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

With Spoon out of petting distance, we could use a new distraction.​

> "If you're making some." A cup to keep my hands busy.

"If you're making some," you say, not because you want it. More because you'll want something to keep your hands busy. It helps to have something other than your own insecurities to focus on.

"I am." Chen walks into the kitchen. Without his shoes, the rubber soles on his feet almost sound like Spoon's quiet taps.

"I hope I'm not the only one finding this weird." Like crossing an invisible line.

"You're not," he admits. "I'm not one for small talk."

"You think I am?" You can't help but smirk. Maybe if you try hard, you can manage half a conversation between you. At most.

"You've got a point," he admits.

"So, no use putting this off, I suppose." You take a seat at the kitchen table, leaving him to hover, waiting for the tea. "Have you gone mad? Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" It goes against everything you know about Chen, which makes you suspicious.

"Bear with me," he sighs. "There is a reason."

"Thank you for trusting me with this…I suppose." You're not sure how you feel about this. Chen has no idea what you've been doing lately. Would he make the same choice if he knew you were moonlighting as Anathema? Probably not.

"It's not something I do easily." The laugh is tense, and he doesn't look at you.

"So?" You watch as he prepares the tea, precise movements, his fingers steadier than his stance.

"I don't know how to explain this in a way that makes sense." He finally sits down at the table, the tea steaming between you. Fresh, almost grassy. Maybe a hint of jasmine. You watch the tea instead of him. No ear on the cup, gently curved shape. You suppose he doesn't feel the heat, and there's one less part to break. "But it starts with Ortega."

"Of course it does." You can't stop the twitch of your face.

"I thought her obsession with Hollow Ground would pass when you came back." He looks up at your amused snort. "Yes, I know it was stupid, but how long can you keep chasing a mirage?"

"She chased that one before she even knew me." Old news. One dead marshal and mentor. One live nemesis.

"It was awful what happened to Hood, but being the Marshal is a risky profession. We've both had our assassination attempts. There's no need to make a conspiracy out of disgruntled villains. Hollow Ground is a myth," Chen scoffs with more certainty than you've heard so far. "And she keeps chasing it, she's worse than Spoon."

　‣ "Same energy," I agree with a laugh.
　‣ "Hollow Ground is not a myth," I protest.
　‣ "Keep complaining about Ortega, and we'll be here all night."

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: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 23% / Anonymity: 77%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 53% / Caution: 47%
██████████▒█████████

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

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is badly hurt, and with severe injuries.
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: 52%
██████████▒█████████

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: 60%
████████████████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly. He knows Josie still has their telepathic powers.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
█████████████▒██████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

>3. we have previously established Ganging Up On Ortega as a team-building activity

 

It's true! Ortega is much, much worse than Best Boy.​

> "Keep complaining about Ortega, and we'll be here all night."

"If you keep complaining about Ortega, we'll be here all night." It's an endless subject and one of the few things you had in common in the past.

"It's not about her. Not directly." Chen sips his tea, grimacing at the scalding heat. "She's done nothing wrong."

"For someone so straightforward, you can be surprisingly cryptic." You take a sip as well, meeting his gaze head-on. For once, you are not the one being interrogated, and it's refreshing. As if the scales between you had evened out.

"I know Hollow Ground doesn't exist." Chen speaks very quietly, utterly serious, the cup of tea steady in his hands. "I know it's a myth concocted by the media and used by people who need a useful bogeyman to blame things on. I know it's a fairy tale, a fictional boss for a loose collection of criminal gangs working together. I know this. Everyone I've spoken to in power agrees. The mayor, the LDPD…" The tea shakes briefly, and he puts the cup down.

"But?" You can feel his unease. He doesn't want to talk about this with you. And yet he forces himself to.

"Ortega's evidence is compelling. What she says makes sense," a brief grimace, "would make sense if Hollow Ground existed. And I…" He looks at you, the frustration no less visible because it is controlled. "I'm not acting logically. My actions don't make sense. My beliefs don't make sense. I've learned to accept impossible things before because while they were improbable, they fit the facts."

"Occam's razor." There's something else there, something important. You file it away for later.

