Playing Gods
"So, tell me about the girl."
"She's the newest pet project for the HoJ. Supposed to be telepath."
"The Judges don't recruit muties', Why choose her?"
"Intel says shes the strongest telepath the HoJ has come across. Judge Anderson and Judge Dredd were responsible for taking down Ma-Ma… on her first day. She's more than capable…."
"Interesting… And you think she's the key to our problems?
"Judge Anderson is the perfect candidate."
"Very well, see that the necessary precautions are taken. Inform me when everything is ready. Soon all our hard work will pay off."
November 18, 2101
3:27 p.m.
District 13
"Oh shit! We gotta' go man, Judges are here!"
"Fuck man, I told you that deal was shady!
"Yeah-yeah-yeah, lets get the product and get the hell outta' here. We'll lose them out back."
"You better hope so! If we lose this then were dead meat. No talking our way out this time."
"Which is why we're making haste. One problem at a time please? We still got some Judges to deal with. I ain't going back to the cubes again. No fucking way. Shit, I can hear them now!"
"Then come on. Help me move the fridge!"
,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.
"Anderson to control."
"Control here."
"I need a meat wagon for pickup. Plus bodies for recyc'. Pursuing perp on foot, deal went south."
"Copy that Judge. Do you require reinforcements?"
"Negative control, we've got it covered."
,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.
Bang-bang-bang
Dredd pounded on the door. He almost didn't see him in the crowded slum market. Place was a hot spot for drug trafficking. However, Dredd's eagle vision is unmatched. Just as the perp was closing the door to a dilapidated apartment, he saw his face. All he needed.
"This is the Law; disarm yourself and open the door. Or face deadly force! You have twenty seconds to comply!"
"Dredd to Anderson, perp is located in North-east corner of the market. Home in on my signal"
"Alright, times up!"
Dredd grabbed a multi-charge from his belt. Armed it and placed it on the door just as Anderson reached his location.
"Get ready, breaching in five."
Anderson readied herself behind Dredd with a steady hand on her Lawgiver. Gone was the nervous girl taking on Peach Trees. Confidence replaced anxiety. Focus replaced fear. Cassandra Anderson was a Judge now. She was the Law.
With a loud thud followed by a change in air pressure, the door was no more. Dredd entered and swept left, with Anderson behind sweeping right. Nobody was there. Anderson continued to bedroom never lowering her weapon.
"Clear!" Anderson yelled, as she walked back to see Dredd standing in the kitchen"
"Looks like they went this way."
Anderson rounded the corner to see the pulled out fridge with a sizable hole leading to the outside fire escape ladder. The perps were nearly down it.
Dredd aimed his weapon down the ladder, setting a stun charge, and fired.
,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,
The perps crashed to the ground. One unconscious and the other hurt badly.
"Shit I think my foot is broke! Hey Ranz you with me bro?"
He lied on the ground perfectly still, breathing but unmoving.
"Fuck-fuck man come on!"
He slapped Ranz' face a few times, he was out like a light. The perp feebly got to his feet. It felt like razorblades in his left foot. The car was close by, but he couldn't carry Ranz and the product.
"I'm sorry! You would do the same thing. Its nothing personal, just business."
Words were useless but it still felt right thing to say. Even if it was very shitty to do.
"I'll see you on the other side brother." With that he hobbled to the car in agony, product in tow.
,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,..,.,.,.,..,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,
Ranz woke up then, taking a moment to gather himself to sit up. He saw his car pull away right as he sat up. Speeding off into cursed city.
"Gabriel you motherfucker! Come back here!" It was futile, he was already gone.
"Figures, can't say I wouldn't do the same." Ranz felt a cold chill from his sudden realization. His partner was gone, Judges in pursuit, leg was definitely broken.
"Guess I'm not walking outta' here. Shame it has to be like this." Ranz reached for his waist, searching for his gun, glad that it was still in his waist band somehow. He managed to drag himself away from the ladder a couple meters. He heard the solid thump of a Judge dropping from the bottom of the ladder to the ground. Ranz leveled his gun at Dredd.
