman: Yes, I did. I took her to the asylum myself, in fact. Why?
Scarecrow: I was hoping that she would find a way to keep herself safe from that lunatic. Good for her! (Pause; Brandishes fear canister) It’s time for you to face your fears, Batman!
Batman: No, it’s time for you to face the law. (Knocks fear canister out of his hands) Why did you willingly help Harley, Crane?
Scarecrow: That’s personal information, Batman. (Tries to grab fear canister, is knocked out by Batman)
Two-Face: (Makes a run for the bank) Looks like I get the money after all! (Is knocked out by Batman)
Batman: Good night, Dent. (Pulls out phone) Hello? Commissioner Gordon? It’s Batman. I have three criminals for you to arrest. They’re right outside the Second National Bank. Thank you. (Puts phone away) I can’t believe that the Scarecrow and the Riddler care enough about Harley to try to get her away from the Joker, but it’s beneficial anyway, as it means that I might not have to deal with Harley Quinn any more. Who would have expected that?
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sockablock · 5 years
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Ok, from the troupe mash-up list: 15 (Criminal AU) and 70 (Locked in a room) with all of the mighty nein. 🙃 ❤
…………holy shit……your MIND
— 
 “—fuckers!”
Detective Norda sighed.
“You know, for such infamous criminals, I really expected more from you lot. For one thing, I expected you to be…well, more.”
“Aw, but if you just gave us a chance,” Jester started dragging Beau back to the bench, “I’m sure we could prove that we’re devious!” She waggled her eyebrows for emphasis. “Or maybe, this could be part of our plan.”
Norda raised an eyebrow. “Your plan is to get caught and arrested? That hardly seems promising.”
“It’s part of our charm,” Fjord called. “We’re a highly unpredictable group.”
Norda scanned over the figures in the cell, then arched her other brow.
“You certainly weren’t easy to pin down, I’ll give you that. We were looking for a team of nine.”
“Just part of our master plan!” Nott trilled. She was sitting next to Fjord, fiddling with her handcuffs. “Nobody would guess that there’s actually seven of us. The name throws everybody off.”
“Right,” Norda rolled her eyes. “How tricky.”
“The trickiest,” Molly grinned. “Now how long, exactly, do we have to sit here?”
“Legally,” Yasha added, “I believe you have to tell us.”
“Otherwise it’s entrapment,” Beau pitched in.
Norda suppressed another sigh. She glanced down at the folder clutched between her hands.
“That isn’t how the law works, dear, but I don’t mind telling you it’ll be soon. Less than an hour, I should hope. Then we’re moving you all for questioning. Separate questioning, in fact. So I recommend you say your ‘goodbyes’ now. There’s no guarantee you’ll see each other again.”
“Really? Is that so?” Caduceus rumbled. “Well, I appreciate the heads-up.”
“Good!” Beau glared at Mollymauk. “I never want to see you again anyways! Not after you fucked up so bad and got us arrested like thi—”
“Me?” He clasped his hand to his chest. “You’re blaming me for this mess?! It was you who—”
“Enough, enough!” Fjord hastily said. His eyes darted back to the detective. “Come on, let’s be professional right now.”
“No, no, by all means,” Norda grunted. “If you’d like, I can fetch the camera now and get your confessions all in advance.”
Fjord gave her a pleasant smile. “If it’s all the same to you, I think we can wait.”
She shrugged, her badge shifted to one side.
“Suit yourself. It’s just delaying the inevitable. I’ll be back when it’s time to move you.”
“And I want some goddamn coffee!” Molly yelled to her retreating back. The door of the holding area—nearly empty—slammed shut as she left.
In the pause that followed, he slumped back against the wall.
“This had better work,” he grumbled, “I’ve got an appointment to make tonight.”
“Is it for you-know-what?” Jester asked, leaning over. “But I thought you were taking a break?”
Molly snorted and folded his arms. “It’s for a tattoo, my dear. On my chest! I had this great idea for one—”
“Hang on, hang on,” Fjord raised a hand, “Mol, I think we can talk about that later. For now, though, we should really focus.”
“But what’s there to focus on?” Beau groaned. “We’re stuck in this stupid cell, without any weapons or even a way out!”
The little earpiece tucked in her hair crackled.
“Really, Beauregard? You have so little faith?”
She swatted at her side, even though nothing was there. “Aw, shut up, Caleb, don’t you dare. You know I think this is a stupid plan—”
“It’s not,” Fjord said, exasperated, “it’s actually a great plan—”
“We don’t get to blow anything up!” Beau cried. “Come on, Nott, you’re on my side, right?”
Nott’s expression was one of utter torment.
“Well, I mean…�� she fiddled with her thumbs, “well, Caleb did think it up, but…”
“But we wanted Fluffernutter!” Jester said. She leapt off the bench and waved her hands around. “It would’ve been perfect! We could’ve planted the charges right away, and nobody would have known we were behind this!”
“But there would have been casualties,” Caduceus reminded her. “And we don’t want to be an enemy of the police.”
“Even though we already sort of are,” Yasha murmured.
“They just have differing views,” Caleb said, voice slightly tinny over the headpiece. “If they really understood what we were doing, they would not be so…opposed.”
“Yes, yes, the robberies we conduct are all for the sake of world peace, and whatnot.” Molly leaned back against the wall. “We’re just vigilantes. Superheroes!”
There was an audible sigh from Caleb. “Perhaps, yes, in the loosest sense of the word.”
“Speaking of robberies,” Fjord examined his fingernails, “have you finished plotting the route yet? It’s going to be hard navigating once…well, once things kick off.”
“It…ja, I believe it is ready,” came the unseen response. “Nott, you should have received the instructions. And of course, I will be here to guide, though my visibility will be limited.”
The group watched Nott produce something from within the confines of her sleeve. She strapped it to her wrist and gave the screen a gentle tap.
“It…oh, yep, here it is!” She glanced up and nodded to the others. “Operation Luxon is ready to go.”
“Thank the gods,” Beau nodded. “I was starting to get sick of this jail.”
“We’ve been in here less than a minute,” Molly said. “That took you no time at all.”
“The prison life,” Beau responded. “It really gets to you.”
“Well, then, let’s fix that now, shall we?” Fjord stood and gave his friends a grin. “Ready?”
This was met with a chorus of nods. Jester gave him a wink and a thumbs up.
He turned towards the camera set into the corner of their cell.
“Detective?” He called, and started to wave his arms. “Detective, if you’re listening, I’ve got something to say!”
“It’s important!” Nott added. “Real important!”
“Er…they’re shoutin’ for you now, ma’am.” Bryce leaned back in their chair. “The tall one says—”
“Is it a confession?” Norda asked. Her arms were crossed against her chest.
Bryce scratched the back of their neck. “Er…I’m not sure, he hasn’t said—”
“Detective! It’s about the name of our group!”
“Ready?” Caleb murmured into his mic. “Here comes the countdown, three…two…”
“There’s actually eight of us!”
“—one.”
The cell went dark. And the floor they were on. And then the whole northern wing of the precinct, followed by, within seconds, the entirety of the block.
Nott spun around from the door, now ajar.
“Well?” She flashed her watch at the others. “We’ve got fifteen minutes, come on, let’s go!”
✨Ko-fi link in my bio✨ | Finished fic requests right here! 💜
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teagrl · 6 years
Text
So apropos of this post, I went looking for the bit in NJO where Luke gets criticized for going to train during ESB.
I find it interesting because while canon defaults to Jedi-are-mostly-right, deconstructing it by showing how this might not hold in certain corners is fascinating to me. I find it extremely plausible in the NJO timeline not only for its specific context (war with Vong), but because of how removed it is from the Galactic Civil War (the OT’s conflict). 
That said, even with something as recently after Endor as Truce at Bakura (incidentally the novel where Luke gets the ok to go to Bakura by telling High Command, Kenobi’s ghost wants him to go), Gaeriel has deep issues with Jedi having so much power they upset the balance in her religion. It’s not really a new thought. 
See also the exchange between Luke and Daala (I KNOW) in FotJ, which I quoted here. Daala is obviously in no position to critique Jedi, given her own history of mass murder, but her commentary on Jedi and the rule of law is still compelling. 
And nothing I’ve seen in canon really addresses Imperial propaganda. I mean a small portion of people mourned the Jedi, but the mass public at best didn’t care about them. They were just remote figures to them, particularly in places outside the metropole. These were the same people who were likely candidates to absorb Imperial propaganda (i.e. think of Jedi as baby snatchers).
As a worldbuilding thing who are Jedi accountable to within gov’t is a question I don’t have a strong answer for yet, how do you make Jedi beholden to the people they serve, if normal people can’t conceive of the Force? Clearly making them beholden to a body like the senate had disastrous results, so then how does that get prevented without giving Jedi the type of autonomous power that would make them frightening to non-Jedi they are supposed to serve (and here I’m thinking of this amazing scene in Shatterpoint where some dude is kneeling in front of Mace begging him to protect his children and Mace tells him that Jedi are not to be knelt to, that they are their servants not their masters). Where’s the happy medium?
I think NJO tries for this with a mixed body of non-Force using government functionaries along with Jedi making up the Jedi Council, so that’s one way. But this gets dropped by Dark Nest where the council is all Jedi (and one motherfucking hot mess, maybe they should have kept non-Jedi just so they could be the adults in the room).
