Kintsugi Plays Fallen Hero

We are RETIRED and our current career path is NOT SUSPICIOUS

 

Hi everyone, your local scatterbrained LPer has just remembered a thing they forgot to share with the thread!

Fallen Hero has an in-game timeline of historic and backstory events which can be accessed from the stat screen. (It's right below the option to change your preferred expletive, which may explain why I forgot it was there.) It's optional reading, but potentially useful/interesting reference.

Spoiler: Timeline

History of the Fallen Hero World

1945: World War II ends, but the technological arms race continues. The United States and the Soviet Union both 'recruit' available German and Japanese scientists, taking full advantage of what they learned from the more unconscionable experiments during the war.

1951: The Korean War very nearly turns nuclear when the first Chinese Type 52 bipedal tanks help push the UN forces out of the mountains, and nearly out of the country. Though clumsy and slow, they prove to be useful in the mountainous terrain, leading to an upswing in the power armor industry.

1955: The Soviet Union announces that it has successfully created the first functional cybernetic limb replacement. This is widely considered the start of the Cyber Race.

1957: The Soviet Union manages to successfully interface man and machine, leading to a quantum leap in power armor technology as bipedal movement patterns become a lot more organic.

1960s: The US repeatedly releases new versions of its power armor suits as the Vietnam war rages; the lighter, more maneuverable armors are more suitable for the terrain. Various upgrades for soldiers are becoming more and more common, and the nickname 'Mods' is coined for those changed by the cybernetic implants.

1968: The first so-called 'Masked Heroes' appear in public: Modded veterans from the Vietnam war angered by their treatment at the hands of the government and the public. Very soon afterwards, new villains also take the stage. The police find it increasingly difficult to deal with disturbed people who have military training and equipment.

1971: A metabolic diet pill launched without proper product testing turns out to have uncommon and dangerous side effects. Though most users die or are crippled, a certain lucky few develop powers hitherto unseen in humans. The pill is quickly nicknamed the 'Hero Drug,' and though it is pulled off the market, use and research continue. People who have gained powers are nicknamed 'Boosts' in the media.

1976: The Hero Drug is declared an illegal narcotic, banned after causing the deaths of untold thousands of people. Still, the lure is too strong; research moves underground and behind securely locked corporate doors.

1979: Wei Chen, who will later be known to the public as Marshal Steel, is born.

1980: The Year of Hell. The Big One hits the West Coast, and the San Andreas fault causes a massive earthquake to strike Los Angeles. This triggers the Cascadia subduction zone a few days later. The massive earthquake and resulting tsunami throw the whole West Coast into disarray, with more than 150,000 estimated dead and missing. As if this were not enough, three months later, the Mammoth Lake volcanic system reawakens. The resulting eruption destroys any hope of quickly salvaging the West.

1981: The US government is nearly paralyzed by refugees, as well as the rain of ash covering most of the Midwest. President Clark declares martial law.

1982: Julia Ortega, also known as Charge, is born.

1980s: Aftershocks ravage the West Coast, halting any rebuilding efforts. Little by little, rebuilding turns to evacuation; all efforts are being put into getting the Midwest back on its feet to regain a stable food supply. Food riots are common, and several armed uprisings against the increasingly authoritarian government are struck down by the military.

1984: Los Angeles is renamed 'Los Diablos' in 'The Angels of Los Diablos,' a famous documentary about the rescue efforts.

1986: The GeniTech corporation patents the creation of lab-grown stem cell organs, revolutionizing the transplant industry.

Late 80s: Estimated birth of Josie Jacobs, later known as Sidestep.

Early 90s: Fed up with the suffocating yoke of the federal government, more and more people start moving back into the ruins of the West, starting the recolonization. A disproportionate amount of these people are Enhanced heroes and villains, both Mods and Boosts, fleeing government control.

