QnA June (spoiler version) (Patreon)

Could Step technically cover up the tattoos with latex and/or body paint/makeup?

Not for long, it flakes off, a lot more so than on the surrounding skin. But for very short occasions, it can be done.

Considering they're unaware of Chen's sexuality, how much does Ortega know about Chen's background / reasons for leaving home? What did Chen tell them?

Chen simply said that he had an argument with his parents and left to join the army. That sounded relatable enough to Ortega not to ask further.

In regards to all their home surgery, would sidestep (or re-genes in general) be resistant/immune to infection?

More than the regular person for sure.

How recognizable are regene tattoos outside of people who have actually interacted with the Special Directive and other regenes?

Not as many as Sidestep thinks would have the first clue what they are.

can we reasonably assume there are at least a couple other identical (or close) clones of sidestep around, from their batch or ones that share DNA?

There were some that survived the decanting, but as far as Sidestep knows, they are the only one who wasn't recycled pretty fast.

Was Ortega conscious at all throughout the accident at the end of Retribution, or were they knocked out on impact like Sidestep?

Briefly unconscious, but came to before the ambulance arrived.

Sorry if this has been answered before, but will we have a choice to set the kill variable again in Revelations? as in, going from saving/no killing to agentkill?

Yes, this is a thing that can and will change during the books.

Considering the fact that HG's threading has no effect on Ortega, does that mean they're unaware of it? Do they still think HG is able to control earthquakes or do they have their own theories as usual?

Ortega's theories stay with Ortega. Maybe they will trust you enough to talk one day.

Are all ReGene implanted with knowledge of languages or just cuckoos? If yes, do the languages they learn differ?

Yes, and yes. It varies depending in which theater they will be deployed and what languages might be useful to know.

Will we ever have an opportunity to interact with non-cuckoo ReGene?

Yes.

If that's not too much of a spoiler, do you mind sharing a few details about the cuckoos facilities, like, accommodation, training, schedule?

First part of training is similar as other Re-Genes. Think very lab-oriented, separate cells, little communication between individuals other than during meals or communal training. No free time. In fact, talking to other Re-Genes is forbidden, silence should be observed unless conversation is initiated by a handler.

Second half starts to differ, everyone still has cells (no unsupervised Re-Gene interactions), but Cuckoos starts to operate in surroundings that looks like where people live. Houses. Parties. Stores. They receive training in human culture and interaction.

Will we ever get to meet Mitchell within the story or even see any of the info Mitchell has collected about our villain Sidestep?

If you start working with HG it is very likely. If not, we'll see.

hey yeah actually does HG know you've swapped bodies if you get threaded? is their threading more like a conscious effort, something they're aware of?

The exact limits of HG's threading is BIG spoilers, so you won't get an answer to that.

How much did HG keep an eye on the Nanosurge and Heartbreak incidents? What did they think of the disasters? Did they make any plans in case things went from bad to worse? Were Nocturne and Jake already in the picture when the Nanosurge or HB happened? If they were, what thoughts did they have?

The Nanosurge: Yeah, that was bad, and like most disasters, a complete surprise. Once the seriousness of the situation was apparent (and HG would have got that way ahead of the public), the immediate reaction would have been to prepare for evacuation. There was nothing in HG's or associates bag of tricks that could have done anything to a strike of that magnitude, so spreading the word and getting the hell out of town as fast as possible would have been the only recourse (apart from sealed armors/suits, but they are in short supply). Luckily, the heroes came through on this one.

Heartbreak: This was different. It took some time before HG realized the danger, because let's be honest here, a rampaging, power-mad boost is not exactly uncommon. It was treated as something the heroes would clean up, and once it had stopped moving and buried down in one area (albeit with an expanding radius), it was just something to keep an eye on. HG is suspicious of the cause, it didn't line up with a chemical attack (wind direction) but even if there was a cover-up, the threat was ended before it became something they had to deal with.

Nocturne or Jake was not in the picture for the Nanosurge, though ironically it indirectly led to Nocturne and HG meeting. After that scare, HG decided to focus more on setting up a secondary base of operations outside of Los Diablos in case anything like this ever happened again. There were already some good investments in Chicago, and as more money was funneled into those schemes it got Nocturne's (who was working as an IRS agent at the time) attention. 

