Judge Rico Dredd (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
truefaceofthelaw) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
legionworld2017-07-06 03:20 pm
truefaceofthelaw) wrote in legionworld2017-07-06 03:20 pm
[OPEN] Getting to grips
Who| Rico Dredd, and anyone!
What| Rico's getting adjusted. Discovering sugar and telling people to move out of his way.
Where| Mess Hall, Observation Deck
When| Before Bodies for Rent
Warnings/Notes| Rico's an asshole. Warning for violence, fighting, blood, threats of bodily harm, and treating sugar like an addictive substance (i.e. drug talk). Will match formats.
[A: Mess Hall]
[It had taken a long time for Rico to get adjusted to his new surroundings. After the expected violent outburst after waking up, he was upset. Not because he was just faced with the knowledge that his entire universe was in danger, that Mega-City One was in danger. No. It was more that he was yanked out of his world by the scruff of his neck, and had a lot of schemes he'd spent time and effort setting up. A lot of fingers in a lot of different pies whose outcomes he was just waiting to realize.]
[But Hell, the only saving grace is that at least he might just get a kick out of all this. So he took the oath, if only for them to get off his back about it. Time would tell whether he felt like following it or not. But for now? The Mess Hall would be where he could get a feel for the social dynamics that run through this place. And he'll be damned if Rico Dredd never comes out on top. And he's hardly going to let a little thing like being dropped into a completely unfamiliar environment alone and without backup hold him back.]
[He strides into the mess hall with a natural arrogance, a swagger to his step that could be mistaken for confidence. Of course, with how packed it is, and how he isn't making any attempt to move out of anybody's way - fully expecting them to move for him - somebody might accidentally jostle him and his rather bulky and pointy eagle-shaped shoulder pad. If that happens?]
Hey!
[He barks out sharply in a gravel rough voice, in a tone that demands immediate attention. He cocks his head to the side, overhead lighting reflecting a glint off his black visor where his eyes should be. He crooks a finger, beckoning them to come closer as his mouth twitches up in the beginnings of a smile.]
You gonna apologize for that?
[B: Mess Hall]
[Rico is sitting at a table with his back to the wall, with a baton kept loosely in his lap, staring at an unopened packet of sugar in the palm of his hand. He knew that The Legion had different practices, different laws but this was really something else. He tears the packet open with delicately pinched fingers, spilling the white crystals onto the table, and sniffs. He takes off a glove, dips his finger in the pile, brings it up to his face for careful scrutiny, then licks it.]
Oh, what the drokk? [He murmurs under his breath as he pulls back, confusion and tentative excitement mixing in his voice.] They can't be serious.
[He starts picking up more packets, one by one, and ripping them all open. Soon, there's a veritable pile of sugar on the table. But if someone were to come a little later and perhaps want a sugar for their coffee or tea this morning...? Well too bad. It's all been confiscated. If you reach out for one, expect to be impeded by a black baton.]
Sorry. [He doesn't sound very sorry at all. Actually, he almost sounds a little gleeful. He's well aware he has very little authority here, but that's not going to stop him from pretending that he does. Also, he might have slipped a packet or two into his own pockets.] Restricted substances. Mind your own business and move along.
[C: Observation Deck]
[The Observation Deck. Rico leans forward against a railing, looking down at the view. It's mostly empty for now, and he enjoys the rare peace. No shouting citizens, no endless, pointless chatter, or explosions. He's been a Mega-City boy all his life, never been to space, and despite his best efforts not to be impressed, it still captures his attention like nothing else.]
[Rico feels the prickle of a stare bouncing off the back of his helmet, and working on an instinct that every Street Judge has - or at least, the ones that aren't dumb as dirt and still alive - he fingers the baton by his side and says out loud without turning around;]
You looking at me, creep?
[D: Wildcard option!]
What| Rico's getting adjusted. Discovering sugar and telling people to move out of his way.
