Chapter 12: Chapter 9: Your Day in Court

Day 6 - Afternoon

Fort Matthew - Adventurers Guildhall

*pant* *lick*

"Oooh. Do it again."

I'm back in the wood chair facing the guild’s entrance. My top is pulled down. Fingers explore up and down my chest. Yeah, Louis may have just been a high school senior and a nerd, but he was also seriously ripped. And these ladies are loving it.

True, my nanos and assigning stat points helped. Not to mention getting bumped up to halfway through the champion grades. Putting me squarely in the superhuman range.

But they had a fantastic foundation to work with. A fatty Silver is still a fatty. Just a lot tougher.

Getting lots of compliments about my eyes too. All believing it's part of my new Technomancer class easily enough. The cyber right arm got some gasps. Then growls and snarls after I explained what happened. 

So I’m rich, strong, talented, exotic and sympathetic? Got so many women coming after me. Have to put some pussy on layaway.

And like with medieval land and steam planet, mana has an “enhancing” effect here too. The pretty get prettier. Ugly get less ugly. Strong stronger. Fast faster. Etc…

So the priestess milf massaging my shoulders? Is looking even milfier. The busty tanker breathing on and licking my ear? Bustier. And the booty on that ranger rubbing my chest? Downright bootylicious.

My impromptu concert turned into a “welcome back” party. Must have played a dozen songs before begging them off saying I was thirsty. Now must have a dozen ladies crowding my table. Using their mouths and cleavage as substitute cups for me.

*slurp*

“Hmph!”

And a certain sorceress is not happy about it.

Had sent the Minutemen back to Fort Matthew yesterday. To do some scouting and recruiting. They came running as soon as they heard I was at the guildhall. Well, Cecilia and Alessandra came running. Dragging Maxwell and Pedro with them.

Nina is in storage but really wants to come out and play. Don't think John Q Public is ready for a sexbot on the loose yet. So she's strictly in advisor mode for now.

Everyone was really curious about my revolvers. So Lez and Po are doing demos with the lighter magearms in the training grounds. Zecawk went to "supervise." Though you know he's really just gone to show off his new Lawbringer and play with the other guns.

As far as where they come from? Again playing it off as a technomancer thing. Many are saying I should register a store. Again not decided on that yet.

As news spread that I was back. The hall filled up with adventurers. Including a bunch from the dungeon and town hall posts. The council hasn't said anything about a new owner. Just that there's a dangerous criminal, John Barton, coming and a kill on sight order.

Smart move since to change privileges I have to actually go there.

Maxwell is powwowing with various party leaders on the second floor. Discussing my imminent take over. Others done with the demo or not interested in the first place are back to drinking, eating, quest boarding and receptionist chatting.

But everyone's keeping the line between me and the front door clear. They can feel things are gonna get… messy.

Oh, and that Dredd thing? Said the way I “judged” Cynthia reminded them of that movie.

<BledWhiteHeart: The female's keeper is almost here.>

Finally, been waiting for hours now.

"Ladies, the bug I'm going to squash is coming. And I can't stand the thought of you in danger." Motion. "So, please, wait at the bar."

*chu* *chu* *chu* *chu* *mwah schlurp*

Kisses rain down on my head as they whisper sweet nothings and begrudgingly move over to the bar. Except for Cecilia. She waits to be last and goes full tongue on me in front of the whole guild.

<Nina: Someone's claiming their territory. Good for her.>

Eh? How'd you do that?

<Nina: Well you've been flirting with that tramp so much I decided to talk like her. *swallow* See if this gets you to pay attention to me again.>

Jesus, save me from jealous sexbots.

The entrance flings open and a boy who can't even be ten comes running in. A reception points him to the training grounds and he goes tearing down the corridor.

Must be part of birdbrain's spy network. Gotta have some way to interact with the world when you can't leave the building.

*chu*

The older waitress of the two hurries over and cleans off my table. At the same time stuffing a piece of paper in my pocket. Before giving me a quick kiss and fleeing back to the kitchen.

I'd find it cute if what she rubbed on my lips wasn't a contact poison. Wow, this is even stronger than what Cynth used on Louis. Could absolutely drop even a Steel on his ass. Unfortunately, for her, I'm a Silver and have a horde of molecule changing mini me's. 

While they isolate and breakdown the toxin. I pull out and unfold the woman's note.

"Sorry"

Now that's cute. Not gonna save her though. My nanos make a little spark and the paper burns away in my metal and plastic hand.

*tap* *tap* *tap* 

Pull out the phone Zecawk gave me, mine fried in a lightning hell, and text him about my guest. And his assassin waitress. "Kills customers," should at least warrant an HR complaint.