Nocturne was in Los Diablos for the Heartbreak incident, but had not been living there for long. The whole thing unnerved her, and she wondered whether she had made the right choice to take this risk, but HG assured her that this was not exactly common. She took the decision to use the boost drugs maybe half a year afterwards, and the incident was an influence in her decision.

How would it affect Sidestep to know there are other Re-gene runaways? (especially if they are non-telepaths or fighter Re-genes). 

It would depend on the Sidestep, there are runaways, and you will be allowed to have an opinion on them later in the story.

Do Jake, Nocturne, or HG have any recurring dreams? 

HG has a many. They have a very vivid dream-life, and most of them are variant reruns of things that happened in their past, with family and friends. 

How do Nocturne, Jake, and HG like to spend their mornings?

HG: Long mornings. Anything before noon is too early. They might be awake, but they won't get anything done. A few laps in the pool, a leisurely breakfast and some meditation and then maybe they can start the day. Oh, and a drink is never wrong.

Nocturne: Up early. Gets most of her work done before HG even wakes up, but she likes the quiet of the early morning. Needs coffee. Used to need cigarettes, these days she has quit, but occasionally relapses when she's stressed. Probably has her first meal of the day when HG wakes up.

Jake: Tends to get up late, as most of his work is done at night. His routine depends on whether he's stayed over with HG and Nocturne or not. If he has, he's up a couple of hours before HG stirs, checking in with Nocturne if she needs anything taken care of, probably fixes her breakfast since she's not a big eater. Maybe even something from home if he's in a good mood. If he's not staying over, it's a very cursory shower and cigarette, picking up coffee and a lunch on the way to work.

If the mob boss crew already know Sidestep’s face, how did they first react (or felt) when they heard their boss would introduce themself out of their armor? What were their initial impressions on Sidestep? 

Since they already knew Sidestep's face, I don't think their main worry about their boss introducing themselves out of their armor was revealing their identity. Rather, the worry was that without the armor (or the backup), their boss was walking into enemy turf essentially unarmed. Even if they knew their boss was a telepath, dampeners exist. Depending on the relationship, they might have argued strongly against that.

The initial reactions depends very much on the Sidestep, for example for a Sidestep with a terrifying armor (and maybe also relationship) the reaction might have been surprise that they looked so ordinary. For short Sidesteps with imposing armors, the reaction would have been that they were shorter than they thought. None of them knows what Sidestep looked like, so there would have been no recognition or worry in that regard.

What kind of dynamic do HG and Dr. Mortum have these days? Dr. Mortum doesn’t seem to trust HG, but what does the kingpin think of the good doctor? 

Dr. Mortum is very much aware that he operates in Los Diablos under HG's good will. If he's useful and polite and doesn't rock the boat he will be allowed to remain a free agent. However, there is something about HG that thoroughly unnerves Dr. Mortum, and in fact, it's an after effect of some light threading. 

Dr. Mortum did meet with HG, early on, for a similar interview as Sidestep was offered, and they did shake hands. After a few months, HG decided that the good doctor was safe on their own, and didn't need close handling. So, HG had a final meeting and added some new threads to make Dr. Mortum forget they had ever met in person, and let their influence drop to the lowest level in order to save energy.

This have left some discrepancies in Dr. Mortum's memory, and while they are not big enough to be actively noticed, there is an unease when thinking about HG. Like having forgot something important, but Dr. Mortum is not prone to forgetting things...

What were HG, Nocturne, and Jake like as kids?

HG was daddy's favorite. They were a middle child, but they were the smartest of the bunch. Ambitious. Studious. At the time, school wasn't really a thing, but their mother did the best she could, and HG soon found others to learn from. They were perfectly happy with their oldest brother taking over daddy's business, because running things behind the scenes suited them.

Nocturne was pretty much a shut-in. Severely agoraphobic and bullied, she was homeschooled, but had her mind set on getting a degree anyway. She was smart, but had no friends, and she didn't think she needed any. Read a lot and played games, especially puzzle-games. Could have joined MENSA (she liked the tests) but then you would have to meet people. 