Where| Mess Hall, Observation Deck
When| Before Bodies for Rent
Warnings/Notes| Rico's an asshole. Warning for violence, fighting, blood, threats of bodily harm, and treating sugar like an addictive substance (i.e. drug talk). Will match formats.
[A: Mess Hall]
[It had taken a long time for Rico to get adjusted to his new surroundings. After the expected violent outburst after waking up, he was upset. Not because he was just faced with the knowledge that his entire universe was in danger, that Mega-City One was in danger. No. It was more that he was yanked out of his world by the scruff of his neck, and had a lot of schemes he'd spent time and effort setting up. A lot of fingers in a lot of different pies whose outcomes he was just waiting to realize.]
[But Hell, the only saving grace is that at least he might just get a kick out of all this. So he took the oath, if only for them to get off his back about it. Time would tell whether he felt like following it or not. But for now? The Mess Hall would be where he could get a feel for the social dynamics that run through this place. And he'll be damned if Rico Dredd never comes out on top. And he's hardly going to let a little thing like being dropped into a completely unfamiliar environment alone and without backup hold him back.]
[He strides into the mess hall with a natural arrogance, a swagger to his step that could be mistaken for confidence. Of course, with how packed it is, and how he isn't making any attempt to move out of anybody's way - fully expecting them to move for him - somebody might accidentally jostle him and his rather bulky and pointy eagle-shaped shoulder pad. If that happens?]
Hey!
[He barks out sharply in a gravel rough voice, in a tone that demands immediate attention. He cocks his head to the side, overhead lighting reflecting a glint off his black visor where his eyes should be. He crooks a finger, beckoning them to come closer as his mouth twitches up in the beginnings of a smile.]
You gonna apologize for that?
[B: Mess Hall]
[Rico is sitting at a table with his back to the wall, with a baton kept loosely in his lap, staring at an unopened packet of sugar in the palm of his hand. He knew that The Legion had different practices, different laws but this was really something else. He tears the packet open with delicately pinched fingers, spilling the white crystals onto the table, and sniffs. He takes off a glove, dips his finger in the pile, brings it up to his face for careful scrutiny, then licks it.]
Oh, what the drokk? [He murmurs under his breath as he pulls back, confusion and tentative excitement mixing in his voice.] They can't be serious.
[He starts picking up more packets, one by one, and ripping them all open. Soon, there's a veritable pile of sugar on the table. But if someone were to come a little later and perhaps want a sugar for their coffee or tea this morning...? Well too bad. It's all been confiscated. If you reach out for one, expect to be impeded by a black baton.]
Sorry. [He doesn't sound very sorry at all. Actually, he almost sounds a little gleeful. He's well aware he has very little authority here, but that's not going to stop him from pretending that he does. Also, he might have slipped a packet or two into his own pockets.] Restricted substances. Mind your own business and move along.
[C: Observation Deck]
[The Observation Deck. Rico leans forward against a railing, looking down at the view. It's mostly empty for now, and he enjoys the rare peace. No shouting citizens, no endless, pointless chatter, or explosions. He's been a Mega-City boy all his life, never been to space, and despite his best efforts not to be impressed, it still captures his attention like nothing else.]
[Rico feels the prickle of a stare bouncing off the back of his helmet, and working on an instinct that every Street Judge has - or at least, the ones that aren't dumb as dirt and still alive - he fingers the baton by his side and says out loud without turning around;]
You looking at me, creep?
[D: Wildcard option!]
no subject
Rico hands her gun back and produces his own lawgiver with a flourish, with a little more drama than Beeny but still just as careful in doing so.
"Cute? They're not cute." Rico says, almost offended. If she wants to banter, then they can banter. Rico's not going to dictate how this goes. "They're compact and efficient. And just as good for intimidation." Case in point: He idly starts spinning it around his finger. It's not the only trick he knows. With a cocked hip, it certainly looks enough like lazy menace and the promise of violence to the average cit.
