Judge and Jury

[Chevi]

77 AD

(Right after Whoever brings the night)

Aia was sitting on a chair in the apartment she and Decimus had only recently vacated. No one had moved into it yet, so it was mostly empty. And thus, and excellent place to stash the piece of shit they had just apprehended. While Aia would not have minded just stabbing him right in the alley, Alexius claimed he didn't deserve that. He deserved worse. She liked that idea.

It seemed that a whole lot of people had a bone to pick with this man. Everyone ran everywhere, carrying to news, leaving Aia to get patched up by Theodorus while the two of them waited for the rest to return. Aia had her largest kitchen knife at hand, just in case. And Theo was there to make sure she didn't just stab the man anyway.

Aia frowned, drinking from a cup of unwatered wine as Theo bandaged her wound. It was deep, but not serious; he stitched her up, which hurt like a bitch, and put her in a foul mood. The man on the ground was still unconscious, although he groaned sometimes. Alexius had done a thorough job tying him up like a prize hog, and Theo had helped gag him in case he woke up. He was not going anywhere anytime soon. Or maybe ever.

@Sharpie @Atrice @Sara@Sains

[Chevi]

Theo was glad he had something to focus on that didn't involve killing a person. He did hate the man, and what he had done, to Didia and to so many others. But he was not a person for bloody revenge. He volunteered to patch Aia up and keep an eye on the prisoner while the others assembled the rest of the group. This late at night, it was going to be a feat. He adjusted the bandages on Aia's leg (the woman had handled getting stitched up better than some soldiers he knew), then sat down on the floor with a sigh.

It was late night by the time the door opened, and people started filing in.

@Sara @Sharpie @Atrice @Sains

[Sara]

Chaos erupted soon after she finally dragged Theo down the stairs. She remembered the faces of the people that had been at Alexius' apartment the day they'd decide to begin the hunt in earnest, but she recalled few names. Fortunately the others did. Unfortunately, she was sent on her errand to get the one she least wanted to see. Of course it was the vigile, the patrician vigile no less. So whilst Alexius, Theo and Aia bundled the brute up into the vacant space on the top floor of the block, Didia went off to find her man, barely concealing the revulsion that she'd later blame on the sight of blood. 

She found him easily enough, as she predicted the majority of the vigiles were relaxing and spending Didia's hard won taxes on doing shite all in the Castra. After barking at him that they'd caught their man - no thanks to him - and that they'd called a general assembly of every sorry person involved in this mess, she'd sent him on his way as he informed her he was off to tell a rich woman. A brow had quirked at that. She knew some rich women had been involved, but not who. Ah well. Her job was done. She hurried back to the insula, buying bread and wine as she did (she assumed this would be a long night) and then climbed the stairs breathlessly until she walked back into the little room which already housed too many people. How on earth were they all going to fit?

She quirked a brow at Aia, her look softening. "How's the leg? Don't show me, don't show me...unless you want my lunch on your tunica." 

 

TAG: @Sains @Sharpie @Chevi @Atrice

Theo >  Aia > Decimus > Didia > Azarion > Jason > Alexius > Ovinia > Lucius > Pinaria

Edited June 2, 2022 by Sara

[Sains]

The night had been eerily quiet on the grounds of the palace, and it was not to be helped by the knowledge of what had been going on down in streets below. He'd been shortly briefed by his leading Centurion after the attack on the Senator. While it certainly was a reason to double the guard on the hill the murders had not helped anyone sleep at night, let alone a man that had to leave his wife alone to their mercy while they were being carried out. Of course he'd never truly have believed that Aia would be a victim to whatever lowly killer had made himself a blight upon the world, but one never truly knew. Still he planned on making it up to her tonight. 

He'd been walking home from the hill carrying a small sack when he'd first heard the panicked voices rising from the neighborhood he'd come to call his own. It was strange, of course, but not so strange that he'd think the worst. Surely it wasn't. Then he heard the shouting and the familiar clap of sandal against cobble. He couldn't make out the silhouette but they were moving quite quickly away from the direction of the insula. That was enough for Decimus. Even if she weren't hurt he wanted nothing more than to run home and slam the door. 

