The world is a mess.
But my body is failing.
For over 70 years, I've dedicated my life to the law, hoping that other Judges will follow my strict example. I wanted to make a difference, but it seems the only difference I've made is to slightly prolong the inevitable collapse, if anything.
With the desperate need for more Judges, the standards have been lowered. Judges are dying in droves now, and the ones who have survived are likely to be corrupt.
I'm not even sure I can be a role model anymore, considering the gossip in the Department mostly revolves around how I'm not as good as I used to be, rather than the fact I could still kick any one of their asses even in my relatively weakened state.
The system is failing, just like my body.
I need more time.
-0-
I thought I'd be used to staring death in the face by now. But usually I didn't want anything back.
"Dreddddd…" Judge Death hissed.
"Make me a spirit," I demanded.
Death froze. "Sssurreee…" he said. I was sure he was smiling, despite not having lips.
Too easy. I didn't trust him, especially after what he did to Judge Kraken, controlling his body and forcing him to kill. I pressed a hidden trigger, causing the ledge of the cave to collapse and Death to be hurtled into the dark abyss.
"Don't think so, creep."
No doubt he will disconnect from whatever rotting corpse he'd inhabited, and make his way up to the surface again. If he can tell which way is up.
Plan B.
-0-
I strode through the doors of the Justice Department, heading for the evidence room. I was dressed in a white wrapped outfit suitable for the desert, mouth covered, hopefully unrecognisable. For once the rotten Justice system was working in my favour, even though I was secretly hoping that someone would actually ask me what I was doing there.
With what Anderson told me, I knew a bit about Judge Death's origins. Guess you can get to know anyone when trapped in Boing! for a long time.
Finding my target, I grabbed the rather dilapidated handheld dimensional warp device.
Here goes.
The witch sisters Phobia and Nausea appeared in front of me, living up to their full name as I tried to make extra efforts to control the lurch in my stomach. They were in ethereal form. Hopefully this barrier would stop them reading me completely.
"Whyyyy do you disssturb ussss?"
"My world is corrupt. I want to be a spirit. I want to destroy."
Hopefully they couldn't tell what I wanted to destroy.
They smiled. "Verrryyy wellll. Your worlddd hasss been sssurviving usss for tooo longggg."
They looked me up and down. I tried to not make any overt movements. "You inssspire a sssenssse of forrreboding, of dread. You'll leave offfff your previousss name, and become an undead Judge… Judddge Dread. You willlll only be knownnn by that name nowww. Will youuu agreeee?"
"Uh… sure."
"Then let the transssformation occurrr!"
Everything solid in the universe and within myself disintegrated in half a second. I didn't have time to scream.
-0-
I gasped, regaining consciousness. I was dead, and inhabited my own corpse.
The room was dark. The dimensional warp had run out of power. I had no idea what had happened to the sisters, although I doubt they'd wanted to come through to my dimension.
I staggered to my feet. It was a weird sensation, feeling my body yet being detached from it. I guess this state is more efficient, considering I didn't have to shower now.
Whoops, my own corpse fell down. Looks I have to concentrate harder to maintain the bond.
I wanted to get some advice from a trusted friend, and made my way to the exit of the building.
Walking past a mirror, I noticed there was a red glow around my body, and my eyes were black, piercing.
Drokk, are people still not asking me what I'm doing here?
-0-
"Anderssson…" I said, an unfamiliar lisp coming through. Hm, I'd have to learn to talk less.
She paled, but then realised I was still pretty much myself. "Dredd, what have you done?"
I smiled for once in my life. Although I wasn't sure if it counted considering I was now technically dead.
Time to get down to business and clean up the city.
END
A/N: makes me sad to think this character would die! D: But I guess comics could continue in story form with flashbacks and retrospects.