It comes to a solid stop with a thwack in his palm, and he offers it to Beeny to take her own look. He doubts you can do that with the Mark II.
no subject
Every time she starts to get a little suspicious, she has to remind herself that she got to know him after fifty years on the streets. No one would be the same after that length of time. Everyone started somewhere.
She snorts at the display and holds her arm out, aiming at the huge target that is the Earth. Not by pollution and war, but hardly untouched. "It' cute. Curvy lines. Silver finish." She pauses, tilting the barrel up a tetch and giving it a quizzical look. "...Rather more phallic than I remember." Long barrel, bulbous tip, what were they thinking? Then again, with the 'Drokk the citizens' attitude some Judges tended to hold, it was probably on purpose.
America slides her hand over the ammo selector, almost humming as she did so. It was like holding an antique. She hasn't touched one of these since she was a little girl, but she still remembers drilling on the cadet version for hours before it was announced that they'd be upgrading.
no subject
"It's an extension of the law, ma'am."
With the neutral way he delivers that line, whether he's agreeing or disagreeing with her is hard to tell. With giving Beeny some time to inspect his lawgiver, he finds himself wondering if he should ask her anything about the future. But it's never been his style to ask so directly. Felt too much like showing his hand, whether it was necessary or not.
"...The Department still keeping on top of things in 2169?"
Opting for the roundabout approach seems like a good idea. Hoping to draw her into conversation, she seems willing to be approachable enough that she might say something useful. Nothing wrong with making a little small talk after all.
no subject
"I won't ask which extension," she comments dryly. She holds it out to him. "I'll stick to my brick." The Mark II is pretty much superior in every way, after all. What lunatic would willingly downgrade?
America snorts at his question and shakes her head. "You think there'd be a Judge in place if we weren't?" No, for better and for worse, the Justice Department still rules Mega-City One with an iron fist. What's left of it. She's uncertain whether or not to tell Dredd about the encounters she thinks he'd have, however. The population-ruining wars. Mutants being legal. Too much, too early, could screw up everything.
no subject
Rico takes his lawgiver back with a small nod and shoves it back in his boot holster, feeling a little less naked now that he's armed again. There's a personal attachment between a Judge and their lawgiver, and Rico is no exception. This is his lawgiver, different than any other, scratched up and dinged as it is. There's no particular reason for him to swap his own out, even for the fancy features. He's confident he's more than good enough to make up for any disadvantages it might have over the newer one.
"You're right. Doesn't mean that much though. Mega-City One could be crashing down around our ears and the Justice Department would still be hanging on by our fingernails." He even manages to say it like it's a compliment to them instead of an insult, and stands up just a little bit straighter. "I've just been hearing about the skyrocketing crime rates. Seems like the cits come up with crazier stuff every year. Can't imagine what craze'll be hitting by then. It'd be good to hear if anything we're doing manages to stick."
Like he was doing. If only they ever listened.
no subject
And, yes, that is her avoiding a response to Mega-City One coming crashing down.
"You know how it is. The more things change, the more they stay the same." Honestly, Dredd's probably a poor one to talk about that with, given the number of changes he's seen in his life, what with being so close to the birth of the Justice System and having participated in the overthrow of the old government, but the old homily still feels like it fits. "Still, things are a lot calmer around here. Trillions of citizens and most planets are civilized." Most. Her lips quirk slightly, thinking of the exceptions. "If you ever get homesick, just go to Rimbor."
no subject
"Rimbor? Sounds dumb. Besides, if I miss home -" he scoffs " - they cut out a slice of Mega-City One in the hab-deck for me. I've been looking around, but there's nothing off I can find - it's a perfect recreation down to the gang graffiti and the potholes. Don't know how they did it." He drums his fingers on his belt, frowning. It was a little uncomfortable, to be honest. "All I'm missing are the cits, and I sure as drokk don't mind not dealing with them."
A bit of a lie. But who cares?