1992: In an effort to increase private industry investments, the West Coast is declared a free economic zone where there will only be the bare minimum of federal government oversight. No taxes. No regulations.

1992: The GeniTech Corporation patents whole-body stem cell clones, allowing for large-scale harvesting of replacement organs. Following a tumultuous debate about the ethics involved, GeniTech is one of the first companies to move their corporate headquarters to Los Diablos to escape regulation.

1993: The Re-Gene project is first revealed in a New York Times article that claims it dates back to the seventies, with the goal of making androids for use in war. The author, Tim Mazetti, was killed in a traffic accident soon afterwards. The future Ranger Lady Argent is born.

1996: Los Diablos is up and running: its first mayor is elected, and it is starting to look more and more like a functional city. With the huge changes to the coastline, large tracts of the South Bay are abandoned and the city shuffles inland. The future Ranger Herald is born.

1997: Appalled at the lack of law and order in the Free Economic Zone, or the FEZ as people call it, the newly elected President Ross creates the Marshal system. Recruiting some of the most famous masked heroes of the region, he funds the 'Rangers' initiative in order to stem the worst excesses of the Enhanced populace.

1999: A breakthrough in energy technology leads to the first plasma reactors, leading to ever-more-compact cybernetics. Hollow Ground self-declares as the kingpin of Los Diablos.

2000: Intent on regaining lost influence, the US flexes its muscles in the Middle East. This leads to a series of proxy wars with the ailing Soviet Union. The first known sighting of a Re-Gene on the battlefield. Ortega debuts as Charge.

2002: Ortega joins the Rangers.

2004: A huge scandal rocks the Re-Gene project after its operatives are suspected of human rights abuses in another proxy war in Panama. It is never brought to court, as the Re-Genes themselves are androids with artificial minds. But the scandal moves the project back underground, where it has remained ever since.

2005: The Special Directive is formed, rumored to be a black-ops strike team of Re-Genes deployed against anyone deemed sufficiently dangerous by the government.

2007: Ortega is promoted to marshal after the death of Marshal Hood at the hands of Hollow Ground.

2008: Sidestep debuts as a vigilante.

2011: Los Diablos is hit by the Nanosurge, a runaway nano weapon devouring all flesh before it is contained by an alliance of heroes led by the Rangers. Sidestep plays a vital part in its defeat.

2013: The Heartbreak incident. Sidestep and Anathema are believed to be killed in action. Ortega retires as marshal and hero, replaced by Steel.

2014: Ortega returns from retirement, joining the Rangers once more as Charge.

2017: Josie Jacobs returns to Los Diablos under an assumed identity.

2020: Now.

We apologize again for the inconvenience; those responsible have been sacked. You may feel free to return to Josie's regularly-scheduled poor life choices.

 

Glances sidelong at the Nanosurge. Glances real real hard.

 

We have a completely normal and healthy relationship with our traumatic past.

 

Okay, okay, we've got this. Just act as natural and not-suspicious as possible…​

> "I am retired and out of the hero business!"

"I am retired," you protest, hotly enough so that she gives you an odd look. "I am out of the hero business." You want to get out of here, but you hold your ground all the same. You have gone too far to back down now without arousing suspicion.

"It's not like I'm asking you to put on a suit again. Just to provide some input on something." Ortega clearly seems to be confused about why you are hesitating, which makes sense. While you never actually were a Ranger, you worked with them regularly, and you visited their old headquarters more than once.

"I wore a mask for a reason back then," you sigh, running a hand over your face. "It's different now. Just because you've seen my real face doesn't mean I want the whole world to."

"Steel already knows who you are," Ortega points out. "As do I. And you can trust the rest of the team. They're good people. They wouldn't be Rangers otherwise."

"Really?" Your short little laugh sounds hollow in your own ears. You know she's lying about that—or maybe she just doesn't know.

"Really. And I promise you won't end up in any official ledgers or anything. This is off the books, just a personal favor to me."