Jake had to be a hustler. He came from a big and loving family, but they weren't rich, so every penny counted. That's how he ended up working for the local criminal gangs, it was simply the best opportunity at the time. He was never a bruiser, but he could fight, didn't mind taking risks, and he was good at reading people.

How does it feel for Re-genes when they are in the tanks? Is it like dreaming? Did it feel different for Sidestep due to their telepathy (or did their powers awaken only after they were decanted)?

I think the best description would be like dreaming. They are implanted with most of their base knowledge during this time, so their minds would be filled with vivid dreams of the latest 'lesson'. This is also when individuality happens, because while all Re-Genes gets the same base memory/training, how their minds adapt it and internalize it as their own experiences varies wildly. Most Re-Genes remember nothing of their experiences, just like few people have memories from their early years. Partly into this process, the boost drug is injected, at which point or how much varies. The Farm is still trying to perfect the process to get more surviving Re-Genes.

Sidestep is an exception, because of their telepathy, they were partially aware of their surroundings during the last steps of the process. This caused them to remember more of their last year in the talk than others.

How does HG feel about using their powers on someone they share a personal connection with, without the other person knowing anything? Still unrepentant or more complicated than that?

It's complicated and depends on the personal connection. For most people, HG can justify it. It is for everyone's good, it keeps people safe, their jobs secure, and there's no harm inflicted. Just a bit of security. In their mind it's not much different than having a surveillance system at work, or secretly hiring security to keep an eye on a possibly dangerous element. The people in question might even be called friends, but this is a cutthroat business, and they need to be sure. It's best for everyone to remove any temptation of betrayal.

Nocturne on the other hand is aware of the threads and what they do, and often suggests modifications to her own. There are no secrets between them.

Where it gets complicated is Jake, because there the relationship has turned from trusted henchman to... well... lovers? And all of a sudden there's that hint of guilt and a bad conscience and maybe Jake deserves to know the truth but how do you explain something like that and not just make it worse? Nocturne keeps telling HG to reveal the truth, but HG is scared as hell of the consequences. 

Do any of the mob boss henchmen have any thoughts on the Rangers? Do any of them know Dr. Mortum personally or through reputation? 

I mean they have heard of the Rangers, but until now they have all moved in circles below what the Rangers would have been interested in. Pelayo and Ward did work for the Wolf Pack, who occasionally hired out to big league villains like Psychopathor, but they have never fought the Rangers. At this point they are just like any other big-name heroes. 

However, if either their boss or the puppet has an open relationship with Ortega that they know about, there's personal investment. And sure, Ortega is indeed hot (as Nehal would put it), but what the hell are they thinking? That's too risky.

None of them has met Dr. Mortum, they only know them by reputation. 

How did Vernon and Mia first meet?

When she was studying to be a journalist, she was the one who sought him out for a project, and he became a mentor of sort.

What was the main quality that HG and Nocturne found attractive in each other? How long have they been together? Which one of them said “I love you” first? How did the other one react? 

They have been together since 2012, and they first were attracted to each other's intellect. It was very much a game of cat and also cat when Nocturne (then with the IRS) tried to bring down HG, and they were in contact online for a year or so before they actually met in person. This was very much out of character for Nocturne, and HG never got the ability to touch her, but they did keep meeting and eventually it became more for their own sake than their jobs. Nocturne quit her job and moved to LD in 2013, destroying all her evidence in a faked attack before she did so. HG had revealed their powers before then, and she had suggested using them on her to help with some of her issues. HG said "I love you" first, during an argument about Nocturne's wish to use the boost drugs. Her reply was simply "Then don't mess this up. I trust you." She said the words too, later.

What kind of mask/persona do Nocturne, Jake, and HG prefer to show in public?

HG: Eccentric. Charming. Utterly in control.

Nocturne: Silent, pretty and not very smart. Very much just a decoration on HG's (or occasionally Jake's) arm.

Jake: Confident, brash, might fuck you up or have a drink with you, which it is, is on you. Doesn't mind playing the muscle.

