Kintsugi Plays Fallen Hero: Retribution (ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ …(^_^)…)

> I crawl over to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid.

"I'm here," you answer, quickly crawling over to Ortega. You don't trust her not to do anything stupid. You have no doubt she can take care of herself in a gang war, but you don't want to blow your cover.

"Can you get out of here on your own?" Ortega gives you a serious look as you both carefully get to your feet. "I need to get people to safety."

"Of course I can." You're not sure if you're flattered or annoyed that she's not more worried.

"Please be careful." The smile is quick and nervous. "Head for the kitchen; there should be a back door there. I'll get the others to head the same way."

"Okay," you agree, returning the smile despite everything. Ortega never changes.

"Just keep going and try to call the police. I'll call you later, once this is over. Now run!"

Ortega gives you a push, and you sprint across the floor, heading for the kitchen. The door is open, the staff already having fled. You suppose they are used to trouble if they are working in this neighborhood. Still, you keep an eye out as you sprint through the back door, but everything is empty and abandoned.

Safe.

Now that wasn't the way you planned this day to go, but you suppose that the adrenaline release actually has made you feel a bit better. A bit more in control.

Certainly more mystified.

But that's a problem for another day. Right now, you need to get yourself out of here. As soon as you get enough distance, you'll give Pelayo a call so you can get to the bottom of this.

> That And A Lift

 

Later.

"Another drink?" ZaZa offers you the bottle after pouring one for himself.

"Not rum," you complain, still on edge after what happened. "Whiskey."

"Picky, picky." He offers Ward a glass instead.

"Got a message from Pelayo," Ward says, tapping the communicator embedded in the claw's fastening. "He and Nehal are here."

"Good," you say, accepting the glass of whiskey that ZaZa offers you. "Let's hope they've got news."

You fall silent, listening to the others talk, sipping your drink. Was the attack aimed at Jake? At Ortega? At…you?

None of those alternatives were in your plans. Not in Ortega's either, judging by the look on her face.

"Good news!" Nehal chirps as she barges through the door, quickly followed by Pelayo. He gives you an affirmative nod. That must mean that Rosie is still keeping watch. Good.

"I'm not sure I'd call it that," Pelayo says, accepting ZaZa's drink.

"We know shit now," Nehal argues. "That's good."

"Looks like it was a professional hit," Pelayo sighs and sits down. "Long distance. Maybe a boost, probably a mod. Or military equipment."

　‣ "More people would be dead then," I argue.
　‣ "Not a hit. A warning shot," I say.
　‣ "Someone else that's got it in for Hollow Ground?"
　‣ "Looks like Charge is a target."

Right. Now that we're done playing innocent Barbie—thoughts on what just happened?​

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel tired.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy
Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate. They are a known killer.
Infamy: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 15% / Fine: 85%
████████████████████

Leadership: 59%
███████████▒████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 31% / Anonymity: 69%
██████▒█████████████
Ruthlessness: 40% / Empathy: 60%
████████████████████
Daring: 59% / Caution: 41%
███████████▒████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 76%
███████████████▒████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: He seems nice.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 64%
████████████▒███████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

Not enough to know who it was for, but enough to conclude it wasn't an outright attack

 

Before we get out the stringboard, let's get what we do know straight.​

> "Not a hit. A warning shot," I say.

"Not a hit," you say, looking at Pelayo. "A warning shot."

"That's true, no sniper worth their salt would miss a setup like that," ZaZa chimes in.

"But for who?" Nehal looks excited.

"I know that look." ZaZa raises his glass in a toast. "The kid's got an idea again."

"I mean, it's the only thing that makes sense." Nehal ignores Pelayo's look. "I think it was someone from out of town."

"Or an inside job," you say thoughtfully. "Everybody can't be happy with the way things are run."

"Looking to recruit a traitor?" Pelayo sounds amused.

"It would be useful. What do you think?"

"We don't have enough information yet," he admits. "Charge got out intact, nobody got arrested. Nobody got killed. Looked like a hornet's net, don't think Manalo was in on whatever it was."

"So we know nothing," Ward mutters. "Just peachy."

"We know that something is moving," you say, raising your voice as you look at them. "Not just us. We'll have to get ready to act on whatever it is."

That's the thing about living in libertarian superhero LA: always someone else out there thinking they're the main character.​

"I'll put some feelers out," Pelayo says. "With the Wolfpack scattered, I know some people who ended up with Hollow Ground. I'll see what I can find."

"I still think it's someone out of town," Nehal says. "I'll keep an eye out for newcomers."

"You do that." ZaZa gives her a clap on her shoulder. "Just be careful."

"That goes for all of you," you say.

The stakes have been upped, but that means more opportunities as well.

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel tired.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy
Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate. They are a known killer.
Infamy: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 15% / Fine: 85%
████████████████████

Leadership: 63% (+4)
████████████▒███████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 31% / Anonymity: 69%
██████▒█████████████
Ruthlessness: 40% / Empathy: 60%
████████████████████
Daring: 59% / Caution: 41%
███████████▒████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 76%
███████████████▒████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: He seems nice.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 64%
████████████▒███████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

> Some Time Later

Los Diablos. Eight and a half months since Anathema's debut.

You've just finished maintenance on your armor. You're doing your best to patch what you can. It's taken some damage, but it runs smoothly. Eventually, Dr. Mortum will have to step in and fix some issues, but not yet.

You put away the last of your tools, aware of how tired you feel. Unsteady hands. You're still sore from your last fight, which isn't a good sign. It wasn't a difficult target; Sidewinder barely counted as modded, but he needed to be dealt with. Money is a power of its own. Maybe you should have delegated this to Pelayo; there's no need for you to be involved in everything. But you felt antsy and wanted some action. Stupid move.

Getting up from the chair, you stretch your back, wincing at the ache in your joints. Overtrained, you know the symptoms. Been working too hard. Not resting enough. Even if you're not hurt, using the armor takes a toll on you. Is this what getting old feels like?

Ortega would laugh.

How long can you keep this up? Right now, you are running three lives, and there are only so many hours in the day. Josie. Anathema. Barbara. Dodging sleep has gotten you this far, but can you do it forever? You don't have a choice, do you? This is your life now. Can't stop. Won't stop. It's like falling; everything is fine until you hit the ground.

The vertigo is sudden, and you lean against the chair. Breathe. In and out until the ground is steady beneath your feet once more. A glance at the watch shows that only minutes had passed. Funny. It felt like hours. Sometimes hours feel like minutes.

Are you losing your grip? What could you do if you were? Get help? From who?

Dr. Finch? You've kept going to the sessions…

　‣ Only because of Ortega's insistence.
　‣ Not that it's helping any.
　‣ It's painful, but it helps.

Right, therapy, a thing Josie is of course still doing for the sake of their normal civilian wellbeing… How has the last month and a half of that been?​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel tired calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy
Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate. They are a known killer.
Infamy: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 5% / Fine: 95% (+10)
████████████████████

Leadership: 63%
████████████▒███████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 31% / Anonymity: 69%
██████▒█████████████
Ruthlessness: 40% / Empathy: 60%
████████████████████
Daring: 59% / Caution: 41%
███████████▒████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 76%
███████████████▒████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: He seems nice.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 64%
████████████▒███████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

I really want to pick the option that lays the blame for this inconvenience at Ortega's feet
it is always Ortega's fault after all!

 

everyone together, now: Ortegaaaaaaaa *shakes fist*​

> Only because of Ortega's insistence.

You're only continuing your treatment because Ortega would make a fuss otherwise. It's not like problems can be fixed by talking about them.

But, you have to admit you have grown used to the routine. The regular meetings. It has meant that you get less annoying texts that worry about you.

A small silver lining.

Of course, that also means you have to sit there and make up things to talk about. Things that wouldn't tempt her to look for things you don't want to be found. You're fine. Nothing to worry about. Just a bit of trauma.

Nothing will happen if you ignore it.

(The next line in the source code, verbatim: *goto thisisfine)​

Not that complaining about it helps. The universe is indifferent to your concerns. The best you can do is to stick to your schedule. Anathema is not needed at the moment, and Josie clearly needs to rest. Sleep. Ideally, eight hours or more. That means that you need to switch to Barbara.

　‣ I don't want to, but I fear the dreams.
　‣ It's practical. I get an extra eight hours of work.
　‣ I love the freedom from myself.

Yay(?), more Barbie time.​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy
Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate. They are a known killer.
Infamy: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 63%
████████████▒███████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 31% / Anonymity: 69%
██████▒█████████████
Ruthlessness: 40% / Empathy: 60%
████████████████████
Daring: 59% / Caution: 41%
███████████▒████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 78% (+2)
███████████████▒████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: He seems nice.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 64%
████████████▒███████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

>run from them nightmares

 

Our body should get some sleep! As far away from us as possible.​

> I don't want to, but I fear the dreams.

You don't want to do this anymore. Once you had got to this point, you thought that you would have been able to stop. Just be you, be your new, improved self.

It's the dreams that are the issue.

They're getting worse. More terrifying. More confusing.

Barbara is an escape from your own mind. Your means to come back to a rested body without waking up with a scream, covered in a cold sweat.

You'll deal with it. Eventually. But until then, Barbara is needed.

And she has her uses….

Time to shift bodies and let this one rest.

> You Need It

Over the last few months, you've spent a lot of time with Dr. Mortum. Or rather, Barbara has. Talking shop at Joes over a drink turned to invitations to her lab, something you were quick to accept. It's a fascinating place, and regardless of your feelings, you love getting the chance to explore and even tinker.

Driven people are never easy to be friends with, but since you both have your own agendas, there is an understanding. Unlike Ortega, Dr. Mortum seems satisfied to give you space if you need it, and you have to say it's a bit of a relief.

You can come and go from her lab at your leisure. If the good doctor has time to be disturbed, she can usually be coaxed from the lab to her office, where the chairs are more comfortable, and you can have a drink without being disturbed.

So far, Barbara has not picked up your caffeine addiction, but you suppose a glass of good scotch can be a suitable substitute to have something to sip on.

"What are you thinking about?" You sip your drink, leaning back in the comfortable leather chair. You had been critiquing hero outfit design choices when Dr. Mortum suddenly fell silent, a not uncommon occurrence when her mind starts to wander.

"Oh, just whether Locus's suit truly could be called magenta. I always saw it as pink." She glances over at you, eyes still distant.

"Really?" you ask, wondering what brought that on. You hadn't been talking about her, but that is the drawback of talking to a certified genius; you have no idea where her mind will wander. "I suppose that would depend on the definition of pink."

"That is true," Dr. Mortum agrees. "I prefer colors that can be defined by a wavelength, but regardless, that's still pink."

　‣ "Are you sure it's not salmon?" I tease.
　‣ "You're not really thinking about color theory, are you?"
　‣ "What made you think about Locus?"

(For anyone wondering "who's Locus"…this is actually the first time she's been mentioned, at least in this timeline! So you're not missing anything.)​

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy
Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate. They are a known killer.
Infamy: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 63%
████████████▒███████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 31% / Anonymity: 69%
██████▒█████████████
Ruthlessness: 40% / Empathy: 60%
████████████████████
Daring: 59% / Caution: 41%
███████████▒████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 78%
███████████████▒████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: He seems nice.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 64%
████████████▒███████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

>WHY LOCUS?? I have no character reasons to pick this I just never got this dialogue tree in my own run and I'm curious

 

> "What made you think about Locus?"

"What made you think about Locus?" That's a leap of logic you can't figure out. She's been missing since before you started your career as Anathema and you haven't seen any mentions recently that might have made her remember.

"Oh, she's been on my mind lately." Dr. Mortum looks down at her glass. "But…"

"But that's not really what's bothering you," you fill in, as she has fallen into another bout of maudlin silence.

"You know me too well." You can see the hesitation written on her face, she keeps swirling her drink, a sure tell that she's nervous. "Can I borrow your ear for a moment?"

"Of course," you say, putting your own glass down as you lean forward. "You know you can count on me."

"Unlike some people…" The laugh is short and bitter. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for." There's a long pause as she looks down at the drink in her hands, but this time you don't interrupt her. She'll spit it out eventually. "You know me, mon amie, I'm but a humble scientist," she finally continues, with such a solemn expression that you can't stop your smile.

"Not sure I agree there," you tease, "but fine, continue."

"And…," she continues with a look in your direction you find it hard to interpret, "I'm a forgiving woman."

"I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt there."

"But there are lines I have drawn, and if people cross them…" You can see the way her face hardens when she catches your gaze.

　‣ I stay silent, trying not to look nervous.
　‣ I nod in agreement; she's got a good point.
　‣ "You rub them out. Is that what you're saying?"

…Mortum, where are you going with this?​

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy
Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate. They are a known killer.
Infamy: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 63%
████████████▒███████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 31% / Anonymity: 69%
██████▒█████████████
Ruthlessness: 40% / Empathy: 60%
████████████████████
Daring: 59% / Caution: 41%
███████████▒████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 78%
███████████████▒████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: He seems nice.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 64%
████████████▒███████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

First thought, re: Locus

....How... long, before we started that career? Alternate timeline didn't have specifics, just "missing for the past few months" w/o defining the size of "few".

And re: choice...
I'm leaning, let's complete the sentence and verify her meaning. See if she takes us guessing it as a time to indicate whether she's considering that for 'our boss' or something.

Though I find myself curious that she's thinking about this w/ Locus.

 

Don't worry, Doctor, we catch your drift.​

> "You rub them out. Is that what you're saying?"

"You rub them out," you suggest innocently. "Is that what you're saying?" You don't get the feeling that her ire is aimed at you.

"Well, that was a little more brutal than I had in mind, but you capture the point quite well. Something I seem to be unable to do." Dr. Mortum frowns, and you have a hard time reading what feeling that's supposed to represent. Perhaps she's not sure herself. "This is complicated."

"Simplify." You reach for the bottle and pour yourself another drink. Looks like you'll need it. "Remember. Bullet points."

"Thank you." She downs her own drink, then holds the glass out for a refill. You can almost see her brain shifting back into focus. "Years ago, someone stole an important invention of mine. I have finally located it, and I want it back."

"What invention?" Now you're curious. This has nothing to do with you, so it's safe to pry.

"The one that made me famous," she says with a grand gesture, almost spilling the drink. "My disintegration ray."

You know it well. Dr. Mortum was active during your career as Sidestep, though you never ran into each other. At the time, there were many rumors about why she retired, and maybe you can finally learn the truth.

"You lost your weapon…," you muse, thinking back. "Is that why you retired as an active villain?"

"Partly," she admits. "Not to mention that some associates of mine ended up in prison."

"I'm sorry." That was probably the right thing because her face softens. "That's not a fate I'd wish on anybody." What was your life but a never-ending prison sentence? Other people making decisions for you. Being a nonperson. You don't think the people trapped in the private prisons have it as bad, but there's no way you could know for sure. "So where is this disintegration ray?"

"Up for sale, of all things." Her laugh has no mirth in it.

"Really?"

"There is an auction of rare objects in a couple of weeks at the Boulevard Casino. It's listed as one of the items."

"Are you going to bid on it?" You should have known. Honey attracts flies, and the Boulevard Casino is the biggest honeypot in town. It's your next target in the campaign to undermine Hollow Ground. The biggest one so far.

"It's my property." She scoffs. "I'm not going to buy it back and enrich some bastard thief."

"What are you going to do then?"

"I don't know yet," she admits with a nervous grimace.

　‣ "Can you afford it?"
　‣ "Why not steal it?"
　‣ "Is it that important to you?"

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy
Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate. They are a known killer.
Infamy: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 63%
████████████▒███████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 31% / Anonymity: 69%
██████▒█████████████
Ruthlessness: 40% / Empathy: 60%
████████████████████
Daring: 59% / Caution: 41%
███████████▒████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 78%
███████████████▒████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: He seems nice.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 64%
████████████▒███████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

We're not inviting ourselves to a heist that doubles as sabotage of the next target, but we're not not doing that either

 

Ah, a fellow casino heist enjoyer?​

> "Why not steal it?"

"Why not steal it?" you suggest, popping a few peanuts into your mouth.

"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it," Dr. Mortum admits with a wry smile.

"And if you succeeded? Would you go back to being an active villain?"

"I doubt it." The thought teases a laugh from her, the first real one in a while. "I have other uses for it."

"There are not that many uses for a disintegration ray," you point out, hoping to prod her scientific pride to life. You want to know what makes it tick, what you've seen in the media doesn't make sense. There's something more to it than just a disintegration ray. Just like there's more to your glove. You doubt that nanovores are involved, but can you be sure? You still don't know where the research that created the Nanosurge ended up. Dr. Mortum was able to modify them to your specifications. What if…

"Oh, it's so much more than that, mon amie."

"Really?" You don't bother to hide the interest in your voice as you lean forward.

