Judex v. The United Underworld: David and Goliath

* * * *
Dominatriea could hear the distinct footsteps of the other three Judges and became aware of when they were joined by another, presumably the one that had walked off before. She was clueless as to where she had been taken, but the familiar smells of the Isles greeted her and gave her a sense of direction. Wanting to break the silence, she spoke to the female, “We’re all villains, miss.”

She answered, “We are above titles.”

“We are in the Isles, are we not?”

None of them responded before they came to a complete stop and the blindfold was taken off of the escapees face.

The courtroom was large, with galleys surrounding all sides of an overbearing judicial bench, which was raised incredibly high, allowing the center platform, surrounded by spires to look up at those accusing and judging any defendant.

The defendant today, Dominatriea, was directed to take stand in the center platform while the Judges of Judex filed up the many steps, “If you would please,” the female Judge motioned to the villainess, who amused them by doing as she was told.

“This will be ‘fun’,” she said quietly in the silent courtroom, though it boomed and echoed off the chamber, taking her a bit off guard; the only response to her statement was the crackling of the torches adorning the stone walls.

One of the Judges, again, turned, and left the courtroom without saying a word.

The female Judge stood tall on the main platform of the Judge’s Bench, looking down at the accused, her modulated voice spoke firmly and emotionlessly, “Dominatriea, you have your choice in choosing counsel from those you see before you.”

The petite brunette woman, using her one good eye, looked across the bench at the many masked faces of Judex, the original four had been joined by others in their ranks – some men, some women. None of them really sticking out against any others except for the one who had been there the whole time who had not said a word – the larger framed man.

“…really?” She said mockingly, “Any of them?”

Dominatriea had made her decision, looking to the aforementioned silent Judge, lifting a delicate a hand and pointing at him on the far right of the judicial bench, “I choose him.”

Unphased, the chosen defense counsel stood from his seat, his heavy boots softly thumping against the chamber’s hard, cold floors as he descended the steps and took his place by Dominatriea’s side.

The female, who seemed to be presiding over the proceedings nodded, “It would please this court if you could share with us the reasons for your incarceration - in your own words."

Dominatriea closed her eye as she recalled the story, “Alright. I have a jacket that allows me to manipulate time itself. With it, I could perform a ritual to do whatever I wished... but I needed three enchanted tarot cards. With some backstabbing of a group called the Diva Sisters. We got the cards... and I did my ritual with one, true purpose: Erase all heroes in Paragon City and take it over. There were complications, of course, but it was going on... slowly.... but word got out and that godd*mn ninja and many others realized what was happening. They defeated the United Underworld and destroyed the tarot cards but so long as I held my jacket, the ritual would remain. I was hunted down and.... defeated. That is-....”

The villainess went quiet as she saw a familiar face ascend the steps of the judicial bench – Sebastian Kain.

The female judge had only subtly nodded to him as he had entered and the accused hadn’t even noticed until he turned to look at her.

Sebastian Kain locked eyes with Dominatriea, his former employee when he was running ERA, the tension in the room now palpable, causing the other Judges to shift in their seats.

The Defense Counsel looked to client, “If you wish to…reconsider your choice of counsel?”

The accused shook her head, regaining her composure in that moment and gazed back at the center, female Judge, who now spoke, “Judge, are there any opening statements?”

Defense straightened his shoulders, “Only one,” he swallowed gently, preparing to engage in the verbal battle. Judex’s philosophy would not allow for mistakes – if there was any chance of them wrongly accusing or targeting an individual it would all fall apart. Allowing a Judex member to act as the defense counsel allowed them to negate that possibility – for their philosophy, was all they had.

“I shall take this moment to reiterate if it hasn't been realized at this time…That the 'crime' in which my client is standing trial for, is not very different in our own mission. Merely on a grander scale.”

The Judges nodded in a wave at his statement, except for Sebastian Kain, who was sprawled lazily in his chair on the Judicial Bench, not in his Judex uniform – as was the choice of the Nemesis Branch of the organization, “Hmmm…if I may speak a few words.”

