friends become enemies, enemies become friends, rats work together to drive a motor vehicle

[keltena]

Notes from my second playthrough of Fallen Hero: Retribution! Relatively sparse this time, mostly commenting on new discoveries and things I can speculate about. Contents include:
• Argent being the hero we deserve
• IDK, my BFF Chen?
• Best pun delivery in game cruelly overshadowed by plot
• Keltena again revealed to have terrible literally flawless taste in fictional women

I was debating loading up Ariel's file next, for the sake of trying a more orange character, but after that mess I think I'll slip into someone less entangled with Ortega's love life. So, a quick overview of our next contestant:

Gio Preston, better known as Sidestep, was the sort of person whose friends often felt the need to defend them to others — yes, they can come off as callous, disrespectful, sometimes even mean, but they're actually a really sweet person, they're just awkward… More importantly, though, they were the sort of person whose friends wanted to do that, because it was true. Gio had little idea how to act like a masked hero, let alone like a friend, but they were sincere in their intentions. And their life as Sidestep made them happy, even if they never expressed it in so many words.

Then they woke up from that daydream and remembered that they were not, in fact, a person or capable of doing more than emulating human feelings; that "Gio Preston" was an entirely fabricated identity intended only for use as a cover;
and that they had spent the past five years deceiving people into believing otherwise for no reason other than that they'd enjoyed the pretense.

With their prior delusions now firmly in check, the artist formerly known as Gio was left in want of a purpose. They found one in the admittedly romantic and far-fetched notion of leaving the world better than they'd found it—not by playing human hero, but by leveraging their true nature to its greatest advantage. The enemy is more than equipped to crush any normal, human whistleblower, but maybe, just maybe, they won't be ready for this. With their unparalleled wealth of first-hand knowledge, and nothing more to lose by sharing it than they already risk by existing, they plan to discreetly search out fault lines deep enough to, when struck, expose some of the government's worst abuses. Until then, they're keeping carefully under the radar as they search out resources. The press has dubbed their new identity "Mercenary", which is fine for their purposes — a common thief looking to enrich themselves, even an unusually competent one, invites no further questions.

When forced to be around people who knew Gio, they fall back into the motions of their old personality with practiced ease despite their private discomfort. At a glance, the act is all but indistinguishable from who they were for the happiest years of their life, albeit mellowed slightly by age and having grown naturally apart from old friends. (A key detail they've failed to realize: even during those happiest years of their life, Gio did not actually look to most people like someone who was doing fine.) While they've polished up the social skills for their puppet, they avoid getting more method about the role than necessary; whoever once inhabited her human body, "Faye"—just like "Gio"—is now no more than a disguise. The one quirk, her carefully-maintained violet hair, is justified as a pop culture nod that lends a splash of loveable-yet-unthreateningly-girly geekiness to her suspiciously flat image… but perhaps it's also a small concession to hours spent in the tub with their first human alias, slathering increasingly outlandish new colors over old just for the look on a friend's face when their mask came off.

Has the world's highest Anonymity, high Empathy, and a mostly high Caution score subject to erratic spikes of Daring from the hole where their self-preservation used to be. Their meticulous planning and opsec typically precludes major risks, but there's only so much it can do in the heat of the moment. After all, while it's simple enough to grasp the value of life—human or Re-Gene—it's quite another thing to ascribe the same value to something that was never alive in the first place. "Gio" is a ghost who never truly existed, and the body they once possessed lingers only due to inertia and unfinished business. Sense of foreshortened future? I 'ardly know 'er

Oh, neat, AGAB options. I always figured Gio was AFAB and was on T for a while, so let's go with that.

Anyway, career choices. Definitely not anarchist — in theory it might fit their goals, but Gio's under no illusions that they'll last long enough to accomplish anything unless they play their hand very close to their chest until it's too late to stop them. And while Gio running an organization is a very intriguing thought, they know better than to make themselves a threat to the existing balance of power. So thief it is! Private, too narrow in scope to be threatening, and right in line with Mercenary's already boring public image.

Ooh, and they can choose to steal tech specifically. Sounds perfect.

And since all [Carter's] gains are ill-gotten, he's made sure to keep them off the radar. In cash. In his well-protected home. Together with, and you really hope your sources are right about this, a very interesting prototype he's recently acquired and is trying to sell to a new bidder. You're not sure what it is, but the word on the street is that it's black tech, and whatever's illegal in Los Diablos tends to be interesting.