Having instant long distance communication at my fingertips is going to take some getting used to again. Wonder if I can still download Fallout Shelter?

Already checked the porn sites, for educational reasons of course. There's dozens in Fort Matthew's mininet and Cynthia's on most of them. So are lots of girls I recognize from school. Well, not my place to save them. If they even can be. But I don't mind avenging them.

*clack* *creak*

Two old classmates of mine walk in. They've got axes and submachine guns. Decent suits too. Guess Johnny's trying to promote himself from scum to sleazeball. They notice me and freeze.

Maybe it's the fact that I clearly knew they were coming. Maybe it's the big grin on my face. Perhaps the artificial right arm. Or the big irons on my hips.

Whatever it is, they really don't like it.

*clack*

And back right the fuck out before the doors even close.

I laugh.

"Ha! Witness you?" Wave my hand dismissively. "Mediocre…"

Several, pretending to not be paying attention, laugh too.

Through windows I hear complaining and shouting. What might be hitting too. Uhoh, mister napoleon complex is upset.

*slam*

The doors get shoved open as the heir to Grant Pharmaceuticals comes stomping in shouting.

"Limp dick Lou! Get your chicken ass out- here?"

The short pudgy rich boy only gets about ten steps before stopping. Realizing that, yes, I really am waiting for them. And that, no, I don’t look worried at all.

He's wearing a blue suit that doesn't fit well and carrying a chrome plated 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Ten cronies crowd in behind him. Spreading out a bit. Armed with various pistols, a couple submachine guns and a couple shotguns. With axes, swords or even maces. All looking like, well, school kids with delusions of grandeur. You can almost not tell that every one of them is a rapist, vandal, sex trafficker, and drug dealer.

Well, with one exception. 

"Hey, killer!"

Tony something or other. Never cared enough to know his full name. We traveled in different social circles. His being the so violent you get banned from all the school sports teams social circle. Tall, dark and gruesome. A jock with a mean streak a mile wide. Parents must have been stupid rich since he was never expelled.

"Excuse me?"

He growls. Looking like he'd enjoy clubbing a baby seal to death. Who was the bad guy in the first Highlander movie? Yeah, he looks like him but in a suit.

I wave him down.

"Don't worry about it none. You'll be dead in a few minutes anyway."

Naturally for a psycho like him that's the perfect thing to say to settle him down.

Murderhobo is about to say something when I physically turn away. Discounting him completely as I face and start loudly clapping at Johnny from my seat. Bet that chaps his ass.

*clap* *clap* *clap*

Which sound a bit off since one of the hands is not flesh and bone. Adds a slight tinny sound.

"And the short shit finally arrives! What happened? Got stuck trying to flush yourself?"

The confidence of Cynthia's pimp was shaken when I immediately targeted his lieutenant. And again when he hears laughter, at his expense, from others. But it's restored when he notices my artificial arm.

"Haha!" Points. "What happened to your arm, Limp dick Lou? Jack off to Cynthia's porn so much it fell off?"

You can pretty much read Johnny's thoughts on his face. Right now it's, "why did everyone stop laughing?"

"Nah. I left it in your mother's cunt. Helping to scrape off the filth left after giving birth to you."

*blink* *blink*

"Wh-wha?"

Short and pudgy's stunned. You see, Louis was not the type to trade insults. He just got to work and did whatever better than anyone else. So me going after him? Looks like it's blowing his mind.

"Don't speaka da engrish? What’s wrong? Taking to many of the rape pills you force on your sex slaves?"

The atmosphere turns hostile and stops him cold. Can tell mr drug dealer suddenly remembers where he is. Surrounded by adventurers. Who are basically a law unto themselves. If enough of us decide he's guilty of something? Douchebag could be lynched right here.

"Haha.” Nervously looking around. “There's no proof I've made them do anything they didn't want to do." Breaks out the salesman smile as he speaks to our audience. "My establishment offers a little comfort in this dangerous world for a reasonable fee. Sometimes my employees need some comfort too."

Watch Johnny breathe a sigh of relief as the peanut gallery's anger cools. Interesting. Is he that afraid of the law?

"Listen Limp dick- oops, I mean Little Lou." Very condescending. "The world's changed. And you've shown some skill. I'll admit that." Spreads his arms magnanimously. "So I'm willing to let bygones be bygones. If you fall in line." Sleazy grin. "Can even put your old fan club on call for you. When they're not busy with people that matter of-"

"Don't bother, shortstuff."

He jerks to a stop again. This is kind of fun.

"What did you call-"

His fear gives me an idea so I interrupt him.