Ugh. Seems she won't take a hint. He crosses one foot in front of the other as he leans back against the railing, going for a casual attitude. "You know, I heard Head Office is experimenting with some kind of new tranq gas. Apparently they blew their budget wad on it." Rico snorts in amusement, but it's to mask the tiny seed of irritation growing in the back of his head. Grud damn it, give him something. "Caused a couple of deaths, birth defects, and cases of cancers in the trial phase, but they're still insistent it'll be worth it. Might save us all a lot of trouble if I can come back and tell them if it turns out a drokking stommstorm or what."
If this conversation is turning a little pushy, or a little more insistent: well, it is.
no subject
"They've got a device called an Anywhere Machine. Lets them see anywhere, anywhen, as long as it's not your future." America gives a light shrug. It would be handy technology, if Brainiac 5 would loosen his deathgrip on the blueprints. "Usually no one can see it without your permission, but I guess they took your hab zone request as permission. I'd just warn you not to live there if you're expecting privacy. Anyone can enter a hab zone any time. Better to live in the private quarters."
She dumps it fast, in one burst. She's fully expecting some kind of explosion. Everyone seems to when they first hear about it, and it's best to just get the basics out of the way while they're still soaking it all in.
Her lips thin, not because she specifically remembers the program. No one can remember all of the Justice Department's atrocities. More out of irritation at the lack of care there. Birth defects, cancers, that's not justice. It's just sloppy.
Still. "Trying to take on Psi-Division's job, Dredd?" She's teasing, but at least it isn't outright mockery. "I will say we have a similar program. Less health risks, though. No sense in poisoning the citizens if they haven't done anything to deserve it."
no subject
Don't. Do. Anything. Rash. This changes everything. If she even saw a glimpse... It was all over. There was a very large, human shaped hole in his story and it looked an awful drokking lot like it was also on fire and screaming. And it wasn't the only one. If she ever took a mind to go looking - and there's no doubt that she will if he ever does anything stupid - well. He'd just better never give her a suspicion to. Act like boring, lawbook-on-legs little Joe, who would never have a reason to doubt the Justice department, or have any other thoughts in his thick, stubborn head.
And that means not killing somebody so let go of that drokking railing now, Rico -
He pries his fingers off the creaking metal, and breathes out. Then, turns around on his heel so he isn't facing Beeny. As long as they kept it to a simple snapshot of MC1. After a few seconds of internal rumination, he feels like he can make a measured response without screaming or threatening people. He leans slightly over the railing, hands clamped back on because his fingers are starting to twitch again.
"What the DROKK are they doing with that kind of technology?" He roars. Then he presses his jaw shut, grinding his teeth, trying to look as put together as possible. Don't look like you're losing it. Don't give her a reason. Don't look too invested. He'd stayed far away from Psi-Div for a reason. He'd come too far for just a stray thought to bring everything he'd built up crashing down. And that there was a machine that would let anybody do that? He puts very little stock in her reassurance that nobody would be able to see anything without his permission. Fat drokking chance Beeny wouldn't find a way if she really wanted to. She was a member of the Council, for Grud's sake.
And the news about the tranq gas really was just what he'd heard. Rico keeps an ear to the ground, and this is a particular rumor that he hasn't bothered to check directly but it wouldn't surprise him as something that they would do. Apparently poisonings are off the table if the cits haven't done anything to deserve it, but their regular sentencing, beatings, and killings weren't. Rico's getting antsy again, remembering that for all her jokes, she was just as bad as the rest of them. As he was.
no subject
This isn't Judge Dredd. He'd been off for a while now, but she was willing to chalk it up to youthfulness. A certain lack of control many young hotshots just out of the academy tended to pick up, before years on the street taught them the value of rigid self-control. This wasn't an extreme emotional outburst for a normal person, but for Dredd... practically unthinkable.
Who could it be? Not Judge Rico, he had no reason to play games. Judge... Kraken? No. 2080s. Before Kraken's time. This left... Rico Dredd. The original cracked mirror. Stomm.