 “Each Jedi Knight is responsible to the Jedi Code. Never to act for personal power, but to seek justice and enlightenment.” Luke wondered whether to remind Rodan that the councilor had opposed Luke’s notion of refounding the Jedi Council in order to provide the Jedi with more direct guidance and authority in their actions. If the Jedi were disorganized, it was partly Rodan’s doing, and it hardly seemed just for Rodan to complain about it.
“Noble words,” Rodan said. “But what does it mean in practice? For justice, we have police and the courts—but the Jedi take it upon themselves to deliver justice, and are constantly interfering in police matters, often employing violence. For diplomacy, we have the highly skilled  ambassadors and consuls of the Ministry of State—but Jedi, some of them mere children I might add, take it upon themselves to conduct high-level negotiations that frequently seem to end in conflict and war. And though we have a highly skilled military, the Jedi take it upon themselves to commandeer military resources, to supplant our own officers in command of military units, to make strategic military decisions.”
[...]
“It’s an amateurish performance,” Rodan continued. “At worst the Jedi are a half-trained group of vigilantes. At best they simply make it all up as they go along, and the result is all too often disaster. I hardly think that the ability to do magic tricks is qualification for supplanting professional diplomats, judges, and military officers.”
“The situation is critical,” Luke said. “We’re being invaded. The Jedi on the spot—”
“Should leave it to the professionals,” Rodan said. “That’s what we pay the  professionals for.”Rodan turned to his datapad, called up information. “I have your record here, Skywalker. You joined Rebel Alliance forces as a starfighter pilot. Though you fought with distinction at Yavin Four and at Hoth, you shortly afterward left your unit, taking with you the starfighter that didn’t belong to you, in order—” He paused to insert virtual quotation marks around his words. “—to conduct ‘spiritual exercises’ on some jungle planet. And you did all this without even asking permission of your commander.”
“You afterward returned to the  military, served bravely and with distinction, and rose to the rank of general. But you resigned your commission, during wartime, again to devote yourself to spiritual matters.” Rodan shrugged. “Perhaps during the Rebellion such irregular practices were necessary, or at any rate tolerated. But now that we have a government, I fail to see why we should continue turning over state resources to a group of amateurs who are all too likely to follow their Master’s example and abandon their posts whenever the mood—or the Force—takes them.”
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starspatter · 6 years
Text
Heroes and Thieves, Ch. 7
Title: Heroes and Thieves Fandom/Universe: BTAS, pre/post-RotJ flashback
Summary: A story about second chances, healing, and having hope.
Rating: PG-13, for references to character death, child psychological torture and trauma.
Genre: Romance/Family/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort
Word Count: 2,067 Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Also on ff.net and AO3.
Well time has a way of throwing it all in your face The past, she is haunted, the future is laced Heartbreak, you know, drives a big black car Swear I was in the back seat, just minding my own
-Gregory Alan Isakov, "Big Black Car"
Now.
“The Bat Signal is not a toy, Ms. Brown.”
Startled, Stephanie swerved around at the sudden emergence of a man swathed in black from the shadows, cloak whipping wordlessly in the wind.  She hadn’t even heard him arrive on the rooftop.
How does he do that?
“You know my name?”
She asked, flustered.
“I make it my business to know.  You’re Stephanie Brown, daughter of Crystal and Arthur Brown, a.k.a. Cluemaster. …Tim Drake’s girlfriend.”
Stephanie blinked, sighing before lowering her mantle and removing the guise’s (apparently ineffectual) inner layer, letting luminescent locks fall free around her shoulders.  (Reasoning that if the cops hadn’t come up to bust her by now, then it seemed rather unlikely they’d show up anytime soon.)  …Wish I knew what the heck to do with my hair under this thing, she thought idly as she combed her hand through the tangles.  Maybe I should try putting it in a ponytail or something.
“Then you probably know why I called you here then.  Sorry about the theatrics,” she gestured towards the spotlight, “But I figured this was the fastest way to get your attention.”
“Tim told you about our history together.”
“Some of it.  He wouldn’t tell me why you two split up.”
There was a palpable beat.
“If he didn’t see fit to explain, then it’s not my place to intervene.”
“Please, Mr. Wayne.”  Those crescent slits narrowed at equally intimate address.  “I think I deserve to know at this point.”
“This isn’t any of your business, Ms. Brown.  I suggest you go home, and get rid of that silly costume.”
Like yours is any less ridiculous.
“This isn’t a game.  Quit before you get yourself into trouble.”
Holy déjà vu.
She crossed her arms frankly, standing firm.
“Tim said the same thing.  I’m getting real sick and tired of hearing it.”
“He’s right.  The streets are far too risky, especially for someone like you.”  There was a rough rigor to his tenor; like a razor blade scraping severely against the grain, incisive and insistent.  Deliberately rubbing salt and steel into the wound until it irritated. “I’ve seen how you operate: rash, reckless, impulsive, impetuous – not thinking before you act.  You might believe you’re being brave – that you’re endeavoring to prove something by jumping directly into danger, putting yourself in the constant thick of threats – but you’re just behaving brashly like a child. A person of your kind doesn’t belong in this field.”
Stephanie bristled at the blunt onslaught, blue irises burning boldly defiant.
“You don’t understand: My dad was supposed to be dead, and now he shows back up again in Gotham like nothing happened – except now he’s committing crimes without even leaving clues.  I couldn’t just stand aside and let him get away with it.  I had to do something.  After all, I’ve got a stake in this.”
Batman made a smothered sound, like a pained grunt – as if someone had just punched him in the gut.
“You sound just like he did.  All you stupid kids, don’t know what you’re getting into.”
“I know that without me you wouldn’t have been able to figure out the next place my father was planning to hit.”
Admit it, that “chopping mall” clue was a stroke of genius.
“And your assistance in bringing him down during the heist is appreciated. But this ends tonight.  You should leave the crimefighting to trained professionals.”
“I just wanted to help…”
Batman took a step forward, looming ominously over her.  His voice was dangerous.
“You don’t know what you want.  None of you ever did.”
Despite the fierce menace in his tone, she staunchly stood her ground, eyes stubborn and challenging as she declined to back down.  Her opponent carried on lecturing:
“You’ve accomplished your mission; succeeded in putting your father in jail.  Now that you’ve gotten your revenge, there’s no more reason for you to continue this fight anymore.  I suppose you’re just doing this now for fun, for the thrill.  Because you think it’s ‘cool’.”
Stephanie clenched her fists.  He had struck a chord, but she didn’t take kindly to being patronized either, her entire motivations being put down, brushed aside just like that.
“That’s not the only reason.  I mean, yeah this just kinda started out as a goof to get back at my dad of course, and sure I’ll confess I do get a kick out of the rush – but there’s more to it than that. I may not be all that smart or skilled at… anything really.  But this – this is something I can do to help others.  People in need.  For the first time in my life, it feels like I’m really doing something worthwhile, that I’m doing some good.  Like I’m making a real difference.  I’m doing this… I don’t know.  Not even for me.”  She turned towards the skyline, surveying over the (for the moment at least) peacefully sleeping city, lights reflecting above and below.  “I’m doing this for all of them.”
Batman stared at her.
“Regardless, this isn’t your responsibility.”
“And it’s supposed to be solely yours?  You’re just one man in a batsuit, you’re not in charge of this town.  You may be able to handle all the crimes within the city limits, but the suburbs don’t have anyone.  Not even you can be everywhere at once. Hell, no one can carry the weight of the world by himself.”
“This is a vow I took on my own shoulder’s, no one else’s.  I work alone.”
“If you really thought that, why’d you agree to take an apprentice on in the first place?”
While visibly there was no noticeable wince, another wounded growl escaped from the cowl.
“That was a mistake.”
“Oh really?  I’ve seen how you operate: Ever since you’ve gone partnerless, you’ve been colder, harsher, overly aggressive, and more unforgiving than ever before.  Everyone’s noticed; it’s been all over news reports everywhere, criminals claiming to be the ‘victims’ of vigilante violence. All the tabloids assume you’ve gone off the deep end, that you’ve finally cracked – or that you were off your rocker all along.  That’s why they say even the police won’t cooperate with you anymore.”  She looked towards the tarp lying on the ground, which had been covering the searchlight up to now.  Lucky for her they hadn’t removed the apparatus entirely.  “You accuse me of being hotheaded, but I could say the exact same of you.  Heck, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you seem to have some sort of death wish.”
“How I conduct myself is none of your concern.”
“It is when there are people suffering for it.  Tim included.  The truth is Batman needs a Robin, doesn’t he?  Since your parents died, you need – want company.  Otherwise you’ll go crazy, doing what you do all the time.  Anyone would.”
Way to play psychoanalyst with the most famous and powerful – not to mention richest – man in Gotham, girl.
Batman held her undeterred gaze.
“…You really do sound just like him.”
Grudgingly, he gruffly acknowledged the comparison – though it wasn’t quite a concession.
Still, Stephanie seized on the opening.
“Seriously, just what the hell happened?  You two used to be such a great team.  You guys were a legend, the ‘Dynamic Duo’ and all that.  Nightwing and Batgirl too, whatever happened to them?”
His answer was aggravatingly simple.
“Things change.”
Why do I get the feeling I’ve heard that somewhere before?
She exhaled in exasperation, sensing the discussion was going in circles. She wasn’t about to allow such curt tautology cut her off though.
