re_alignment | [Video | Rung's Office]

If a confession is not enough what would you call 'concrete evidence '? A video of Frenzy actually killing Four?

We still need to figure out if he was really gloating or he was the actual culprit, but no matter what, the Police Force has, and will, arrest him under suspicion of torture and murder.

Is it a genuine confession, or ill-conceived bragging? If you call that reason enough to convict him, you're worse at your job than you led me to believe.

As I said, I will punish my own Aligned. I'll permit you to question him, but otherwise you're not to hold him.

We don't know for sure yet. That's why I'm going to arrest him to inquire him about it. I never said convict, did I? But we can't brush this off like it's nothing, or ignore it because some of us are biased. [US being you, Megatronus.]

You always says that. We are supposed to work on our own and help this world to grow and prosper; but when something happens and we want to take action to prevent more possible dangers suddenly we are nothing but your puppets who shall act according to your will.

Either we have freedom of action or we don't, the Police force can't be a crippled organism.

Arrest means to take into custody, Blurr. See that it's no longer than a day, or you will receive a visit from my combat Acolytes.

I interfere where it concerns the rights and wellbeing of my own Aligned. Not allowing to do all that you please does not equate to crippling you. Go ahead and question Frenzy; conduct your own investigation - but I will not permit you to hold him indefinitely when we have equally dangerous mechs roaming freely.

Murderer is serious matter to us, not a joke. [Ugh he always ends so frustrated talking to you, Megatronus.] A day it is, then.

It's still taking action according to personal bias, which makes all the situations unfair. What if all the FirstForged did that we would go nowhere as a society. If those other mechs are 'roaming freely' it's probably because we don't have the means or the necessary proofs to take action against them. [Blurr's still trying to find Tarn, after all.]

Do you recall who issued the decree that murderers would face consequences? Don't imagine that this is a joke to me, Blurr.

[If Frenzy really did kill Four, then he's going against Megatronus' own command. He takes that sort of defiance very seriously.]

Imprisoning a mech for being a loudmouth when known killers and self-admitted cannibals walk the Haven is just as unfair, Blurr. Inflicting heavy-handed "justice" on one won't make up for your shortcomings in other areas.

No, I did not forget, but it doesn't look like it stopped anybody from killing. [Case in point, Four's murder.]

[Frenzy's going to be in trouble one way or the other, isn't he?]

Imprisoning someone for admitting a crime such as murder is a whole different thing. Loudmouth or not, you can't deny that Frenzy's reaction to Rung informing him that he was going to report him is, at the very least, suspicious.

However, we already agreed that we won't keep him in the headquarters for longueur than a day, and then the Police Force will keep instigating.

Do you think I do this because I enjoy our conversations?

Then prove who was involved and bring the evidence to their Firstforged. Don't expect action if you can't make a solid case against the alleged perpetrators.

Are you going to make a law against acting suspicious now? Frenzy may be a murderer; he may not be. I'll see what I think once I've spoken with him myself.

We trying to do that but first we are also trying to protect people. This sort of matters were supposed to be taken care off by the Police Force and the Law committee, not the FirstForged. We were told that you didn't want to be bothered by such trivial affairs, after all you all seems to be busy deign other things.

[Or at least most of you always look like you are too even care about the people here unless something life changing happens.]Why allow us to organize a Law system in the first place if you are going to act biased on your behalf?

Don't twist my words, that's not what I said. However, there's something called Reasonable suspicion, a legal standard of proof that, why is less than probable cause, is also the legal standard for arrests and warrants and more than an inchoate and unparticularized suspicion or 'hunch'. Police may briefly detain a person if they have reasonable suspicion that the person has been or is about to be engaged in criminal activity. [Blurr knows that humans called that a Terry Stop in Detroit, but he figures that Megatronus wouldn't really care for the technical terms.]

Are you dense? We have had this conversation before, Blurr. You Refugees are not the ultimate authority on this planet.