It was in this way that he saw the small crowd beginning to assemble at their apartment, and how he finally began to climb the stairs in search of what he dreaded might be the body of one he'd thought invincible. It was all he could do to maintain some sort of composure as he pushed past acquaintances to kneel by her side. 

"What's happened here!? Who's this bastard and why is he not dead?" 

He wasn't stupid, of course. Whoever it was had clearly made a go at Aia, and he would've made for a knife of his own to finish the job if it pleased her any.

 

@Chevi@Sharpie@Atrice@Sara

[Sharpie]

It had been a long enough day already for Jason by the time the message reached him, and he had to ask for his master's permission to go out, and then cross half the city to the Whites' stables to find his cousin, passing the Esquiline on the way, and then retrace his steps to the Esquiline, and try to find the one insula among dozens that all looked alike, and then find the one room in the one insula...

He hoped his master would be understanding if he did not arrive home before dawn and needed sleep before he could function again.

He hoped Azarion's master would let him out for the evening too, otherwise this would be a wasted trip across Rome.

They were in luck. Or extremely blessed, praise Tabiti!

"They've caught the bastard," he told his cousin as they set out on their return journey back to the Esquiline. "They've only, finally, caught the bloody murdering bastard!"

 

@Chevi @Atrice @Sara @Sains

[Chevi]

The moment Tiranes shook him awake Azarion knew that something was very wrong... or very right. Praise the gods, it was the latter this time. They caught him was all he needed to hear; he was wide awake, and out the door before Tiranes. He almost ran all the way to the insula, but his cousin seemed tired, so he managed to hold back, but only barely.

There he was. With the rest of the group that had planned on catching him (and some new faces he didn't care about), tied up on the floor and gagged. Azarion recognized him immediately. Why was he still alive? Azarion snarled, lunging for the man, but someone had grabbed his arm before he could reach him.

@Sara @Sains @Atrice @Sharpie

[Atrice]

It was late in the evening and the timing couldn't have been worse. But when could it ever be right, when you had a murderer and violater of women tied up and gagged on the floor of a vacant flat? When could the moment ever be right, when two of your friends, your lady-friends none the less, had caught the currently most hunted man in all of Rome? He knew they ought to bring him to a prison, but as if Hades would let them. They all hated him. Alexius had probably handled the man a little too roughly, when he'd picked him up and Aia showed the way to the empty flat where they could toss him on the floor. And there he was, in a corner of it, his hands and his legs bound and with a piece of cloth stuffed into his mouth and a string around there too, to make it stay. As if they'd let him talk and cry for help. As if! 

He hadn't been happy with leaving them all behind, Theo and Aia... but they had agreed to assemble everyone they knew, who'd someone been affected by the actions of that one man. So they'd gone in all directions. Alexius went to get Ovinia. And it was late and it wasn't the right time at all, when he had come to her domus. He was careful to enter by the servant and slave entrance of the house and from there, he knew his way through the domus. He found Ovinia's room. Scratched gently on the doorframe and met Lucia there. Her eyes widened when he saw her, but he asked her to wake Ovinia and say Alexius had an urgent message. It's not like he'd never seen a woman in her bed before, he wouldn't care what she looked like and it didn't matter right now anyway. He'd explained things as simply as he could, that they caught him and he assumed she'd know what he was talking about. She did. Lucia helped her get dressed to not look like a Patrician and a noble lady and then Ovinia followed Alexius through the dark streets of Rome towards the building where he lived.

"Remember Ovinia, I'm right here with you. He can't hurt you. Or anyone. I won't let him." Alexius promised her, squeezing her shoulder, before he opened the door. More people were already there, even Decimus. But Alexius said nothing, closing the door behind him quietly.

"Everything alright here? Aia, how's your leg?" Fuck the bastard that he had to make one last cut before he was caught. Well he might get it back tenfold. Depending on what they decided to do with him.

