Law & Order: Leanbox

Guilt Tripped

by Derald Snyder

Part 2- Talking With Terrence

SING-SONG CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

MARCH 11, 11:43 AM

(Am I glad I finally got my driver's license,) Peach thought to herself as she sat in the visitor's center. She was also glad that her former connection with Lady Vert still held a bit of clout- she'd never been allowed to see the man Plutia tortured otherwise. Soon enough, the man in question was escorted into the room by a guard, now dressed in an orange prison uniform, though he still had the red bandanna on his head. "Ah... Terrence Gunther?"

"Yeah, that's me. Who're you?" Terrence asked.

"Peach Macintosh. I used to work as Lady Vert's bodyguard," the blonde introduced herself.

"Oh, I know you," the black man nodded with a slight smile. "You were on that 'Ninja Warrior' show the kids liked to watch... You shoulda heard 'em wail when you fell on that cliffhanger."

"...Oh." Peach said, not having expected that response. "Glad to hear I have fans... Well, let me get right to it. You remember that CPU who, um, injured you?"

"How the hell could I forget?" Terrence shuddered in fear.

"Well... I talked with her before coming here," Peach said carefully. "She's really upset over torturing someone who was a former victim themselves..."

"Yeah? Well, not like I had much of a choice... Dad was a deadbeat, and Mom was a junkie... I got no place else to go."

"But didn't they abuse you?" Peach pressed.

"Oh yeah, sure. Hell, the madam who runs the whole operation used to make give her naked massages, even though I thought it was yucky at the time... Look, I know what you're tryin' to get at here. You want me to testify against her in court! Well that ain't happenin', 'cause she's my bread and butter. She goes down, I starve in the streets..."

"Well, I just wanted to get your side of the story, that's all," Peach tried to assure him... just then, the visitor's door opened, revealing a black woman with braided hair, black eyes, a modest bust, dressed in a blue blouse and tan skirt. "Uh, hello?"

"Terrence, honey!" the woman greeted. "It's me, your Mama!"

"Mom?!" Terrence gasped in surprise.

"That's right, honey! I'm finally clean! Come on, give your Mama a hug..." Without waiting for a response she walked over and wrapped her arms around Terrence's neck. "Oh! And who might you be?"

"Peach Macintosh. Lady Vert's former bodyguard," the blonde introduced herself, putting out her hand.

Terrence's mother gave her a critical eye before accepting the handshake. "Alicia Gunther," she responded politely. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Apparently, she's friends with that CPU that tortured me..." Terrence grunted.

"WHAT?!" Alicia cried in shock. "Y-you bitch, I heard about what happened from the detective! Haven't you made my boy suffer enough?!"

"Whoa!" Peach stood up and backed off with raised hands. "I'm not the one who hurt him, ma'am...!"

"Get out!" Alicia shouted. "You leave my poor Terrence alone!"

"Okay okay, I'm going! ...Guard!" Peach called, the guard at the visitor's door promptly letting her out...

*Back at the Basilicom...*

"So, yeah, the mom doesn't sound like she'll listen to reason... at least not from me," Peach finished her explanation to Vert and Plutia, the latter holding a doll of little Peashy.

"Well, she would have every right to be upset," Vert nodded grimly. "As far as Mr. Gunther himself... it seems he understands what the kidnapped kids were going through, thus his attempts to keep them comfortable..."

"So I really did torture the wrong man..." Plutia sighed, hugging her doll. "I wonder if they'll arrest me for going too far..."

"Well, even if they wanted to, which I highly doubt, they can't," Vert pointed out.

"They can't...? Oh!" Peach snapped her fingers in realization. "I know! That, uh, democratic immunity?"

"Diplomatic immunity," Vert gently corrected her.

"What's that?" Plutia asked.

"Basically, since you're the CPU- the ruler of a foreign nation, they can't prosecute you for petty crimes or misdemeanors," Vert explained. "It wouldn't protect against more serious charges like murder, however."

"But isn't torture a serious crime?" Plutia pointed out.

"Prolonged torture might be," Peach mused, "But what you did would be considered excessive force, at best. I don't think you could be prosecuted for that..."

"Weeeellll... how about we ask the police, to be sure?" Plutia suggested.

Peach and Vert looked at each other briefly. "...I guess I can take you down to the precinct, sure," the former said. "But how about we have some lunch first? No point going there on an empty stomach..."

"Okay," Plutia nodded.

POLICE DEPARTMENT

CRIMINAL AFFAIRS

MARCH 11, 1:48 PM

Peach and Plutia sat together in the interrogation room, waiting for the arrival of the assistant district attorney(ADA)... The door then opened, revealing Rizzoli Isles with a briefcase in hand. "Oh, hello again, Miss Macintosh."

"Hey," Peach nodded.

"You know each other?" Plutia asked.

"She was one of the prosecutors on the case of my fellow soldier's murder," Peach elaborated. "Thanks to her, McCoy and Rei Ryghts, the real criminals were found out and arrested... Thanks for solving that case, by the way."

"You and your boyfriend helped too, you know," Rizzoli pointed out as she sat down. "So, your friend here wants to know if what she did to Terrence Gunther is covered by immunity?"

"Something like that, yeah."

Rizzoli nodded as she opened her briefcase and took out some papers. "Well, I took a look at Bennie Crisco's report on the operation... apparently your HDD turns you into... a dominatrix?"

"...Yeah," Plutia looked down in shame. "But I went too far with that Terrence... he didn't deserve that..."

"Well, Crisco and a few others beg to differ," Rizzoli countered. "Child trafficking is a very serious crime, after all..."

"If it had been anyone else, we probably wouldn't even be here right now," Peach jumped in. "I'm just here to stop Ploot from doing something stupid, like waiving her immunity..." Almost as soon as she said that, realization hit her, clapping her hands over her mouth.

But it was too late. "Waiving immunity? I can do that?" Plutia asked.

"You can, but I wouldn't recommend it," Rizzoli replied. "You'd only be charged with aggravated assault, at best..."

"That sounds about right," Plutia nodded.

"Ploot!" Peach grabbed her friend by the shoulders to look her friend in the eye. "I'm begging you, don't do this! What about your Planeptune?! My little sister can't handle things by herself, you know that!"

"But, Neppy and Gear and that Uzume could help," Plutia pointed out. "Maybe you could go and see little Peashy, too, while I'm on trial..."

"...Is there nothing I can say that will change your mind?" Peach almost pleaded.

"Nuh-uh. I deserve this... for what I did to that man..." A tear ran down Plutia's cheek.

"Ploot..." Peach pulled back, a look of despair on her face. "...Alright, if that's really what you want, I'll go to your Planeptune for a while..." Wiping her face, she turned back to Rizzoli... "Miss Isles... go easy on her, okay?"

"That's up to McCoy," Rizzoli shook her head. "No promises." She then took a sheet from her briefcase... "This form here basically says that you agree to waive your immunity for this trial. If you're really certain about this, then go ahead and sign on the line at the bottom here."

"Okay... thank you," Plutia said, accepting the pen that Rizzoli offered her, scribbling her name on the line indicated...

*To be continued...*