"You got nowhere to run. Drop your weapon and surrender. If you comply the sentence is thirty years in the cubes."
"Well that sounds real fucking nice. Does it come with a network suite? Or will I be bored to death? Cause' livin' in a tiny cube for that long with just my imagination is going to make jerking off very, very difficult."
Anderson dropped down and surveyed the area.
"Why is it that every time we work together I have to run everywhere?" Standing beside Dredd she took her helmet off to look at the remaining perp. She reached out with her mind to feel his thoughts.
"Luck." Dredd was nonchalant about everything. Anderson wondered how someone could remain that cool and calm in any situation. Feeling the anxiety from Ranz, she concentrated on the task at hand.
"You don't have to this. There's still a way out." She felt his thoughts stir a bit. Confusion mixed with rage, and an overwhelming sense of dread. "Poetic" she thought to herself.
"Oh yeah? Rotting away in the cubes sounds amazing. But there's a faster way out."
Anderson wasn't sure what he meant until she felt his thoughts. Ranz wasn't scared anymore. An eerie sense of calm and acceptance washed over into her mind. She knew what he planned.
Ranz pulled the gun under his chin and starred at Anderson.
"Eventually we all lose. Its inevitable in this fucked up world."
Anderson was shocked at his calmness. She'd never felt this before. How someone was so accepting of death baffled her. Ranz' determination brought her back to reality.
"The one freedom we still have is the ability to make our own choices, and suffer the consequences of our actions. I don't have regrets, I accept my fate. At least I can go out with some dignity…. Looks like you win this round Judge."
Ranz grinned at Anderson. He thought about everything good about his life and made peace with himself. Anderson suddenly felt serenity envelope his mind and soul. Ranz made eye contact one last time before closing his eyes; painting the ground next to him a fine shade of red.
It still hurt to watch someone die. Although her job required her to experience it almost daily. Suicides are the most confusing. Even if it makes since in a weird way.
"Guess that saves us some paperwork." Dredd lowered and holstered his Lawgiver.
"Yeah... paperwork." Anderson was still in her own little world for a split second. Eventually lowering her weapon.
"You with me Rookie? She looked up at Dredd staring at her through the black shield of his helmet.
"Yeah, just thinking."
"Well think later, we still have work to do."
"Right." She holstered her own lawgiver and called Control to report in.
,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.
Dredd began to search Ranz' body. A single piece of torn paper was folded in half. There was a group of numbers on it followed by a name- 7297.340.2213 Icarus -. Dredd handed it to Anderson. It was a telecom address.
"Who do you think this could be." Anderson inspected both sides of the parchment for clues.
"Beats me. But I'm willing to guess our runaway friend is heading that way."
"Possibly, but how can you be so sure?" It felt like they were at a dead end. One perp dead, and a perp fleeing. The informant that led them here was dead in the street. Killed by the escapee. Also the narcotics were gone as well.
The plan was solid. The informant was too nervous however. Gabriel sensed his deceit and shot him dead in the street. Dredd and Anderson were close but it didn't matter. They didn't see this coming. Its a cold harsh world dealing narcotics in Mega-City One. Ma-Ma's death and the supply of Slo-mo dried up. Leaving Sector thirteen up for grabs.
"The name Icarus has been popping up since we busted Ma-Ma. Looks like a new Kingpin might be in business."
"Let's hope this number leads somewhere. Today hasn't been that great for us."
"When has it ever." Dredd stated matter-of-factly. He started walking down the road the perp drove down.
"Always on the move." Anderson stared at Ranz' body one last time and then followed after Dredd. Today was a failure for sure. But this lead could redeem the lost day. They were Judges. They wouldn't quit until they succeeded, or died trying.
Author notes: well its been like 1.5 years since I've written anything for Dredd. Randomly decided to do this early in the morning. My "Cold Reality" story is still up in the air. I might just make this the continuation of that considering how I left it off.
Anywho I hope you enjoyed it to some degree and I look forward to feedback and constructive criticism. I actually have an idea on where this story could go. I think you guys will either love it or hate it. Thats generally how this works I suppose. Enough rambling for now. Happy reading! :D