"Exactly. The facts are there. Nobody is paying attention to them apart from Ortega. And Ortega—"

"Is immune to telepathy," you fill in, realization dawning at last. "You think Hollow Ground is a telepath?" You've only met them in your puppet body. There's no way you could say yes or no. The possibility is worrying.

"Hollow Ground doesn't exist." The answer is quick and reflexive, certain enough that his mind screams in protest, and he buries his face in his hands briefly. Three deep breaths later, he looks up once more, calmer. "You see? You see why I'm willing to take a chance on you?"

　‣ "If you're certain," I say with grim determination.
　‣ "I can't," I protest. "I'm not that good."
　‣ "Do you trust me, then?" I ask softly.

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: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 23% / Anonymity: 77%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 53% / Caution: 47%
██████████▒█████████

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

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is badly hurt, and with severe injuries.
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: 52%
██████████▒█████████

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: 60%
████████████████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly. He knows Josie still has their telepathic powers.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
█████████████▒██████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

There is some nesting, layered dolls joke here about enemy of my enemy of my enemy....

I think I'm feeling "if you're certain," though I wish we could give a wry "or is this idea ACTUALLY the telepath's plan" joke, at least in the narration

 

chinhands in other route knowledge. HG really is set up as a perfect foil, huh? now we gotta do what ortega wanted us to do to argent way back at the beginning, but for real this time.

 

Truly, the real tables were the turns we made along the way.

(Or were they...)

 

Wasn't on our to-do list, but we can't exactly walk away from this…​

> "If you're certain," I say with grim determination.

"If you're certain," you say with grim determination. The stakes have just been upped. If Chen is right and Hollow Ground is somehow influencing the Marshal, it's bad.

"I am." Chen looks resigned, as if he's run this scenario through his head many times before. "Do you think you can do it?"

"Depends on what's done, if anything." You're not about to be too detailed about your powers, especially not when you're not sure what this is. There are many ways to influence someone, not all telepathic in nature. Though that would explain why Ortega would be immune.

"So, how do we do this?" He looks calm but feels nervous. On the couch in the living room, Spoon is asleep.

"Very carefully." You ponder the possibilities. Spoon has stolen the couch, and you don't want to disturb him and risk those distracting thoughts interrupting the process. The bed would be good, most people feel safe there, but you don't think you're quite ready for Chen's bedroom. The kitchen will have to do. "If you feel ready, we can start right now."

"Now is fine." You can see it in Chen's stance, in the way his mind tenses. Better get this over with. "Do we need to touch?"

　‣ "No," I say, shaking my head.
　‣ "Proximity helps," I suggest, letting him decide.
　‣ "Yes," I lie, swallowing hard.

Our powers outgrew the need for physical contact years ago, but Chen doesn't know that. It's your call what we tell him.​

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: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 23% / Anonymity: 77%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 53% / Caution: 47%
██████████▒█████████

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

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is badly hurt, and with severe injuries.
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: 52%
██████████▒█████████

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: 60%
████████████████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly. He knows Josie still has their telepathic powers.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
█████████████▒██████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

I'd rather either say or imply touch is a facto, whether saying proximity or outright yes - the better to help make sure he keeps not suspecting us of whatever it is that might be going on here. 2 or 3 vote

 

A coin flip between 2 and 3 gets us…​

> "Proximity helps," I suggest, letting him decide.

"Proximity helps," you suggest. While you don't need to be anywhere near, it might help him relax. Humans, unlike you, are primed for contact. Touch is good, calming. You're not surprised when he reaches out his hands to you.

"Does it matter that they're not…mine?" Chen's fingers move with their unnatural smoothness, and you can feel the unease he's usually hiding. He's doing his best to let his shields down.

"They're yours now," you reply, utterly truthfully. Flesh or not doesn't really matter. They're connected to his nerves and his mind.

"If you say so," he mumbles, and you realize with a start that he doesn't think so. In his eyes, they are not his hands. Not his legs. They're replacements. Fakes. Not like you see them, as much a part of him as his face.

"I do." You take his hands in yours, well aware that he could crush yours if he squeezed too hard.

