“I used to be the kind of guy that would follow the rules to the letter. I obeyed what Zeus and the APD demanded of us and never strayed from the laws they set.”

“I didn’t maim, attempt murder, or riot against the authorities in order to get what I wanted. Even when my mother found herself in a shitty situation with Drexl, I didn’t bend or break any rules to get her out of her contract.”

“I thought that was good enough. I was under the impression that the scumbag also honored the laws and would let her go.”

“Lot of fucking good that did me.”

“He tied me up for encroaching on his territory and had her beaten before my eyes. Before I could do anything about it, an explosion rattled the Red Light District and destroyed everything in it’s wake.”

“That’s when I realized something. Following the law means jack shit in Arcadia. You either take what you want by any means necessary, or be left for dead like I nearly was.”

“Like so many people were by the hands of one former sheriff.”

“Playing the good cop didn’t win you any favors with the public, did it, Jackson? By trying to be the upstanding officer in a lawless world, you ended up creating more havoc as a result.” 

“You tried to play by the book and all we’ve gotten out of it was pain and misery. Jasper’s still running around killing innocent civilians, your foster family has been torn apart with the death of CJ Thorpe, and that fucking tyrant still holds the keys to the kingdom.”

“You act just like I used to. You believe that people will obey the laws put in place. Worse yet, you’re too weak willed to do what’s right instead of what your superiors spoon feed you.”

“Maybe if you acted upon your impulses instead of listening to regurgitated bullshit, the people of the Red Light District would still be alive. If you weren’t so obsessed with that damned rulebook, Arcadia would be a better place.”

“Instead, you were too busy investigating Attano and shooting Tombstone to save the lives of hundreds.”

“You needed to learn that this world is lawless when you first joined the force. That should’ve been lesson one in the seminars back at training camp.”

“Instead, you have to find out the hard way that not everyone follows your laws. Not criminals, not murderers, and especially not people like me.”

“I didn’t become king by following the rules of a tyrant. I became king by doing everything I could to ensure the sacrifices in the Red Light District meant something.”

“I became king by throwing away the rulebook after seeing the world for the lawless wasteland it was. When I get my hands on you at the next Ascension, you’ll find out exactly how that looks.”

“Discard the code that’s holding you back from being Arcadia’s hero, or suffer in eternal darkness as a footnote in history.”