@Sara @Sains @Sharpie @Chevi

Edited May 30, 2022 by Atrice

[Atrice]

How stupid could you be? Maybe he deserved this, for being stupid enough to seek out that particular insula. But he'd just wanted to find out more. Well he found out too much more. When the beast of a gladiator Alexius had showed up, he more or less knew he was done for. He couldn't fight that. And then he'd been knocked out and only woke when he was tossed onto a hard floor in the corner of a dimly lit room. He pretended he didn't wake up, so that he could watch and listen in silence. Aia, whom he managed to cut, was stitched up and fixed by the guy called Theo, who didn't look like much to Marcus. He was pleased he cut her though. They didn't catch him without being cut. But now he was just here and for some reason, more and more people showed up.

He recognized the slave he met where he'd murdered that other insignificant girl, the one who fought back and he ended up slitting her throat and stabbing her. Gods it had felt so good to do that! But now he was here? Marcus closed his eyes before the kid could see he was awake and the blow to his body or face didn't come, although he'd been sure the boy had wanted to do something to him. As if they were better than he! They all wanted to hurt him, didn't they? Well he wanted to hurt all of them. If only he could. He'd have to get free somehow, escape. To maim and kill another day again.

@Sara @Sains @Sharpie @Chevi

[Sara]

Ovinia's fingers were trembling as she re-tied the shoulder of the scratchy, plain tunica she was wearing. She hadn't had time to think about what she was doing as she followed Alexius silently through her domus but now they were nearing the insula, not even his hand on her shoulder could calm her down. She shouldn't have left, her father would see to it that she never left the domus again if he found out (Lucia's bright idea was to take her place in bed - they both had dark hair and with the covers pulled up it might have been convincing). But that wasn't the only reason she wanted to sprint back home.

She nodded mutely at Alexius' words as they drew to a stop (her, breathless) outside the room. She wished she could believe him but she was shaking like a leaf. She shouldn't have come...but a dark, hidden, twisted part of her wanted to see him. Wanted to get the closure that she'd been denied for months since it happened. She'd never have another opportunity. She had to. She just wished she could stop shaking. Before they entered, she pulled on his wrist. "Nia." She swallowed. "Remember, I'm Nia." It was the name she gave that redhead in the baths. She was Nia. Not Ovinia. Not stupid Ovinianilla, Lucius' favourite nickname for her. She was Nia the pleb who had been attacked back at Saturnalia. She knew that at least two people there would know who she was; Jason and Lucius, but counted on their discretion. And that was all she could do.

She exhaled through her mouth as Alexius pushed open the door and then wobbled in. It was already crammed. She glanced around and her face fell as she saw Jason and then the red-headed woman (Alia? Aia?) in turn but no Lucius. She swallowed and sat down quietly on an upturned empty crate near Alexius - trying to draw strength from him and trying to steady her breathing. Only when she was sat did she look at the man in the corner and she let out a choke. She glanced round to those assembled, voice shaking. "Is he...can he hear us?" 

 

TAG: @Chevi @Atrice @Sains @Sharpie

[Chevi]

The killer had been caught. Lucius was just coming back from patrol when he was surprised to see Didia at the castra. She seemed breathless and frazzled and none to pleased, but the news she carried were more important: they had the killer. From what he could gather from her words, he had attacked her, and wounded another girl, but Alexius took him down in the end. And now they were all assembling at the insula to figure out what to do with him. And as much Lucius wanted to take him straight to justice, he knew it was not only his decision to make. In fact, he had an errand to run before he could rush to to the insula.

Pinaria had already gone to bed, but the news was important enough to wake her. Lucius hurriedly explained in hushed tones what happened, and she agreed to come, dressed plainly. A noblewoman out in the middle of the night with a vigile... Lucius knew more than others what all that could imply. But time was of the essence. Decisions had to be made.