“You used to mean something to people.  This,” she pointed purposefully at the symbol in the sky, before jabbing at the mirrored center of his chest, “…used to mean something.  Sure, you could be scary sometimes, but it was clear that you cared.  Now, it’s like all the lives you save don’t even matter anymore.  All that exists in your mind – or your heart, whatever’s left of it – that is, assuming you even still have one – is darkness and dread.  Am I wrong?”
Her assertive allegation was met with stony silence.  Tentatively, she tried to uplift the weight on the conversation somewhat.
“Not everything has to be about fear.  There’s room in our line of work for hope too, you know.”
Again, he merely remained mute, scrutiny slanting into the distance.
All right, fine.  Don’t answer me.
Growing annoyed by such obstinate reticence (which she recognized all too well at this point; it was no wonder where her boyfriend got it from) and desperate for some sort of reaction, she attempted to return again to the original topic – her whole goal for summoning this guy’s big broody butt in the first place.
“Look, I’m sure you’re as aware as I am this isn’t just about me trying to barge in on your territory – your private little crusade – is it?  I don’t mean to pry open old wounds just for the sake of sating my curiosity either.  Something obviously happened between you two – something that changed him – that changed the both of you – and I need to know what in order to get through to him.”  She placed a palm on her breast, clutching and curling fretful fingers against cloth as she bit her lip, baring honest emotion.  “I want to be able to understand what he’s going through, but every time I try to get him to talk about it, he won’t let me near.  Refuses to open up, shuts me out just like you’ve been doing all night.”
His vision panned back slowly, restoring rapt concentration.  Again, those slim slivers of snow were silent, searching – scant headlights scanning in the dark.  Stark and cold against coal, yet somewhere within seemed to spark a vestige of warmth; like stoking, coaxing the burnt out ashes of an old flame to stir and rise again.  To remember.
“Tim means a lot to you.”
“The whole world.  He’s a great guy.”
“Greater than he knows.”
“Please,” she begged, “Let me help him at least.  I’m worried about him.”
He regarded her unwavering expression, gauging sincerity.
“…You really care for him, don’t you?”
She nodded, thinking to herself that- despite his still-outwardly icy demeanor, there was indeed a thaw in his throat, a slight swell of sympathy slipping through the grave gravel.
He rotated with a sharp whisk of cape, heading for the edge of the roof.
“Come with me.”
She followed, taking cue to simultaneously fumble for her cheap grapple as he reached for his own (no doubt state-of-the-art) device.  Whilst descending down the decel line, Batman pressed a button on his utility belt, and a rumble hummed from down the road as a long, sleek, jet-black vehicle charged along the street, skidding to a stop right in front of them as they alighted on the sidewalk.  The hood automatically slid back upon recognizing its owner, inviting within the depths of its leather wings.
HolycraptheBatmobile.
She hesitated as he walked round to the driver’s side and climbed in, casting an expectant – impatient – glance at his guest.
“Well.  Hurry up and get in.”
“O- okay.”
Dear Diary, whatever you do, don’t tell my mom I agreed to get into a strange car in the middle of the night with a shady man wearing a mask.  Pretty sure she’d flip her shit.
She hopped in after, settling against the cozy cushions.  Leave it to a billionaire to be able to afford the best quality sitting material.  Admiring the impressive array of controls on the dashboard, she figured the machine in itself probably cost more than her whole house combined.
“Hang on,” he warned as they lurched forward, “And don’t touch anything.”
Stephanie hastily withdrew her itchy fingers from the nearest knob, sweating nervously.
“Can I ask what this does at least?”
“Passenger seat ejector.”
She shrank back sullenly, leaning slumped into the lavish upholstery.
Mock me at your peril, masked man.
As they sped past buildings and streetlamps, Steph inquired with a hunch as to their destination:
“So are we going to your hideout?”
“I prefer to think of it as a lair.”
She couldn’t tell whether that was supposed to be a joke or not.  Either way, she couldn’t help but feel a hint of giddy excitement at her current situation.  Not many people could proudly proclaim they got to ride in the freakin’ Batmobile once during their lives.
Cool.
Hope was a letter I never could send Love was a country we couldn't defend
And through the carnival we watch them go round and round All we knew of home was just a sunset and some clowns
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biavenger · 7 years
Text
Love at First Hindsight;
Summary: Steve always thought Y/N was cute, but not much more than that. As Tony’s assistant, the girl was always around, and overtime started to grow on him. 
A/N: Sorry for not really being active the past couple days! I was at a concert last night, and I’ve been shopping getting ready to move away to college in the fall. I hope you enjoy, though! Let me know if there’s anything else you want to see. Also important: I KNOW Sam Wilson served in the military, but all the research I did failed to turn up what rank he was, which is why I didn’t mention it.
Trigger Warnings: Slight violence and mild harassment.
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“Welcome back to the Avenger’s Complex, Captain Rogers,” a new, fresh face greeted the arriving ex-criminals, “Same to you, Sergeant Barnes, Miss Maximoff, Mr. Wilson. I can show you to your new rooms, if you’d like? Mr. Stark did some renovations during your absence.” 
“Sergeant Barnes,” Bucky pointed out to Steve under his breath, an amused look on his face, “Sure haven’t heard that one in awhile.”
Steve shushed him, trying to give the girl as much of his attention as possible. He knew she must have been nervous, addressing some of the worlds most powerful superheros AND ex-criminals. However, contrary to his assumptions, the girl carried herself with an air of self-confidence that Steve respected greatly. 
The girl pushed her large, round glasses back up her nose to settle back where they should be before she looked at them, addressing the group once again, “My name is Y/N, by the way. I’m Mr. Stark’s personal assistant. He would’ve loved to be here to greet you himself, but the rest of the team is currently away on a mission.” She pushed here glasses up yet again, Steve noted they must have been too large for her slim nose. Y/N didn’t seem bothered by the stray hair falling out of her carefully crafted bun onto her face. “Follow me, your rooms are all in the same wing for maximum comfort and ease.” 
The group of former vigilantes trailed behind her, taking in the magnificence of the building around them, listening to Tony’s assistant as she chattered on about notable architectural and artistic feats Tony incorporated into the building’s structure. 
After a few months of adjusting, Steve found life at the tower to be almost the same, if not more relaxed, than it was before the Avenger’s Civil War. Y/N was a great bridge between the two groups, often organizing movie nights and group events to rebuild the bonds of the team. By the time Steve, Bucky, Wanda, and Sam were allowed to go on missions again, they were cracking jokes with the rest of the group.
“You’ve done a good job with acclimating them,” Tony said to Y/N one day while she was having him sign some paperwork in his office.
“Thank you, Mr. Stark,” Y/N beamed with pride, “I’m happy to see my college degree is paying off.”
Tony rolled his eyes, handing her the paper he had completed, “For the last time, Y/N, you can call me Tony. Mr. Stark makes me seem old.” She nodded sincerely as she took the stack from his hands, rushing out of his office to get everything filed or mailed appropriately. 
Steve had taken to the girl exceptionally, and found himself turning to her whenever he needed help figuring out how to use the newfangled phone contraption Tony insisted on purchasing for him. “What’s the woman in the phone called again?” Steve had asked her in reference to Siri, and she didn’t even flinch or laugh at the ridiculousness of the question. She just sat down and answered all the questions he needed answers to. 
“I think you like her,” Bucky started teasing him, “You’ve been spending a lot, a LOT of time together.” Bucky took any opportunity to tease the newly-blossoming ladies man, Steve Rogers, who could cause ladies to fall flat for him with just one smile.
“I like her as a friend, if that’s what you mean,” Steve replied defensively, “She’s really helped me figure out this phone thing. I can send emojis now, Buck. Do you even know what an emoji is?” Bucky just shook his head at his friend’s ridiculousness, and let the conversation drop.
“C’mon, kid, come sit and watch this with us!” Sam tried to wave Y/N over to sit down in the empty seat between him and Steve, which him and Bucky strategically saved for her. 
“Yeah, Y/N, c’mon,” Tony joined in, “You planned this all AND picked out this movie, you might as well enjoy it. I know the Sandlot is your favorite.”
Y/N cursed herself for being caught trying to sneak out the back off the in-home theater after delivering the freshly buttered popcorn she had made for the group. Although she loved planning these nights, she never participated in them; she just never found her presence necessary.
“It’s okay, Mr. Stark. And thank you, Mr. Wilson, for the offer. But it’s a team bonding night, so...” the girl trailed off, figuring everyone got what she was implying. Y/N busted her ass for the team, she did give herself credit for that; however, she never counted herself as a member of it. Until she was down in the pits, fighting for freedom and humanity, she would never be a member of the Avengers, just an assistant.
Steve nearly jumped out of his seat at that comment. “Y/N-no! You’re one of the most important members of the team!” He nearly shouted, “You do everything for us. J-just take this night off and hang out with us.”
“Yeah, I mean, he’s right,” Tony nodded, “And please just call me Tony.”
Y/N weighed her options, but when she noticed Squints on the screen pretending to drown to get a kiss, she felt magnetically pulled to that saved seat. She sat down, kicking off her painfully high heels and trying to get as comfortable as possible between to the two hulking men, particularly the Captain.
