ooc post for bat stuff

So this will be the briefest of info-dumps, since other people will be following up with respective ooc posts on the subject. It's open to thoughts from anyone, since it concerns Crane's impending trial and punishment, but will be especially relevant to RISE, people who are close CR to Batman, and anyone who's had contact with Crane in the last two weeks.

So where is Crane? What's happening on his punishment? As is clear, Crane went on the run, but what seems to be less well known is that - after a brief stay with Lucifer - Crane arranged to surrender himself essentially to his no-longer-quite-so-arch-nemesis...actually as a ploy to develop tensions between RISE and Batman--although it's come to encompass a much larger audience, and blame can go in all sorts of places.

Batman has held Crane illegally for the last two weeks in his (Bruce Wayne's) basement. Funny how all these people have basements isn't it? During this time, Batman has been trying to recreate some of his mythos with Crane, given that his fear of the Batman has evaporated completely. His treatment has been...illegitimate, and at times dubious, and has involved dragging him out in the middle of the night to visit psychiatrists, denying him books and gasp engaging him in polite meaningful conversation.

But all this time, as has been seen on the network Crane has been able to access his comms device, thanks to game mechanics that allow him to access it remotely--Batman has spent at least the last ten days trying to find out how this is happening and stop it, and therefore stop Crane's continued meddling in affairs of justice. And his egging people on against each other. His solution to this? Drug him. Which is working for now, but potentially not for long. Batman may consequently ask for help keeping an eye on Crane's network interactions.

Finally, a resolution; this will be in the form of a POST to the network tomorrow! With Crane well and truly (drugged) and off the network, Batman is ready to engage with RISE on matters of Crane's punishment. Here's where justice and justice butt heads. Batman wants Crane to be suitably punished for what he's done, yes, but he believes that Crane needs constant mental health supervision. He believes that he needs to be tried with prior understanding that his acts are the acts of a madman, supervised long term, and that any idea of rehabilitation considers both the threat Crane can pose to the public and that which the incensed public can pose to him. He will agree to hand him over only if Crane finds a criminal defense attorney willing to take his case, and that his mental health advocate demands are met immediately, not upon sentencing, but leading up to it as well.

The thing is, Bats is pretty demanding, but many of these things aren't possible. ICly, things won't go that way. If not dismissed for Crane's mental state, he's likely to get two months in prison followed by two months probation, no full term mental health considerations, and the chance to mix with other inmates - which I don't have to tell you, with Crane that means terrible things, exactly what Batman is trying to avoid. In addition to this, the fact that Batman is holding Crane illegally and keeping him from RISE and any other interested angry mobs inevitably won't mesh well.

So what it comes down to is there's no clear cut thing as to how this is going to end: are people going to come for Batman? Angry anti-Batman mobs in the streets? Will RISE mount their own effort while pretending to negotiate? We just don't know. It will depend on how his post goes, largely, and there will be a RISE planning post covering that response, I think? That means there's full flexibility for how your characters react leading to one outcome or another. Should RISE attack Batman head on? Will the handover go as planned and then the court system will screw him? Will someone attempt to assassinate Crane at the last second? Will everyone politely concede to Batman's demands and then arrest him at the last second? We want to hear from you!

Okay so that other thing: For people whose characters have been contacted by Crane over the last couple of weeks, you have the optional possibility of Batman being able to see the content of those conversations, based on his intervention. If anyone has messages in their inbox (I'm looking at you Kristin) that they don't mind Batman having been secretly a party to, please let me know! Follow up CR will be happening, and links are always awesome.

tl;dr Batman is posting tomorrow
Crane plot moving toward resolution
Need input on what will happen next
PS. Can Batman read your texts with Crane?

Please wait a moment while I put up the relevant organizational threads.

audio; all replies will be in text from batsymbol unless noted otherwise

Crane is no longer on the loose. He's in my custody.

My custody, as I'm sure will be illuminated to me, is not lawful, nor is it constructive. It's my belief that Crane needs structured punishment for what he has done: a trial, imprisonment, and psychiatric help. Not a pitchfork carrying mob and a chopping block.

Crane is from my world, and I know him. I know the scope of his threat, and his madness. I also know that what's in store for him is unacceptable in the state it currently exists. I want to surrender him - I will surrender him - but I have demands regarding his treatment that RISE will sustain, if they want my cooperation. This is my letter to RISE discussing my terms.


When it comes to standing trial, it is essential that Crane is treated as the mentally unsound man that he is. I'm sure nobody who experienced the effects of his fear gas, his "treatment" before, or his network behavior since, would doubt that. So from the moment he's surrendered until his trial, I want him overseen by a psychiatric professional. Secondly, in a trial of his peers, I cannot imagine that suitable people can be found who were not affected by his gas, or have friends affected, but the attempt to do so should be made. If impossible, I want to know - and I think the public ought to be aware - of how this unbalance of justice is going to be addressed in this "court's" judgement. Regardless he will be put to trial fairly and swiftly, with a full, paid, state defense--preferably with an import attorney. If one cannot be found then a suitable local attorney should be appointed to him, and paid for out of imPort pockets.

My final demand should be obvious: Crane cannot be allowed to mix with a native population, nor continue using the network the way he has been recently; you'll notice no interference from him presently, and up until his handover has been properly negotiated. Crane doesn't need fear gas to cause harm. He doesn't need his powers. He is Gotham's villain; he makes battle with his mind, not the blunted weapons of magical abilities and the supernatural, and that's what makes him dangerous. That's why I can be certain even now that my catching him, and my handing him over, are both elements of his agenda. You have been warned.

I don't think anything I'm asking for is beyond reason. They are concerns everyone here should have with the criminal justice system that they themselves allowed to take hold, and will be held accountable to if they break the law - as I have.

If you want Crane, then RISE needs only state it's intention to cooperate, prepare its tribunal, and in seven days I will hand him over to face the people's justice. If you want to come after me instead, then you can expect a fight.

"Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both." That is all I'm asking for. Much is being done to rebuild in De Chima, the families of the people he hurt continue to need your help, but justice for them and justice for Crane are the same thing, and one cannot be leveled for the sake of revenge for the other.