maskormenace | voice; text; replies will be text from bat symbol unless otherwise noted

Crane is no longer on the loose. He's in my custody.

My custody, as I'm sure will be illuminated to me, is not lawful, nor is it constructive. It's my belief that Crane needs structured punishment for what he has done: a trial, imprisonment, and psychiatric help. Not a pitchfork carrying mob and a chopping block.

Crane is from my world, and I know him. I know the scope of his threat, and his madness. I also know that what's in store for him is unacceptable in the state it currently exists. I want to surrender him - I will surrender him - but I have demands regarding his treatment that RISE will sustain, if they want my cooperation. This is my letter to RISE discussing my terms.

When it comes to standing trial, it is essential that Crane is treated as the mentally unsound man that he is. I'm sure nobody who experienced the effects of his fear gas, his "treatment" before, or his network behavior since, would doubt that. So from the moment he's surrendered until his trial, I want him overseen by a psychiatric professional. Secondly, in a trial of his peers, I cannot imagine that suitable people can be found who were not affected by his gas, or have friends affected, but the attempt to do so should be made. If impossible, I want to know - and I think the public ought to be aware - of how this unbalance of justice is going to be addressed in this "court's" judgement. Regardless he will be put to trial fairly and swiftly, with a full, paid, state defense--preferably with an import attorney. If one cannot be found then a suitable local attorney should be appointed to him, and paid for out of imPort pockets.

My final demand should be obvious: Crane cannot be allowed to mix with a native population, nor continue using the network the way he has been recently; you'll notice no interference from him presently, and up until his handover has been properly negotiated. Crane doesn't need fear gas to cause harm. He doesn't need his powers. He is Gotham's villain; he makes battle with his mind, not the blunted weapons of magical abilities and the supernatural, and that's what makes him dangerous. That's why I can be certain even now that my catching him, and my handing him over, are both elements of his agenda. You have been warned.

I don't think anything I'm asking for is beyond reason. They are concerns everyone here should have with the criminal justice system that they themselves allowed to take hold, and will be held accountable to if they break the law - as I have.

If you want Crane, then RISE needs only state it's intention to cooperate, prepare its tribunal, and in seven days I will hand him over to face the people's justice. If you want to come after me instead, then you can expect a fight.

"Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both." That is all I'm asking for. Much is being done to rebuild in De Chima, the families of the people he hurt continue to need your help, but justice for them and justice for Crane are the same thing, and one cannot be leveled for the sake of revenge for the other.

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[ OOC: The OOC planning post for this plot resolution is here. I'll add other OOC notes if more planning posts/network conversation goes up as a response just to keep everything tidy. Have at it! ]

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[Frankly, Qubit could give less of a damn about whether Batman's methods are legal. What he hears, though, is that Crane's no longer holed up behind his human shields, that he'll stand trial, and... well, that no one exacted bloody revenge on him. He'd have welcomed that sort of news, too, on a visceral level. But this is a better solution in the long term. A smoother end to the nightmare couldn't be asked for.

It's a little too smooth.]

Not that I don't believe you, but I'm sure we'd all like to see some proof of life.

I can provide that.

[ Batman actually appears for a moment. It's dark, the light from his computer screens is shining off his face, and then it switches to an overhead view of Crane sitting in a corner, or possibly a cell - it's hard to see from the angle - reading a book. He has a desk lamp to read from, and a glass of water beside him. Bruce's voice over is audible in the room, demonstrating that they're sharing the same space: ]

I'd ask him to address the camera, but when he's reading it's hard to get his attention.

[Qubit squints at the video. Is it actually Crane? And what's his condition? It's hard to tell in the dim light, but something seems... off. He's not restrained, for one... In fact, the setup reminds him strongly of the one he had with Lucifer.

He might be able to confirm his hunch, if he insists on a closer look or a few words. But then, what difference does that really make? This confirms Crane is indeed in custody, and that's the most important thing. How he did it... he may be willing to let slide.]

Fair enough. Just so long as he's breathing. [And, with some legit professional respect:] Good work.

[But... there's still something bugging him.]

... Now, I'll readily agree with your assessment as far as his sanity. And that he needs to be kept off the streets. But do you really think someone like him can benefit from psychiatric help?

[ There are good reasons why he's using text, and they include controlling his own tells, not giving Crane a chance to talk on the open feed, and being able to handle conversation with him if it occurs without being overheard. So it's back to text for Bruce. ]

I'm not sure even a lifetime of psychiatric help will undo the things that made him who he is. You can train a tree to grow in a specific direction, but if it's trunk is stunted, or scarred, it will bear those marks forever. Perhaps he can be rehabilitated. Perhaps with all the best intention in the world, he'll always revert back to this state, but it is our responsibility as moral creatures to give him that chance; to try, for his own sake.

[There's a long pause on Qubit's end. His mic's off, so maybe he just hasn't seen the message yet. Or maybe he has, but every word of it is something he himself would have said - or did say - about Tony.

True, Batman should have told someone. Precautions should have been taken. But it's too late for that now, and it's obvious he's trying to make things right. Is it still reprehensible to defend the life of a mass murderer? ... Well, Qubit's got the t-shirt, either way.

When he does reply, his voice is firm, measured.]

I don't know what your history with this man is. I'm not going to ask.

But you do agree he can't be allowed to hurt anyone again. [A question, but without a question mark.]

[ He switches back to voice after a moment longer to consider whether or not he means to do so. Being brusque in text is serving him in other places, but that 'I'm not going to ask' surprises him, in a good way. He doesn't know why, but having to admit what he knows about Crane being unchangeable as much is an admission of his own flaws, and it's become personal, like his conversation with Robin.

The shooting of his parents had altered his growth too, and some would happily claim that a man who dressed up as a bat was missing a few gears in his cuckoo clock. ]

I do agree, but I also know that even at home, where confining him would be possible - where we have the facilities to do it-- [ No they don't. Not in his world, at least, where Arkham was all but abandoned along with the Narrows. ] --he frequently does that harm anyway.

Surely there's got to be some way we can prevent it. Powered or not, he's only one man.

At home, he wouldn't have those powers.

[ A pause to let that sink in. He had mentioned it before, but the statement means it can stand to be repeated. Crane is just a man; with his powers he's a menace to society multiplied, the kind of man who can come into his house and scatter into crows just to be petulant. ]

The best this world has will have to do, but people have to know. Any precautions they can take may save lives.

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