"I have your word?" You give Ortega a long, hard look because that is the last thing you need.

"You do." There is a small smile playing on her lips. "Shall we go then, then? They won't bite, I promise."

"I am going to hold you to that promise," you mutter as you follow, trying to keep your nerves from showing.

> Just Like Walking a Tightrope

The first thing that strikes you is how different this place looks through your own eyes, compared to the multi-spectrum vision of Lady Argent. Back when you stole her body, you did it from afar, so you never had to approach this place in person. The risk was just too great, and you wanted to avoid the very thing you are walking right into now. Old and nosy friends.

It wasn't even hard to arrange an encounter with her, as she frequented a physical therapist's office located close to a suitable hotel. Since she was on a regular enough schedule for you to prepare in advance, all you had to do was to rent a room under an assumed name and keep an eye out for her as she exited her appointment, mind all relaxed and easy to possess. Habits can be as dangerous as they can be helpful.

But having done all this in her body also means that you are not prepared for how drab and ordinary this place looks, with its smiling receptionist and bored security officer. The walls look like ordinary walls, painted in subtle colors and hung with posters and pictures. You see no trace of electricity humming through hidden circuits, or of the multitude of security systems you know are there.

The Rangers are not exactly the LDPD, but they are still an official team. That means the whole package with government liaisons, and everything that comes with it. No wonder you didn't sign up, even when you were on the same side.

As far as you know, a physical scan should trigger nothing. You know from experience that you read exactly like a normal human to the various systems that scan for Boosts or Mods. Unless there has been some new development in sensory technology you haven't heard of, you should be safe.

Your telepathic powers on the other hand…you weren't exactly truthful, downplaying them like you did. And even though you don't know of any mechanical system that can sense their presence or use, it would not be implausible that they might have a sensitive on staff, regardless of Ortega's claims.

You…

　‣ …keep my mental shields tight and hard.
　‣ …try to keep my telepathic powers as dormant as possible.

They probably can't detect anything. Hopefully. But just in case, should we stay guarded against prying minds or drop our shields and try to slip under the radar?​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

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

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50% ████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 62% ████████████▒███████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 0% / Obscurity: 100%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 27% / Anonymity: 73% (+2)
█████▒██████████████
Ruthlessness: 47% / Empathy: 53%
█████████▒██████████
Daring: 49% / Caution: 51% (+5)
█████████▒██████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 77%
███████████████▒████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 49%
█████████▒██████████

 

*looking at timeline*

Spoiler: speculation about a thing that might be a spoiler

oh Anathema is definitely alive, huh.

 

I'm officially putting in my vote for 'keep telepathic powers dormant, slip under the radar, we are so super Truthful and Not Suspicious' because what if Ortega was wrong about there not being a sensitive on staff. or lied to us. you never know right. can we really trust anyone, of course the answer is no (just trying to make sure that paranoia's permanent residence is nice and strong)

 

And a degree of "oh maybe they just stopped working from the injury and trauma but they're still dormant there? Huh, maybe they... will come back? :T" could work as defense

 

Always turn off your telepathy before attempting to smuggle it through a mental detector.​

> …try to keep my telepathic powers as dormant as possible.

You relax your telepathic gifts, leaving them simmering in their most dormant state, but you can do nothing about the nervous sweat darkening your armpits. Swallowing hard, you follow Ortega towards the elevator.

The elevator looks too much like a cell…

> But You Enter Anyway

"I can't believe you're not the marshal anymore," you say to break the silence once the elevator starts moving. The vibration of the engines hides any evidence of the sensors you know must be there, checking every aspect of your bodies. There is probably somebody sitting in a room far from here, seeing how nervous you are on their thermal readings. You only hope that's natural for most people who are let into this place.

"Things were different after the Heartbreak fiasco." Ortega goes silent for a moment, watching her reflection in the steel door before she continues. "People died. Friends died. You…I thought you were gone as well." Her hands twitch, but she doesn't look at you.