“Jonathan Grant.” I say authoritatively. Hmm… What can I use? Got it. “You stand charged with abuse of the incapacitated and impaired. Coercion through blackmail and intimidation. And abduction resulting in homicide.” I slowly rise from my seat. Resting my hands on the revolvers. “How do you plead?”

Again the atmosphere turns hostile. Johnny is getting very flustered.

“Wh-wha?”

In fact all of his cronies are completely lost. Half expecting the FIA to come storming in at any moment. The peanut gallery is eating this up. And, yeah, it's being recorded.

Well, one of them isn’t lost. In fact, Tony’s realized just how much trouble they are in.

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“Johnny.” I use [Identify] on him. “We need to leave, right n-”

Glare his way after inspecting him. He’s a C? A Steel ranker? Son of a bitch. Don’t know how but he’s only one grade below me. Meaning tall, dark and murdery is an actual threat.

“Antonio Gasperini.” Yeah, it showed me his full name too. “You stand charged with abduction, homicide, attempted homicide,” Don’t forget Vincent’s confession. “and bribery of a guard. How do you plead?”

He looks at me with a smug smile.

“Maybe you should ask your mom-.”

*zBOOM* *zKOW* *zBOOM* *zKOW*

Tony’s quickdraw falls short of mine. Even with his millisecond’s head start. My cyber arm, backed up by B grade muscle and bone plus nano enhancements, is a blur. And the first 50 caliber hollow point hits his right arm's elbow as he’s still pulling what looks like a Desert Eagle. Despite not being double-runed, these bullets are designed to take down C’s. So the power behind the expanding bullet is still enough to rip the bottom half of his arm off.

“Auugh!”

The 40’s a little slower since my left is all flesh. But still quick enough to put a round through an F grade before his submachine gun finishes its climb. And making a big hole in his chest.

Revolvers cross as I work my way through the rape gang.

Half of them follow Tony's lead. Trying to gun me down. And each gets a lethal reminder that a brave deadman? Is still a deadman.

The other half follow Johnny's lead. As in freezing and pissing themselves. What, it's not like anyone's shot back before. Louis carried everyone who wanted through the dungeon once or twice. So they would at least be Tins. A few even reached Copper.

After that? Most of these rich kid rankers ran back to the dorms and stayed as far from the walls as possible. Ending up working for the town council and system shops.

The pimp's gang would much rather take drugs and rape girls all day. So, as much as possible, they do.

Johnny comes back to his senses in time to witness me drop the last brave deadman. Six bullets. Six on the ground.

"Wait! No! Fuck! Please! Wait!" Waving his arms and screaming. "Jesus!" Looks around at the bodies and his injured lieutenant. "What did you do?! Th-these were classmates!"

Ha, like Louis would give a fuck about any of these douchebags after finding out what they did.

*tach* *tach* *tach*

My boots scratch against the stone as I walk forward. Ignoring the terrified douchebags and approaching Tony. Who's on the floor trying to tourniquet his half arm as blood puddles beneath him. He looks up at me with pure hate.

"After raping your mother and sister. I should have killed you myself."

Do my best Dredd don't give a fuck.

"Defense noted."

*zBOOM*

The hollow point punches through Tony's chest. Obliterating his heart and launching him into the wall next to the door. From where he stares at me hatefully until the light fades from his eyes and:

[Champion of Gunos Defeated]

Sigh, knew it.

Hey, god chick, why is this the second champion I've run into today?

<BledWhiteHeart: I… don't know. There shouldn't->

Okay. Got it. You don't know.

<Nina: If the tramp could do it then others can too.> Purrs. <Loving the Judge Dredd roleplay. So… dominant.>

With both revolvers still drawn I turn and walk towards the short shivering pale pudgy blackmailer. You can almost hear his knees shaking.

"Y-yo-you've changed."

The last word turns into a squeak as I rest the hot muzzle of the 40 cal against his forehead. Held gangster style so I can see his face clearly. Can hear flesh sizzle.

Yeah, he's a Copper but that still has to sting. The turning rings around my pupils seem to freak him out even more. A yellow pond under his feet grows and the urine smell gets even stronger.

"Dying can have that effect."

So what now?

<Nina: If you're the judge, jury, and executioner. Doesn't that make you the prosecutor too?> True. <Closing statement?>

Right.

"Jonathan Grant. You targeted Louis McConnell because he's better than you. In every way but wealth and deceit. Your jealousy undermined and corrupted a hallowed institution. All to facilitate sabotaging one student's future."

<Nina: Less legalese please.>

Gotcha.

"That surprise assembly on the morning of the apocalypse? Those FIA agents? They were there for you. A predawn raid had arrested half the teachers for being members of a sex with minors club. A club you created." Look at all that hate in his eyes. "Principal Evans committed suicide in his office. After an anonymous text revealed his latest masked and gagged victim? Was actually his own daughter. You sent that text."