This could be trouble. Or, if she played her cards right, it could be manageable. America doesn't know much about Rico, but he played the part of a Judge long enough to be nearly undetected. If he plays the good Judge here, if she can pressure him into playing the role... She'd need a moment to think on this. Rico wasn't someone to just toy with, and she wasn't a master manipulator. She might know a few different tricks, but they had roughly the same training. Some forty years apart.
Controlling her voice, forcing it into the same conversational tone, she allows some disgust to creep in. "'Scientific research'. Discovering the birth of the universe, that sort of nonsense." ...Better keep piling on the bad news if she's going to play the helpful, clueless Judge here. "You're going to hate this next bit of intel. One of these machines has been stolen. No leads yet." She waits a moment, eying him. "Unknown members of the media have been using it to create bio-dramas, 'Legionnaire Legacies' of various members for the general public. Exposing past lives before we came here, from acts of vigilante heroism to crimes like attempted genocide. Legion leadership takes the approach that they need members too much to arrest them for anything done back 'home', though."
America could tell him that the Legion's own Anywhere Machine is free for use for the members. That it could be tied into the sim rooms. That she's been using it to solve her backlog here. But, if she's right, if he isn't the ally she thought he was, too much information like that could end up wrecking the timeline. Would that be enough to cause Helter Skelter? She's not sure, but this has suddenly become much more dangerous.
no subject
He'd never seen the value of hiding his emotions like Joe did. No point in keeping that stone cold poker face all the time. Always hated that training. Hates doing it on the rare occasion that he needs to. Never took to it very well. One side of him refusing to believe in the conditioning just as the other side soaked it in makes for some seriously drokked up emotional impulse control. He'd figured it was better to mask his true feelings with other ones anyway.
For now he swallows it down. It'll come out with a vengeance later whether he likes it or not; any interaction with him turning the crank on the metaphorical jack-in-the-box until it pops on some other unlucky drokker. But for now it'll have to do. Rico grabs that center where everything is blank and cold with both hands, and turns to face her with a smile.
And if Beeny wasn't entirely sure about her leap of logic yet, felt like it was too drastic of a conclusion to jump to?
Well. There it was.
"Of course it's the drokking media." he says slowly, like it's filthy to even say. "That's a lot of classified Justice Department info they could have access to. Especially if they know everything that you do. How do these creeps target these Legionnaires?"
Not because he's curious or anything. Honestly, everything she just said sends a frisson down his spine. Very important note about that amnesty. Though if they'd seen everything he did and they still took him... Might be valuable information on how this place runs. Might be more his kind of place than Beeny's.
"Need members badly enough to be putting up with criminals?" he demands, mock incredulously. Oh, the rest of the news is bad for sure, but he's delighted on the inside. He's having far too much fun at the revelation. "You would stand for this? You're telling me we could be working alongside them?"
no subject
This means trouble. Question was whether or not she should warn anyone about it.
At least he's somewhat in control. "Some small receiving device. Grabs your dimensional coordinates if you get too close." She shrugs. "I don't know what it looks like. Just that it's small and very portable, unlike the Anywhere Machine itself. Once they have your coordinates, they just skim through your entire life, pick out the 'sexy' bits, and add some cute commentary. I'm certain you can dig up some of the previously released episodes."
They get brought up often enough. And it was a good resource to get to know your teammates with.
She grunts at his mockery, eyes still narrowed behind her visor. If it were Dredd, she might pass it off as righteous indignation. Rico Dredd, however... No, definitely mockery. "One of our teammates attempted genocide. They make action figures of him." Three guesses as to her reaction when she found out. "I'm taking the stance that we're facing the end of the multiverse. Security of the City act gives me the wiggle room I need to wait until after the crisis is over to start laying down the Law."
