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