getting ready for a night out on the town.

[jlf_redhood]

Literally on the town, as I plan to be gathering intel for a bust tonight, and my chosen point of view is the top of a building. Ha. I'm hilarious.

Man, I'd kill for a burrito. Or, well, I guess that's not a big stretch for me these days. I'd... not-kill for a burrito? I don't know, man, I just really want a burrito, but I'm stuck on this roof until the dirtbags I'm watching are done for the night.

I'm gonna dream about burritos, I can just feel it.

Comments

[jlf_superman]

Would you like me to bring you a burrito, Jason?

[jlf_redhood]

YES. Uh, please. You'll be able to find me by following the growling sounds my stomach is making. Or, y'know, just head to the top of the Gotham Central Bank.

Burritos, man. You are the best.

You wanna have one too? Burrito picnic on the top of the bank? Been a while since we caught up.

[jlf_superman]

I'm there already. Look up.

[jlf_redhood]

Whoa, you are... fast. I mean, yes, I knew that, but. Wow.

So. Hey! How's Metropolis? How's Lois?

[jlf_superman]

I've gotten a bit faster since you...well, since you were away, let's say. She's doing well. We're married now, actually.

What are you on surveillance for? Anything specific?

[jlf_redhood]

Aw, hey, congrats! That's great.

I got a tip that the clean-cut looking gentlemen in the office building next door are running drugs down near the docks. I'm looking for some confirmation before I go... let's call it "busting heads."

[jlf_superman]

Or we could arrest them and turn them over to the proper authorities, after we have enough confirmation and evidence to get them convicted. "Busting heads" isn't the way we do things, Jason.

[jlf_redhood]

If you can find me some authorities to turn them over to that'll actually do something other than let them walk? I'm willing to negotiate.

This is Gotham. Good luck with that. If the authorities worked, I'd have to find a real job.

[jlf_superman]

That's not the Jason I remember. Does Bruce know what you're doing?

[jlf_redhood]

The Jason you remember got blown to hell and back because Bruce refuses to do what needs to be done with the Joker.

Does he know what I'm doing? Absolutely. I think the question you meant to ask was "does he approve?" And, well, you can probably answer that one yourself. There's a reason I'm not sleeping at the Manor, and it's not because I love the Narrows so much.

[jlf_superman]

Bruce understands we have to let the justice system do it's job, even if we don't always agree with it, and that there is a thin line between what we do and being a vigilante or criminal. I know it's not always easy to do, but if you don't, you may end up on the wrong side of the battle.

[jlf_redhood]

Maybe it's different when you're looking at it from this side of the grave, but I think "the wrong side of the battle" is letting creeps keep breathing when you know that the so-called justice system is gonna turn them out and let them keep killing innocent people.

I don't love what I do. The second I start loving it, that's when I quit, because that's the line. That's what keeps me from turning into the bad guy. I'm not doing it for kicks. Bruce's brand of justice might work if the justice system in Gotham wasn't so screwed, but it's like water in a sieve.

I'm just looking for options that end up with less dead kids, is what I'm saying.

[jlf_superman]

The rules aren't just there to keep you from being a murderer, Jason. They're also there to keep you from becoming a tyrant. Declaring yourself judge, jury, and executioner is no way to earn people's trust. Not Bruce's, not the people of Gotham, not the League's, and not mine.
Especially not mine.

[jlf_redhood]

So you're telling me you'd rather see these lowlifes get through the justice system without so much as a slap on the wrist than have someone take care of the problem? Because here's the thing: I'm not talking about killing everyone. For most of the guys I go after - these scumbags I'm watching now, for instance - I'll settle for a good old-fashioned beating like Bruce is so fond of handing out, with a little side dish of scaring the pants off of them by twirling my guns. Recidivism rates really nosedive with a good dose of fear. I don't need to take those guys out. I don't even want to anymore.

But the real crazies? The ones like Two-Face, like Joker, like Scarecrow? The ones who do it for kicks? Those are the ones I want to take out for good. Go ahead and tell me that putting them back in Arkham and just waiting for them to break out again is the best solution.

[jlf_superman]

The best solution isn't killing, the best solution is reformation. Fighting and taking down criminals directly may seem like the best solution, but it's not. Working with the police and government to improve the prisons and justice system is the better option. It may not get results as quickly, but the results last longer.
I'm not going to stop you from taking care of these alleged dealers, Jason. It's not my place to. But as a friend, I'm telling you that if you keep dishing out your own brand of justice, you're going to be marked as a criminal or a madman too. I would rather not see things come to that.
Lois is waiting for me in Metropolis. Enjoy your burrito, and stay safe.

[jlf_redhood]

The best solution is reformation, I agree. But there are always gonna be those who won't reform, and what happens then?

Thanks for the burrito. You and Lois have a good night.