Huh, is that where the regenerator came from? Interesting. Is that related to why he was killed?

"Shut up, we need to get to them fast. There are people trapped." You can hear them screaming in your mind; the doors are blocked, and the fire is getting closer. You have minutes, and then they're dead. Kitchen staff. Not guards. They don't deserve to die.

"What?" Steel's voice reveals the surprise his helmet does not. "Are you serious?"

"Also, I need you to tell the guards that I knocked some of them out on the way. Might want to check in with everyone so they don't miss any stragglers."

Anti-villain MC is hilarious.

You were stupid back in those days. Naive. Playing pretend in so many ways, all of them making you cringe now that you look back at yourself. Trying to imitate Ortega, a laughable prospect, as if she knew anything. Your ignorance staring you straight in the face.

No. That's not fair. It wasn't all Ortega; she was just the flashy, brilliant smile pasted on a world you wanted to be a part of. Anathema had managed, and that meant that you could too, right? Themmy was as ill a fit as you were, faking the smile more often than you because you didn't care enough to pretend. Were you the only one that noticed? Was that why you were friends?

Maybe. It doesn't matter. Wanting to fit in killed Anathema. It killed you. You'll do better this time. For both of your sakes.

I am living for Anathema's continued presence in the narrative.

"I'm getting tired of you being in my way." You can't help but sound annoyed. Trying to beat you is one thing, but ruining your plans? That will get old fast.

"Can't very well let you get away with—" she looks around nonchalantly, surveying the scene, "—with whatever this is."

"You don't even know?"

"I don't even care." Her smile grows wider and more sharklike.

keltena will return when they're done dying of laughter

She's perfect. 10/10, no notes. The hero we deserve.

Let's see... Gio certainly isn't going to attempt a full-on fight with Argent, but they're not about to make open use of telepathy either, and they're even less inclined to establish themself as a threat to civilians. I guess that means we're changing this from fighting game to platformer!

She takes another step and flexes her hands. Your instincts scream at you to move, so you do. You barely avoid the swipe of her hand, fingers fused together in a sharp blade. Long. Getting longer. It's a fascinating process, slow enough that you can see it now that you pay attention.

• "Is that a new move?"
• "Oh, a sword," I say with a wide grin. "That's hot."
• "See, now that's just unfair," I complain with a chuckle.

Truly, a game that understands its audience.

"And what about the rumors of Sentinel's return?" Mia's words cut through your thoughts like a knife, but you don't allow yourself to get startled. That's a rumor you have heard now and then over the years, but you give it no credit. Sentinel retired when he got married and moved away from here. There's no reason for him to return and even less for you to worry about it. Still, it's interesting that she would choose to ask.

Interesting that the author would choose to have her ask, yes!

(Vaguely wondering if that's who the mysterious new Guardian in the epilogue is, but that doesn't seem like a great fit aside from the pronouns and the pre-existing fame?)

Hm, I got the same line about being surprised Herald is still in rehab on this file, where he was humiliated but not seriously hurt. Maybe that's the same on all files where you don't break his legs; I'll have to see.

"Good job trying to shift the blame," you joke. "Is Herald the closest thing you have to an intern?"

"That's not…" It takes a moment for Steel to catch up, but when he does, the sigh is heavy enough to be audible. "You were joking. Of course."

"Of course," you say, the picture of innocence. "I know you're too neat to tolerate a mess."

"It's simply easier to clean it right away," he says, looking a little awkward.

"You don't need to explain yourself, you know? It's not a moral failing to do the dishes." You can't help but smile at the look on his face.

That's very cute.

Present-day Gio unexpectedly kind of clicking with Steel was not a thing I'd ever considered might happen, but I think I like it.

Back on the subject of Ortega's whiteboard … It's hard not to assume the erased part is for your villain identity. Interesting that they apparently haven't erased the notes on Hollow Ground, at least not enough to keep the MC from immediately recognizing them — it would presumably be much more dangerous for those to fall into the wrong hands, so it doesn't seem like Ortega erased the other ones out of general security concerns.

It's enough to run a cold chill down your spine. It's not just Ortega; it's Herald too. Why do you feel like this? Like people care about you? Or like you care about them?

You shouldn't. You shouldn't feel this way. It's fake. Not real. Right?

