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

If the thread would rather not be forced to have opinions on art, we could also ask the RNG? (Or pick the ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ option, if that expresses the sentiment better.)

 

Let's compare this art to a predator's pointy teeth

 

It's a very relatable painting, honestly.​

> "No, that's not it." It's too wild, too devouring.

"No, that's not it. You keep looking at the city when you need to look at the sun." You stare at the picture, rigid lines, shifting organic paint layers, clashing bright orange and mustard yellow against a black that's not black as much as deep greens and blues masquerading as buildings. There's a vivid life to it, a quiet fury that threatens to devour everything around it. In the first moment of its explosion, an atomic bomb before the mushroom cloud, before the wind stripping everything bare.

Bad memories.

There's a fury worked into the canvas in front of you, strong enough to make your teeth ache in sympathy. Hate deep enough to scorch, hidden malice waiting to erupt. The stillness is momentary. The aftermath is the disaster.

There will be nothing left but bare bones whitening in the sun.

But is it enough? Too much? You press your fingers to the bridge of your nose, trying to stave off sudden vertigo.

(We'll forget for a moment that there's no atomic bombs in this setting and focus on how the art makes us feel.)​

"The sun is terrifying." He's hugging himself as he's watching the painting. "Maybe that's why I see myself in the city."

"What do you mean?" You're curious; you can see the way his eyes are glued to the canvas.

"There's…" He drifts off, searching for the right words. "There are things in here I know I'm not equipped to understand. I see some things," he rubs his hands together as if they itched, "and it takes me back to places I don't want to be, things I don't want to remember. And yet, I know it's just an echo. I can't even imagine what she's seen. How she feels about it."

"There are probably interviews out there." Most artists are all too willing to talk about their art.

"There were." He doesn't look away from the painting. "There's been nothing for decades. She doesn't do interviews anymore; there are just new paintings. Not often, but they always make a big splash. Having a talk with her is one of my dreams. To know if I misunderstood everything."

"Do you need her approval?" You look at him now, not the painting. The nervous tic, the uncharacteristic frown. Bad memories. If you had been a telepath, you would have known what the issue was. Now you're running blind.

"I suppose not." The laugh cleanses the air. "I always overanalyze things. I know that."

　‣ "That's not a bad thing," I say with a kind smile.
　‣ "You want to get a drink?" I propose. I need one.
　‣ "It was nice talking to you," I say, moving on.

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.

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

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.
Infamy: 46% / Obscurity: 54%
█████████▒██████████

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: 0% / Fine: 100%
████████████████████

Leadership: 55%
████████████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 29% / Anonymity: 71%
█████▒██████████████
Ruthlessness: 30% / Empathy: 70%
████████████████████
Daring: 51% / Caution: 49%
██████████▒█████████

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: 80%
████████████████████

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: 59%
███████████▒████████

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: 61%
████████████▒███████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Could be useful.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 60%
████████████████████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

>get! herald! drunk!

 

We are not drunk enough to continue being Art Appreciation Barbie.​

> "You want to get a drink?" I propose. I need one.

"You want to go get a drink?" You toss out the offer because you really need one.

"I…" There's a moment's hesitation, and you can see it in Herald's eyes. That look. The look of someone who gets asked out a lot and is far too well versed in saying no. "I'm sorry, I'd like to spend some more time with the art. I don't have much free time lately."

"Of course," you keep your smile, wondering if the reply would have been the same in your own body. Probably. Not that you would ever ask.

"Enjoy the rest of the party," he says, giving you a friendly smile before making his way over to another part of the exhibition. Looks like he's here for the art, not for the people. Maybe it won't be that terrible having coffee together. He doesn't seem to be the social butterfly that Ortega is. Maybe he won't make a scene about it.

Oh well, you'd better wrap things up before you leave, making sure that everything is taken care of.

You need to make sure that you've got pictures of all the important players in this room, especially those connected to the Captain. Who knows who is going to be vitally important once you start making your mark on this city.

All in all, a nice evening's work.

 

> Weeks Pass

Your base, six months after your debut as Anathema.

You think there might be a sewage leak somewhere. The last few days, your base has started smelling bad. That's the problem with tunnels. Not only do the microquakes sometimes dislodge things, but a surplus of rain can cause flooding, and a sudden drought can open up new passages. You haven't been able to find the source of the stink yet, and you suppose that's another sign that you need a new base soon.