She loved admiring his handsome features, especially the ocean blue of his eyes. Sitting this close to him, she could smell the sweet vanilla scent of his clothes, and could almost count all his long eyelashes. This was the main reason she resisted particpating in team activities for so long; she couldn’t afford to lose her job at Stark Industries. Y/N was living paycheck to paycheck in a shady apartment, eating mostly expired ramen noodles. She couldn’t risk getting fired for being unprofessional with one of the Avengers. 
“A-actually, I need to go. I’ll see everyone tomorrow!” Y/N stuttered a goodbye, picking up her shoes before running out the door.
The air had chilled significantly that night, and Y/N’s exposed skin prickled at the breeze. She cursed herself for forgetting a jacket, but settled for wrapping her arms around herself even tighter. It was only a couple more blocks, anyway, although it felt like forever in these heels. 
“Hey, baby, that ass is looking all kinds of right in that skirt,” an ominous male voice catcalled from the shadows, “I bet I could show you a good time, sweetheart.” 
Y/N started walking faster, the sound of her shoes hitting the pavement in time with her pounding heartbeat. Just a couple more blocks.
“Yo, bitch, I was talking to you. Get your ungrateful ass back here!” The same man shouted, and grabbed her from behind. Yanking her hair sharply, it caused her to lose her balance and fall to the ground. He swiped a fist across her face, and she heard the crunch of her nose and the rush of warm blood running down her face.
“Let’s see if you’re so high and mighty when your pretty face looks like that,” the man said, spitting on her before walking away, muttering about ungrateful women.
Y/N fumbled around blindly to find her cell phone. Her glasses were cracked and useless from the impact, and one of her eyes had begun to swell significantly. Not to mention her nose was still bleeding. Just a couple more blocks was all she had.
Finally, her fingers wrapped around the familiar device. “Hey Siri, call Tony Stark,” Y/N said weakly, not sure who else to call. Was it worth calling the police? The man was already out of her sight, at least. And anyway, Y/N didn’t want to face the police without a familiar face on her side. Tony would protect her.
“Calling Tony Stark (Iron Man),” Siri said back in her robotic voice, and the phone started ringing. After a few moments, Tony’s familiar voice answered, saying, “Well, well, well, do you already regret leaving the party so early? I think you broke the Captain’s little heart, he likes you so-”
“Tony, I need you to come wait with me until the police come,” Y/N cut him off, her voice strained from trying not to cry. 
“Y/N, what happened?” Tony asked, concerned, and Y/N could hear in the background a combination of Tony’s suit getting ready for action and the other Avengers asking what was going on. 
“Please come soon. You don’t need the suit, I just can’t be alone right now,” Y/N sniffled.
“I’ll be there before you can blink.”
Not only did Tony show up, but so did the entire Avengers squad and half of the NYPD on duty that night. Apparently, attacking the assistant of Tony Stark was a very, very personal attack on not only the Avengers, but also on the city itself. 
Wanda cradled Y/N in her arms while the police took her statement, stroking the girl’s hair as she tried to keep the same level of professionalism and calm she did the first day on the job. 
The man hadn’t even made it that far, because once Natasha and Bucky showed up, it was only a matter of time before he was taken into custody. Steve insisted on being the one to conduct the interview, but NYPD insisted in return that they could handle it perfectly fine.
“Y/N needs to go to a hospital,” Steve cut off the police interview with Y/N, taking her from Wanda’s grasp into his own, “You can finish this later.”
The police officers simply nodded and walked away, probably intimidated by the man’s notoriety and history, as well as size. “What kind of Jedi mind trick shit was that,” Y/N tried to joke, avoiding looking at Steve. She felt hideous, with her swollen eye and the dried blood on her nose.
Steve didn’t laugh, just continued to walk her over to an ambulance. Tony was already waiting to ride along, and simply moved over to make enough room for Steve. 
“I don’t know if there will be enough room...” The EMT on duty started, but trailed off when realizing there was no way one of those men was leaving that ambulance without the girl. 
“Y/N, after you’re discharged, you’re taking a raise. And then you’re moving into the tower. Don’t argue,” Tony cut off any protests before they could rise, but Y/N felt too tired to fight it anyway. “I’ll leave, give you and Cap here a moment to talk. I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
Steve waited a moment for Tony to be out of earshot before leaning close to you, smiling largely despite the tears blurring his vision.
“I love you, you know. In hindsight, it was love at first sight,” Steve said, his voice shaky, “And its okay if you don’t feel the same, but I knew after almost losing you tonight, I had to tell you. You’re so special to me.”
“Steve,” Y/N exhaled with relief, blinking up at him, “I love you, too.”
“Please don’t kiss her yet,” The EMT interrupted, “I’m not sure where all the damage is. Anyway, sorry, keep going.”
“You kind of killed it, it’s fine though, we’ll get to talking about it later,” Y/N laughed, reaching out to loop her fingers through Steve’s. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe.
Just a couple more blocks, she’d be at the hospital, safe, with Steve Rogers who loved her.
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the-master-cylinder · 4 years
Text
SUMMARY Max Dire is a Los Angeles detective who is feeling the strain that his profession entails when his wife of two years, Liza, accuses him of bringing his work home and leaves him to ponder her future, while his partner, Jim Sheldon, commits suicide by shooting himself in the head. Realizing that Max is experiencing problems, Adam Garou, a high-ranking officer distinguished by his success in reducing crime in other big cities, invites Max to join him at his apartment for a weekly meeting with other police officers who are experiencing difficulties. Adam advises Max that since he is a good detective and he should try to solve his problems rather than quitting the force.
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Although Max is skeptical as to whether he will derive any benefit from the meeting, as he and his wife had already attended counselling sessions without success, he reluctantly attends the meeting where he meets other police officers such as Casey Spencer and Ramon Perez. Everyone who Max meets at the meeting praises the impact that Garou’s influence has had on their fortunes. Max soon realizes that the activities of the group also entail embarking on vigilante missions to clean the streets of criminals.
Max initially tells Garou that he is not interested in joining the group, but agrees to accompany them to a party where criminals are exchanging weapons. Before gate crashing the party, Max notices that each of the group members injects themselves with a strange chemical, which he learns has been produced by Garou. After they have injected this chemical, Garou and his team become more powerful and seemingly impervious to injury. The next day Max attempts to advise his incredulous boss of the strange goings on, but to no avail.
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He visits Casey Spencer who tries to persuade him to inject himself with the chemical. When he refuses, she shoots him. As Max lies dying on the floor, she injects him with the chemical and he is instantly healed. They sleep with each other and, afterwards, injecting themselves and raid a criminal lair after. As Max and Casey easy dispatch the criminals, they sprout long claws from their knuckles, and grow sharp teeth. One of the criminals escapes and informs his crime boss what he saw. He is given instructions to deal with Garou.
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Garou learns of Casey’s sexual encounter with Max and angrily advises her that he is ‘top dog’ before raping her. Afterwards, Garou and his group, including Max, gather together for another night of attacking the criminals. After injecting themselves with Garou’s chemical, the officers enter a vehicle to depart. The vehicle explodes as the key is turned in the ignition. As the remnants of the vehicle burn, the criminal who had been instructed to kill Garou is horrified to see that all of the officers have survived and that they are in their monster-like state. The dead bodies of the criminal and his associates are dropped from a helicopter through the glass ceiling of the crime boss’ home.
The same night, Max meets a deformed ex-police officer in a holding cell. He tells Max that he knows Garou and they used to work together. Garou has worked in numerous cities, and after the streets are cleaned of crime, all of the officers who work with him were killed (though he had escaped). He also explained that his deformity was caused by overuse of the chemical. Garou kills the officer to silence him and Max covers for him, but his suspicions are aroused and he begins to conduct some research into Garou.
After making a startling discovery, he sneaks into Garou’s apartment and finds Garou extracting the chemical from his own brain with a syringe. Max advises Garou that he realizes that he is a werewolf. Conflict ensues and although Max and Casey escape from Garou’s apartment, the latter is fatally injured. The next day Garou prepares to complete his final operation and Max resolves to stop him. After Garou has killed all of the criminals, including the aforementioned crime boss, Max shoots him with a silver bullet and Garou falls to the ground. Thinking that Garou is dead, Max turns away. However, Garou, who informed Max previously that a full eclipse protects him from everything (including silver), reappears behind him. A full eclipse had passed overhead as these events took place. He then turns into an extremely large werewolf, losing his human form entirely.
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Max flees as the other members of Garou’s group are killed. Garou tries to kill Max, but the latter injects Garou with a solution of silver nitrate. As the eclipse is over, this kills Garou. Before he dies Garou returns to his human form and tells Max that if he lies in his blood he can take his power. In the finale, Max is shown to have moved to Denver with his wife Anna and their relationship seems to have improved. She is shown cutting her finger with a knife as she is chopping up food. Max licks her finger and then leaves to undertake some paperwork. She notices that her cut heals immediately and stares after Max bewildered. Meanwhile, Max is shown looking up on a computer the dates of coming eclipses in different American cities.
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DEVELOPMENT/PRODUCTION The project was initially titled The Pack, after the name of a special unit of the LAPD that utilizes a secret new drug to help them combat crime. On the LA street location, director Anthony Hickox calls quickly for another take before the smoke disappears and the sun rises to ruin the shot. The FX crew relights the flames around the van and fans blow smoke across the scene. swirling it around the six actors who make up the Pack. “Action! One. two, three, monsters!” Hickox calls in his polite English accent. Slowly. the half-dozen transformed werewolves rise from the ground, move through the smoke and stand together. united in power.
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The story was born when writer Richard Christian Matheson was approached by a friend. Michael Reaves, to co-script a werewolf/cop movie. Matheson, who has written for over 30 TV shows including Amazing Stories and Tales from the
Crypt, wasn’t sure he was interested in working in this subgenre. As he explains further. “I’ve never been a fan of werewolf movies. As soon as they transform, they seem kind of benign to me. They don’t seem so eerie. and they lose all the facial detail that can be most frightening in a monster. I wanted to make sure that when they transformed. they did not look like wolves. I felt that would diminish the effect.
“If the script was going to be about werewolves. I also wanted it to be about addiction and overcoming the controlling influence of the lunar cycles,” he continues. “With that in mind, we set about putting the story together.
You know what, I love horror more than anything, but after making five of them, it was like, I wanna blow some shit up. Full Eclipse came along, which was a Richard Matheson script, who’s a horror writer generally and it was just such a great, for me, it had everything I wanted to do.HBO put six million dollars on that budget, which is why I could do all that shit. I love Full Eclipse because I got to do horror and these great action scenes, John Woo action scenes. Also, I was watching all these action movies thinking it must be so much fun to get to do that. – Anthony Hickox (Director)
Matheson is vehement when he describes how he visualized the creatures. “They weren’t going to be covered with hair and they weren’t going to be fully transformed.” he says, “They were going to be, in essence. stuck at the halfway point. because that’s the most frightening thing to me.
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“Full Eclipse is not really a werewolf movie,” he insists. “It’s almost about the id coming under a sort of preternatural influence. It’s about addiction, and the ghastly transformational tendency of drugs. Like those guys who take STP and lift a car up, or can take a couple of rounds from a police revolver and keep coming at you.”
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It didn’t take Matheson long to place the screenplay with Home Box Office. The writer has an uncanny ability to sell spec scripts, and to date has sold nine to various studios. The next step was finding the right director, and the production soon chose Hickox. He had his own opinions as to the important elements of the script and how the Pack should look, right down to their futuristic outfits and weapons. Luckily, the director and writers shared the same vision.
“I’m a huge comics fan: I read a lot of Marvel Comics, so I had a look I wanted.” Hickox explains. “Superheroes gone wrong. the whole Marvel mutant thing. I’ve always liked that concept; people with superpowers were a heavy influence. I’m quite sure I can’t buy the rights to the X-Men, so this allowed me to do my own version.”
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Classic movies also played a part in Hickox’s conception. “I wanted the wolves to look like the first actor Henry Hulll who played one in Werewolf of London (1935),” he says. “We were going for a cross between him and Oliver Reed in Curse of the Werewolf. There’s a great moment where he turns from the jail cell window, and that’s kind of how I hope our werewolves are going to look. But I also wanted this to be different, especially with the two stages. There’s a first stage the Pack goes through, where they become superhuman and look like the true werewolves as the legends describe them-half man and hall wolf. Then there’s the stage where they become full wolves at the end.
“We really tried to let the actor shine through.” says the director of this approach. “It’s funny how each
face takes on a different character. We didn’t want them to just be covered in makeup. We really built on their foreheads, cheeks and necks. I also love their weapon claws, and the fact that they actually bleed when the claws come out of their fingers, which I think would happen if you were transforming.”
Bringing these ideas to screen life was a big jump, which is why veteran Tony Gardner, head of Alterian Studios was hired to create Full Eclipse’s special FX makeup. Gardner, in his quiet, professional way is a problem solver and a master artist. Not only did Alterian design the transformation makeup, as well as a terrifying 12-foot wolf for the final fight scene, but they developed the futuristic combat gear, helmets and even the insignias and logos for the Pack members.
We have a stage one look, which is just additive makeup and dentures. Gardner explains. “Stage two is where we get into appliances that go down from the forehead almost to the outer corners of the eyes. We’ve got this weird, funky appliance that goes from the tip of the nose to the lip line, just to connect the two in a more animalistic way. We’ve also got upper and lower teeth. Bruce Payne is the only person who enters stage three. That’s a big appliance makeup which goes from his collarbone over his head and covers him entirely, with big fake ears and hair and stuff like that. It’s a much larger cranium, and you see a lot more skull structure.
“We change them gradually to reveal them more and more as werewolves.” Gardner continues. “Different people are taken to different degrees. The only one you’ll see transform completely is Bruce’s character, who turns into an 11- or 12-foot wolf with fur over his entire body. It’s a big monster.”
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Yet even great makeup concepts wouldn’t mean much without the right actors in the parts. For the role of daredevil Pack officer Casey, Hickox brought in his old friend, British actress Patsy Kensit. Well known for her starring turn as Mel Gibson’s stunning South African girlfriend in Lethal Weapon 2, Kensit is also a major horror movie fan. The concept of becoming a werewolf appealed to her, despite the four hour-plus makeup process.
“I loved that,” she says. “I’ve I never done anything like it before. Garrett Immel, who works with Tony, was kind of my key person. They were fantastic. They’re so into it: they’re really great people and so talented. What they can do with just a bit of shading and some prosthetics is incredible.
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Kensit not only enjoyed the special FX side of the shoot, but was enthusiastic about everything she was required to do, from a sexy love scene with Van Peebles to a midnight swim in the Pacific ocean. The love scene, naturally, was a great deal easier and more fun. “Anthony originally wanted something that involved a lot of nudity, and I wasn’t prepared to do that,” she explains. “Now it’s very erotic, but it leaves a lot to the imagination. Anthony’s got a great mind. So he shot it beautifully, and it’s pretty steamy.”
The venture into the Pacific ocean was anything but steamy, as Kensit recalls. “When Mario and I went into the water, it was freezing cold. I had kind of a half wetsuit under my dress. so it wasn’t as bad, but Mario had nothing. We were both covered in sand burns afterwards, and it was a really mucky part of the ocean. It was the most horrific. freezing cold night of my life, with the waves crashing over me. Apparently it looks great, and that’s always worth it. That was really the hardest part of the movie, but it was a great experience. It’s something I’m glad I explored as an actress.”
Kensit wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the opportunity to play a werewolf. Van Peebles also found the concept attractive, and is eager to discuss what he calls “man’s fascination with his animal nature, or his animal side. We’ve always been curious about our evolution from beasts, and our connection to them. I always wanted to play a werewolf or a vampire, or something of that nature. It’s very cathartic to be these different people. see what they feel and let that part of you go. It’s healthy to do this.”
Van Peebles didn’t mind the heavy makeup either, and in fact was intrigued by the whole process. Hickox saw a preview for Posse, which Van Peebles both directed and starred in. and immediately decided he was the right man for the part. The actor gives Hickox points for his progressive views on casting. “It was very forward-thinking on Anthony’s part.” he states. “Because it wasn’t written for someone black, or green or blue. And Patsy as the leading lady-it’s very avant-garde in that it doesn’t pander to typical views.”
If Full Eclipse’s hero is atypical. then its villain breaks just as many molds and stereotypes. Captain Garou is one of the most compelling bad guys since Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Both Matheson and Hickox were concerned that without the right performance, Garou could turn into just another melodramatic villain. And, as Matheson explains, that wasn’t what either of them had in mind. “Garou didn’t want to be a monster.” the writer says. “He wanted to join the human community and make it better-to evolve and protect it. He was also learning to master his lycanthropic curse. Most monsters have a sort of grudge against humanity, but I don’t think Garou does: he simply dislikes crime. That makes him interesting. and Bruce really brings all of those nuances out. He’s a wonderful actor and a very bright man.”
Those levels of the character were exactly what interested Payne. While he worked to prepare for the action sequences speaking to friends in Delta Force and members of the Los Angeles SWAT team who were working with the film company-it was the psychological factors that Payne was more concerned with.
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“We’re all looking for something quicker, faster and easier that gives us a shorter feeling of contentment.” he says. “I found a lot of undercurrent issues within this character of a police officer who really feels he’s a shining knight. He’s developed this serum which is really part of his own body. This bad guy thinks he’s the good guy: he believes he’s on a good quest.”
To give the character of Garou even more depth and poignancy. Hickox decided to make some slight changes to the final transformation scene. The sequence involves Max and Garou having a terrible fight, in which Garou changes completely into the huge, towering wolf and almost tears the young cop apart. But in the end, when good naturally triumphs. Garou reverts to his true form: a very old man. The full makeup change wasn’t decided upon until the last moment, and therefore presented the film’s biggest challenge for both the special FX team and Payne.
“When you have a two-day warning, it’s impossible to create that prosthetic stuff.” the actor elaborates. “Fortunately, Tony is a very clever and energetic young man with a lot of good ideas. The man who actually did the hands-on application and coloring of the makeup was an old friend of mine named Mike Smithson. whom I had the great pleasure of working with on Switch. He’s a true talent, and he basically pulled together some of his own pieces, from his own face. They tried to match them and enhance a very old, elegant face as best they could. We put on a small. old forehead piece, but it wasn’t built for me, so he had to cut it and shape it, which is incredibly difficult. Actually, it’s a taboo thing. You don’t cut a prosthetic. because as soon as you do. the thin edge suddenly isn’t there and you have a ledge. In prosthetic terms, that ledge is the equivalent of missing a floor in a parking structure as you’re building it, so hiding it requires incredible tenacity.
Anthony Hickox was finishing Full Eclipse. This is another project where I focused writing around a rhythm section – hammond, guitar, bass and drums. For the action cues, many of Billy Ward’s performances were on midi pads, so that I could take his recordings and associate the information with other sounds – such as pitched slate tiles and other found sounds.  All in all, we had a lot of fun on this one, and I heard that Jim Kerr, who was married to Patsy Kensit at the time, liked my end credit theme when he heard it at the cast screening! – Gary Chang (Score Composer)
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CAST/CREW Directed Anthony Hickox
Written Richard Christian Matheson Michael Reaves
Mario Van Peebles as Max Dire Patsy Kensit as Casey Spencer Bruce Payne as Adam Garou Anthony John Denison as Jim Sheldon Jason Beghe as Doug Crane Paula Marshall as Liza John Verea as Ramon Perez Dean Norris as Fleming Willie C. Carpenter as Ron Edmunds Victoria Rowell as Anna Dire Scott Paulin as Teague Mel Winkler as Stratton Joseph Culp as Detective Tom Davies
CREDITS/REFERENCES/SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY my-blog-of-interviews halloweenlove Fangoria#129
Full Eclipse (1993) Retrospective SUMMARY Max Dire is a Los Angeles detective who is feeling the strain that his profession entails when his wife of two years, Liza, accuses him of bringing his work home and leaves him to ponder her future, while his partner, Jim Sheldon, commits suicide by shooting himself in the head.
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lgbt-ya · 7 years
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Dreadnought and Sovereign - the Nemesis series
Published by Diversion books on 26th July 2017
Genres: superheroes, trans, young adult, fantasy, LGBT
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble
Blurb: Danny Tozer has a problem: she just inherited the powers of Dreadnought, the world’s greatest superhero.Until Dreadnought fell out of the sky and died right in front of her, Danny was trying to keep people from finding out she’s transgender. But before he expired, Dreadnought passed his mantle to her, and those secondhand superpowers transformed Danny’s body into what she’s always thought it should be. Now there’s no hiding that she’s a girl. 
It should be the happiest time of her life, but Danny’s first weeks finally living in a body that fits her are more difficult and complicated than she could have imagined. Between her father’s dangerous obsession with “curing” her girlhood, her best friend suddenly acting like he’s entitled to date her, and her fellow superheroes arguing over her place in their ranks, Danny feels like she’s in over her head.
She doesn’t have much time to adjust. Dreadnought’s murderer—a cyborg named Utopia—still haunts the streets of New Port City, threatening destruction. If Danny can’t sort through the confusion of coming out, master her powers, and stop Utopia in time, humanity faces extinction.
Interview with the author, April Daniels:
Hi, welcome to LGBT YA! Could you start by introducing us to the world of the Nemesis series?
Hello! I’d be glad to. The Nemesis series (Dreadnought, out in January, and Sovereign, out later this month) mainly takes place in New Port City, a metropolis that is described in a lot of my initial project notes as Not-Seattle. It’s a major American city in Northwest Washington on Puget Sound, but unlike its real-world counterpart it was the dominant population center on the west coast for much of the 20th century, which means it is both larger and more heavily urbanized than any real-world city in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle might exist as a small suburb, but it hasn’t appeared in the books. 
Approximately seventy years prior to the start of the series, a new wave of increasingly powerful super-humans appeared in the world stage. Superheroes and vigilantes are a part of everyday life, albeit one that most people don’t have much experience with.
This is the environment our narrator, teenage trans girl Danielle Tozer finds herself growing up in, and she is something of a superhero fangirl. When Dreadnought, the greatest hero in the world, gets shot out of the sky in front of her and she inherits his powers, Danielle’s body is changed to be what she always wanted it to be, and suddenly there’s no hiding that she’s a girl. On top of that she quickly learns that the world of professional superheroes is far less welcoming than she had hoped. I tried to ride the line between bleak cynicism in the flawed institutional design of the superhero laws and the optimistic sincerity of some of the heroes trying to work within a broken system. 
I wanted to create the feeling of a DC or Marvel style comic book universe with decades of history that shapes the present, but without the impenetrable continuity snarls and obscure back-story that characterize a lot of the output of the Big Two. 
Who is your favourite character in your books? What advice would you give them?
Calamity is an absolute blast to write, but she should learn to duck. How much of Dreadnought is inspired by your own experiences (excluding the magic!)?
A lot of the stuff relating to being trans, especially the description of dysphoria, are taken from my own life. The emotional damage that results from abuse is from my experiences as well, although the format of the abuse I endured was considerably different than the one Danielle confronts in Dreadnought. 
Dreadnought was your first published novel. What was the publication process like for you? 
I went to school to become a writer, enrolling in one of the few undergrad creative writing programs in the country at UC Santa Cruz. I thought I’d be published shortly after graduating, but it took nine years and I was homeless for some of that. Don’t do this to get rich.
When I finally had a manuscript I knew I could sell, I started querying agents. Querytracker.net is where you want to start that process. It’s long and stressful and difficult but eventually an agent said yes and we got to move on to the next stressful wait, but this time I had an agent doing the hard part. That’s when things started to feel a little real.
I was lucky in that we got an offer in our first round of submissions. We landed with Diversion Books, a smaller publisher, and working together my editors and I put the manuscript into publishable shape. 
Then there was a lot more waiting, and nerves and anxiety and then one day I was published and it sort of took me by surprise. At first it was sort of just another data point: okay, milestone passed, on to the next one. About 24 hours later I had a breakdown sob-laugh-cry fit for about an hour.
And that’s the publishing process. 
What are some of your favourite diverse SFF books?
Right now, I’m really into Martha Wells’ work, which often deals with protagonists who clearly have some kind of significant trauma in their pasts. This isn’t a sort of character background that’s marketed as diversity, but in the sense of being literature that helps someone recognize themselves and feel a little more complete, a little better able to face the day, then her work certain falls under the umbrella of diverse SFF books. Books that I really, really needed this year.  
Do you think diversity is a trend in publishing? What would you, as a trans reader, like to see more of in the future of publishing?
I think diversity has been a trend for a while, and we’ve been seeing the limits of that approach for some time now. The common pattern, historically, is that authors who did not have any personal experience with a particular kind of marginalization would read two or three books, decide they were an expert, and then write a book about The Trans Experience or whatever. This would only be annoying if it stopped there, but it can do real harm by perpetuating stereotypes and blocking marginalized authors out of the market. That’s where not thinking too deeply about diversity gets you; nothing actually changes, except the wallpaper.
Things are looking up, though. I don’t expect that this will never happen again, but I do think people are starting to move toward the understanding that if you want to read a book about a trans person, you should read a book by a trans person. The own-voices movement is one I’m a huge fan of. I think that’s probably the right strategy for where we are at the moment.
Obviously this doesn’t mean authors can’t write characters who are unlike themselves; it means authors shouldn’t claim to speak for others. 
Nobody can speak for us as well as we can speak for ourselves, and that’s true no matter who you are, unless you’re in politics. Publishers should to worry less about diversity in books, and more about diversifying the people whose work gets accepted for publication and promoted. The solution will need to start at home, so this will mean diversifying their own staffs as well. 
What advice would you give to authors who are planning to include a trans character in their next works?
It’s not too difficult, I don’t think. Don’t describe their bodies in a way that’s any more detailed or lurid than you would a cisgender body. Give them personality features aside from being trans. Don’t get cute with pronouns, don’t do a “surprising reveal”, and don’t kill them. Pretend we’re people and you can’t go too far wrong.
What are you writing next?
Can’t say, but past experience suggests people will like it. 
Finally, what’s your favourite conspiracy theory?
The best conspiracy theory is the one that NASA killed JFK to keep him from telling Khrushchev about the alien castles on the Moon. The book you want to read is called Dark Mission by Richard Hoagland and it is the most batshit story you will ever hear. 
From the Masonic ritual allegedly conducted shortly after the Eagle landed in the Sea of Tranquillity to the crank-a-licious numerology chapter, this book has it all, and also grainy photographs reputed to be of kilometres-tall crystal structures on the Moon. A perfect blend of kitschy Americana and paranoid hallucinations, this book has my highest recommendation for conspiracy fans of all sorts. 
Thank you for asking.
April Daniels was born in a military hospital just before it was shut down for chronic malpractice—in hindsight, that should have been an omen. After various tribulations in childhood and the frankly disconcerting discovery that she was a girl, she graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in literature, and then promptly lost her job during the 2008 stock crash and recession. After she recovered from homelessness, she completed her first manuscript by scribbling a few sentences at a time between calls while working in the customer support department for a well-known video game console. This book was mainly porn, with a few swordfights included for variety. When April realized she couldn’t pitch her book without blushing, she decided to write something else. During yet another period of unemployment, she wrote Dreadnought.
She has a number of hobbies, most of which are boring and predictable. As nostalgia for the 1990s comes into its full bloom, she has become ever more convinced that she was born two or three years too late and missed all the good stuff the first time around. Having recently become a pagan, April is currently enduring the karmic backlash for all the times she was smug about her atheism.
Early in her writing practice, April set her narrative defaults to “lots of lesbians” and never looked back.
Follow April on tumblr at @msaprildaniels
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kalinara · 7 years
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Okay, so this is a completely irrational pet peeve.  But I’m honestly really annoyed how Matt seems to shoulder the lion’s share of the blame, both in character and out of character, for how the Castle trial imploded in Daredevil Season 2.