Oh, Gio. :(

"What are you asking for then?" You get the impression she's got ideas, but would she be willing to share them?

"You've got a good hand with tech. I might need you to rig up a few things for me later."

"Can't Lady Argent help?"

"Not with this. She's…specialized."

Oh, right — we already know she has that tech vision thing, and that alone might let her help ensure the room was surveillance-free. So Ortega probably wasn't talking about any skills beyond what we already know, actually?

I'm very curious what she's asking for in this version. I hope she follows up before the end of the game.

"Aren't you supposed to be in rehab?" you ask, determined not to let [Herald] rattle you.

"I'm done. It was just a checkup to see if everything was…" He hesitates, eyes flickering down.

Huh. I'm a little concerned.

You shake your head with a grimace. A grimace that turns into a smile as Spoon does another lap to check in on you, making sure you're both alright and not bored. There are not many dogs at the park today and nothing small enough that Spoon would need a muzzle for. Nothing to trigger the chase, chase, bite cycle. You've been working on deconditioning him. Dogs are as easy as people; they are just as predisposed to listen to authorities. All it takes is a gentle telepathic nudge, focusing on two things.

One, there's no need to bite small things; it's the chase that's fun. And two, Chen is someone he should be running toward. Not away from. A different kind of handler, but an instinct you can understand all too well. If only you could fix your own issues as easy as you can Spoon's, but you suppose there's an issue of trust. Spoon has it. You don't.

Maybe you shouldn't take this risk. You're not supposed to have powers anymore. You know how perceptive Chen can be, but there's something so earnest about the way Spoon wants to make sure you're included. It's only fair to pay him back somehow, soften his conditioning. At least one of you can get better. Your smile goes a little bit wider at the thought.

…nice smile…

The thought catches you off guard, and it takes you a moment to realize it came from Chen. Chen, who is sneaking a glance at you, and who then immediately looks down at Spoon as the dog bows and barks encouragingly.

Did Chen just… You shake your head. You must have misheard.

My heart just melted.

The Chen friendship has turned out to be a really good fit for Gio, because Gio has zero expectation or intention of being friends and figures that's mutual. That makes it a lot easier for them to relax and not concern themself with the whole "the best years of my life were when I could still delude myself into thinking I was a person with feelings" thing, because Chen isn't a constant reminder of that and the only thing they have to worry about messing up with him is their cover. Who cares what impression he gets of them as long as it's not "secretly a supervillain"?

(To a lesser extent, this has also proved true with Herald — he knows he doesn't actually know them, and there's no social obligation for them to be friendly or professional with him, so it's basically free human interaction with no stakes. The explicit attempts at friendship do push up against their boundaries, though.)

"There's something I don't get," you say softly because you're trying to navigate your way around what you feel. "You never trusted me back when we fought together. You kept giving me reasons, but they all seem so…petty. And you don't strike me as a petty man."

"Thank you?" A faint frown, and since you don't reply, he sighs and confesses at last. "I saw how you moved. You had training, but you weren't military. That means either private contractors or the intelligence services, and neither boded well for us. At best, a spy. At worst, someone gathering information to discredit us." He gives you a look over Spoon's shoulder. "Or shut us down."

"But you were the Rangers…." Did he think you were a spy for the government? That's more absurd than you had imagined.

gio you were literally grown in a lab for the sole purpose of spying for the government

Eventually, you need to stop punishing yourself. You know that.

Forgive yourself.

Maybe. You swing wildly between arguing that you have nothing to forgive yourself for, this is all their fault, and knowing far too well every single time you messed up.

It's all become so complicated.

Sometimes you wish you could have remained ignorant. Like the people on the street below. Wrapped up in your own little world, not knowing what you do know. Living a life that is just a life.

Pretending to be a person.

One thing I'm really impressed by so far is how well Retribution has nailed what I'm going for with my characters. I had a very similar experience my first playthrough of Rebirth — but from the second playthrough on, once I saw exactly how much was common-route text, the seams were visible enough that it was no longer eerily on-point. Retribution, I'm on my second playthrough and so far it remains seamless.

Obviously this is in large part down to my very willing suspension of disbelief — I'm eager to say "yes, and" to anything that hits right and mentally smooth over the parts that don't. It's also partly luck: for instance, my first playthrough of Rebirth felt so serendipitous in large part because the character concept I went in with — transformation to villain as trans awakening — turned out to mesh astoundingly well with the game's common-route text, to the point where I was surprised to find none of it was conditional on my gender-related choices. In the case of Retribution, another factor is the increased scale and branching — Gio isn't still best friends with Ortega, while Jay wasn't hanging out with Chen, so all those scenes are so far unique to their stories in the ways Rebirth's larger proportion of common text wasn't.