You would already be elsewhere if you hadn't been so busy. Being a villain is just as much work as being a hero, but with higher stakes. No backup. Just your mind against the world.

The stage is set.

> Time To Move

No two ways about it; Eric Deveraux needs to be removed. He's too powerful in his position as Mayor Alvarez's aide, and he's protecting Hollow Ground's organization. You need to make an example out of him.

You also need to take the Guardians down a notch. You weren't overly impressed with the Captain when you met, and taking down the team's leader would boost your reputation.

The perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone is a meeting that Captain Blaze is acting security for, between Deveraux and a delegation of San Francisco politicians. They are planning to start work to restore the ruined Pacific Coast Highway. It's a nice example of community building, sure, but you know there's more to it than that. There have been rumors that Lord Ember, the kingpin of San Francisco, has shown interest in Los Diablos. That can never end well.

Too many fingers in one pie.

The meeting is taking place down at the Westin; you've done your homework and scanned the staff, so you know exactly which conference room to target. Just below the penthouse suites, one of the fancy ones. Getting in isn't hard; it's a hotel, so you checked Barbara in the day before with your armor in her luggage. A false name, and once you arrived today, you just slipped in below everybody's awareness.

You wouldn't put it past them to have telepathic dampeners at the actual meeting, but they won't cover the entire hotel, so you had no issues remaining unseen.

Time to interrupt a meeting.

　‣ A dramatic entry through the window!
　‣ I'll brutally kick the door in.
　‣ The nanovores will sneakily eat through the ceiling.

Now how shall we crash this party?​

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.

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

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.
Infamy: 46% / Obscurity: 54%
█████████▒██████████

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: 0% / Fine: 100%
████████████████████

Leadership: 55%
████████████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 29% / Anonymity: 71%
█████▒██████████████
Ruthlessness: 30% / Empathy: 70%
████████████████████
Daring: 51% / Caution: 49%
██████████▒█████████

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: 80%
████████████████████

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: 59%
███████████▒████████

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: 61%
████████████▒███████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Could be useful.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 60%
████████████████████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

Let's drop in through the ceiling, that seems good and creepy

 

We deserve a Batman entrance

 

Stealth gameplay is so much sweeter when you're a telepath.​

> The nanovores will sneakily eat through the ceiling.

The room below you is dampened; you can feel the static hum in your mind. But, like you thought, the dampeners are not very strong. Old. Probably belonging to the hotel, to make sure they can provide secure negotiating spaces.

Not really a match for you and the Rat King.

Adding your power to the Rat King's senses, you slowly track the people below you, little blips of consciousness in the static mist.

An oval. People sitting around a table? One standing apart, near what would be the door. Unmoving. You focus on that one; judging from the position, it's most likely Captain Blaze. Placid. Uninterested in the conversation.

Aware. Guarding.

Where would Deveraux be? You urge the Rat King to help as you brave the force of the dampeners, sifting through fragmented thoughts. It feels like listening to a badly tuned radio in a thunderstorm, voices distorted, conversations fading in and out. Is that him at the head of the table? Maybe? It makes sense, logistically—he's the host of the meeting. Good. You've got a location now.

　‣ I need to kill Deveraux quickly.
　‣ I'll drop in near the dampener to take it out.
　‣ I'll drop down on the center of the table for maximum surprise.
　‣ I'll take out Captain Blaze immediately.

We've got the element of surprise. What do we want to do first—get the drop on Blaze? Destroy the dampeners? Throw the room into panicked chaos? Take care of Deveraux—permanently—before his bodyguard can interfere?​

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.

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

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.
Infamy: 46% / Obscurity: 54%
█████████▒██████████

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: 0% / Fine: 100%
████████████████████

Leadership: 55%
████████████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 29% / Anonymity: 71%
█████▒██████████████
Ruthlessness: 30% / Empathy: 70%
████████████████████
Daring: 51% / Caution: 49%
██████████▒█████████

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: 80%
████████████████████

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: 59%
███████████▒████████

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: 61%
████████████▒███████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Could be useful.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 60%
████████████████████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

Blaze's heat powers seem like they'd be a bad matchup for us, so getting the drop on him (literally) sounds good.

 

I'm leaning towards either of the takeout of people options.

Taking out the dampener as first priority would be too much evidence towards telepathy, and dramatics alone risks our targets bolting in different directions.

 

If you can't stand the heat, get him out of the kitchen, right?​

> I'll take out Captain Blaze immediately.