Not out of the ordinary, but worth paying attention to, Judex, en masse, turned to watch Sebastian as he descended from his lofty perch, “My dear Lucille…Quite the web you have woven yourself into. Aren't you the least bit curious to what your fate is tonight?”

He stalked the room, like an animal stalking its prey, but with a casualness that would belie his efforts, “Considering we were ‘once’ allies…you’d think you’d at least choose to hear me out, no?”

Dominatriea held her tongue, much like the other Judges, watching and waiting for whatever the presumed Nemesis Branch leader was going to say.

He stood, staring directly at the woman who had betrayed him those months before.

Finally she responded, “I’m listening, but in the end, I came far closer than you’ll ever achieve.”

As she spoke, he had run his gloved hand across the face of the judicial bench below the other Judges, practically out of their sight.

Another one of the female judges, on the right side of the bench murmured, "An oddly chosen boast given the situation."

The center judge threw her head back laughing, an eerie sound through whatever voice modulation device the Judges used – it sounded more like a robotic cackle.

Dominatriea continued, “I think that speaks more than whatever ******** you can pull out of your ***.”
“You're welcome to believe that,” was Sebastian’s simple retort, before elaborating, “But know this, despite our less than glamorous past…I can choose to help you. But if you want to continue down this path solo…” he had taken slow and methodical steps towards her. Sebastian was a suave and intimidating man – not inherently by looks, though he was a formidable figure – but by his attitude. The amount of justified confidence the man exuded gave most people pause.

“What’s the catch?”

He smirked ever so slightly, “You know ‘me’ well enough, my catches…reveal themselves over time. The main point is, are you willing to accept it for the sake of your own future?”

His offer did cause her to pause for a brief moment before she responded – the moment filled with the voice of another Judge, “Dominatriea. Inadequate.”

Sebastian looked back up towards the Judge who had spoken.

The words fueled the villainess, “I control my own future and, either way, I always carry a full deck. ***** off, Sebastian. You’re less of a man. Nine Ball and the Maestro will always perform better then whatever **** you try. My loyalty is with the United Underworld. No more. No LESS.”

Sebastian’s smirk blossomed fully with her words, “Very well. I’ve washed my hands of you, foolish girl.” And with that, he did not take his seat back on the judicial bench, but instead sat down in the galley, kicking his legs to rest of the wooden would-be juror’s box, his arm spread across the back of the comfortable seat.

One of the female judges chimed in, “Nine-Ball and Maestro have never succeeded in a plan involving the heroes of Paragon.”

This caused the villainess to snap back, “They at least TRIED.”

The original female judge, still standing tall at the center of the judicial bench continued in the proceedings as if nothing had happened since when the Defense had made his opening statement, “Dominatriea, your counsel has made the argument that your endeavors are similar to others, including ours...however, we are curious to know WHY you wish to remove all the heroes.”

“Why?” the villainess responded quietly, as if turning the word over in both her mind and mouth.

“Motive is half the law, Miss Phillips.”

“You want to know why?”

The calm that had once encapsulated the center Judge was broken as she leaned forward on the podium, yelling at the defendant, “ASKED AND ANSWERED, LUCILLE!”

The sudden objection jarred Dominatriea enough to allow her to lose a bit of her cool, as she began ranting at the judicial bench, monologuing with the best of them, “Because there isn’t a difference! Don’t you even realize it?!” She seemed to almost be somewhere else with a sick grin on her face as she continued on, “Heroes aren’t heroes to begin with! They pick and choose who they save, they lurk in Paragon City and allow everyone to go to waste. Where are the heroes in the Rogue Isles?”

Sebastian idly chimed in, his fingers slowly tapping on his blackberry as if he couldn’t be bothered to fully pay attention to the proceedings, “Hey that’s something I can agree with.”

The villainess wasn’t done, “Where are the heroes in other parts of the world?! It’s all one big joke. I set to take away Paragon City’s comforting blanket. They sinned in their own g*ddamn way! I wouldn’t BE here if they gave a ****! So I planned to turn the city into the Rogue Isles! Then those spoiled little brats could see what it truly means to live!”

