Spoiler QnA for October. (Patreon)

Would argent and her technopathy or step and their telepathy be stronger at controlling nanovores?

You will have to find out, Sidestep vs Argent no holds bar is going to be gruesome and interesting.

What ranking is argent's technopathy?

Close to, if not alpha level.

Not sure if this is too big a spoiler, but is the sniper who shot at MC/Puppet and Ortega in ch.19 the same as the one who fired the warning shot in the Puppet/Ortega diner scene in ch.15?

Ortega certainly thinks so. 

Outside of big disasters such as Heartbreak or the Nanosurge, how common is it for high-profile heroes to die? Blaze's death another in a sea of many, or something that will stick with the public for a long while and get its own memorial day? 

It happens, but it's not common enough to make people stop caring. Blaze's death will stick with people, but not to a memorial day or anything like that. Just a really fancy grave and lots of documentaries.

I can't remember if this has been asked before, but theoretically could the regenerator or something like it be used to give one of the non-cuckoo regenes normal skin? plus, bonus question if it isn't too spoilery— are there any already-existing examples of runaway blue regenes who've successfully done something like this?

Theoretically, it should work. And the last one is spoilers, but it seems unlikely.

Are there any other Boosts who've gained their powers via stress-induced mutations, or is Argent the only one? Is the Farm aware of this phenomenon?

The Farm is aware and actively researching. And yes, there are similar occurrences elsewhere. You might learn more in the future, it will be covered in the story.

If Nocturne takes someone's vision and doesn't reverse the process (for whatever reason), does the person remain blind indefinitely?

No, it will wear off after a few days.

Sidestep made it seem like Re-genes get recycled for the slightest offense (like talking back to handlers). I was wondering if this is true, or if that's just a fear The Farm instills in their Re-genes to help keep them in line.

80% fear to keep them in line, but there's truth to it as well. Re-Genes that can't be controlled are too much of a risk to keep around.

Regarding ReGene, how much about them is common knowledge? We know that Cuckoos are on extremely few people's radar by design, but are battle ReGene something the average person would know about? If so, how much?

The public are aware, but have a very vague and garbled view of what they are and how they are used. It's similar to other military tech, most of you are probably too young to remember, but there was a whole slew of rumors and alien sightings before the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber was finally revealed. And even after that happened, there were almost no sightings, pictures or stats for decades. The Re-Genes are half urban legends already...

Sidestep's first escape was a fluke, so I'm imagining something similar was true with Heartbreak, since their rapid deterioration doesn't lead me to believe they would have especially been able to formulate a proper plan. You've also mentioned that Sidestep's second escape was planned. My question is, how did security measures change following the Heartbreak incident?

They became much more strict, nobody had expected a telepathic surge of Heartbreak's level. Enforcement of Numbers use during experiments became mandatory, and automatic containment protocols reliant on machines and not people were implemented.

Following Heartbreak, obviously the Special Directive would have wanted to do everything in their power to make sure that the public's eye, they had as little attachment to the incident as possible. Is there anyone other than Sidestep who is aware they were the ones that were responsible? Did Chen's snooping land him in that direction, therefor leading to his receiving the pictures as a warning, or was that the farm playing it safe? Have there been any reporters who tried to uncover what happened, leading to them getting similarly handled as Chen's attempted assassination, presuming that it Was the SD who called the hit on him?

Chen's snooping went in that direction, yes. And many reporters who have tried to follow that path has ended up dead. I won't say if it was the SD that called the hit on him, but it is likely.

If step wasn’t a Re-Gene would they have been able to get on the LD rangers team?

Yes, they would have been welcome.

Step panicking post-wreck kind of sets off the nanovores when Argent is in the room with them. Could Step also help soothe the nanovores if Argent is having a bad day with them? 

Sidestep is NOT trusted right now, but maybe they would warm up with time.

Aside from Step, has Argent ever interacted or worked with ReGenes before?

Not that she's aware of.

Are all the telepaths going missing from Los Diablos? Or are some from, say, San Francisco?

It is not a localized Los Diablos phenomena, it has also happened elsewhere.

Was Chen just being a worried friend while he was waiting during Sidestep's surgery? Or was he there to make sure no Farm operatives came to take them away, like they did after Heartbreak?

Got it in one. He was not about to let that happen.

How did Ember and Shroud first meet? What were their initial impressions of each other?

Two Betta fish flaring at each other.