It's not something she's mentioned to other people, other than the Legion Leadership. Her plan to bring these criminals in, that is. But even if Rico is... not right, he's still a Judge and he needs to know that she'll uphold their standards here.
no subject
He wonders idly if they'll make action figures of him. Or if there are action figures of Beeny floating around. Daystick included, perfect for beating up suspects in custody! Rico mentally waves the thought away. Not important right now.
"I'll defer to your judgement, ma'am," he drawls, inclining his head. He could practically hear the capitalization in that sentence. Figures. "Even if I may have some... personal objections. I'll be your backup when it comes to that."
If only to shoot her in the back.
Still, she seems to be awfully lenient. Joe wouldn't have had any of it at all. Forget the end of the multiverse - he'd probably get in here and start cracking heads.
"Has the Justice Department become more... flexible, since my time?" he asks, careful to coach it like a casual joke, rather than something that he could have opinions on one way or another.
no subject
I bet you will doesn't cross her lips, but she nods as if it's an expected response. She knows very little about Rico. He's not even a legend in the Justice Department, just a footnote in Dredd's. The clone that went bad and forced Dredd to kill him. She'll have to use the Anywhere Machine to look up the files on him, but if Dredd had to kill him... Well, it couldn't be good.
"In some ways, yes." She can't give him too many details. Rico with future knowledge? No. But she's been open about this much before, and America's never felt she has anything to hide as far as her opinions went. She slides her palm onto the end of her daystick, just resting it there rather than any threat of its use. "Not enough for my tastes, but I'm working on that." It's just... slow going.
But she'll change the Justice Department. There's not even 'or die trying', she will.
no subject
"Not flexible enough for your tastes?" he asks, the words sitting strange and bewildering on his tongue. He steps forward as if drawn to her words, impossible to stop even if he'd wanted to. "You think something about the Justice Department has to be changed?"
What the drokk. He hones in on her simple sentence, and it's impossible not to. It's the first time he's ever heard so much as an admission from another Judge that the system might not be perfect. Necessary to keep order in a city of chaos, too blind to know that it was already beyond that point. He'd never so much as known if he was the only one who thought it, too dangerous to bring up to anybody. Does she see the same thing he does? Recognise the same sick joke that it is?
No. Of course she doesn't. Better not get ahead of himself. But it keeps him hovering all the same, anticipating her words with a tingle in his fingertips but trying not to show it.
no subject
She snorts, then folds her arms over her chest. There are no secrets in the Academy of Law and she's made little effort to hide her ambitions from anywhere else. It's just that they don't come up that much with the old-timers, save Dredd. "My opinions aren't exactly secret." Her tone shifts, moving into an easy, lecturing cadence. "The Justice Department, its culture, is flawed. The Justice System was created to protect the people and enforce the Law, in that order. In the years since your clone-father's death, we've lost track of that." There's a brief pause. "Not that the citizens are competent enough to run things themselves, mind."
no subject
"And you're on the Council." he says slowly, in a wondering tone, almost to himself. He wants to burst out into laughter at the thought of it, but enough of the strange calm from before stays that he doesn't. "I can't even drokking believe this."
And he's aware that he's letting on more than he should, and some instinct in the back of his head is telling him to shut his trap. She can say this, but no matter how much of a chord her words ring in him, she likely wouldn't look too favorably on the blackmail, his extra-judicial relations, criminal consortions, or the failed heist at The Herc. He quietens, but Rico's never been a coward.
"You hold a very rare opinion among Judges. Seems rather too much like unjudicial thinking." He offers with a flash of a smile. It even seems genuine, and Rico's not sure himself if it isn't. "It's certainly the first I've heard of it. But if I were to say that I might agree with you? Say that this system, as it is - is flawed?"
He'd say a lot more than that, but he's wary of pushing it too far. To call it a black, filthy, sick joke - well. Let's see how she takes that first
no subject
She scoffs. 'Unjudicial thinking'. That's something she's heard before. "You wouldn't be the first Dredd clone to think so." It's almost natural. So much so that she doesn't even realize she didn't refer to him as a Fargo clone. "I can be very convincing. Must be my charming personality."