The Judges watched the petite brunette during her tirade, waiting for her final word before questioning, “So it IS a grudge?”

“OBJECTION!” The Defense stopped the line of questioning, “All comments made by my client are to be considered circumstantial, and off the record of the actual case’s evidence.”

But his client had fully lost her cool, the passion in which she incited in herself, no doubt the same passion that had driven her to attempt to eradicate the innocents in Paragon City in which she now stood trial for washing over her violently, “WHO GIVES A DAMN?! In the end, it really doesn’t matter!” She punctuated her words by slamming the palm of her hands along the wooden spikes, her twisted grin growing across her face, “In the end…all of you are flawed. Sebastian alone is a testament to that. Here you stand only proving what I did was right. Hell, even the Challengers attempted mass genocide of the Rogue Isles….”

The presiding Judge tilted her head, paying close attention to the seemingly psychotic ramblings of the defendant.

“SO TELL ME! What difference will it make to ANY of you? We’re the same…and in the end…my visions, MY WILL shall dominate EVERYTHING!” Dominatriea’s final statements trickled off into a cackle, the sick pleasure in her voice bouncing off the walls of the courtroom, echoing them for all to hear.

The head of the judge returned forward, “Control your CLIENT, Judge,” she commanded the Defense Counsel.

Nodding, the Defense asked, “If this Judge could make a request to have a small word with the client…OFF the stand?”

The benched Judges were about to respond when a menacing, bloodthirsty roar echoed across every corner of the Judex base of operations. The roar sounded inhuman, animalistic in a nature beyond humanity’s comprehension – it dripped with the trappings a controlled rage.

At once, everyone turned and looked to the doors of the court room, Dominatriea included.

A Judge smirked, “Company? So soon.”

“We’re in Recess.”

And without missing a beat, the Defense Counsel, no longer protecting the accused, quickly reached a hand for Dominatriea’s arm, gripping it harshly.

The Judge from the main podium dove down to them, grabbing at the defendant’s other arm.

All of other judges descended, in kind, to the galley floor of the courtroom, calmly, surrounding the stand in which the two judges and defendant stood.

Sebastian Kain hadn’t moved, but he did put his blackberry away.

And without ceremony, a large mass of the United Underworld ranks barged into the courtroom: Nine-Ball, Becky Beatdown, Hammer Shark, Seismecca, Spectre, Agent Double-Take, Shogun of Sorrow, Horror-Frost, Kamen Hotep, Madame Machina, Super Rikti, Autosaurus Wrecks, and others.
Their current leader, Autosaurus Wrecks, stood tall above the rest of the mortals he commanded, his robitic, ghastly visage overbearing and towering, casting a dark an eerie shadow.

“Wrecks, Seismecca, Becky, Nine…” Dominatriea greeted her fellow villains.

Becky Beatdown was a young, blonde woman, clad in a pleated skirt, eye mask and playful, billowing cape, flying above the rest of her teammates. She spoke like a valley girl with a violent streak, “Oh hey Domi, and the dork patrol.”

Nine-Ball, a man covered head-to-toe in yellow tights, his white and black number nine logo the only variation on his look, addressed the captive casually, “Oh, hi, Dom.” He walked over to one of the galley openings and took a seat, resting back and rivaling the relaxed nature of Sebastian.

Agent Double-Take hopped over the counter, joining his teammate, though not sitting.

The robotic monstrosity spoke up, as well, “Dominatriea. Acknowledged.”

A woman wrapped in strategically placed brown leather and fishnet, Seismecca, cocked her hip to the side, “Hey Dom! What’s up? Get a parking ticket?”

A purplish flowing energy seethed out of the individual clad in black, Spectre, “Dom! We’re here to retrieve you.”

The one known as Hammer Shark, a sizeable beast of a man simply growled; another teammate, Kamen Hotep unsheathed his sword, the distinct sound of metal sliding against metal menacing.

A Judge spoke dismissively, “Underworld, United. Uninvited.”

The female Judge holding onto the defendant wrapped her arm around Dominatriea’s neck, her hand glowing with raw, red energy as her nails threatened to dig into the woman’s throat, “BACK. UP.”

Seismecca sneered, her confrontational attitude beginning to rise, “Back up? You mean get closer? Sure.”

The current leader of United Underworld responded with authority, “Do not issue commands in your attempt to control me, woman.”

The once palpable tension was now at an all-time high and so thick it was almost tangible, “They are not commands. They are ultimatums,” a Judge countered.

Horror-Frost took the scene in for a few brief seconds, racking his mind before recognizing Judex, “Hey! I’ve seen you guys before. You're the ******* with the clipboards!”

“Tone. Not tolerated.” Another judge responded.

“Yeah? We'll see how your face tolerates my fists in a minute,” the flying young blonde snarked out.
United Underworld was not taking Judex seriously, only punctuated by Agent Double-Takes retort, “Awww... Look at dere wittle matching outfits... SO Cute! HA!”

The woman holding Dominatriea tilted her head down to the short statured captive, whispering into the defendant’s ear, “I know you no longer are in control of them, but if you wish to prove your previously stated lack of care, then by all means, allow them to come closer. Otherwise we will handle this."

The captive, still clad in her prisoner orange jump suit listened quietly to the whisper as her gaze went on over to the others.

“Misnomer was more than willing to betray all of you,” Autosaurus Wrecks said, as if trying to elicit some kind of response from those threatening his former leader. All he got was a wave of smirks from the Judges.

The smirks were followed by a simple, toneless, modulated declaration, “You have interrupted due process. We suggest you take your seats for the proceedings.”

Two from the United Underworld ranks who had at this point remained silent strongly voiced themselves – Shogun of Sorrow stated matter-of-factly, “You took one of ours from us. We intend to have her back.” Followed quickly with Madame Machina’s, “Return our member.”

Never the one to be outclassed, Seismecca punctuated her comrades’ words, “We want our b*tch back.”
Off to the side, away from the main confrontational circle, Sebastian was starting his own dialogue with yet another ex-employee, Hammer Shark and another Judge who was twisting her mouth at the villain in disdain, “I don’t know you, so you should move away from my personal space. I’m all out of fish, Sharky.”

“I don’t need fish,” the beast Hammer Shark countered, “I want your blood.”

Sebastian Kain dismissively waved him off, “I’m bad for your health, Rook.”

A Judge stepped forward, the same one who had spoken previously, and seemed to dominate the dialogue thus far, pulling a rifle from his Judges ‘robes’, “This can escalate if you desire, but your ally is useless without her artifact.”

The Nictus sneered, "Irrelevant. We're here to take her back; we can fix her in time."

Nine-BaII, still casually seated in the galley cleared his throat, as if wanting to speak, “You…Judex…people, I’m not sure what you’re planning to do to Dominatriea there, but are you willing to DIE over it?”
Chiming in to back up Nine-Ball’s threat, Horror-Frost adds, “Cause’s there seven of you, and double of us…”

The Judge, still gripping at Dominatriea’s throat keeps her composure, “Your numbers do not matter, United Underworld.

The ranks of the Underworld seemed to fray as Sebastian kept taunting one of their own, causing a series of conversations at once.

The blonde was the first to lash out at her comrade, “SHUT UP SHARK!” with others joining, “Heel, Hammer,” and “Shark, get the ***** over here!”

Sebastian smiled as he watched Hammer Shark work himself up.

Remaining focused as she should, given, that her life was in direct threat with the claws of a Judge on her trachea, Dominatriea quietly asked, “What was the point in bringing me here?”

The Judge holding her answered monotonely, “As far as you are concerned, you were brought here under the charges of attempted genocide of innocents.”

Something about the woman’s usage of the world innocents triggered recognition in Autosaurus Wrecks, and he realized who she was, “Miss Sin…or should I say Mrs. Xanatos.”

The eyes of Shogun of Sorrow widened at the mention of the name, “Playing dress-up, Miss Sin? That looks is hardly becoming of you.”

The Judge holding Dominatriea ripped off her mask, her long blonde hair cascading out of the mess that it had taken under the tights uniform, her eyes narrowed as she snarled at Autosaurus Wrecks.

Karnal Sin and Autosaurus Wrecks had only one previous encounter when she acted as liason to her friend Misnomer in his botched plan to take out a wayward villain, Devilfish, on his own personal vendetta. Auto would do the deed while Misnomer would deliver him technology from Paragon’s hero Gadgix. The plan didn’t work out, “Devilfish taught me to never trust one who mates with a being of nobler intents…and you have confirmed this. There are too many…emotions…that get in the way.”

The blonde Judge tightened her grip on Dominatriea. She had long gotten over the frustrations of being relegated to her husband’s project – no her irritation was spawning from something else the giant war machine had said, “You leave my husband out of this conversation, pet. Now, I genuinely suggest you all leave here lest this is escalated further.”

“We will not be removing ourselves without Dominatriea,” Autosaurus bellowed out defiantly.

Shogun of Sorrow couldn’t believe what he was hearing from Judex, “Don’t speak to US of escalation when you break into the Zig to take one of our own.

Karnal tilted her head to the side, looking down the straight of her nose at Shogun of Sorrow, “Not everything has to be accomplished via violence. We quietly literally strolled in, you brutish miscreant.”

“Indeed. Entered and exited without challenge.”

“Disguising yourselves as security guards was a clever trick,” Shogun continued to talk making it abundabtly clear that he was grasping at straws for an explanation as to the course of events.

“You have no idea what you are talking about, little one,” Karnal smiled sweetly at him – there was pity in her voice.

Becky didn’t like her tone, “I am like, so going to beat your stupid bimbo skull into a red mush! And the rest of you, too, if you don’t back the hell off,” her eyes began to glow a violent red – Karnal matched in kind, her own eyes flickering with energy, crackling the air around her.

An unnatural twisting and jerking movement from Auto’s head caused gears to grind.

“Shouldn’t you be oiling up your hubby and attaching some car batteries to his chest or something, Karnal?” Seismecca spat the word at the vixen.

Nine-Ball scoffed at Seismecca’s comment, causing Karnal to turn her gaze towards him, a singular brow raised. She turned back towards Dominatriea, taking a long sniff of her and whispering again, “You know, he propositioned me, that yellow boy of yours,” her captive’s eye to twitch.

A Judge stated the obvious, “Conflict: Inevitable.”

Super Rikti followed in the Judge’s fashion, “Battle: RELISHED.”

“I hope you understand the levels of power you are arrayed against. It is truly in your best interest if you back away before you are EXTERMINATED?” Madame Machina seemed to choose her words wisely, only speaking when something pertinent to say, causing her words to probably carry more weight – except this time – except with Judex.

Judex, outnumbered and outgunned, say their final piece, “We’ll give you one ultimatum. We’ll offer you your prize and her equipment, if you offer us your hand in our plans with Paragon.”

Their offer was refused.


The ensuing battle between the two groups was quick and powerful like the short but incredibly bright flame of an overcharged explosive. And while Judex was indeed outnumbered and outgunned, they had what the United Underworld didn’t have – ironically enough, unity. Judex conditioning had trained all the Judges to work in unison, to properly engage like the weapon the Metas were suppose to be – The Nemesis Sword of Justice.

The United Underworld put up an admirable fight, but it was clear that their infighting kept them from their full potential, something that Judex had been hoping to help them with, but it was that same infighting that kept them from joining in arms.

Dominatriea’s Trial, while still necessary and would be continued at some later occasion, served its purpose in bringing the United Underworld under the watchfulness of Judex, as well as giving them a brutal warning. Time would only tell whether or not the ploy would work in the long run.

Judex, still with hopes of attaining their cooperation, showed mercy, reissued their offer and gave them back their teammate.

“T'was a pleasure defending you whilst the mock trial lasted, Miss Dominatriea,” said the previous Defense Counsel as the United Underworld exited the Judex Base of Operations with their wounded.

One of their rank’s eyes, Spectre, narrowed slowly, jaw dropped, “Mock…trial?”

Until next time Underworld."

“Farewell, Judex,” It was answered with the ominous threat from the leader, “This has not ended. It has only begun.”