The empty apartment was already crowded by the time they arrived. Lucius immediately noticed Ovinia sitting by Alexius, dressed in a plebeian's clothes. She'd come. She looked white as a sheet, but she was there. Lucius moved to stand on the other side of her, guiding Pinaria along. The two women would probably recognize each other as the two people most out of place. Even in plain clothes.

On the other side of the room, there was the killer. He... didn't look like much. Bound securely and gagged, but even so... he had so much blood on his hands (even now - apparently he'd hurt the redhead girl). Lucius glared at the man with abject fury. The mute boy lunged for him, and Lucius honestly felt like doing the same.

"Is that him?" he glanced between Alexius and Didia "... I guess we need to decide what to do with him now."

@Sara @Sharpie @Atrice @Sains

[Atrice]

Pinaria had not expected such a late visit and had gone to bed at her usual time, so that she could wake up well-rested for another day tomorrow. But then she was suddenly woken up, carefully though, by her body servant, who said that there was some vigile to see her. Pinaria only knew one vigile in person and that would be Lucius. And she could not imagine any other reason for him coming to see her, than that it had something to do with the man who attacked her and others in Rome. There had been gossip that the murderer from last night, the one who murdered a Senator, was the same man. She also had her idea about it. But now Lucius was here and she got dressed in as plain clothes as possible, a dark green palla over her clothes and over her head. She followed Lucius through Rome, rushing without running, until they reached an insula in the Esquiline. She'd never been here before and maybe she'd never even been inside an insula. She couldn't recall that she had.

They climbed many stairs and then they were there... in a rather crowded room, empty save for all the people gathered here. She saw a man bound and gagged in a corner and couldn't help but let out a little gasp of surprise. Was that him? She never saw him. He came at her from behind. To think that he was the one behind all this... all of the attacks and even murders. She felt her heart beat faster and tore her eyes from him, to look around in the room. She didn't know most of them. She recognized Alexius and wondered if Spurius ought to be here, he who helped her after she was attacked. Wondered if he ought to know. She'd have to consider it. But that would be for later. Most people here looked like they were either lower class or slaves, but then she was there, and Lucius also dressed nicely and another young woman, who appeared a plebian but Pinaria recognized the expensive fabrics. Was this Ovinia, that they'd told her about? Lucius more or less ignored Pinaria for now and she moved to stand near the only other person she knew here, Alexius, who seemed to kind of be guarding the young, darkhaired woman. She said nothing. What was there to say? And she tried to focus on the people rather than the one man everyone were here for... but it was hard. To think that he'd done such things. Why had they not brought him to the prison though? Alerted the urban cohorts? Were they going to take measures into their own hands? It seemed so. Pinaria had so many questions but was sure she'd get the answers eventually.

@Sara @Sains @Sharpie @Chevi

 

[Chevi]

They were all assembled now; or at least the ones they knew of, who had been hurt by this man, and those who cared for them. Theo knew there were more. Probably a lot more. But even so, the group of people in the room, as strange as they looked together, represented justice finally coming for this man.

In one form or another.

Some of them clearly had murder written on their face. Azarion even lunged for the man, but was held back. Theo knew that Aia would have already cut him if she had her wish. The medicus, on his part, wanted to see justice done in a different way.

"We should hand him over to be taken to the Tullianum, right?"

@Sara @Sharpie @Atrice @Sains

[Chevi]

Aia sat on a chair, her leg propped up on an upturned crate, watching people file in. She didn't really care that she had her leg bare for the world to see; the bandages were fresh, and this group of people was way past the boundaries of politeness anyway.

Decimus showed up, looking distraught. Aia smiled reassuringly as he knelt next to her.

"What's happened here!? Who's this bastard and why is he not dead?"

"I'll be fine. Theo stitched me up. Bastard went for Didia, but I was nearby, the two of us took him down... with Alexius' help" she added with a smirk. "Apparently the sick fuck attacked a bunch of women around the city. Killed at least one we know of. And he killed that senator they found yesterday." That had been a big mistake. Aia looked at the others "We could just stab him now and be done with it. But it feels like he deserves worse..."