"I'm not sure about this," he says, looking down at your scarred hands as if he could read your mind. Soft. Human. He doesn't want to hurt them. Your scars should tell him his concerns are too late, there's nothing he could do to you that hasn't been done before.

"I trust you," you lie, but whether you're lying to him or to yourself is an open question. It doesn't matter, not really. You need him to relax. You need him to let you inside since you'd rather not fight your way in there.

"I'm not sure I deserve that trust," he admits. "But I suppose that goes both ways."

"Shut up and breathe." The softest of whispers. "There's no need for words anymore."

Darkness. Breathing. You match your breathing to Chen's quicker rhythm, then consciously slow them both. Breathe. Calm. In the distance, the street grows dim, the people turning muddled like shadows through frosted glass as you focus on the mind before you. Spoon's dreams fade into the background, left behind, an emergency anchor you hope you won't need.

One breath. The next. And then none, your body left behind as you focus on the man in front of you. Wei Chen. Walled off. Private. Suspicious.

Desperate.

　‣ Trusting. I will take the front door.
　‣ Affectionate. There are soft spots in the walls.
　‣ Paranoid. Better sneak in through his past.

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: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 23% / Anonymity: 77%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 53% / Caution: 47%
██████████▒█████████

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

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is badly hurt, and with severe injuries.
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: 52%
██████████▒█████████

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: 60%
████████████████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Friendly. He knows Josie still has their telepathic powers.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
█████████████▒██████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

our relationship is friendly and he is letting us into his head, so...maybe trusting?

 

> Trusting. I will take the front door.

You wouldn't be here if Chen didn't trust you, no matter how stupid and unlikely that sounds.

You let out a sigh as you contemplate the mental walls in front of you. You've only brushed against them before, never studied them closely. It was always too dangerous since you didn't want to be caught prying.

They're good. Thick, but not solid. To your shared perception, they look like massive blocks of metal, locking and interlocking, shifting places constantly, letting through glimpses of what lies beyond. Never still long enough for a good read, and there's a feeling of danger as well. Easy to be caught up in, crushed, noticed. They're good walls. He's had training in guarding his thoughts. Training and talent.

It helps to be a private person.

You study the movements of the blocks as they shift and change, crashing together with a rumble you can feel in your molars. You keep looking for the door but find none. Acting on instinct, you reach out to put your hand in one of the gaps that keep opening up.

The wall freezes, and then, as one, the blocks glide apart, giving you a path to walk directly inside.

Swallowing hard, you walk inside Wei Chen's unguarded mind.

> It's Warm

The air is warm and tangible the way it gets with high humidity. Filling your lungs, caressing your skin, every move making you aware of the sweat clinging to your back.

It takes a moment of concentration to ignore the environment's effect on you, tightening your shields. You leave the sound of pouring rain on the tin roof, the music playing in the background, the quiet conversations of people in the bar.

Soldiers. American soldiers.

South America?

"Burma." Chen's voice, you hadn't picked him out earlier, his mental imprint not at all what you expected. Softer. Unscarred. Whole.

"That whole Bay of Bengal deal?" You try to remember your history, but it's been a long time since you had to study geopolitics.

"Operation Trident, yeah." He looks down at his drink. Takes a cautious sip, then empties it.

"You look too old for that," you say, sitting down next to him. The iced coffee is cold enough for condensation to form on the glass.

"It's not real," he shrugs. "It's hard to remember being young."

　‣ "Not so hard to remember being whole." I look at his hands.
　‣ "It's hard to imagine you being young." I smile.
　‣ "You look good." I wink.

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: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 23% / Anonymity: 77%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 53% / Caution: 47%
██████████▒█████████

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

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is badly hurt, and with severe injuries.
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: 52%
██████████▒█████████

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: 60%
████████████████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Confidante. He knows Josie still has their telepathic powers.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
█████████████▒██████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

I don't think it's a good time to ask Chen about how much he remembers being able-bodied, so joking about how he's a grumpy old man might work better.

 

Josie's rules of friendship, based on years of Ortega experience: when in doubt, call them old.​

> "It's hard to imagine you being young." I smile.

"It's hard to imagine you being young." You smile as you look at him. Forty? Thirty? Hard to tell without the scars. You're so used to them, he feels naked without.