"If I had made a different call, you and Anathema might still be alive. I didn't want the responsibility anymore." She leans forward into the security scanner, the pale blue light playing over her eyes and face. "I thought about retiring, but grew antsy after a week. I'm not one for living quietly, I suppose. I almost envy you that."

"You shouldn't," you manage to say with a faint smile as the doors hiss open, and you step out into the hallway. You sift through the fading Lady Argent memories, and you think this might be leading to the fourth floor conference room. "Being able to quit is nothing to be proud of." Not that you have, even though she doesn't know the truth. Changed, yes. Quit, no.

"You always made me proud, Josie; there is no shame in retiring." There it is again, that voice so filled with caring and confidence. Can her concern really be true? Maybe she really doesn't suspect a thing.

"I still don't understand what this is all abou—" you begin, but fall silent as you enter the room and see Lady Argent standing motionless near the window, as still as a statue with her back to you. Marshal Steel sits slouched in a chair that barely holds up under his bulk. Even without his armor, his body is heavy with the cybernetic implants needed to control it.

Herald looks up from where he stands, and there is a haggard, nervous look to him, as if he had been pacing. He still has bruises on his face. You can sense the tension in the room even without flexing your telepathic muscles.

"I'm sorry I had Angie call you all in so suddenly," Ortega apologizes, and then gestures towards a chair. "Have a seat, Josie, and we'll explain everything."

You take the seat, face carefully calm, though you half expect restraints to snap shut around your wrists and gas to start pouring out of the walls. But there is nothing.

Herald sits down, Lady Argent remains standing, and Marshal Steel taps his fingers against the armrest of his chair as he looks between you and Ortega, as if he doesn't know what to feel. And right now, you can't afford to pry.

　‣ "It's an honor to meet you all."
　‣ "Hello Chen, it's been a while."
　‣ Remain quiet.

…Well, this is awkward.

Maybe we can get off on the right foot by taking a moment to acknowledge the new kids or our old comrade? Or should we just keep our mouth shut?​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

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

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50% ████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 69% (+7) (nice)
█████████████▒██████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 0% / Obscurity: 100%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 27% / Anonymity: 73%
█████▒██████████████
Ruthlessness: 47% / Empathy: 53%
█████████▒██████████
Daring: 49% / Caution: 51%
█████████▒██████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 77%
███████████████▒████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 49%
█████████▒██████████

 

> Remain quiet for maximum Awkward

 

Really, if you think about it, wouldn't it be more suspicious to have to developed basic manners in the last seven years? ​

> Remain quiet.

You try not to squirm too much in your chair, as you are waiting for them to tell you what they want.

"Charge has spoken highly about you, Sidestep," Herald begins, and you quickly raise a hand to interrupt.

"Josie. Just Josie. Sidestep was seven years ago." As was Josie.

You feel like you have almost forgotten what kind of person you were back then. Herald wouldn't know, of course; Ortega is more than willing to apologize for your faults. But Steel is a different story. What does he see when he looks at you? He's not even the wildest card here.

You wish Lady Argent would turn around so you could see if her eyes flash with recognition. The tension makes your gut twist.

"As you wish…Josie." Herald smiles, that wide and easy grin that has melted the hearts of millions of fans. He's a relatively new addition to the team, a young man betting against the house as he injected himself with the hero drug, walking away with the powers of flight and durability. Few Boosts hit the kind of jackpot he had. If you hadn't seen the serious look on his face when you walked in, you would have had your doubts whether he had landed yet.

Enhanced durability, and he's still bruised weeks after meeting Argent's fist? How reassuring.​

"Let's move on to the business at hand," Ortega starts, sitting down as well. "I know we all have other things to do, especially you, Josie. I know that I should respect your retirement, but we can't trust anybody else with this."

　‣ "Why me?"
　‣ "So, what is this all about?"
　‣ "It's that bad then, huh?"

…Right. Trust. It's a heavy burden being this trustworthy, but someone's got to do it, and apparently that's us.​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

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

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50% ████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 69%
█████████████▒██████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 0% / Obscurity: 100%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 25% / Anonymity: 75% (+2)
████████████████████
Ruthlessness: 47% / Empathy: 53%
█████████▒██████████
Daring: 49% / Caution: 51%
█████████▒██████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 77%
███████████████▒████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 49%
█████████▒██████████

 

> "Why me?"

 

> "Why me?"

"Why me?" you find yourself asking. "I live an ordinary life these days; I haven't had anything to do with the hero business since the Heartbreak fiasco." You speak the truth this time; it is not on the side of the angels that you have taken your strolls.

In the bodies of, sure, but not on the side of.​

"That is exactly why you're such a godsend." Herald leans forward, the tension breaking through the smile once more. "You are retired. You are out of the business. And you were a hero, a…"

"A liability," Steel says with a tired sigh. "You should have consulted me first, Julia. You are not the marshal anymore."

"I'm sorry." Ortega doesn't look sorry at all. "You would have said we needed more time to investigate before agreeing to bring Josie in, and we can't afford to wait. This is too important."

"Should we really argue right now?" Herald raises his voice a little, looking almost embarrassed on your behalf. "We're here for Angie, right?"

Lady Argent has still not turned around, but Steel reluctantly nods and starts to explain.

"A week ago, an unknown assailant manipulated Lady Argent into stealing an extremely dangerous item. Now, she does not remember much, but she got the impression that this was not one of our usual villains."

You sit quietly because that is the only thing you can do. You sit and wait for it.

What could you have missed that she picked up on? What tracks had you not erased? When will they end this masquerade and drag you to jail? Or worse, back to the Farm? The thought of spending years in their dampened facilities sends shivers down your back, and absurdly, you feel the need to be sick again.

You wish you hadn't had that second cup of coffee.

"It was one of our own." Lady Argent speaks up for the first time, her voice as hard as her silvery skin. "I don't remember much, but that was the impression I got. This was someone who is supposed to be on our side." She is looking straight at you, sizing you up. But there is no flash of recognition. No widening eyes. No pointed fingers and accusations.

"A hero?" Your surprise is not faked because you wonder how she got that impression. Perhaps your lingering bad conscience that you had to use her so? Perhaps you have to watch your subconscious more when you possess people, not just your conscious thoughts. Apparently you had not prepared adequately for the emotional residue. Lesson learned—now you just have to stay out of jail to use it.

The perfect crime, foiled only by our own angst…​

"Yes," she says, and finally sits down, silver lips curled in an unhappy scowl. "This is why we couldn't just bring in any of the psychics we know. It could be anybody." Unlike Herald, she has no outward marks from the fight: she is as smooth and perfect as always, her blue suit as tight as a second skin atop her silver one. No need for armor.

"You're a perfect nobody." As if she realizes how that sounds, she frowns, dismissing her previous judgment. "Well, not exactly a nobody. Ortega always spoke well of you."

　‣ "I'm flattered."
　‣ "Ortega exaggerates a lot."

Since we're definitely not a psychic anymore, it doesn't matter how much faith Ortega had in our powers, so:​

> "Ortega exaggerates a lot."

"Ortega tends to exaggerate a lot." You give Ortega a quizzical look. Had she been talking about you after your 'death'? Filling the heads of the new recruits with stories about your heroic career? "She did tell you that I can't really do what I used to anymore, right?"

The look on Herald's face is one of disbelief, while Steel simply frowns a little. Ortega opens her mouth as if she is about to start explaining, but Lady Argent interrupts.

"So you're really not a telepath anymore?" Her words are blunt and hostile, and the way she looks down her nose at you makes you want to show her exactly how much you can do. If it had been anywhere but here, where there might be scanners sensitive enough to show what is really happening, you might have considered just breaking into her mind right now and seeing how many of the others she could take down before she fell. But here, it is too much of a risk.