But this is also just a much bigger, seemingly much more complex game, to the point where I honestly have no clear idea yet just which/how many factors have influenced which scenes each character got. The endgame chapters of my first playthrough hit a bunch of moments perfect for what I was doing with Jay, and I really can't tell yet how much of that was common-route content vs. specific to that run, how much of the latter was tied specifically to Jay's gender dysphoria vs. just embellished slightly to acknowledge it, etc.

The seams will become apparent sooner or later, of course, but I'm eager to see how long that takes.

Dr. Mortum's gun is listed and within easy reach on one of the shelves. Good. That's one item taken care of. You open the case it's kept in to double-check the weapon; it looks intact, the battery indicator blinking a slow, quiet beat. Running out of power from the looks of it. If that is the battery indicator? You're not sure. This thing is beyond you.

I guarantee you that that light means whatever would be most horribly inconvenient to mistake for a battery indicator. I'm not sure what that is, but I pray to someday get my hands on it with a character foolhardy enough to find out.

You recognize the man that punched you; it's Jake Manalo. Just your luck, he's Hollow Ground's henchman, but you hadn't counted on him actually being present. He's wearing an expensive-looking suit, but you can see from the way it's cut that it's made for fighting in. A little looser, a little more fabric. Durable too, you bet, though not full nanomesh. It looks too soft for that. The single earring glints golden in the dim light.

"Did you really think we wouldn't notice you snooping around?"

…Yes? Obviously? Would I have done it otherwise?

It's a standoff; you recognize that a mile off. Jake is waiting for you to make a move. Interesting, that means that his powers might be reactionary in nature, but what?

There's a strange slipperiness to his thoughts, the nature of which you can't quite put your finger on. They feel translucent, like water under clear ice. You can see their flow, but it's hard picking things up. Either he's very well trained, or there's something else going on.

Based on what we saw last playthrough, he turns physically intangible, right? While the exact mechanics weren't clear to me, it answers this mystery a lot more simply than I'd have expected without prior knowledge: his thoughts keep escaping us because his brain is no longer there.

I love these kinds of common-sense interactions between powers, especially when they take me by surprise. I should really remember by now that any physical interference with the brain can interfere with telepathy as well.

(On an irrelevant side note, I like that the author seems to have changed their mind about capitalizing "boost" and "mod" — it always felt so much more natural to treat those as the common nouns they are in this world.)

Pull and tug, and there is that other thread, not training, not power, just a bone-deep surety that you can't read his mind. But why?

You can't read his mind to find out.

Damn. This is some sort of telepathic defense you're not familiar with. Is it training? A trap? Do you dare to go deeper?

• Of course I do; I abhor a mystery!
• No, I don't need to read his mind to hurt it.
• Can I trap him in Dr. Mortum's gun?

Hmm. Well, I think diving into the unknown mid-fight is risky, but Gio isn't known for their self-preservation in the heat of the moment, and they certainly wouldn't rely on either of the other options anyway, so here we go.

It's stupid and risky, and you haven't tried this before, but theoretically, it should be possible…

As long as the Rat King is up for it.

ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ …(^_^)ﾉ!!!

Looks like they'll do their best, but this is new, and you are giving them control. Control of your body. More than they've ever had, not just nudges and whispers but true puppetry.

Oh wow. That's so cool, I love it. <3

Down and in, sinking into the crystal sludge of Jake's brain, pressing your face against the ice, willing yourself to melt through. Fade into his head.

That struck a chord, resonating into the ice, and you're leaning in, thinking soft thoughts, fade away, fade into nothing, and suddenly you can see the strings, slick silver ones interspersed with an odd, red streak, fuzzy and alien and you don't touch them. Stay away, just brush the others, no reading, no reading, just switching HARD and SOFT, and you throw yourself back into your body, back into the arms of the Rat King, just in time to deliver the hardest punch in years to his face.

Huh. The red streak thing is new and ominous.

Also I love that we can just fucking hijack people's superpower controls now. …Can I do that with Herald on a less scrupulous playthrough? I want to learn more about the weird mechanics of his flight.