"Same." Chen looks you over. "You were so young back then. Feels like a lifetime ago."

"Did I remind you of this?" Your question is soft, reading intentions more than facts.

"Yes," he admits. "War is a young man's game. I had a feeling you were still fighting yours."

You laugh. You can't help it. He has no idea.

"I hadn't even started," you mutter, looking out over the crowd.

Belonging. That's the overwhelming feeling. The soldiers here are all so young, and some have familiar faces. A shade of Ortega talking with an Asian man you don't know. Herald, with a beer in his hand, laughing with Anathema. Sunstream sitting alone, her dark hair nearly covering her face. Ashfall arm wrestling with a tall man with flamboyant hair that can't be military regulation. Mixed memories. A flash of Argent on edge. Sentinel leaning against the bar, one of the few looking his age. The shaggy, tattooed man next to him must be Hood. You've only seen pictures but the size tracks.

"You miss it," you mumble, thoughts and words mixing together.

"It was easier back then," he admits. "Before things got complicated. I thought I had found where I belonged."

"And now?"

"Things got complicated."

The quiet descends once more, and you let your thoughts drift through your surroundings. Nothing strange. Nothing here that doesn't feel like Chen. Not a surprise; any good telepath knows that the best place to hide things is where the victim doesn't want to look. The bad memories. The painful ones.

　‣ "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do," I say. "It might hurt."
　‣ "I need to go," No use warning him, safer that way.
　‣ "Kiss me," I say. "For good luck."

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: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 23% / Anonymity: 77%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 53% / Caution: 47%
██████████▒█████████

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

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is badly hurt, and with severe injuries.
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: 52%
██████████▒█████████

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: 60%
████████████████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Confidante. He knows Josie still has their telepathic powers.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 74%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
█████████████▒██████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

I want to know why it's safer not to warn him

 

Just to clarify — is that a vote to warn him and find out? (I don't think Josie will elaborate further if you choose not to warn him.)

 

I like pain! (Yes)

 

Putting decency before practicality always works out well for villains.​

> "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do," I say. "It might hurt."

"I'm sorry for what I'm about to do," you say. "It might hurt."

"What are you talking about?" Chen stiffens, and you can feel the mindscape shift. On guard, the pleasant facade riddled with cracks.

That's probably why!​

"I'm going to have to go deeper to find anything," you explain, ignoring the distant sirens and the now-faceless soldiers scrambling to their positions. "To places you probably don't want me to go."

"Do it." The words are sharp, and you can feel that he doesn't want you to. But he urges you on all the same.

"Don't be too pissed off once this is over," you mumble, wishing you didn't mean it. Feelings are problematic in your line of work.

"Can't promise that," he says, almost sadly.

"That's fair. Goodbye for now." You sketch a salute, then slip backward through the chair, through the floor, through the bar. Away from the heat and the humidity.

Toward the cold and guarded core.

> Searching

The city skyline is unfamiliar, but you recognize New York all the same. Too tall. Too dark. Too cold in the wetness of winter, the slush making the pavement treacherous. The streets are filled with people, but none of them have faces. All blank. All of them moving. None of them looking at you.

Or at Chen. Who is sitting at a corner, too young, chubby teenage face nearly hidden behind a scarf and hat. He's looking at you but not seeing you, just like people are not seeing him or the cup placed in front of him.

Is this what loneliness feels like?

Cold. Hungry. Too many feelings here, infesting you. You tighten your shields and shed the sensations, but everything chafes. It feels like holding a blade at the wrong end. No cuts yet. All it would take is pressure.

You might be inside, but Chen doesn't trust you. Doesn't want you here. Forces himself to do it all the same. How are you supposed to find anything strange in here?

　‣ I will ask Chen to help me.
　‣ I know where I would have placed it.

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: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 23% / Anonymity: 77%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 53% / Caution: 47%
██████████▒█████████

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

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is badly hurt, and with severe injuries.
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: 52%
██████████▒█████████

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: 60%
████████████████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Confidante. He knows Josie still has their telepathic powers.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 79% (+5)
███████████████▒████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
█████████████▒██████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

I will vote for asking Chen to help

 

It's his mind. And he did invite us here, right?​

> I will ask Chen to help me.