But can you really afford to leave her like this? Since she obviously remembers some impressions, how long will it be before she starts to figure out the truth, now that she's met you? Or, worse, how long before they find someone else they trust to help unravel the tangle in her mind?

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Should you trust your own work to remain intact for as long as you need it to, or should you just admit that you still have some remnants of your psychic gifts so you can help misdirect their efforts?

　‣ I will admit to still being a telepath.
　‣ I keep denying I have powers.

This might come back to bite us if we don't play it right. The problem is, what's "right"?

Are we better off sticking to our story and hoping they don't connect the dots any time soon? Or do we need to miraculously recover our powers to clean this mess up?​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

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

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50% ████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 69%
█████████████▒██████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 0% / Obscurity: 100%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 21% / Anonymity: 79% (+4)
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 47% / Empathy: 53%
█████████▒██████████
Daring: 49% / Caution: 51%
█████████▒██████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 77%
███████████████▒████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 49%
█████████▒██████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

 

I continue to vote in favor of "totally no powers", will keep denying this until the day we die, we are So Super Normal Now (source: trust me), and also because I feel like 180'ing on this right now could maybe get us into hot water considering we've really only got one ally in the room

 

Our "Not a Telepath" shirt has people asking a lot of questions already answered by our shirt.​

> I keep denying I have powers.

"I'm not," you assure them, because even if they think you might be downplaying your gifts, it would be far more dangerous to admit to still having them. Hopefully, finding out you are worthless to their cause will mean that they back off, leaving you alone for now. And if you can fool them into thinking you are useless, you shouldn't be high on their list of suspects.

"How did that even…" Herald starts, and from the look on his face it is obvious what he is thinking. If you are a Boost and have lost your powers, does he run the risk of losing his as well?

"You don't understand," you snap, choosing anger because that tends to make people back off a lot faster. "Do you even know how many people died because someone decided that we needed to go in and put a stop to it in person? They should have dropped a bomb on the building! Anyone already inside was better off dead, and I wouldn't have to live with what I felt in there. I tried to kill myself for a reason, all right? It hurt hitting the ground, but it hurt a lot less than…"

Your voice is cracking up. "I won't go through that again. I can't."

To your horror, you find that you have tears in your eyes. It wasn't a lie you told them. Not much of one, anyway.

"Josie," Ortega says, so very softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't think…"

"It's fine." You have to struggle a bit to control yourself, but at least the atmosphere in the room has changed. Even Lady Argent has lost some of her harshness. "I can talk about it. It's just…yeah. Hard." You shake your head a little.

"So what would you advise we do, then?" Steel asks, his face still kept under careful control. You can't tell if he is buying your act or not, but he was in that house as well. Maybe there is a hint of sympathy in his eyes.

　‣ I'll give them some helpful advice to stay in character.
　‣ I'll stress that they shouldn't let anyone into her head right now to keep my secrets.
　‣ I'll play up my wish not to get involved at all, no need to be useful.

Wow, I think we actually pulled that off pretty well! Aside from the fact that we may have given Herald anxiety and ourselves extra nightmares tonight.

That said, as a genuine, certified ex-telepath, we should probably offer some sort of insight here.​

Spoiler: Show Stats (no change)

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

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

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50% ████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 69%
█████████████▒██████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 0% / Obscurity: 100%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 21% / Anonymity: 79%
████▒███████████████
Ruthlessness: 47% / Empathy: 53%
█████████▒██████████
Daring: 49% / Caution: 51%
█████████▒██████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 77%
███████████████▒████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 49%
█████████▒██████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

 

> Helpful Advice because that is the most dramatically ironic option

 

You're in luck, Lady Argent — we know exactly what you're going through.​

> I'll give them some helpful advice to stay in character.