@Sara @Sains @Atrice @Sharpie

[Atrice]

Most gave him glances, but seemed to ignore him for the most part. He was gagged anyway and didn't even get to say anything. They all just assumed he'd done it all, they didn't even stop to ask. Of course Didia kind of knew, since he attacked her, but the rest? What did they know? Then the darkhaired young woman he'd had so much fun with at Saturnalia spoke, wondering if he could hear them. He smirked within. Oh he could hear every single word. He didn't care about them. He'd slit all their throats if he got the chance and he had to get the chance! They knew more than they should. Then at least someone was being sensible, the medicus they had on their team, suggesting he was taken to the Tullianum. But he didn't get to decide that, did he? Nor did Marcus. For some reason, Alexius and Aia had decided that Marcus should be here, and not taken to the Tullianum, and so far the only one who seemed to disagree was the medic. Well there was a reason he was a medic, wasn't there? Probably the smartest of the bunch. 

Aia spoke of all that Marcus had done, even the Senator that was murdered yesterday. How did they know he did it? How about asking him? They were jumping to conclusions! True, they were true conclusions, but that didn't change the fact that they weren't even asking him. Fuckers all of them. Aia then said he deserved worse than just being stabbed. He really had to find a way to get out of here. Maybe... maybe he should let them know he was listening?

And so he suddenly opened his eyes and began squirming and making whatever noises he could through the cloth they had stuffed into his mouth. Hoping to draw some attention. They all looked towards him and he hoped to gain some interest, maybe even some sympathy. They weren't tied up and gagged, were they?! And then Alexius walked up to him, told him to shut up, pulled him upright by the collar and after staring him right into the eyes... punched him again. And everything went dark. Again.

@Sara @Sains @Sharpie @Chevi

[Sains]

It was a relief that Aia wasn't more seriously hurt, considering the circumstances, but now that everything was set in place he knew that it shouldn't be as simple as gutting him like a fish. Of course he'd like to, and everything would have been far simpler if he'd been killed in the attempt, but they'd taken him alive. Barbatius seemed eager to remind them all of that with a sudden flurry of movement that made Decimus reach for the hilt of his blade. Thankfully whoever had tied up the wretch had done a sufficient job and the only thing he merited from his little exposition was a punch to the gut by that man Alexius. As he was one of the few among them with ties to the legal apparatus of the state, he knew he should make the obvious known. 

"Caesar can inflict a far worse punishment on him than our knives ever could.", he'd begin before standing and resting his hand on Aia's shoulder, "He'll die. That Senator under his belt should earn him quite the trip to Hades." 

He would die. The only real fear was that he managed to escape captivity before his death was achieved, but Decimus knew of very few instances that men managed to escape from that hellish prison. However he was quite aware that many here would wish him to die at their hands as a form of retribution. If Aia had been slain he would have already done the man in, but by the grace of Fortuna he had the opportunity to act sensibly.  

 

@Sara@Sharpie@Chevi@Atrice

 

 

[Sara]

Didia watched the others arrive with apprehension. She knew everybody in the room besides the two new women who joined. It wasn't hard to deduce from the cleanliness of their hair, their pale skin and the fact that the only to unknown victims seemed to have been high-born ladies that these two were patricians parading as plebs. Usually, in any other circumstance, Didia would have called them out on their make believe. She didn't have the will to though, not here and now. If they'd been subject to the mans mania like she had they deserved her pity. 

Everybody seemed assembled when the final woman squeezed in. Didia moved to stand next to Alexius so she could avoid sight of Aia's leg (she already felt nauseous, no need for anymore) and then...it started. The discussion. She could see it coming from a mile away and bit her lip. She felt conflicted and glanced between the men and women assembled as they spoke. She nodded at Theo at his suggestion, but then Aia and Decimus' in turn. Only when the ingrate moved did she tense and flicker her mind back to that awful evening. So much blood from such a little cut. She rose a hand to her mouth as bile rose in her throat. 