You walk over to Chen, hunching down in front of him. No reaction. You wave your hand in front of his face, but there's nothing.

Is it even him? You study his face carefully, and the resemblance is there. Young. Soft. But with a hollowness around the eyes, hair unkempt and shaggy, stubble trying to grow in.

You snap your fingers, pulling Chen's focus into this one moment, this one place, and he blinks slowly, like an owl in the daytime.

"I…don't want to remember this." Hesitant words. He's looking down at his hands. Limp. Unmoving. Like his legs.

"I get that. But this is not the place. It's close, though."

"I…don't want to remember." His eyes shift upward involuntarily, and you follow his gaze. Bingo.

It makes sense now that you would get drawn to this point. It's a classic trick to hide things in memories people don't want to revisit. A door halfway up a building is covered in red threads. You gently untangle them enough to slip inside. A house, nice and middle-class, but so cold that the steam coming from the room ahead forms frost on the knots lodged deep in memories of shame and betrayal.

You're not going to lie. It feels like defusing a bomb. Whatever this is, is powerful. Just brushing past them like you did earlier made your mind tingle. Are they infectious? Maybe, it wouldn't be unheard of. Delusions can spread far too readily.

You need to be careful. Cut the right ones.

Contemplating the tangled web, you try to ignore the arguments in the background. Focus. Breathe.

And then, cut.

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: 5% / Fine: 95%
████████████████████

Leadership: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 23% / Anonymity: 77%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 53% / Caution: 47%
██████████▒█████████

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

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is badly hurt, and with severe injuries.
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: 52%
██████████▒█████████

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: 60%
████████████████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Confidante. He knows Josie still has their telepathic powers.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72% (-7)
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
█████████████▒██████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters

 

> Fuck!

The backlash is immediate and painful, the red threads expanding into barbed wire, wrapping themselves around your arms. Trying to tangle. Invade. Infect.

A clap on the shoulder. Uncomfortable familiarity as you shake hands.

A familiar smile. Hollow Ground. A laugh. An amused comment about your grip.

With a scream, you set off your own mental defenses, mirror shard shields lashing out and destroying the infection. Scour it out. The reflexive action blasts the surrounding memories into ashes and dust, and Chen's mind convulses as you eject yourself too fast, too rough, and you're back in your body, the disorientation complete as you fall to the floor in a spasm.

You're not alone. The Rat King wraps their mind around you, worried little sniffs all over your mindscape. It's an effective antidote to the shards lodged in your mind, but they also alert you to the fact that you're not the only one hurt.

Fuck. Chen is convulsing, and you bite back your nausea, drown it with adrenaline, and slap his motoric nervous system back into shape. Not a true seizure, you hope. You crawl over and feel his thoughts sluggishly try to pull themselves together. Ignoring your own pain, you perform what amounts to telepathic first aid, smoothing down the jagged edges of memory, pushing back the hurt areas deep into his subconscious where they belong.

Only then do you let yourself collapse, halfway on top of him.

　‣ I say nothing. I just breathe.
　‣ "That…was bad," I mumble. "Let's never do it again."
　‣ "Are you okay?" I ask weakly, unable to move.

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 exhausted.
Willpower: You feel exhausted.
Injuries: You are fine, with no significant wounds.

Telepathy
Strength of Mind: 50%
████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 76% (+2)
███████████████▒████

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: 66%
█████████████▒██████

Psychological Profile
Arrogance: 23% / Anonymity: 77%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 36% / Empathy: 64%
███████▒████████████
Daring: 53% / Caution: 47%
██████████▒█████████

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

Main Puppet
Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: She is badly hurt, and with severe injuries.
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: 52%
██████████▒█████████

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: 60%
████████████████████

Marshal Steel
Josie's Relationship with Steel: Confidante. He knows Josie still has their telepathic powers.
Steel's Connection with Josie: 72%
██████████████▒█████

Marshal Steel thinks Anathema needs to be brought in.

Herald
Josie's Relationship with Herald: Friends.
Herald's Connection with Josie: 67%
█████████████▒██████

Herald thinks Anathema is a villain.

Other Characters