You have the element of surprise, so you might as well use it. Captain Blaze is standing near the door, which means he's prepared for attacks from the corridor. Not above. You quietly make your way over to where you can feel him, glad for the soft hotel carpet muffling your steps.

Placing your palm on the floor, you let the nanovores loose. The Rat King keeps them in check like a dog with a flock of sheep, directing them downward, making just enough of a hole to fit your armor.

Here we go.

At the first hint of light, you drop through what remains of the floor, the fragile edges breaking as you fall. The nanovores retreat to their home in your glove as you land next to Blaze.

"Surprise," you hiss, your roundhouse kick hitting him right in the chest. A short burst from your jump-jets gives you enough power to send him flying straight into the conference table, gasping for breath.

Captain Blaze is coughing blood, but he's on his feet, taking stock of the situation. Looks like his skinsuit absorbed much of the impact. The design of his suit is familiar, bright shades of red and yellow signaling danger but in a heroic way. He's wearing a half helmet, covering most of his face but leaving his mouth free. Protected, but not heavily armored.

Messing up this meeting will be a big blow to Deveraux no matter what happens, but you could take him down and make sure.

After a second of consideration, you decide to…

　‣ Kill Deveraux before anyone can stop me.
　‣ Put Deveraux in the hospital first.
　‣ Use the civilians for cover.
　‣ Press the attack on Blaze, going hard.
　‣ Get Blaze out of the room, so nobody else gets hurt.

First blood to us. What next?​

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.

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

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.
Infamy: 46% / Obscurity: 54%
█████████▒██████████

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: 0% / Fine: 100%
████████████████████

Leadership: 55%
████████████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 29% / Anonymity: 71%
█████▒██████████████
Ruthlessness: 30% / Empathy: 70%
████████████████████
Daring: 51% / Caution: 49%
██████████▒█████████

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: 80%
████████████████████

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: 59%
███████████▒████████

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: 61%
████████████▒███████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Could be useful.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 60%
████████████████████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

"bleeding" isn't "no longer a threat," so I'm holding on for either of the last two. we hit him first for a reason.

 

I have to admit, the least option is making me giggle. Get Blaze out of the room so nobody else gets hurt - nobody except the guy we're killing lol.

 

"Will bonus fatalities look impressive on my resume, or just sloppy?" wonders Anathema in the split second they have to decide. These are the tough moral questions Fallen Hero poses.

 

I say press the attack on Blaze - maybe we can get him to accidentally kill Devereaux!

 

No time to worry about Deveraux—besides, shouldn't dealing with people like him be a hero's job?​

> Press the attack on Blaze, going hard.

No need for trickery. You've got the element of surprise; better use it. He's already hurt. You can't let him catch his breath. Deveraux is backed into a corner; he can't get out of here without passing you. You can see Blaze's eyes flick over to him and then back to you. Worried.

Take out the bodyguard, and Deveraux is yours.

"Anathema," Captain Blaze mutters through gritted teeth, but you don't let him finish.

"Heads up," you laugh as you launch yourself into an attack, jump-jets turning your tackle into a ram, sending you both crashing through the interior wall.

Fuck, you had no idea the hotel was built this shabbily, but at least that got you mostly out of range of the dampeners. You can feel his mind clicking into focus a moment before his body starts heating up, and you jump backward just in time to avoid the blast of heat.

"What do you want?" he asks, shaking his head. He's hurting. Breathing heavily. You can see the carpet under his feet begin to smolder.

"You're in my way," you say, instructing the Rat King to keep track of Deveraux if he makes a run for it. "I suppose you're not going to stand down if I ask you to?"

"You've got that right." His fists clench, and you can see the air shimmer around them.

You feel the world slow down around you, the systems in your armor humming to life. Speed. Reaction. Move in fast. Throw a punch. Parry the return blow. Ignore the hiss of heat against your armor. Roll back, don't get trapped. You're fast, faster than him.

There's blood on his lips. Hurt. Breathing hard.

Harder than you.

You've got the advantage; now all you have to do is press it.

That's the beauty of speed; even if you don't land the heavy blows, people get worn out. It is a lot of effort keeping up, parrying, avoiding. Even in confined spaces such as this, you've got the advantage. You've always been agile, that's how you stayed alive back in your hero days, and with the armor boosting your speed and reflexes, you're nearly untouchable.

Unlike Captain Blaze.

Sure, he has an armored skinsuit, but nothing like what you're wearing. Also, more importantly, he's a team player without a team, and unlike Ortega, it doesn't look like he's used to fighting solo. Not against someone as skilled as you.