"What would his punishment be though?" She called out to the conversing group at large, "If we hand him over? The Arena? The beasts would give a shitty little man like that a quick death. I..." She glanced across to Aia and Theo in turn, and then up to Decimus. "And what if he escapes?" She didn't have the stomach for straight up murdering the man...although for once in his godsforsaken life, this might have been a task for her gang-involved, menace of a brother.

 

TAGS: @Chevi @Sharpie @Atrice @Sains

Edited May 31, 2022 by Sara
Adding tags.

[Chevi]

Tiranes grabbed Azarion before he could lunge at the man. Seething, he struggled for a moment. There were too many people in the room, nondoubt with their own opinions on what to do. One soldier, one vigile. Women he'd not seen before. Azarion huffed, looking at his cousin. 

He needs to die, he signed. With pain.

He could make sure of that.

What do the Romans do with him?, he asked. You never knew.

@Sharpie @Atrice @Sains @Sara

[Sharpie]

Azarion was determined to get at the bastard, Jason was equally determined that murdering him here and now would be too good and too quick a death.

"Yes, he does, but where everyone can see it, where people know he's dead," he said, in Latin for the benefit of everyone.

Something with a lot of blood and a lot of pain, hopefully - and where it would take time.

"Do they crucify criminals like that?" he asked the room in general, somewhat hopefully. He'd seen crucifixion before and the people he'd seen killed that way hadn't deserved such a death. This animal did; he'd seen what he'd done to Ovinia (he recognised her among the two women with their heads covered), and he'd had Azarion's account of meeting him, and what he'd done to his friend. A quick easy death wouldn't suffice.

 

@Chevi @Sara @Atrice @Sains (I think that's the order we're going in!!)

[Atrice]

Alexius didn't fail to notice how Ovinia's breathing changed as they stepped into the room, and how she just sat down quietly and looked around. And he wondered if the killer could hear them. Alexius told her he'd been knocked out, so they assumed he was not paying attention. And if he woke, well, Alexius would take care of that. With joy. As he did, when the bundle of the killer began squirming. As if he had any right to decide what happened to him! People kept coming in though, Lucius arriving with Pinaria and both of them settled down near Alexius and Ovinia.

Then began the discussion. Theo thinking the killer should be handed over to the urban cohorts and the Tullianum. Aia considering to just stab him now, but then agreeing with Alexius' idea of the man deserving worse than an easy and quick death. Decimus promised that their Caesar would inflict a bad punishment on the man and Didia naturally wondered what exactly would happen, if they did hand the killer over to others. And what if he escaped? Indeed, what if he did? Having a sick motherfucker like that running wild in the streets again? Not on Alexius' watch! 

"I don't think he'd be crucified." Alexius said, vaguely remembering something about that being reserved for slaves and such. He'd gained that threat more than once when he was a slave, because he didn't always behave well with his superiors. Yet here he was and he helped catch a killer!

"I think they might send him to the arena somehow? But I don't know. And Didia's right. What if he escapes? I don't think anyone here wants to let him roam free ever again!" Alexius added and looked at the unconscious killer, wondering if he only squirmed if he woke or if he heard more. You never knew with maniacs like him.

@Sara @Chevi @Sharpie @Sains

 

[Sara]

Ovinia swallowed, keeping her covered head down as they all spoke. Right up until the man started squirming and trying to get away, grunting and groaning and she choked audibly. She looked at his hands, thick with blood, bound. She'd been bound. She'd been bleeding. The thought of him now trussed up like she was didn't make her feel any better and she glanced at the door, standing and bolting to it as if to leave as Alexius attended to their guest. Her fingers rested on the handle, breathing erratic but she didn't open it. They were deciding what to do with him, and as people spoke she realised with a growing pit of dread that she needed to be here for this. 