I wonder if using obvious enough telepathy against Jake can get you outed as a telepath? :|a …I guess if it did, it would have to be because Hollow Ground wanted that information leaked.

"Faye is dead. I had no idea who they were before I'd found them in the hospital. Just a useful body."

I love that Gio doesn't assume their puppet was necessarily a woman.

"Okay…" He lets out a long, bitter, sigh and you can see his face wrinkling up in thought. "Merde. You've…" A quick glance in your direction before he continues. "Okay. I've decided. This is how we do this."

"You can't dictate the terms," you say softly.

"I can tell you what I need, and you can say yes or no. That's called choice, mademoiselle, what you didn't give me." He draws himself up to his full height, looking up at you. "If what you say is true, leave this body here and come back in your real one."

God, I love Dr. Mortum so much. <3

I think this is the toughest characterization call I've had to make yet. Would Gio do this?

I… think the answer is no.

Gio does honestly value Dr. Mortum's friendship and presence in their life quite highly — enough that they would at least consider taking a risk like this (which their better judgment would never accept) just to avoid losing it. The bigger problem is that over the past few months, they've slowly started to actually value Gio's new life as a normal, retired civilian despite themself. Now, unexpectedly, they have something to lose — by risking Gio's life, yes, but more relevantly, by bringing the persona that's become a strange sort of refuge into the world of their villain self at all. I don't know if they could bring themself to do that — and put on top of the practical risks, that tips the scale. :(

Something's wrong. You keep staring into the fridge, trying to figure out what it is. Marked food. A "Do Not Eat" on the leftovers. Every shelf is clearly marked, a futile attempt to keep people from eating each other's snacks.

…Wait.

There is a shelf marked "Gio." And it's not empty.

Ow, my heart. Chen.......

Chen doesn't notice; you walk in quiet companionship right up until the changing room area. Gendered. Men. Women. Huh, that's changed, nothing gender neutral. Haven't they had anybody else on the team since Anathema? Was it too much of a reminder to put a sign on a door that wouldn't be used immediately? That you had to walk past, every day?

Oh, that's a really nice detail.

"I'm glad you were there for her," you say because you've gotten glimpses of how bad it could have gone. Haunted glances in Ortega's eyes when she thinks you're not looking.

"She's my oldest friend." Chen looks down at his coffee. "But she's not an easy woman to help."

Truer words have seldom been said.

"You ever find out who took a shot at you?"

"I'm the Marshal." The shrug is delivered with a blank expression. "That comes with certain dangers attached."

"Did it have anything to do with me?" You light up another cigarette with surprisingly steady hands.

"You were dead," he says, eyes shifting left. "I've got enough enemies."

—Oh, that hadn't even occurred to me until now. Welp.

"I obtained…pictures." He lets out a sigh, rubbing his face. "Classified. Highly classified. I assumed they were from the autopsy." He focuses on you. "Your autopsy."

Holy shit.

Well. That answers one of the big questions: does he know? He's known this whole time.

…

Hm. Or maybe not? The MC is certainly assuming not, at least…

(Also, just going to pull up this line from Rebirth:
"Let's not play pretend here, Steel." Your voice hardens. "We were never friends."
"Regardless, I didn't want to see you dead."
He really, really didn't. Unfortunately for him.)

"You still have the pictures?" You're proud of how controlled you sound. Faked. Must have. It's not an act, what he feels right now. The guilt. The pain. He wouldn't feel that way if he knew the truth.

"No," he lies. "I destroyed them."

I never get tired of authors taking advantage of the chance to have fun with dialogue tags. That simple "No," he lies is so good.

"What gave you the right to make that call for her?" You've raised your voice, but really, what was Chen thinking? That he knew best? That keeping all the secrets to himself was a good thing?

Ah yes. The very same thing fucking everyone in this game is thinking.

I mean, you're absolutely right, Gio; I'm just saying.

No, that would be the one seated in the center chair, a tall, middle-aged white…man? Woman? It's hard to be sure; you could make a case for either, but since Deadeye must have been talking about them, at least you know their pronouns.

You know, the way Hollow Ground matches your gender presentation has always been the hardest part for me to figure out. It's not hard to come up with reasons for the physical resemblance — you were made with their DNA, or a relative's, or you were both made with the same person's — but them being the same gender you present as, regardless of whether you're cis or trans? Either it's a coincidence in-universe and done to serve a narrative purpose, or there's something more than just shared genetics going on. I have no idea which.