"Is this the best the famous Captain Blaze can do?" Your laughter is a mocking parody of mirth. Parrying his blow, you try to ignore how the ambient heat makes your alarms flare.

"Are you that eager to be taken down?" Three blows from him in quick succession; you avoid them all.

"No media team here to hype you up. Reality is always disappointing." Light taunting to keep him distracted, delegating the surroundings to the Rat King. You need all your focus to figure out Blaze's tactics.

Not military, too unpredictable for that. Free-form martial arts, wanting to get close. Not like Ember, who had the most similar power set of the enemies you've fought in the past. He liked to keep his distance. Now that's you, leaping back, cape obscuring your form. Next to you, a decorative planter goes up in smoke as Blaze approaches, acrid plastic smoke hitting you before your filters engage. That's the difference then. He is mainly heat, not fire—aura more than blasts.

Good. Now you know what you're dealing with.

　‣ I'll keep up the banter to distract.
　‣ He wants to grab me, I'll stay clear.
　‣ Enough fun. I can take him head-on.
　‣ I'll make sure nobody gets hurt.
　‣ I do this carefully, by the book.

So much for putting Deveraux in the line of fire, but at least we're clear of the dampeners. Now, how do we handle his bodyguard?​

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.

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

Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.
Infamy: 46% / Obscurity: 54%
█████████▒██████████

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: 0% / Fine: 100%
████████████████████

Leadership: 55%
████████████████████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 36% (+7) / Anonymity: 64%
███████▒████████████
Ruthlessness: 30% / Empathy: 70%
████████████████████
Daring: 59% (+8) / 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: 80%
████████████████████

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: 59%
███████████▒████████

Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
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Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
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Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
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Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 61%
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Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Could be useful.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 60%
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Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

entertained that we've locked ourselves out of caring about collateral damage. is that a stat thing or because we didn't pick the "so nobody else gets hurt" option previously, do you know?

anyway, >carefully. we haven't gotten this far by getting cocky, even if we seem to have the upper hand at the moment.

 

Oh, that's just because we're already out of civilian range! I meant to mention that but forgot. One of the hazards of wielding rocket boots indoors...

 

> I do this carefully, by the book.

Don't overreach; you don't want to slip up now.

The best way to lose a fight is to assume you have already won. It's easy for a clever opponent to feign weakness before launching a counterattack or for an injured enemy to get a burst of strength from desperation.

You've done that in the past, let people think you were out for the count, fragile, broken—just enough to get them to drop their guard and allow you to finish the job.

Unlike Captain Blaze, you are not a pawn. You are the one moving the pieces across the board.

You've got this.

Doesn't matter if he's good; you're better. He's relying on his powers, too cocky by half. You learned to read people like that over a decade ago.

And you haven't stopped learning since.

You avoid the heat. It's growing more and more erratic, Blaze becoming desperate enough to turn to area attacks.

Your armor can hold up against it long enough to beat him into the ground, even though fires start erupting all around you.

Switching to the internal air supply, you use the smoke for cover, landing a kick that doubles him over. You quickly follow it up with another blow, hard enough to almost crack his helmet.

Then, at last, he falls.

With a firm grip on his arm, you drag the unconscious Captain Blaze back into the conference room. High on adrenaline, it feels like he weighs nothing. You're in control here.

Deveraux is still cowering in a corner, hoping you won't notice him.

He's out of luck.

　‣ I'll put him in the hospital.
　‣ I'll kill him fast.

Now for the job we came to do. How do we intend to deal with Deveraux?​

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 bruised, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy
Strength of Mind: 50%
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Subtle Manipulations: 74%
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Anathema
Anathema runs a criminal syndicate.
Infamy: 46% / Obscurity: 54%
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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% (+15) / Fine: 85%
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Leadership: 55%
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Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 36% / Anonymity: 64%
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Ruthlessness: 30% / Empathy: 70%
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Daring: 59% / Caution: 41%
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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: 80%
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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: 59%
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Dr. Mortum
Barbara's Relationship with Dr. Mortum: friend.
Mortum's Connection with Barbara: 66%
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Lady Argent
Josie's Relationship with Lady Argent: Distant.
Lady Argent's Impression of Josie: 1%
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Lady Argent respects Anathema's abilities.
Lady Argent's Interest in Anathema: 43%
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Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 61%
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Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Could be useful.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 60%
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Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters