batmanschmatman | 090 [voice]

[Warden Filter]

Alright, as we're all very well aware at this point, people seem to get kidnapped here a lot. And obviously we can't prepare for everything - believe me, if you'd have told me I was going to get bit by a rattlesnake on board the ship a couple weeks ago, I would have said you were nuts - but it never hurts to know a couple things just in case you get pounced in the gym and end up being held hostage for a couple hours.

So, that said, I'm going to be holding self defense classes, either in the gym or the CES, every day of the week, floods, ports and other natural disasters permitting. Mostly basic stuff, like how to get out of a choke hold and how to incapacitate someone quickly if they come up from behind you, and if people are interested in going a step farther and covering some more complicated stuff, I'd be up for that, too.

For the record, I'm not teaching you how to kill people, just how to hold your own in a fight and incapacitate anyone with plans to make off with your unconscious body. And if you have an inmate you want to get training too, let me know and they're more than welcome to come. I just figured this shouldn't be a totally open invite if anyone's concerned someone's going to use this stuff on them the next time someone cooks up a 'I want to take over the Barge' scheme.

Somewhat relatedly, if anyone just wants to go spar and/or brush up on some technique, I'm always up for that. I've got a background in just about everything, weapon based or not, although if anyone's got a basis in something like eskrima or whatever kind of stick fighting is normal where you're from, I have to admit I'm partial to it.

[Warden Cop Filter - George, Carla, Angua, did I forget anyone?]

So, back when Howie was here - you remember, George - he said he and the other warden cops used to have "Friday night pints". I don't really drink, but it might be kind of fun to start that up again, swap some stories... Would you all be interested in giving it a shot after dinner tonight? Or next week, if someone's got plans?

[Private to Rorschach]

Do you want to go up to the CES with me? [No ulterior motive here at all. Why would you ever suggest that. >>]

[Private to Jim]

So Tim got me a paintball set for Christmas. Want to go try it out? [This seems safer than you shooting a phaser at him and trying to dodge it. :x]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Good of the many" would have been telling them what he did. Not accepting it under pretense of false peace. Killed millions in scheme; would you argue their needs are irrelevant, an "acceptable loss"?

[He'd been trying to remain impassive, unaffected, but the facade cracks just a little at this, expression twisting into blatant disgust to match the venom of his words.]

Peace wouldn't have lasted anyway; truth would have come out eventually. Spread doubt. Corrupt leaders and orchestrators defeated. Order restored. Order not based on a lie. Without compromise.

[He left his journal in good hands, after all; someone would have found out, said something, and the world would have been better off, as far as he's concerned.]

They're not irrelevant, that's not at all what I'm saying. But wouldn't exposing Veidt immediately run the risk of their deaths being for nothing? What if everyone just went right back to threatening imminent nuclear war?

What's your solution for everyone coming out of this with a better future?

Needed to be told. Deserved to know price of peace. Scheming involved.

No point in discussing "might have been". Already decided.

Why did you let Dr. Manhattan kill you? You didn't tell him no or try to walk away.

Futile to attempt to escape man with infinite capabilities. Outcome was inevitable, might as well face it, not cringe away like weaker dogs. Accept consequences of pursuit of truth.

[Dick lets out a heavy sigh.]

If he hadn't done it, what do you think would have happened? To the world, not just to New York or to you.

[He already told you, Grayson. Why do you keep asking, whether or not he was around to see it is beside the point. He grunts in frustration.]

Point to this discussion? Or do you only wish to rehash theoretical events until meaningless?

The point is, I want to know what your ideal end to this would have been. It really isn't irrelevant just because it already happened.

Peace and harmony across globe without basis on lie.

Is that the answer you want, Richard?

Would have preferred return to normalcy. Veidt punished for crimes against humanity, things returned to the way they were. Better a broken system with known failings than peace based on deception and genocide.

But never would have ended any other way. Doomed from start; Veidt was always better tactician than all of us. Just didn't know it until it was too late. Too late to turn back then. Had to try, even if there was never a chance of success.

[Quietly.]

Had to try.

[He doesn't have a real answer for you, Dick, probably won't have one for a good long while; he wasn't thinking of what would come After, only what had been done. He doesn't know what a better ending would have been, only that the one that happened wasn't it.]

I know. [And he does respect that, really.]

It's just something to think about. The hypotheticals matter, here.

[A curt nod.]

Will remember that.

[Except he won't, not really. He'll keep it in the back of his mind, maybe, but he won't really look at it too closely. Not yet, anyway.]

090 [voice]

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