maddest | [video] rebel without a cause

[Al presses his lips together in a line and pours the tea. He prefers not to involve himself in these things. It would be so nice just to live a peaceful life, but...]

This isn't to say that I don't trust you, but are you sure you have the right set of priorities right now?

You're essentially trying to use a hammer to kill ants on a glass ceiling.

Then you're misunderstanding what I'm trying to do.

Help me to understand, please? I don't want to get off track.

All right. Leave Lucifer out of the picture for now. Go back to this police force.

You didn't hear this from me, but I have reason to believe that there are even more changes they're discussing making. A curfew. Restricting the Wastelands. Unconfirmed rumors, and I don't want you to repeat them.

What a true Ombudsman does is work with an organization to assess fairness. He would have no say in policing matters, no influence in forming policy- but if a citizen of the city approached him with an issue he'd conduct a complete inquiry into the fairness of what was going on. It'd keep them from making any of us disappear. His reports would be open and accessible to everyone. He wouldn't have the power to free a guilty party, just to name inequality when he spotted it.

They're actually a very standard part of most organizations like this. Be it any sort of social policy.

[Al nods, picking up his teacup. Finally.]

He would be very good for that.

If he were involved from the germination of the organization, he could stop the problems before they arose.

Now, aside from all that, there's Lucifer. He is going to test the police force, almost immediately.

People have talked about doing this before. It's not often that they get far.

In this place, a police force is the resistance.

What do you mean?

Right now they're not a main power. The main powers are those who hurt people and cause incidents. Madara, for instance. When those happen, the residents work together to solve problems.

But the people like Madara don't work with others like them to cause more chaos. They have their own ambitions and no reason to work together, no goal.

Destroying the police force could become that goal. They're making themselves targets. And if Madara and a few others worked together it would be very difficult to stop them.

This is going to sound dreadful, but maybe that's fine?

Why do you say that?

The worst thing that'll happen is they'll be killed. It's a small organization of foolhardy, brave little people who'll no doubt get a certain masochistic delight from throwing themselves in the line of fire. It'll keep the villains off the rest of us, batting at the pretty shiny toy on a string.

That is terrible.

[Softly, though he does see why Break would feel that way. It's still terrible.]

It would solve our problem for us.

Until they're dead. It's wrong, using people as a shield. If you or anyone else uses them that way, they will die, or worse.

I'm not going to do it deliberately, I'm just not going to cry if one of them gets killed rather than Katara, Rhyme, or any of the other children.

And when does a life stop mattering? What age?

Sixteen.

[Prompt.]

And thirty two days. Don't be ridiculous Al, I'm not saying their lives don't matter, just that I'd rather the children weren't tortured.

[Al squeezes his napkin and sighs, rubbing his eyes.]

You're right. I just... I'm worried about this. I am afraid for what will happen, and what will happen to them.

We have no real control over it, but you're correct. We need to see how we can minimize the risk and damage.

Then dissent. Vocally, publicly, constantly. Ask every question you can think of, and ask it of them, and where other people can see it. Every other PCD post you comment in, steer the conversation to the police, and with a note of mild concern ask what the other person thinks about a small group taking power.

I can do that.

What will you being doing?

Playing the villain in our little piece.

Will I be let in on your plans, or be surprised with the others?

I probably won't plan a great deal specifically.

But what sorts of things will you be doing?

[Worried. If Break literally begins to pose as a villain...]

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