"No." She swallowed and shook her head, turning round and glancing between faces she didn't recognise and those she did. She frowned in particular at a beefy young man standing next to the red-head from the baths. "Why do you get a say?" She managed through gritted teeth, "He didn't hurt you!" She glanced around the room. He hadn't attacked Alexius, or Lucius or even Jason either. "Why would we hand him over when he's right here? Why g-give him the opportunity to escape, as Alexius said..." She reiterated, her voice breathless. "He...he needs to suffer. He needs to know that nobody is coming to help him, not his friends or his slaves or the state." Only then did she cast a look at the man, unconscious and bloodied. It steeled her resolve, even if bile was rising in her throat. "W-we should kill him here. Now. And then throw his body in the Tiber." That's what they did with rubbish, wasn't it?

 

TAG: @Chevi @Atrice @Sains @Sharpie

[Chevi]

The killer woke up, and Alexius made sure he was knocked out again. Tied up like that, in the middle of the room surrounded by people, he seemed... insignificant. It was deeply disturbing, that someone like him, someone one would pass on the street, could be capable of such dark things.

Lucius wanted him dead. Wanted him dead for the crime of ever touching Ovinia alone.

He realized with even more discomfort that he didn't know what the man's punishment would be. Crucifixion was not likely; he wasn't a slave. The arena? Maybe. Lucius had the ear of Tiberius, who had the ear of the emperor; they could make sure he died in the worst way possible. But it wasn't like there was a clear punishment for something like what he had done.

The group seemed divided. Some, like the charioteer, wanted to kill the man right now. Apparently, so did Ovinia. She bolted for the door; Lucius moved to follow her. In the end, she didn't leave.

 "Why do you get a say? He didn't hurt you! Why would we hand him over when he's right here? Why g-give him the opportunity to escape, as Alexius said... He...he needs to suffer. He needs to know that nobody is coming to help him, not his friends or his slaves or the state. W-we should kill him here. Now. And then throw his body in the Tiber."

Lucius wished he could hold Ovinia's hand. She was both terrified and angry, no doubt reliving the moments of her attack. No wonder she wanted the man dead. Suffering, and then dead.

"It seems like we all agree he needs to die" he sighed. "He will die. We have friends in high enough places to make sure of that." He glanced between Ovinia and the others. "We could kill him right here. But that would be easy, for him. We could also torture him and kill him, if any of us had the stomach for it." 

The charioteer raised a hand, and was promptly swapped down by his cousin.

"But whatever we do to him here, it won't be public. He won't feel the anger of an entire city, and the same of dying like a common criminal. And..." Lucius glanced at the women "I doubt all of his victims are in this room. We know not all the women he's hurt are here. They deserve vengeance too. It should happen in public."

@Sara @Sharpie @Atrice @Sains

[Atrice]

Pinaria had been quiet almost all of the time. She hadn't spoken much once she and Lucius left her home in silence, and even in this crowded room she had not spoken yet. No one had introduced her, she was just here. As far as she could tell, all of these people had either been attacked by the killer in the corner or they knew people or were related to people who were attacked. So that's why she was here too. Gods there could be many more, right? There were many more, most likely. Lucius just knew the people in here. And apparently the killer had been attacking people for years, so it would be impossible to trace down every victim. But she was here. Unsure what to think. As he lay there in the corner, he didn't look like anything or anyone. Just a man, tied up like a pig and gagged like one too, on the table, ready to eat. To be devoured by these people. If she hadn't known what he'd done, that he even attacked her, she might have pity for him. Were they any better than he was, right now? He wriggled suddenly, causing her to gasp with surprise, but Alexius quickly knocked him out. She listened, then, as they began discussing what to do with him. Turn him over to the proper authorities or deal with him themselves. Some thought one thing, some thought another. 

The other wealthy woman - Pinaria assumed that was Ovinia - wanted them to take care of him as they had him right here, and throw his body in the Tiber. In the end though, it was Lucius who pointed out they all at least agreed that the man needed to die. And more than one thought he needed to suffer too, like he'd made others suffer. It was only fair. Lucius spoke of torture then. Her eyes widened. She could agree he didn't deserve an easy and nice death, but torture? She'd heard stories about it done to slaves. Because slaves could only confess things under torture, according to law. But torture was... not a pleasant thought.

Lucius was a clever young man. It was a pity he chose the path of the vigiles, he could have risen to great power, she thought to herself. He spoke well for his cause. He had the tongue for such things, clearly. And she could agree that all of the killer's victims deserved justice, they deserved to feel they'd been avenged too. 

Pinaria stepped forwards then, clearing her throat, "I agree with Lucius. We are many people in here. I was attacked too. But so were many others in Rome. If it's true he's been roaming for years... then we are far from the only victims to his cruelty. And everyone he's hurt... deserve vengeance. Even the Senator who died just yesterday, he must have a family too. Don't they too deserve justice? They all deserve justice. This one man... has done his deeds in the dark, but I think he deserves the eyes of this entire city upon him, watching him die in broad daylight. Knowing, that everyone knows, now." She finished and inhaled a breath, stepping back again. She'd spoken her mind now. She hoped they would listen. 

@Sara @Chevi @Sharpie @Sains

[Chevi]

Theodorus had seen people killed. He'd seen people die. He'd killed himself in battle, on the few occasions he needed to. But he had never been a part of a group like this, deciding a man's fate. As much as the man deserved the worse possible fate, Theo did not feel like he had the right to vote on it at all. He moved to stand next to Didia, who had been one of the victims. All the women seemed cautious about letting the man out of their sight (even after Alexius knocked him out again). Theo could understand why they would feel like that. Once the decision was out of their hand, there was always a chance the killed would slip away. Or die an easy death.

"I think they are right" he nodded to Lucius and the noblewoman. "This should happen in public, as an example, so no one else ever gets ideas like this again. But it's not my place to vote on this. It's just what I think." He glanced at Didia, to see what she would say.

@Sains @Atrice @Sara @Sharpie

[Chevi]

Aia held Decimus' hand as he spoke of the fate of the killer. It seemed like he was sure justice would be done. That was Decimus for you: soldier, then praetorian, with a lot of faith in the leaders he served. Aia was a bit more skeptical than that.

"If we bring him to justice, you all better make damn sure he has no chance of getting away. Or getting absolved of his crimes" she noted, looking at Alexius and the rest. "If you can't promise that to all these victims, we might as well do him in now. Might be too quick, but at least it's final."

@Sains @Sara @Atrice @Sharpie

[Sains]

Decimus listened closely to Ovinia's outburst. The fact that she'd decided to speak so earnestly about what she'd do with him was no great surprise. Had he been tehre when Aia was wounded there was absolutely no doubt in his mind that he would have slain the man immediately, but the fact of the matter still remained that he lay bound and bloodied on their floor. While it didn't mean that the scum was harmless, it did allow for them to provide people with something that rarely seemed to happen in their daily lives. It would have been a bold faced lie to say that murders didn't happen all of the time in the Empire. Men were accosted on the roads, women and children stolen and sold into slavery. More often than not nothing was done to rectify these crimes or provide closure to those who'd been hurt. One could see why the law might be difficult to enforce on a band of fast moving highwaymen, but they had their man right here. They had every shred of evidence they could ever need. Some of the people in their presence had the ear of Caesar or those around him. When the people learned of his crimes, and particularly of his guilt in the murder of a senator of Rome, there was no doubt in his mind that Caesar would make his death an excruciating public display which would be well deserved. But he was no fool. He understood the fears of Aia and Ovinia and the others who spoke about finishing the job themselves. The state was not always reliable. Even still, the odds that this man was playing against seemed insurmountable to say the least. If they needed to vote, his opinion would be known. 

"Once we make it known to Caesar and the people that this man has been responsible for it all, he won't have a chance at absolution. I don't pretend to know what will be done with him, but he will die in a gruesome and public way. The families of his victims will be satisfied in knowing who he is, and if that's not enough they'll see him shamed and torn limb from limb for all of the city to see. If the group thinks, however, that he should be tortured and thrown into the river, then I ask it not be done in this place."

 

@Sara@Atrice@Sharpie@Chevi

Edited June 2, 2022 by Sains