"If she has already started to remember bits and pieces…" You look over at Lady Argent, who nods a little. "I think you should give it a few weeks to see if more comes back. To have anyone go in there right now might make things worse."

"How come?" she asks with a frown.

"Any form of mental manipulation is a strain on the psyche," you explain, making sure to keep up the tired and rattled act. "Just like any wound. You need to be careful and let it heal at its own pace. Otherwise you run the risk of scars."

"Brain damage?" Herald sounds shocked, looking over at Argent with horror on his face.

"Of a sort. Memory loss. Trouble sleeping. It's not dissimilar to PTSD in some ways." You're not exactly lying here either, though your aim is to buy more time. You have to trust your own handiwork; even if she has remembered some small things, it doesn't mean that she will remember everything.

And even if she does remember more, by then you should be off the radar as a possible culprit.

"That makes sense," Ortega says with a small sigh. "You've already started to remember, Angie. Maybe it would be best not to force the issue."

"Maybe," she admits. "I just want to find out who did this and then…" She cracks her knuckles, which makes a horrible creaking sound. Metallic? Is it not just her skin that has changed?

The thought that there might be more to her than you believed is not a pleasant one. And neither is the thought of her finding out and taking it out on you. Even though you possessed her once, if she's ready for you, it might be a different story.

Hopefully, one you will never find out the ending of.

"We'll find out who did this," Herald says with conviction.

That only causes Argent to turn and snap at him. "Of course we will! Nobody gets away with doing something like this to me."

"If that's all…" you say quietly. "I don't think I have that much more to add?" You gesture vaguely towards the door.

"Of course," Ortega says with an apologetic smile. "We will have to talk later though. Catch up properly."

"We will," you promise because you don't really have another choice there. Keep up the Josie facade, smile, say your goodbyes.

Still, Marshal Steel's eyes burn holes in your back when you are finally allowed to leave.

The corridor outside is empty, and you have to stop yourself from just making a run for it. Instead, you lengthen your steps as you head back to the elevator, letting out a deep breath of relief….

> Not That You Get Far

"Wait…." The voice is Steel's, and it makes you reflexively freeze up until you realize that the tone is not a threatening one. If anything, there's a look of regret on his face when you turn around to see him.

Huh. That can't be right.

"I'll walk you out," he says, falling into step beside you, unbidden.

It's a funny feeling being around Steel without his armor. You're so used to him being massive that it somehow feels off when he's just around your height. To be fair, he's far bulkier than you, and probably weighs at least twice as much.

You don't know if he's had more of his body replaced with cybernetic implants since back when you knew him, but there was always a good amount of metal hidden behind synth skin. Both his lower legs are artificial, that you know and hear; his stride is a lot heavier than yours. The left arm might be new, if you are reading his body language correctly.

"So," he says, clearing his throat since you still haven't replied to him. It's not a conversation you want to have, but you also know better than to fight him on this.

"So?" Maybe if you are lucky you can keep this to single syllable words and get out of here before you reveal yourself.

"So, you survived." Steel cuts in front of you, forcing you to stop. Oh well, a confrontation it is then.

"That's one way of putting it." You don't bother to put on the smiling mask for him; this is not Ortega. Steel doesn't care one whit how you feel, just whether you are a threat or not. Little does he know….

"And now you are back."

"Not by choice, trust me on that." You let yourself sag a little, the frustration leaking to the front. This is not fake, and you hope that he picks up on that. "Ortega pulled me into this. If I had known, I…"

"You wouldn't have come."

He finishes your sentence for you, and you answer with a nod. "I'm retired."

"You were never comfortable here even before you returned." Steel looks around the corridor, the wide, stark hallway a marked difference from their older, grimier headquarters. This place is too new to have a personality yet.

　‣ "I think you mean 'there.' I've never been here before."
　‣ "You made it hard to feel at home."
　‣ "It's not about being comfortable. It's about being retired."
　‣ "All this just reminds me of what I have lost."

