capeandcowl | 031 → Voice

Entry tags:

mitchell hundred | the great machine

031 → Voice

In 1914, in the middle of World War I, there was something called the Christmas Armistice. Around Christmas and New Years, there was an unspoken end to fighting just for the Holidays, although it was part of a trend that soldiers were just slowly becoming acclimated to not fighting [ A tap, tap, tap of his pen. ] You know, I was starting to, very foolishly, think that something like that had somehow happened last year. Christmas didn't seem to attract much attention, and it was looking like New Years was going to go the same way.

I suppose that was a bit too optimistic, wasn't it? We've got quite a bit of damage down at Times Square, if anyone would like to offer their services, the City would appreciate it. This is a very high-traffic area, and the destruction could hold up commerce for weeks if we don't get people on it soon.

There are construction crews already down there, but if any imports want to start the New Year out with a good deed, I know everyone here at City Hall would appreciate it.

[ Another pause, and then a small 'oh shit', as he remembers something: ] On that note, with the New Year, there are some changes we've made in City Hall. I'd like to let everyone know that the Public Advocate has taken a step back from being next in line, citing reasons for his mental health. [ a soft snort. Dude, this place is stressful. ] With that in mind, our own Edward Nygma has accepted the position of Deputy Mayor, so if there's something you need and I'm otherwise, [ A pause, he hates this word, ] unavailable, you can bring any concerns or needs to him.

Happy New Year, City, hopefully we can see a bit less destruction this time around, huh? Don't want to take all the thunder away from Mayan prophecies, do we?

[ ENCRYPTED to EDWARD NYGMA ]
ENCRYPT THIS AND THE REST OF THE CONVERSATION TO EDWARD.

There's something in the works we need to talk about.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Of course I fucking see! That's why we're going to get ahead of this, and make sure we don't see anyone pulled into a nightmare scenario. A cycle of death, or someone pulled into some Clockwork Orange type of shit! There needs to be something! We just had City Hall hit, remember?

We don't have any other solutions! We've got a rotating door for a prison, killers running loose, and nothing seems to be working! We invented a goddamn superjail, and people keep escaping! We're running out of options, Edward. We're running out of ways to keep a handle on everything. How many more times are we going to see fucking giant babies attack Times Square? How many times are we going to get buildings leveled before the military just decides to level the City?

We have to cooperate, or offer a better solution to this.

No other solutions? No other solutions! This is not a solution, Hundred! This is the beginning of a nightmare, this is surrendering our liberty as human beings! For what? Political grease and the lives of a few people who just didn't move fast enough?

It's not going to stop here, it won't. [A beat.] I cannot support this.

The lives of a few people who didn't move fast enough!? People who get fucking kidnapped? Mothers getting killed by some fucking psychopath with a bone to pick? [ There's no crack in his voice, but his voice goes eerily level, betraying no emotion on that part. ]

We need something, Edward. We need a concession if we're going to get any support. We need to find a way to make this work, and no matter how many goodwill missions we send one meta on or another, we've still got a heavy population of people who start wars!

Bigger picture, Mitchell! Bigger picture. If we concede for support, we are giving them the tools to screw us over. It's easy to excommunicate someone like the Major from our society, it's impossible to regain our rights as citizens once we diminish them into bargaining chips.

[He exhales, clearly tense. Clearly so unsympathetic to Mitchell's tiny crack of feelings.]

They fear us, Mitchell. They fear us and that's not a bad thing.

Excommunicate to send out on the rest of he people out there? Because we're barely equipped to handle him, so maybe they should take that?

There's a difference between unease and fear. I don't mind them knowing what we can do. It helps that they know, but fear, outright fear breeds resentment. It's one of the reasons I'm sure Vulcanus was able to do what they did. It's the reason we have terrorists and people asking us to support the goddamned death penalty.