How does Nehal feel about being the youngest in the team? Is she confident in her place in the team or slightly worried how useful she is? 

Nehal has that particular kind of confidence that comes with youth. What will happen once she has her first big setback is a very big question.

What do Jake, HG, and Nocturne fear losing?

HG: Control. They have got a good life now, everything is working the way they want it to. No rocking the boat please.

Nocturne: Her new life. She can't go back to who she was, that wasn't life, that was just passing time.

Jake: The connection to his family back home. He's very aware that they could possibly be used against him, and also that the longer he stays in the US, the more they drift apart.

And yes, all three of them also fear losing each other.

What did Nocturne, HG, and Jake thought of Sidestep who had a hero reputation? Were they aware of Sidestep who had a vigilante or sidekick reputation?

They didn't have any real thoughts of Sidestep as a hero, other than they were just another vigilante. Stopping the Nanosurge was impressive, but most of the details about that were hidden. They weren't aware of a vigilante or sidekick Sidestep. Mitchell is the one keeping track of things, there are too many heroes to bother remembering them.

Do HG, Nocturne, or Jake have any memories they like to remember during difficult/complicated times or would any of them rather focus on the present and do something?

Nocturne prefers to distract herself by working. HG has a lot of good memories, mostly childhood focused that they like to drift off into. Biggest daydreamer of the bunch. Jake occasionally lets himself think wistfully of home, but tends to prefer to pick a fight.

If Sidestep and Lady Argent end up becoming friends or romantic partners, would Argent be comfortable with letting Sidestep call her by her name or would she prefer if Sidestep used her nickname Angie?

She might get to the point where her real name might be preferred, but it would take a while. Too many memories.

If the Puppet exhibits their own emotions beyond Sidestep’s control are the mob boss henchmen aware or noticed Puppet’s fear toward their boss? Do they have any thoughts on it?

It depends on the relationship between the boss and the henchmen. If it's a friendly relationship, that's seen as a worrying thing, but nobody has wanted to bring up the subject. In the other cases, I don't think it's been spotted yet.

How serious did Lady Argent think the new villain was being if they said to her they wanted her by their side as an ally? 

Not very, it's the same kind if fight and flirt talk that Ortega uses. That doesn't mean it doesn't feel nice.

Are Nocturne, HG, or Jake in a habit of making New Year promises? What kind of promises would they make? 

I don't think either of them would do that.

Dr. Mortum seems to be very protective over their friends/romantic partners and wondered would they appreciate of Sidestep/Puppet was equally protective of them? 

Very much so, even if they might protest. It's always nice to be cared for, and they are aware that they are not the strongest fighter.

Did Ortega make the connection between Sidestep and Hollow Ground immediately after seeing Sidestep’s face or did it take a while (and other misinterpreted pieces of information) for them to reach that conclusion?

The initial reaction was a "huh, they remind me of someone", but it took some time and research before Ortega was sure. Too many things added up for it to be anything else in their view.

Will we be able to speak personally to Vernon at some point about his theories?

At least in some paths. A meeting is long overdue.

Would the Ratking have tried to intervene if Argent had gone for the kill in the Auction? If not, what would the Ratking do in the event of Sidestep's death?

Yes. Yes they would have. They are very defensive of Sidestep, as can be seen in some paths. No dying on their watch. 

I'm sorry if this has been answered a million times before or is already explained in the story, I tend to replay the same route over and over, and the lore still feels very overwhelming at times to me, but: Why was it necessary for the MC to have all those tattoos at all? From my understanding, MC was specifically designed and trained not to raise suspicion and be able to blend in on stealth missions, so wouldn't it have been possible to give them just a subtle chip or barcode for ID purposes like the one Agent 47 has? 

For one very simple reason: dehumanization. Since there is not much of an outward difference between a normal human and a cuckoo, there was a need to drive home the fact that cuckoos are just Re-Genes. A Re-Gene is a tool, and letting one act and look like a human is already dangerous, so it was important to make sure that both handlers and Re-Genes never forgot what they were. Whether there are some infiltration models with more subtle markings made to get naked with people is unknown. That might be the case, but Sidestep has never seen one.