Hollow Ground wants you to trust them? Just like that? You would have expected threats, not a soft smile and assurances that they are on your side. It's almost as if…

Oh. Ooooh. It's so subtle you hardly notice. Like a spider crawling on your brain trying to find purchase, ghostly legs tickling the back of your nose.

How can they slide through your shields like that? Like they weren't even there.

Trust.

Something is tangling in your thoughts, the thinnest of spider threads looking for a spot to stick. It takes all your skill to make sure it attaches to nothing solid, just a stray thought providing an anchor for the net, making sure it will dissolve as soon as you will it to. Red net. Red thread. Is this what you saw in Jake's head?

Well dang. That answers the question of their powers, at least in very broad terms.

You're trying hard to read them, but it feels like you're looking in a distorted fun-house mirror. Like something is itching at the back of your mind, like a scar that never healed.

Hmmmmmm.

"Pay me a percentage. Don't hit my properties." They are smiling now. "Maybe do me a favor now and then. It's not that complicated."

It can't be this easy. Whatever percentage you'd pay wouldn't add up to what you've cost them, even after years. There must be something else at play here, some other reason they are willing to reel you in. Why do they keep looking at you like that? As if they are trying to figure something out? That's two of you right now. You can't read them. Not at all.

That's what interests me most: Hollow Ground doesn't seem to have all the answers to this particular mystery either. But they don't exactly seem surprised by it, either — it reads more like they did this face-to-face to get confirmation, and… do whatever else they're hoping to do with it? I don't know what that is. (Given that they're a scarily powerful telepath, I guess the genetics angle could tell them we'd be at least theoretically capable of the same…? I don't know.)

The main problem, if that's the case, is that this invitation was addressed to our villain identity, not our civilian one. I mean, yes, there's lots of ways they could theoretically have figured that out, but leaving it at that doesn't feel right. Their reaction to our villainous debut is the final scene in Rebirth's epilogue — it wouldn't be given that kind of narrative weight if they didn't realize we were plot-relevant until some later date. Or at least, it wouldn't assuming their initial interest was due to the connection between us. So either a) I'm wrong about them already knowing/suspecting that before this meeting, b) they were somehow able to discern it from our villainsona's first appearance, or c) they already knew we existed prior to that and were able to connect our two identities? …I'm just going to drop this for now, since my ability to form coherent sentences is even lower than usual.

Hollow Ground relationship value GET!!! :D

"I'm not exactly sure what your powers are, but the fear you inspire is evident."

"You've heard the rumors, haven't you?"

"I don't put stock in rumors." You keep your voice curt, let's see how they want to present this.

"Since I came to power, there has not been a single major quake. I'm the guarantee for this city's stability and prosperity." A humble bow.

"That's not exactly true," you point out. "There's still damaging quakes."

"I have enemies." The smile is cold. "Sometimes they need to be reminded that the ground is not as stable as they think."

…

Ahahahahahaha you fucking liar. :')

I mean, nothing they said was a lie! Every single word was technically true, which is the best kind of true. They just let us fill in the blanks.

Hollow Ground doesn't control earthquakes. Hood does, which is why they're keeping him hostage and mind-controlled in their home. There are still quakes because they keep losing control of him and then having to play it off as a power move. Of course those quakes all target their enemies — earthquakes hit everyone!

That's what that whole epilogue scene was referring to. That's what that conspicuous mention of Hood's powers was doing in the scene before this.

…

I can't fucking believe my New Game+ knowledge overshadowed the big reveal that every reference to Hollow Ground providing "stability" was a terrible, terrible pun all along.

You frown. The side street you're on has a few pedestrians but mostly parked cars. There are no clubs on it, and all the stores are closed for the evening. Still, you had a flash of something, someone…feeling watched?

Quickening your step, you pick your way toward the busy downtown streets, the part of Los Diablos that never really sleeps. Smart or not, you're not going to be followed, and there are more ways to lose a tail in a crowd. But first, you need to spot them.

Where could they be?

• Maybe a flier, I keep close to the walls, eyes up.
• Doesn't matter. I break into a run to lose them.
• I stop and close my eyes, searching for minds focused on me.