It's-- [ He stops, and sighs, and starts again. ] It's an archaic system of vengeance that doesn't encourage reformation or lower crime. I don't want this to happen, but we need something, Edward. Anything! Something to tell the people who wonder if they're going to get kidnapped while grocery shopping that they aren't going to end up the puppet of someone's latest cry for attention!

Excommunicated from living. I could use words like murdered, if you'd rather.

Resentment that would be couched by the nature of fear! You've seen this model, you know the only way it fails or backfires is when the fearing party gets a leg up. And they've already feared us, we only have our position to lose. You're giving them that leg up.

Vulcanus is an entirely different issue altogether, if you want to talk security.

[A beat.]

Again, you know this model. You know where I'm deriving this from. Vengeance, vigilantism. Power imbalances. They already resent us, Mitchell, some of them hate us -- despite how politically incorrect it would be to say in public, now. We are past that point. Don't give them the power to leash us.

So your solution would be the exact same thing, but in our hands. I don't want to hire a team of assassins! We shouldn't have back-room councils to decide if someone should stay alive or not! We need to use the legal system, we need to make sure we're working within the boundaries of the system we're working for!

If we don't have faith to use it, then we need to change it for the better. That's why I fucking took the job I did! [ At least in the outset. ]

We need to work this, Edward. We need to make what they want to be a leash into something else, [ a pause, it sounds so drastic ] turn it the other way around.

No, not at all! I don't have a solution for this incident you've started, because I have yet to go completely insane and concoct one meeting your requirements. I'm staunchly against murdering imports for justice.

We're not going to disagree that the current system needs transformation, Mitch, but I can tell you our methods towards that goal will be different. I'm not going to spin a compromise that undermines something I value.

[Beat. And then, acidly:] I thought you had more liberal leanings, Mitchell.

[ A pause. ] I compromised. That's what politics is about, in the end. We all have to compromise. I convinced fucking Republicans to legalize state healthcare! It's about the give and take.

We need to give something, Edward. Especially if we want to take anything from them. We can. We will, but I need you on this.

This isn't your goddamn prior world, Mitchell! You have our special interests to look out for, we are universally displaced refugees.

Why give them this?

I know I fucking do! That's why I'm in talks about this!

What else are we going to give them? Our blood? The secret to our powers? Access to the porter, to help them shut it down? Keep us from ever returning home? We don't have many options here!

You don't think those are next? Down this path, when it's fine to turn death into torture, you don't think our powers are next?

What, give them an inch and they'll take a mile? Why do you think I want to be on top of this?

It's not meant to be torture or death! We won't let it get that far!

They'll undermine you. We can compromise on other issues.

But not this one.

Like what, Edward? What else can we compromise? I'm not keen to work with this government regarding my powers! We need to give them some confidence in us! I can't do this alone, so please, share your wisdom.

Give them the benefit of technology we create, give them the glory we can produce. Give them that, give them hope.

Don't you think I'm working on that? [ Aw shit, here you go eddie ] Oscorp agreed to help us keep the power grid up, after all.

Do you really think giving them more things to buy is going to solve this? I'm sure it isn't going to help now.

What. What?

Oscorp?

What?!

How many companies do we have that specialize in that kind of thing? Two or three, I think? Why not Oscorp?

Because of two words! Norman! Osborn!

Someone I know plenty about, yes. [ A slight tap on his desk. ]

He's reformed too, you know.

Since when did reformation exclude the propensity to be an asshole?

That doesn't describe any of the other options?

You want to give government contracts to Osborn? Fine. I can concede to that.

But I draw the line at death penalty for import criminals. Because when you compromise on right to live on a relatively eternal populace, you open a Pandora's Box. This will only be the beginning, Mitchell. The natives will want more compromise. There is no reason for your politicians to be so easily sated with this alone.

That's the fucking problem! We're practically immortal! Shit, Edward, A life sentence is minimum of fifteen until parole? Has anyone been in prison from our end for even a year?

We have to get a reign on this. If not the death penalty, then we need a plan.

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