Ah yes, our four personality traits: pedantic, bitter, too old for this shit, and aaaaangst/have-I-mentioned-I'm-no-longer-a-telepath.​

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

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

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50% ████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 69%
█████████████▒██████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 0% / Obscurity: 100%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 15% / Anonymity: 85% (+6)
████████████████████
Ruthlessness: 47% / Empathy: 53%
█████████▒██████████
Daring: 49% / Caution: 51%
█████████▒██████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 77%
███████████████▒████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 49%
█████████▒██████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████

 

>pedantic

 

Don't be silly, Steel, we've never set foot in this building. Especially not Argent's foot.​

> "I think you mean 'there.' I've never been here before."

"I think you mean 'there.' I've never been here before." That is a lie, but not one he needs to know. Though you have to admit the place is confusingly bland now that you don't have Argent's vision to help guide you.

"Ah. Nitpicking. One thing I have not missed."

"Let's not play pretend here, Steel." Your voice hardens. "We were never friends."

"Regardless, I didn't want to see you dead." There's something oddly official in the way that he says it. Maybe he never considered you a teammate, but you were allies. Once upon a time. "And I am happy that you're still alive."

"As long as I stay a long way away from the Rangers, huh?" You can't help the wry, tired smile that appears on your face. There's only one reason he would have followed you out here.

"I am glad that we understand each other." Steel answers your smile with a tense one of his own. Up close, you can see that he's gotten older as well. The stress of leadership, perhaps?

I mean, the passage of time might also be a factor.​

"We do." You run a hand over your face, regaining your composure. Maybe you can actually make some use of his suspicious nature and get him to make Ortega back off. "But let's be real here, we both know I am not the problem here."

"What problem?" The new voice is enough to make both you and Steel jump.

"Herald." Steel gives you a thoughtful look, though he keeps talking to Herald. You never used to let someone get the drop on you in the old days. This, if nothing else, should show him that you are not who you used to be. "I had expected you to stay with Argent."

"Ortega's talking to her. I thought I'd go check…" Herald looks so nervous that it takes a moment for you to notice he's hovering an inch or so above the ground. Then he realizes what he is doing and slowly sinks back down.

"Go check on what?" You can't help the question because you have a sinking suspicion you know the answer.

"Actually, Ortega asked me to make sure that nothing…" He hesitates for a moment, looking between the two of you. "…Had happened."

"Of course she did." Steel's sigh is heavy with the lack of surprise as well.

　‣ "I'm fine. Chen was just walking me to the door."
　‣ "Just catching up on old times. I can find my own way out now."
　‣ "Perfect timing—want to show me out, Herald?"

Spoiler: Show Stats

CLASSIFIED

Secret Identity: Josie Jacobs
Gender: Non-binary
Description: An average mixed person in their thirties with brown eyes and short, neat curly dark brown hair.

Josie Jacobs is a seasoned, tech-savvy tactician.

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

Telepathy

Strength of Mind: 50% ████████████████████
Subtle Manipulations: 69%
█████████████▒██████

Standard of Living: You are comfortable.

Psychological Profile

Infamy: 0% / Obscurity: 100%
████████████████████
Arrogance: 14% / Anonymity: 86% (+1)
██▒█████████████████
Ruthlessness: 47% / Empathy: 53%
█████████▒██████████
Daring: 49% / Caution: 51%
█████████▒██████████

Main Puppet

Name: Barbara
Puppet Status: Fine.
Description: A tall white woman in her twenties, with blue eyes and long straight blond hair.

Allies and Enemies

Josie's relationship with Ortega: old friend.
Ortega and Josie: 77%
███████████████▒████

Barbara's relationship with Dr. Mortum: flirting.
Mortum and Barbara: 49%
█████████▒██████████

Josie's relationship with Lady Argent: distant.
Lady Argent and Josie: 0%
████████████████████