Because that end result was not remotely Matt’s fault at all. This isn’t to say that Matt hasn’t been an asshole at various parts throughout the season, or that he hadn’t been unprofessional.  But Matt Murdock did not make the mistake that tanked the Frank Castle case.  
Well, let’s be honest here: that case was unwinnable.  Seriously.  There was no way that anyone was ever going to salvage that case.  The greatest attorney in the world couldn’t have salvaged that case.  
But I do think there were some screw ups along the way.
The Opening Statement: this was Matt’s biggest professional screw up.  He didn’t show up in time, and Foggy had been left in the lurch.  Foggy and Karen are justifiably angry.  That said, Foggy gave an amazing tv-courtroom opening statement.  So while Matt personally fucked up here, it is not what tanked the Castle case.
The Medical Examiner:  Honestly, I’ve never been really sure what our heroes thought they were going to gain from the Medical Examiner to begin with.  
I appreciate that Karen’s trying to solve a mystery, but you don’t solve a mystery on the witness stand.  Whether or not the Medical Examiner lied about the Castle murders doesn’t really add anything to the idea of Frank not being legally culpable for his crimes.  It’d be one thing if they were trying to cast doubt on the Medical Examiner’s results when dealing with one of Frank’s victims, but Frank’s defense has never been “he didn’t do it.”  
But let’s assume that the Medical Examiner would have been the smoking gun after all.  That still wasn’t Matt’s fault.  Now, it did happen BECAUSE of Matt.  Specifically because Elektra decided to take it upon herself to “help” Matt.  But that wasn’t something that Matt ever asked her to do, nor did he have any reason to assume she knew who this person was or that she’d interfere.  Her decisions are not his fault.
Now, after the Medical Examiner fiasco, Matt stops showing up to the trial.  But we also learn from Foggy that he actually TOLD Matt to stop showing up.  (He just didn’t think he’d listen.)  Foggy does a pretty good job actually with what we see of his case in chief: particularly with the x-rays and medical experts.  So it’s again a case of Matt being unprofessional, but without an adverse effect on the case.
But now we get to the real fuck up:
Frank Castle on the Witness Stand.
Here’s the thing, Matt didn’t fuck that up.  Sure, his vigilante speech never would have flown in a real courtroom, but that’s a pretty normal tv show lawyer thing so whatever.  (If I were a stickler for accuracy, then I would have had a freaking aneurysm as soon as Reyes tried to object to a leading question during a fucking cross-examination.  But I digress).  Foggy didn’t like Matt’s approach, but well, Foggy kind of gave up that decision when he insisted that Matt perform the direct examination.  If he wanted to control the approach, then he should have conducted it.  Besides, it was pretty obvious that Frank would have crashed and burned regardless.  He knew exactly what he was doing up there.
But if anyone at Nelson and Murdock fucked up the Frank Castle case, then it was Foggy Nelson by insisting on calling Frank Castle to begin with.
Because here’s the thing: the accused doesn’t HAVE to testify.  And when it comes to something like an insanity defense, it’s generally best if they don’t!  Because Legal Insanity is a very specific concept.  It’s not just enough to be mentally ill.
The show cites M’Naghten, and this is the M’Naghten rule:
"Every man is to be presumed to be sane, and ... that to establish a defense on the ground of insanity, it must be clearly proved that, at the time of the committing of the act, the party accused was laboring under such a defect of reason, from disease of mind, and not to know the nature and quality of the act he was doing; or if he did know it, that he did not know he was doing what was wrong."
To put it bluntly.  Frank Castle doesn’t qualify.  He knows he’s killing people.  He knows about the moral prohibition against killing.  And he knows it’s against the law.  And that’s going to be clear as soon as Frank Castle opens his mouth.
...actually, the funny thing is, Matt’s approach may have actually been better than Foggy’s, in terms of trying to establish a M’Naghten defense.  If Matt could have gotten Castle to support the idea of vigilantism as a morally and ethically right thing to do, then he MIGHT have been able to swing an argument that Frank “didn’t know what he was doing was wrong.”  (I sincerely doubt anyone would buy it, but I admit, I’ve never looked for case law on the subject)
The Model Penal Code rule that New York ACTUALLY follows is actually a bit more helpful in Frank’s case:
Using the MPC test, a criminal defendant must be found not guilty by reason of insanity if he is diagnosed with a relevant mental defect (for example, severe mental retardation or schizophrenia disorder) and at the time of the incident was unable to either:
Appreciate the criminality of his conduct; or
Conform his conduct to the requirements of the law
Therefore, using the MPC test, a legally insane individual must have been diagnosed with a mental defect (typically by a court-appointed mental health professional) and either did not know right from wrong or lacked the ability to control an impulse that led to the incident.
THIS is actually workable based on what Foggy had established previously.  The x-rays and expert testimony establish an actual medical cause/diagnosis, and he started to lay the groundwork for Frank not being able to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law.
In this case though, I don’t see any reason to actually call Frank to the stand.  The requirements are far better satisfied through medical and behavioral experts laying groundwork, and then some witness testimony showing how Frank’s behavior corresponds with the requirement.
And look at it logically.  Why would you call an insane person to testify to their insanity?  At best, they behave in such a way that makes it clear to the judge and jury that they are insane.  But I’m not a fan of the idea of making a spectacle of an ill person when other witness testimony could do just as well.  At worst, the jury sees a calm, articulate, reasonably put together person who is able to talk about their crimes and motivation.  And well, then you run the risk of the jury not believing that this man is legally insane.
And honestly, I think they’d be right.  Frank is mentally ill.  He may even fit some medical definition of “insane”.  But he knows what he’s doing when he kills people.  He knows what that means.  And he’s not mindless or uncontrollable about it.  He chooses his victims and can restrain himself when he wants to.  He’s not legally insane.  
This is not to say that Foggy’s a bad lawyer.  He’s a very good lawyer.  But even good lawyers make mistakes sometimes.  But it irrationally annoys me to see Matt as the scapegoat.  There are more than enough things to legitimately blame the man for: being unprofessional and leaving them in the lurch, being an asshole, lying to them and driving them away.  But Frank Castle’s trial was not his fault and that may end up being the hill I die on.  :-P
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ethicalredhat · 4 years
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Darby Warner
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Career Information
Occupation: Freelance Hacker and (unlicensed) Private Detective
Affiliations: ട0ṬeRiậ (Formerly)
Biographical Information
Aliases: Heedless Murmur (Handle)
Date of Birth: September 21st
Age:28~34 (It really depends on the verse)
Status: Alive
Pronouns: She/Her or They/Them
Ethnicity: Mixed-race Native American and Caucasian
Nationality: 🇺🇸 American
Sexual Orientation: Asexual  ♠︎️  (Doesn’t fully recognize that’s what it is/kinda denies it)
Romantic Orientation: Biromantic ⚤ 
Family: Terri Warner (Father), Rose Walten (Mother), Phillis Walten (Half Sister)
Physical Description
Gender: Female
Height: 5′7 (171 cm)
Weight: ~165 lbs (~75 kg)
Appearance
Darby is a muscular, handsome woman with tousled curly hair that rests atop her broad shoulders (sometimes worn in a bun or ponytail). Her dark eyes by default hold a calculating if not deadpan look in them though sometimes during social interaction there’s a spark in them.
Her clothing style stays on the “masculine” side and Darby seems to prefer flamboyant prints. Mostly seen in more professional clothing (button ups, trousers, blazers, loafers, ect) though she’ll go for more casual looks depending on the situation. For accessories she has the same old men’s wrist watch she’s kept since high school. Any other accessories are for necessity such as caps and sunglasses for Incognito Mode.
Personality
Not much for talking except for when she is, a true ambivert at heart. She avoids people like the plague but when the option for social interaction appears Darby will almost always bite, although cautiously since she has a paranoid streak. One of Darby’s biggest problems is that she unknowingly lies to herself. Deep down she craves human connection but due to her lifestyle (mostly after the events of La Galerie as she’s on the run from the UK branch of Mobius) she tries to keep herself isolated for others protection. Going by her cold exterior, Darby could be chalked up as your usual The Stoic archetype if not for the playful side of herself she sometimes lets run amok.
Long ago she learned to use her taste for dry humor as a defense mechanism, a shield between herself and the world. So at times, though rarely, Darby may seem she doesn’t take dire situations seriously but it’s all just a way for her to avoid her own emotions. Post La Galerie her already dwindling self-assurance has dropped, leaving her mind partially scarred from the months she spent inside the machine. During her lower moods when she’s just about hit rock bottom Darby can become successful in her attempts to keep her feelings snuffed out. Some days she’ll walk about like an empty shell and this is when the darker under layers of her personality can arise.
During these moods Darby has been known to display harmful and impulsive behavior such as having a complete disregard for her own safety, moral conduct, and lack of empathy. Her etiquette almost becoming Sociopathic in nature.
So all in all, Darby is just your typical human being with many different sides, moods and layers.
History
Though her parents are reluctant to admit it, Darby was born as the result of infidelity as her mother Rose Walten was stuck in an unhappy marriage when she got involved with Darby’s father Terri Warner. Unable to safely divorce her current husband as he was extremely abusive she simply walked out the door with her two daughters-Phillis Walten, and an unborn Darby who was still growing inside her.