In any case.
"I wouldn't say that the Justice System is unnecessary. Anyone who thinks that the Judges should disband is a dreamer. But we need to loosen our grip. Let the citizens take some responsibility for themselves. And if they drokk things up..." She shrugs. Cits are cits. Of course they'll drokk things up. "The Judges will be there."
no subject
There's a faint spark of displeasure that arises at the thought. She didn't seem to let on that she knew Rico personally. So... Joe? She knew Joe, and she didn't know him? That was just unfair. He'd bet him and Beeny would get along much better than his little brother ever could.
"But I can imagine him now. Eighty and still as stubborn as ever. Not surprised he lives that long." Rico barks out a laugh as he shakes his head, dismissive and fond in the same breath. "Calling council members unjudicial," he mutters under his breath. "Of course he did."
But honestly, it's not nearly enough of a radical opinion as he'd hoped - of course, Rico, what were you expecting? - and the disappointment shutters off his expression, looking just a little more like the emotionless lawman she might know. But it's still something he wasn't even sure was possible, and it dredges up complicated feelings he can't seem to ignore.
"I believe we might have some - similar ideals, Judge Beeny." Similar. But not quite the same. The Justice System was a corrupt, festering mess, not worth salvaging at all, and he'd gladly watch the Justice Department come crashing down instead. "We've gotten far beyond the point where we need to stop. Wouldn't hurt to let the cits experience some personal freedom if they won't hurt themselves on it."
no subject
Anyhow. She shifts just slightly. "The Fargo bloodline is a good one, but you can only sample and alter DNA so many times before it starts to degrade. Since clones are a perfect replica of the original, we've started taking their DNA samples directly rather than trying to squeeze every last drop out of the original donors. And, let's be honest, 'Fargo' doesn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of the citizens. Otherwise I'd be talking to someone with a name that's actually spelled right."
Fight her, Rico.
She stares at him for a moment after his statement about their ideals, clamping down on the urge to laugh in his face. "Not entirely what I expected to hear from a Dredd. You're usually... sticklers." She pauses. "Those of who you didn't quit and join the Space Corps or become actors, I mean." Vienna counted. Even if she was Rico's daughter and never a Judge.
Come to think of it, why hadn't Dredd recommended her for the Academy? Fear that his brother's sin would carry through?
no subject
"Don't take it up with me. Blame the teks that named me. Not like I had any choice in the matter," he scoffs. Truth be told, he likes the name. Makes him feel like something more than he is, determined to live up to his terrible purpose if that's what they really wanted from them. They said so much themselves, didn't they? Dread.
"Half a dozen of me, but not any like me," he continues, a little snappishly. Looks like Beeny may have hit a sore spot there. But after a moment, realizes it might have been too much backtalk to a senior Judge he doesn't quite know. "But I don't see why they wouldn't," he concedes, grudgingly. "By all accounts, we are successes. Looks like me and Joe have some kids of our own, then." he says, cheered by the thought. To their knowledge anyway. Can't argue with academy results and arrest statistics.
But -
"Quit?" He asks, incredulous. "What do you mean, quit?" Either he heard her wrong, or -
He chuckles suddenly, like he's getting the joke. "I get it. You're just feeding me the stomm, aren't you? Since when would the Department ever allow that?"
The long walk, the academy, or death. Those were the three options Rico had lying in front of him, and he couldn't imagine things changing that much that any alternative could happen. Especially for a Fargo bloodline. They were valuable investments, and there was power in symbolism. The face of the father of Justice leaving the department? No way. It was unimaginable. It was easier to think it was all a joke.
Rico quietens, mind whirling.
But. What if? She can't drop something like that and not expect him to ask. It makes him a little angry, to be honest, as he reassesses her with suspicious eyes, but the anger is still distant, as if behind a glass screen. What the hell does she think she's playing at?
"Actor? Good one." He says, in a challenging tone.