Well assuming it's Ortega, a mind scan might not spot her; and on the off chance it's HG or another telepath, it might tip them off to your powers. Which isn't terribly relevant, since Gio wouldn't even think of Ortega, but they are a bit too protective of their image to randomly stop or break into a run if there's eyes on them, so…

… huh, it is a flier?

You make her pull over, get out and leave the car running, and it only takes a moment for you to get in, praying that you weren't spotted. It should have been a blind spot.

You hope.

…Wait, what?

A movement in the corner of your eye and your brain slows down enough to register that someone really is following you, heading for the car. Someone you know.

Ortega, doing her best to be unobtrusive in a hoodie and sweatpants, but you know that walk.

Oh, good, there she is. I was getting kind of weirded out by the idea that she wasn't tailing us.

I guess this is where the routes reconverge. Please don't crash the car this time, I say, uselessly, to my screen.

You know you're missing something, but there's something else vying for your attention now. Someone's watching. Danger.

Well these aren't great driving conditions.

You have no idea what Ortega is talking about. You're sure you haven't left any clues that you're Mercenary, but what else could it be?

Do you dare to ask?

"I have no idea what you're talking about," you say, trying to ignore the way she looks at you.

"Come on," she sighs. "It's too late for masks. The cat is long out of the bag, and we need to talk about this. I know it can't be easy going against your own family."

—oh my GOD

my CHEEKS hurt from laughing so hard

the delivery on this was flawless

the leadup, the tone, the full second-and-a-half delay before your brain completes the gearshift necessary to realize what she means

a masterstroke

Achievement: Tinfoil
Ortega revealed some wild theories about you and Hollow Ground.

stop, stop, I'm already dead

"I did some research once I saw your face. It wasn't hard to add things up."

"You did what?" That long ago? And you thought Steel was the suspicious one.

"I had to know if I imagined things. And then I found your arrest records, you were just a kid…but the picture matched."

"Why…" You have no idea what she's talking about. You never were a kid. Or arrested. And she suspected this when you were Sidestep? "Why didn't you tell me?"

"If you went to that length to break with the family business, I wanted to give you the freedom to start over." Ortega's smile is almost wistful. "Did my best to keep your face out of the press."

Wait

I

All along???? I mean, if she knew Hollow Ground's face of course she'd think that, but I wouldn't have assumed she did at the time…

And now we have, apparently, arrest records for someone young and identical to us, probably arrest records related somehow to Hollow Ground?

…

I just need to state for the record. If you'd made a graph of all possible Retribution reveals, arranged by how likely I considered them before playing, this one would have been so far off my radar that your computer would crash before you'd zoomed out far enough to see it.

I mean it makes a ridiculous amount of sense in retrospect. (With some extra emphasis on "ridiculous".) It's an entirely plausible plot point for the story of which Ortega is the main character! I just would never have even fucking thought of it.

literally no one in this game has told their friends anything important, ever, in their lives.

(Rebirth: But in the end, it was just impossible to resist how Ortega treats you like a friend, even though she doesn't really know anything about you. If anything, she's made it clear that she respects your need for privacy.
I swear to fucking god Ortega—)

(…seriously, does Ortega ever date people without known criminal ties? Does the spark just vanish if there's no dark secrets for them to dig up and act on without their partner's knowledge? Did they break Riley's heart because they turned out to be a normal, well-adjusted person??)

have…have you been here before?

shattered in darkness a thousand pieces in the sky like stars

oh if you could be oil and melt together again

reflecting unseen rainbows

oil burns. oil poisons the ground. oil and tar and animals that sink and are preserved and then someone will dig them up and put their bones on display and say "this was a person."

wrong. of course.

human…

lies.

Impressed how smoothly the variation on this scene works for Gio's very different character arc.

I don't think any version can quite top the first one I got (the dig at scientists gendering remains just has that extra punch), but this is really good regardless.

Waking up to this scene with Ortega, after a two-game-long background arc of their friendship quietly coming apart as its original premises prove no longer sound, is a really good narrative beat.

"You just didn't think you were right." You sigh and meet his gaze but can't find anything there to grasp hold of. Sadness? That can't be right.

"The information felt…off. Too much at the right time. Too tailor-made to make me stop caring. Stop looking."

"The autopsy pictures," you nearly swear. So they weren't fake. He's suspected you since your return, and he managed to keep that knowledge hidden from you. Clever, clever man.

—I was right after all

I knew it would fit better with his behavior and be more narratively satisfying if he knew the whole time!! That's it, I'm going to stop doubting myself.