"Are you that curious or just thinking of how useful it can be to you?" Her smile is tenser than it should be.

"I'm just curious. I'm not friends with you to run some sort of con." You don't bother to hide your disappointment.

"My apologies, mon amie, I didn't mean to imply that you were. It's just a sore subject." Dr. Mortum pauses for a moment, then continues: "It's not a disintegration ray. It's a teleporting ray."

"That's impossible." You can't keep your disbelief from showing. Teleportation is one of the holy grails of the scientific community since they discovered cold fusion.

"Impossible is what I do, mon amie." Luckily she seems to have expected that reaction and looks rather smug about it.

"But…but how?" You frown, trying to decide whether she's pulling your leg or not. How could she have kept it under wraps? Why hasn't she monetized it? "How isn't that kind of technology already everywhere?"

"Because…I haven't been able to recreate it." The admission looks as painful as pulling barbed wire from a wound.

　‣ "I can't believe you just admitted that," I tease.
　‣ "And neither has anybody else, I gather?" I'm curious.
　‣ "So, what are you missing? Can I get it for you?" I offer to help.

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy
Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate. They are a known killer.
Infamy: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 63%
████████████▒███████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 31% / Anonymity: 69%
██████▒█████████████
Ruthlessness: 40% / Empathy: 60%
████████████████████
Daring: 59% / Caution: 41%
███████████▒████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 78%
███████████████▒████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: He seems nice.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 64%
████████████▒███████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

Surely we would have heard about it someone has, right?

 

Our stat screen doesn't say "tech-savvy" for nothing.​

> "And neither has anybody else, I gather?" I'm curious.

"And neither has anybody else, I gather?" Your question is an honest one, because if they have, you'd want to know. That would simplify many things.

"No," Dr. Mortum says with utmost certainty. "I would have heard the rumors."

"Even if it was military?"

"I still have friends there, mon amie, I would know."

"Did you ever consider asking them for help?"

"Not that kind of friends," she says with a bitter chuckle. "I tried by myself. Worked at it for years before I decided to focus on other projects." The sigh is wistful.

"Is that why you're such a compulsive notetaker? So you won't forget your brilliant inventions?"

"Shush," she protests; you can almost smell the embarrassment. "It's not that. I was…a little drunk at the time, and…I had help."

"Help?" That's not an admission you would have expected. The good doctor has been fiercely independent since…oh.

"You know the villain I was working with at the time?" The question tells you that your hunch was right.

"Vitruvian?" you say, trying to remember the details. "That's the one, right? I saw the name when I researched you before recommending you to my boss."

"We invented it together," she admits with a grimace. "I'm an expert in miniaturization technology and energy management, and he…had brilliant insights into quantum physics. He figured out a way to translate physical information and store it in a quantum bubble memory, and I figured out how to compact it into a handheld device, able to reform the information once more."

"Are you telling me you miniaturized a quantum bubble memory?"

"Well, it wasn't easy."

"That's not an answer." The smug look on her face makes you throw a peanut at her. "How did you keep it from spontaneously generating new information without the supercooling?"

"How do you know I didn't supercool it?" Her smugness is a challenge.

"Because that would be impossible, and—"

"—Impossible is what I do," both of you say in chorus.

Tech-savvy MC + Mortum produces some wild conversations.​

"So the gun disintegrates and then reintegrates." You grab a pen and a notepad from her desk, jotting down your thoughts. "It doesn't really teleport."

"Not in this setup," she admits, "but the original array was two separate stations, sending the information to each other. Each was the size of a room before I got involved."

"So let me get this straight." You try not to sound too excited. "You could shoot a safe and then pop it back out somewhere safe? Practical."

"Very. It was more complicated with people," she admits with a frown, "but, essentially, it worked."

"Essentially?"

"A quantum bubble can store vast amounts of information," she gives you a quick smile. You've discussed similar topics in the past. "Unfortunately, as you know, it degrades over time. The consequences are less of an issue with a static object, but organic, living matter is more…finicky. Once they are in there for too long, people…degrade. Some die, others go…strange."

"You used it on people?"

"Just people in my way," she assures you.

"And now it's up for sale."

"It is, mon amie, and I want it back."

　‣ "Do you want help?" I offer.
　‣ "Do you have a plan?" I ask, wondering.
　‣ "Don't do anything stupid, please," I beg.