Considering Ember’s name has that dramatic Lord in it, how would he feel about the fact some people just ignore the Lord part and just refer to him as Ember?

It would annoy him, he likes feeling important.

Do the HG trio have any particular thoughts on alpha telepaths like Locus/Sidestep? Any worries/thoughts if Sidestep is known to be a telepath or are they confident the dampeners and their mental defenses are enough to keep them safe?

They are pretty confident about that, yes. HG things they've got this under control. They have yet to meet a telepath that could work around their own talents. A bit overconfident really. Locus was considered very annoying, she was high force, and thus couldn't be threaded though she wasn't skilled enough to pick up on what was happening. And with Porphyry also being immune due to his physiology, they were a real danger together.

Did Nocturne already have plans when she moved to Los Diablos or did her plans form over time? What does HG think of her plans? Is Jake aware?

Nocturne's plans are still forming. She hasn't shared most of them with anybody, not even HG. Eventually that time will come, but not right now.

How did HG feel about being honest with Nocturne, considering how private they’ve always been? Were they honest out of their own volition or did Nocturne notice there was something going on with HG and asked about it? 

HG did it of their own volition, and they were scared shitless that they would ruin everything. Nocturne were already suspecting something was up, and was getting ready to find answers, though HG had no idea about that.

What did the mob boss crew potentially think if Sidestep sent the puppet to the HG meeting instead of going there by themself? 

Ohhhh you will find out about that in book three. It will depend on crew relationship, loyalty and leadership.

Did any of the mob boss crew have thoughts what they would have wanted Sidestep to do after they got the “invitation” to meet with the kingpin?

Oh yes. None of them voiced them though, which will lead to an interesting aftermath.

Was it HG or Nocturne herself who suggested she move to Los Diablos? 

HG suggested she come and visit. Nocturne suggested she'd stay once she was there.

How did Chen get the photos? Did someone personally hand them over to him or were they sent to him anonymously?

Spoilers.

Did HG trio have any particular thoughts on villain names like Anathema, Sidestep, or Heartbreak or were their reactions more or less “well, it’s a name”? 

Much of what is shown in the meeting scene, they don't really have any relationship to any of the names.

Was Sidestep becoming a villain something Farm wanted or influenced them to become or was that Sidestep’s own decision?

Spoilers.

What would Nocturne, HG, and Jake consider their best quality? What quality they would consider their worst flaw/shortcoming (if they have considered that)?

Best/worst

HG: people person/too nice

Nocturne: hard working/neurotic

Jake: caring/impatient

What do HG trio most appreciate in one another? 

HG: Nocturne keeps them human, Jake keeps things interesting.

Nocturne: HG saved her sanity, Jake made her like herself.

Jake: HG helped him become more than he thought he could, Nocturne challenges him.

If Dr. Mortum and Lady Argent had a “tech-based” fight, which one of them would win? Or would it be a tie?

Could Dr. Mortum theoretically somehow slow down or hinder Argent’s capabilities with tech and control or would Argent be able to overpower Dr. Mortum eventually, given she has her own skills with tech?

Interesting. Depends on the location. Outside lab, Argent. Inside lab, Mortum. Preparation will be vital for Mortum, if they had time to figure out how she works, they could counter it.

What would HG’s family have thought of HG's powers?  Would it have affected their relationship with HG in any way or no?

Hmmm, good question. HG was vague about exactly what they were for that reason. Didn't want to find out.

What was HG's and Nocturne's first few months of living together like? 

Weird. Rocky. Cathartic. Lots of sex and crying.

When it comes to the secrets among HG trio, is it something that might stay fixed/immutable unless Sidestep encounters Jake in some paths in Retribution or is there a maybe possibility to affect some kind of change in the future as well, depending on things? Have the secrets gone off for too long telling the truth would be an impossibility?

Things can change in the future as well, we will see! I have not decided yet, the characters will tell me as I write them.

I think this has been answered before but to confirm, in the ending where MC crashes but you jump to the puppet body has the regene secret been revealed?

The tattoos are plainly visible, so yes, people would be able to add up the dots. That being said, depending on your actions, not many people might know.

Can the MC have the gendertalk with Mortum even if you are not trans, gender questioning, or romancing them?

Yes. There will also be more chances for that in book three.

Would it be possible to tattoo over the regene tattoos?

No, it chafes off as the tattoo heals. The pigment won't stay.