A Meditation on Law and Lawlessness in Suburban Senshi

[23:21] *** Prosecutor von Karma's room #1003
[23:21] * Franziska von Karma hears the doorbell and wonders what Foolish Fool dares call at this hour.
[23:21] * Franziska von Karma opens the door
[23:21] * @Doctor X waves from his chair
[23:22] <Franziska von Karma> Ahh, Defense Attorney Xadium. What do you want?
[23:22] <@Dоcтоʀ X> I heard about today.
[23:22] * Franziska von Karma steps aside and beckons him in.
[23:23] * @Doctor X wheels in.
[23:23] <@Dоcтоʀ X> You look tired.
[23:24] <Franziska von Karma> Why do you think I do what I do, Xadium?
[23:24] <@Dоcтоʀ X> From what I heard you wanted to outshine your father.
[23:24] <Franziska von Karma> Those days are done.
[23:25] <Franziska von Karma> I do what I do for two reasons: To find the perfect truth, and to perfectly prosecute criminals who deserve punishment.
[23:25] <Franziska von Karma> Today, I have let one of those criminals loose, and in the process probably allowed a vicious blood feud to continue that could endanger everyone here.
[23:25] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Objection.
[23:26] <Franziska von Karma> What :P
[23:26] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Do you know what this place started as?
[23:26] <Franziska von Karma> Not really. I know it was founded by a nontraditional family.
[23:27] <@Dоcтоʀ X> A family of superheroes.
[23:27] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Superheroes who fought evil every day for years.
[23:27] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Extrajudicial from day one.
[23:27] <Franziska von Karma> Your point is what.
[23:28] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Over time, more heroes came, and villains to test their mettle.
[23:28] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Conflicts arose, battles were fought. Blood was spilt, but the day was saved.
[23:28] <@Dоcтоʀ X> For all the raucous behavior, the actual fatality count for years was pretty much nil.
[23:29] <Franziska von Karma> But something's changed.
[23:29] <Franziska von Karma> I saw a woman vaporized today.
[23:29] <Franziska von Karma> No resurrection or happy ending for her.
[23:29] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Sometimes, people do die.
[23:29] <@Dоcтоʀ X> But, as a Prosecutor, what do you seek when you make that indictment, and bring the accused to trial?
[23:30] <Franziska von Karma> Don't be foolish. Justice, of course.
[23:30] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Exactly.
[23:30] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Normal people have justice meted out by normal courts. Prisoners go to jail for a fixed term and come back out.
[23:31] <@Dоcтоʀ X> But you yourself were pondering the unsuitability of prison for someone like Suthers.
[23:31] <Franziska von Karma> What are you saying?! That we let him foolishly run around until finally one day someone rips him to pieces?!
[23:32] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Statistically, Franziska... villains here end up doing themselves in.
[23:32] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Look into it.
[23:32] <@Dоcтоʀ X> This is a wild west "circus" as you called it, for sure.
[23:32] <@Dоcтоʀ X> But in the end, Frontier Justice does prevail.
[23:32] <Franziska von Karma> ...Frontier Justice...
[23:33] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Sociologically this place is more like the Wild West, with its own code and norms.
[23:34] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Suthers... probably comes from some highly regimented totalitarian regime.
[23:34] <@Dоcтоʀ X> You come from a regular justice system where the Wild West is long gone.
[23:34] <@Dоcтоʀ X> But really, to bring LA Law to Superheroes and Demigods... does it make sense?
[23:35] <Franziska von Karma> But the playing field is not level.
[23:35] <Franziska von Karma> Law exists to level it.
[23:35] <@Dоcтоʀ X> You know Gemini, my wife.
[23:35] <Franziska von Karma> I saw her briefly today, yes.
[23:35] <@Dоcтоʀ X> She's the one who told me what happened.
[23:36] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Now, Sailor Templar... a known felon... was being attacked.
[23:36] <@Dоcтоʀ X> EVERYONE rushed to her aid.
[23:36] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Criminal or not, she got the best effort of protection that could be mustered.
[23:36] <Franziska von Karma> Obje--
[23:36] <@Dоcтоʀ X> --I know. She died.
[23:37] <@Dоcтоʀ X> But on the streets of LA, where heavily armed criminals routinely go up against police... do the bystanders always come out alive?
[23:37] <Franziska von Karma> No.
[23:37] <@Dоcтоʀ X> It's the same thing here.
[23:38] <@Dоcтоʀ X> This community takes care of its own
[23:38] <@Dоcтоʀ X> You haven't left the people to the wolves.
[23:38] <@Dоcтоʀ X> You've untied the hands of the heroes.
[23:38] <@Dоcтоʀ X> I hope you will see that.
[23:39] <Franziska von Karma> You've given me a lot to think about, Defense Attorney Xadium.
[23:39] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Don't let Suthers and his Ideology get to you.
[23:39] <@Dоcтоʀ X> You know the law. You know True Justice.
[23:39] <@Dоcтоʀ X> Follow that.
[23:39] * @Doctor X nods to her and wheels himself out.
[23:40] *** @Doctor X [xadium@weinberg-xadium-law.co.jp] has left #suburbansenshi3 (The Truth is what you've always searched for. Search for it again.)
[23:40] * Franziska von Karma closes the door behind him.
[23:40] * Franziska von Karma nods to herself and smiles a bit, turning in for the night.
[23:40] *** Franziska von Karma [vonKarma@da.co.la.ca.us] has left #suburbansenshi3 (It is not in the nature of a Von Karma to lose at anything!!)