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy
Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate. They are a known killer.
Infamy: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 63%
████████████▒███████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 31% / Anonymity: 69%
██████▒█████████████
Ruthlessness: 40% / Empathy: 60%
████████████████████
Daring: 59% / Caution: 41%
███████████▒████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 78%
███████████████▒████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: He seems nice.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 64%
████████████▒███████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

Very curious what 'strange' entails in a universe where this conversation is happening, very much want to nudge our way into an invite to help

 

I mean, what are friends for?​

> "Do you want help?" I offer.

"Do you want help?" you offer. The words slipped out so quickly, so easily that Dr. Mortum is giving you a surprised look.

"Barbara?" It's a rare occasion when she uses your actual name.

"I mean," you say, suddenly feeling a little awkward. "I'm your friend, and I'm not entirely useless, you know that."

"I do know that. And thank you. I don't have enough friends not to appreciate you." She gives you a long, intense look that you have a hard time interpreting. It feels almost…wistful.

"So…what's the plan?" You lean back in your chair, all business.

"I figured I'd just break in and steal it," she says with a shrug. "How hard can it be?"

"Well, to begin with, you're not going up against a bank; these people are heavy hitters." You don't bother to hide your groan. "Even if we can deal with the electronic alarms, there will be guards."

"We can handle guards," she protests.

"Even modded ones? You know they're not going to have just regular joes guarding the place." You sigh. "I'm good, but I'm not that good."

"I was a villain," she points out, but you can see the doubts sneaking in.

"Over a decade ago. It's a tough gig, and it's gotten tougher."

"I still work out."

"Even if you have, there's more to that life than lifting a few weights. You could get killed."

"Which would be a bit of a setback to my other projects," she says with such an annoyed look that you can't hold back the laugh.

"So let's just put that plan on hold for a moment."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're about to suggest something else?"

"Because that's what I do, my dear doctor." You don't bother to hide your proud smile. "I…facilitate things. Events."

"I'm glad you're on my side, mon amie. Did you have something in mind already?"

　‣ "Swallow your pride and just buy the thing."
　‣ "My boss is already planning to hit the auction."
　‣ "Have someone else do it for you." And I know just the one.

Which brings us to the real question: what solution does Barbie have in mind for her friend's predicament?

We could urge Mortum to just attend the auction and buy it the normal way; it's the sensible thing to do in her position. That would let us focus on our own plans—and, if we wanted, allow her and Anathema's paths to cross in the process.

Or, of course, we could step up and generously volunteer our boss's services. Anathema already has one heist planned for that auction, after all; what's one more? Pulling it off might even win them some goodwill with the doctor.​

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Subject: Anathema

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary.
Description: A tall mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short and styled curly dark brown hair.

Their sense of style is androgynous, secondhand streetwear, with many piercings in their ears, nose, and tongue. They have a short, scruffy beard and mustache.

Standard of Living: Josie is well-off.
Josie is living in a comfortable apartment.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

Physical Status
Stamina: You are rested.
Willpower: You feel calm.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy
Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate. They are a known killer.
Infamy: 51% / Obscurity: 49%
██████████▒█████████

Armored Suit
Anathema's suit is a shadow with a mirror for a face, revealing nothing. The cape conceals and obfuscates what's underneath.
In its left hand, the suit has a neutered colony of nanovores, functionally similar to having disintegration touch. The suit is also equipped with telepathic boosters and enhanced speed as well as jump-jets.

Armor Status
Need Repair: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 63%
████████████▒███████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 31% / Anonymity: 69%
██████▒█████████████
Ruthlessness: 40% / Empathy: 60%
████████████████████
Daring: 59% / Caution: 41%
███████████▒████████

Back in the day, Sidestep was known as a vigilante working with the Rangers.

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is fine, and has no serious wounds.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Charge
Josie's Relationship with Ortega: Friend and ally.
Ortega's Connection with Josie: 78%
███████████████▒████

Ortega thinks Anathema has made some good points.

Barbara's Relationship with Ortega: Eternally flirting. Josie is using Barbara as a spy.
Ortega's Connection with Barbara: 63%
████████████▒███████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
▒███████████████████

Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
████████▒███████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: He seems nice.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 64%
████████████▒███████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

Have someone else do it for you (specifically my totally a separate person boss)