"You're going to be able to do this?" you ask. You can feel his thoughts, more agitated than normal, a storm of butterflies making it hard to see their outlines.

"Yeah." The word is hesitant, so he clears his throat. "Yes. Yes, of course." The smile is quiet but personal. "And my name is Daniel. You know, in case you were wondering."

"So breaking me out of your headquarters means we're on a first-name basis?" you tease. Daniel. The name fits.

"I just thought that since…I mean, I learned something very personal about you today. It was only fair to share something."

"Fair." You let out a sigh. Of course. He still believes in the concept of fairness.

Herald is so good.

(I'll have to find a way to break the news gently to my brother that his name isn't Harold.)

He takes a deep breath, shifting into a floating position. It always feels eerie watching him do it without moving, a slow, graceful, underwater elegance.

And then he touches your hand. Holds it tightly. There's a breathless moment of vertigo that makes you gasp, grimacing at the pain as you try to brace yourself. Not falling. The vertigo is there, faint, unnerving.

The bed is no longer pressed against your back. The wires connecting to your legs are growing slack.

—It transfers to anything he's holding, too? (Or touching?) Dang. That's incredibly useful.

"You don't have to pretend." Chen reaches out to touch your shoulder as if you had been Spoon trembling from a thunderstorm.

"Actually, I think I do," you point out, wry smile and everything. "Can't afford to fall apart. Would be inconvenient."

"I wish I could tell you that it's okay to," he sighs, "but I know what you mean. Need to make sure you're safe first."

This specific aspect of their dynamic might be what I like most about it. ♥ Chen gets it.

I love that the ending for this game/setup for the next is, in essence, Gio being forcibly reunited with the ghost of the past self they left for dead. That's such a natural next step for their character arc, it really does feel like a successful magic trick on the game's part — like the author knew in advance the cards I would be holding and wrote the story with them specifically in mind. I think that's the specific thing that Retribution has impressed me most with over these two playthroughs: it pulls off that interactive-fiction-as-collaborative-storytelling experience really well.

The answer to, "When will the seams start to show?" is, evidently, "Not yet."

"You hate it when something upsets your plans."

"That was before I met them." The thinnest of smiles. "Now, everything's changed."

"I'm not arguing whether Mercenary is a useful recruit, but do you really think they'll fit in with everyone else?" She downs her drink with a sigh. "I've read Mitchell's file."

"So have I." Hollow Ground smiles with all the predatory hunger of a shark. "Things will work out. I'll make it so."

/pins to conspiracy board, painstakingly reconfigures strings…

Perhaps it is time to contact the Guardians. She needs more information. They are paid far too well to sit idle; it is time she reminds them that there is more to their work than appearing on television and dealing with the occasional threat. Time for the newest member to show that he is worth her effort in recruiting him. She approved the new suit and helmet design last month to give him a clean break from his past.

The first half of this paragraph does really make it sound like the flier tailing us was Sentinel. :|a

EDIT: WAIT, I only just realized that Sentinel is the same hero mentioned briefly in Rebirth as having been constantly deadnamed by the press. Never mind then, it's absolutely him.

He [Jake] lost. To Mercenary. That hurt his reputation. Too many people know about it. Too many whispers. He hates losing to anyone; it is always a reminder that his position cannot be taken for granted. Everything he has worked for. Everything he has built. It is all based on power and reputation. He wouldn't be the first to lose the position of number three.

Just look at Deadeye. She never got over slipping down the ranks.

It will not happen to him.

Some vivid parallels to how the MC thinks about sparring here.

This "Core" sounds worryingly like one of those dystopian devices powered/controlled by locking a person inside; in this case, a sufficiently powerful telepath. Inclined to think we were the replacement for the escaped subject who caused the Heartbreak incident. (The previous sentence may of course be tweaked as necessary to account for any existentially-shocking plot twists I have yet to learn about the exact who/what/how of the Heartbreak incident. :P)

I will say that, having gotten two endings now, I'm deeply disappointed not to have seen a single achievement either titled or clued with the phrase "break a leg".

If my first playthrough's big reveal blew my mind, this playthrough's just… broke it. The bestworst thing about it is that it is simultaneously a genuinely great reveal that makes perfect logical sense in retrospect while adding depth to the world/characters, AND so completely fucking stupid that I can't even think about it without incredulous laughter.