[Blurr can quote all the law-speak he likes at him. An ego this size won't be deterred or convinced by so little.]

I don't have time or patience to deal with petty crimes or lead investigations - that is the role of your police force. Were this a lesser crime, I would let you do as you pleased. But when it is alleged that one of my Marked has murdered another, I am involved. I'm not about to allow you to imprison him on such flimsy evidence.

Question Frenzy. Gather evidence. He is not to face consequences for any crime you cannot prove he committed. Do you understand?

And you are so dedicated to your own ego that you don't get it? This is not just about Frenzy, it's about the whole justice system here.

None of use chose any of you as our authority. More often than not you speak like those who were the cause of the Great War back in many of our universes. Is that want you want to happen here?

[A mind like Blurr's won't be changed easily either, he doesn't care that it's a god-like entity talking to him.]

We are reaching a stage where the ones in charge are free to do anything they please, while the citizens may act only by permission. That is the stage of the darkest periods of society and the start of rule by brute force.

If you want to discuss the future of Cybertron's justice system, send me your leader. I won't debate with you about the running of a system you're not in control of.

[Does he look like he's getting bored of arguing this? 'Cause he gets bored of arguments that don't involve the use of his fists.]

I'm here. What seems to be the problem, exactly?

[Because...you both need to stop having such good points. And he's certain he's seen humans act like this before, but generally only after they have been married for a number of years.
Or after they were subjected to fashion.]

As I understand it, Blurr objects to me barring you from jailing one of my Marked without conclusive proof of wrongdoing.

[McCrane...sighs. This reminds him of the same argument he had with Prima, and even that hadn't been resolved entirely to his satisfation.]

Blurr objects to you interfering in a police matter, of which I agree. We have satisfied the requirements set forth--we have a law committee with members from each of you, and we're forming our own system.

What we do from here on out is up to us, unless you'd like to lodge a formal complaint.

[In which case you could speak to their Secretary, Cody. He's much smaller than an acolyte and doesn't carry weaponry, but he at least is capable of having a conversation.]

That said--we're bringing Frenzy in for questioning, only, and will decide how to proceed from there. We will also be speaking with the victim.

[Megatronus laughs. Do you think you're the one who gets to dictate the resolution of this situation to him, McCrane? It's not happening.]

What you do with one of my Marked or on my territory remains subject to my approval. You are a guest in our Haven. Don't push your luck.

Blurr was ready to detain Frenzy indefinitely on nothing more than a perhaps-fabricated confession. My interference will cease when I am confident that you are capable of handling matters with impartiality and consistency.

[McCrane has to stare for a moment, because this is basically the opposite of dealing with Prima. This is not someone who is willing to work for a compromise.]

A confession is admissable evidence. However--you are right. It is not grounds for punishment. It just means we have more to consider, and we will be bringing him in to consider it.

If we have no reason to keep him, he'll be released.

[Compromise isn't impossible with Megatronus - it's just not his starting position. One needs to maneuver him into an agreeable state of mind first, and Blurr has very much been working him in the opposite direction.]

Of course. I've said before that I don't expect complete inaction on your part. One day should be more than enough time to interrogate him. After that, I want Frenzy transferred into the custody of my Acolytes. I have questions of my own for him.

[McCrane considers this for a moment, because its not a completely unreasonable request. There have been times when they needed to speak with the prisoners of other precincts, after all. However--acknowledging that would be acknowledging Megatronus as a valid precinct, which...he isn't.]

I will release him to your acolytes if we do not find strong evidence against him.

If we do, then he will face trial by our committee. Your acolytes would be welcome to visit, however.

[Even if Megatronus isn't willing to compromise--McCrane is going to try his best at it.]

McCrane, do you recall the outcome of my last disagreement with the police force's methods?

[You know, Overlord, and the armed Acolytes that wouldn't take no for an answer? He's still got plenty to throw around.]

The freedom to punish my own Marked for their transgressions is all I expect. I would prefer to avoid violence over such a small thing.