<Nina: Good… keep going.>

"Your father's lawyers must have been scrambling. Desperately trying to keep you out of prison. Jail isn’t kind to little bitches like you. The apocalypse saved your ass."

*tach* *tach* *tach*

Turn my back to him and walk away. Through the piss and blood towards my chair. Leaving gross boot prints behind.

Kind of hoped he would take a shot with that 9mm he's still holding. But no, probably realizes the crowd might fill him full of holes.

Sit back in the chair. The plates and mesh sound leathery as they shift and stretch.

"In the chaos of the first few days. Many students went home. You, however, stayed and used your knowledge of chemistry to start producing narcotics. To keep your victims under your thumb." Good lord, he's even starting to look like a goblin. Hunched over and conniving. "As others fought to defend this city? You moved into your dorm's basement and opened a whore house. Forcing those drug addicted teenaged girls to work there."

<Nina: Should wrap it up.>

"But you never forgot about Louis McConnell. Every time you saw him? You remembered how disgusting you are. How it took blackmail and narcotics to get your first crush to finally spread her knees for you. And who was now a pillar of the Fort Matthew’s community. Everything you had done. All the lives, including your own, you ruined to hurt him. All that money. All those lies. Wasted."

Yeah, almost done. Johnny’s quiet, stewing, just starting to boil.

"So you plotted to kill him." Points. "But all you succeeded in doing was getting his mother and sister raped to death by goblins." The audience looks ready to lynch him on the spot. "Two more lives destroyed. For you to just fail again."

The bubbling festering bile in him finally explodes. The muzzle ring burnt into his brow, easy to see.

"Fine! Arrest me! Take me to the council to be judged!" Phlegm flies. "And prove I'm guilty! Try it, asshole!” Points. “You punk from the projects! You’re nothing! A nobody!" Screams. "You are not the law!"

Keep my voice low and gravelly.

"Wrong. This is my town. This is my badge." Pat the Ironbear. "I am the law."

<Nina: Purrfect.>

"Jonathan, "Johnny," Grant and all members of his gang are now under a sentence of death. Execution time and method to be determined at my discretion."

*tok* *tok*

Rap a glass on the tabletop twice to make a sound a like that old cop show.

"Now take the bodies you brought and get out. Before I add littering to your offenses."

Come hithering to Ce has her skipping over happily with a bottle of, well, something. Taking a sip after she pours reveals its rum.

That I'm already ignoring him gets Johnny even more upset. Causing him to forget where he is again.

"Yo-you think you can ge-get away with this? Fuck you! You're dead you piece of sh-"

*zKOW*

"Aiyee! Aaah! My ear!"

The 40 cal jacketed hollow point shortball rips a good chunk of his big ear off before going into the wall behind him. The pimp jumps up and down. Cradling the side of his bleeding head. Wailing and screaming.

*chu* *chu*

Share little kisses with the unperturbed Cecilia while holding the quickdrawn Steelwolf pointed his way.

"Leave, dumbass, or you'll lose a piece you'll miss a whole lot more." His cronies scramble out. Dragging their ex-mates and douchebag boss with them. "Go back to your hole, little goblin, I'll be there to burn you out of it soon enough."

<BledWhiteHeart: Thank you.>

Is Louis okay?

<BledWhiteHeart: Yes. The contract is fulfilled. He is home now.>

Home?

<BledWhiteHeart: Well, our home. And with the two champions you defeated? Fath-er, I mean, the patriarch is very happy. Um… John? I was wondering…>

<Nina: Ugh. Stop flirting. We have something more important to discuss. So, master, have you decided?>

I think so.

<BledWhiteHeart: Decided?>

<Nina: On what he’ll be. Don’t you pay any attention?> Frowns. <John was a conqueror on medieval world. A mercenary in cyber land. And a merchant on steam planet.> Giggles. <You saw what just happened. “I am the law!” He would be an amazing judge.>

I don’t know a whole lot about the law though.

<Nina: Who says you have to?>

Uh… probably everyone.

<Nina: Just wing it. That group with the bald black guy were special cops too, right?>

Bald black guy?

<Nina: You know, only one eye, kept getting mad about snakes on his plane.>

Snakes? Samuel Jackson? Nina, he’s an actor. Those were movies, not documentaries. None of that stuff was real.

<Nina: Oh… That kind of explains a lot, actually. He did get around a lot for the head of an international police agency. And you’d think he would stop losing his own eyeball at work.>

Huh. A real shield agency? Well the helicarrier was theirs.

Judge Dredd with a Helicarrier.

Hmm…

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