Rose ran her cafe so she often wasn’t home and Terri had an office job though once the kids got older he started mostly working from home so he could spend more time with them. Darby’s love for computers started early when her grandpa bought her dad a newer model computer but he never used it, preferring his chunky 90′s computer to complete his work. It was then she began learning the ins and outs of computers. Long nights were spent pouring over any relevant books she could get her grubby child hands on, or through whatever info she could find over the internet which eventually led to her learning coding and programming as she got older.
Since early childhood Darby had always been athletic and only became more so as she grew older. It didn’t take long for her to be labeled a “Tomboy” but due to her androgynous appearance and unusual demeanor many of her classmates second guessed her gender. This naturally drew unwanted attention and cruelty. When high school arrived her confidence lowered significantly and she kept even more to herself. It came to a point where Darby just stopped going to school and got her GED, shortly after getting involved with a hacker group that simply went by ട0ṬeRiậ. Although they only communicated though a screen for the longest they were Darby’s closest companions. She had dabbled with hacking in the past but it was with ട0ṬeRiậ when she truly began to learn, but as her skills grew so did the ambition of the groups members. She had a falling out with them and that seemed to be the end of that until they threatened to frame Darby for a cyber crime a member of ട0ṬeRiậ had committed if she didn’t return to the group. Pushed into a corner she returned to ട0ṬeRiậ until she manages to collect and report all necessary information about the group and their crimes to have them arrested-keeping her own existence anonymous from the authorities all the while. Now with her former friends out of the way, Darby once again found herself alone.
She had few friends in school but after having to drop out they drifted further apart. She had the love of two, albeit, busy parents and her older sister Phillis but deep down Darby couldn’t shake the seed of loneliness that had long ago planted itself in her heart especially after the betrayal of ട0ṬeRiậ who she had believed in the beginning were her friends. This is the point where Darby started turning her hacking skills into a career. For the next several years she would turn over many criminals to the law in a very “cyber vigilante” fashion. Once she started making a name for herself people would contact her offering jobs. She did the usual missing persons, cheating spouses, ect, but later on the jobs started getting more bizarre and dangerous. For example the events of “La Galerie” Read Verses Page For Further Information
Relationships
Terri (Terrance) Warner
Darby had a good relationship with her dad but there was always a wall between them as her father suffered from undiagnosed depression due to his sad childhood. She still kept in contact with him until La Galerie where she cut off all ties with her family for their own safety.
Rose Walten
The two also had a fine connection but as her mother was almost always away at work Darby didn’t see as much of her as she would have liked growing up. Last time she spent any real time with Rose was a weekend after Darby graduated where she helped out at the cafe. Any other interaction after that had been over a phone and now nothing at all.
Phillis Walten
“I won’t leave my sister to die.”-Phillis, talking about rescuing Darby from La Galerie
The sisters always had a close bond since in their childhood it was mostly just the two left to their own devices. Growing up they did start to go their separate ways but they still found time every so often to do things together. The two haven’t had any contact since La Galerie.
Marnie Michelle
“This place messed with my mind, but I remember enough to know you don’t deserve an easy death.”-Darby, preparing to kill Marnie
One of the two hosts hooked up in the janky makeshift Stem system. Very hostile to one another (more so on Darby’s part), the almost opposite morals of the two women made them natural enemies. Marnie spends the entire plot of La Galerie serving as an antagonist to Darby, either thwarting her attempts at escaping the machine or tormenting her. After the months of torture Darby is subjected to during her time in the machine the hacker makes sure to pay it back tenfold when she kills her.
Dr Stuart Turney
“Is that where you got your degree in being an insufferable pretentious bitch?”-Darby, interrupting Stuart
The other host of La Galerie, Stuart almost tries to befriend Darby at times seeming a bit smitten by the hacker. Darby is openly aggressive towards the doctor, attacking him on almost every occasion they run into each other. Once he realizes she can’t be swayed he becomes much more unsympathetic to her. He eventually meets his end at the hands of Phillis who entered the machine to save Darby.
Trivia
In her free time Darby enjoys exercising (most notably yoga), puzzles (Darby has wasted many an afternoon on puzzle boxes), watching dramas (mostly foreign ones), and staring into the void.
In the past Darby has suffered from slight body dysmorphia most likely stemming from the criticism she received about her looks in both child and adulthood. Nowadays Gymnophobia is her only issue. Nude artwork won’t necessarily bother her but being seen naked can have varying effects for her. This has lead to some rather unbearable situations for her during times when getting undressed was required.
Has no qualms (at least in the moment) with killing someone if she has to and has done so in the past either in person or indirectly.
Doesn’t fully realize it herself, but Darby has a manipulative side and is a bit of a control freak.
Although never displayed as of yet, but if Darby were to acquire a friend (whether it be platonic or romantic) she might develop a well meaning tendency of lying to them/keeping them in the dark about what she does for a living if they aren’t already aware.
Darby has no faceclaim but Michael Hudson a Native American model and Ezra Miller were the inspiration for Darby’s appearance. Update: Technically Q’orianka Kilcher is Darby’s main faceclaim but she’s just too damn pretty and has like the opposite vibes that I need (I have very few icons using her because of this) so sometimes I use other folk for icons such Mica Arganaraz, a little bit of Ezra Miller and Willy Cartier but as they are all the incorrect ethnicity I try to partially obscure their faces.
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heatherdouglaslaw · 7 years
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Last week I had the honour of guest lecturing at the University of Ottawa law school as the inaugural Cavanagh Williams LLP Practitioner in Residence. The topic was “Ethics in Advocacy”. It was an honour to be a part of the course “Professional Responsibility”.
The lecture began with an introduction of the topic by Professor Adam Dodek. Subsequently, I led a discussion of the principles of professional conduct. The discussion dealt with a variety of scenarios encountered in legal practice. There was a lively debate about how lawyers should handle swearing affidavits, disclosing relevant documents, and preparing witnesses for court (among other things). All scenarios were based on true stories that included ethical dilemmas.
The lecture ended with a group presentation on the meaning of civility and the principles of professional conduct. Of interest was a debate about the case Laarakker, 2011 LSBC 29. In that case, the lawyer Mr. Laarakker was disciplined by the Law Society of British Columbia for making discourteous remarks online and directly to an Ontario lawyer. Below are the discourteous remarks:
[12] After consulting with the client, the Respondent sent a one page fax letter to the Ontario Lawyer. The Respondent’s letter read:
I have been approached by [the client] with respect to your letter of October 30, 2009. Suffice it to say that I have instructed her not to pay a penny and to put your insulting and frankly stupid letter to the only use for which it might be suitable, however uncomfortably.
It is disappointing when members of our profession lend themselves to this kind of thing. You must know that you are on the thinnest of legal grounds and would be highly unlikely to get a civil judgment against my client. That is aside from the logistics in bringing this matter to court in BC. I am also well aware that by preying on people’s embarrassment and naiveté you will unfortunately be able to pry some money out of the pockets of some of the humiliated parents.
I have notified the local paper of this scam. Save the postage in the future and become a real lawyer instead! You must have harboured dreams of being a good lawyer at one point. Surely bullying people into paying some small amount of money is not what you went into law for.
But then again, someone has to be at the bottom of his class, practising with a restricted license as you appear to be.
Good luck.
[13] Two days before sending the letter, on November 20, 2009, the Respondent posted a comment on the “Canadian Money Advisor” internet blog. The Respondent posted the comment in response to two postings made by an individual who had received a letter similar in nature to the Demand Letter. The Respondent posted on the blog as follows:
I am a lawyer.
This guy is the kind of lawyer that gives lawyers a bad name. He is relying on intimidation and blackmail to get the lousy $500. Don’t pay him. I hate these sleazy operators.
Speaking as a lawyer, he would have little chance of collecting in court. He would have rto [sic] prove that a chiold [sic] was a habitual criminal. As far as an adult is concerned, he has to prove the loss. Also remember this, he has to bring the action in a court near to where the incident took place (at least in BC) Gueuss [sic] what – that ain’t going to happen.
The Law Society of British Columbia fined Mr. Laarakker for his remarks. Apparently it’s distasteful for lawyers to air their dirty laundry in public. The Law Society concluded:
[45] As noted above, the Respondent takes the position that he was allowed, perhaps even compelled, to do what he did in the face of a “rogue lawyer”. Even if the Ontario Lawyer can be considered to be a “rogue”, it is not the Respondent’s place to pursue some form of vigilante justice against that lawyer by posting intemperate personal remarks or by writing letters that do not promote any possibility of resolution of the client’s legal dispute.
[46] Clearly, the appropriate avenue for the Respondent to take would have been to file a complaint either with the Law Society of Upper Canada or the Law Society of British Columbia. Obviously, the Respondent did not take those steps. Thus, by taking actions that he felt were protecting the integrity of the profession, he was achieving the opposite result.
(I personally disagree with the decision. Mr. Laarakker was warning the public about a scam. It was practically a public service announcement. Just because his tone could have been softened, doesn’t mean he deserved to be fined. After all these were questionable demand letters sent to unsophisticated individuals.)
I really enjoyed the class’s discussion on this case. It was interesting to hear the perspectives of students, especially considering that most of them are of the Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat generation.
The day ended with a small lunch with a few students. I had a wonderful experience, and I hope that the students enjoyed it too!
    Civility in the Classroom Last week I had the honour of guest lecturing at the University of Ottawa law school as the inaugural Cavanagh Williams LLP Practitioner in Residence.
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