Chapter Text
CASE FILE - You failed again. Game over.
VOLITION [Heroic: Failure] - No, no, no. We can’t accept this. We worked too hard for too long. We can’t give up.
CASE FILE - Your captain closed me an hour ago. He gave up for you.
CONCEPTUALISATION - A story with an unfinished ending, huh? How narratively unsatisfying.
ENCYCLOPEDIA [Easy: Success] - In the RCM this year, Jamrock’s Precinct 41 has seen and continues to see more than 150 open, closed and ongoing cases. In other words, today’s case will become nothing more than a number, a chapter faded away by time.
INLAND EMPIRE - Like how the sea waves washed away the white exterior of the church, by the fishing village, over the decades…
VOLITION [Godly: Failure] - But we are the good guys, we are supposed to win. We watched over our allies’ backs, we resisted the road to hell, and we learned and changed so much for the better. Was it all for nothing? Where the f*ck is our moral dessert?
ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Bad time, I know, but you said ‘dessert’. I could go for some double chocolate ice cream. Mmmmm. Sugar, how I miss you.
PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - You can’t help but notice being surrounded by office chairs, stationary, and that damned paper. You’re at your paperwork station, not an ice cream parlour.
HALF-LIGHT - Rip the cursed case file to shreds! BURN IT. That bastard is giving us the evil eye.
CASE FILE - And rewrite a week’s worth of notes again? Or tape me up as your superiors watch on disapprovingly? You’re a real funny guy.
AUTHORITY [Formidable: Success] - Stand your ground. Treat him like your taxes. If we fill out this last, blank spot, he’d be finished for good.
INTERFACING - I’m ready, but the others are not.
VOLITION [Heroic: Failure] - I… I’m always ready. I always have to be.
DRAMA [Challenging: Success] - Sire, Crownhead is-
EMPATHY [Medium: Success] - Don’t. Give Voli space.
DRAMA - Alas! Must thou shut off the lie detector to silence the truth, shoot the Union protester where he stands, or throw a performer off the stage? The audacity, the misery!
AUTHORITY - Quit stalling. Hesitation is prey behaviour, and we are the lion.
COMPOSURE [Easy: Success] - The meeting isn’t over. Give us time.
VISUAL CALCULUS - Lads, this failure is my bad. I didn't catch the obvious clues earlier. Those stubborn puzzle pieces refused to fit until it was too late. We wasted so much time...
HALF-LIGHT - How the bloody hell did we let the suspect get away!? I f*cking knew we should have bashed his head in, the first chance we got.
ESPRIT DE CORPS [Trivial: Success] - Murder with your bare fists is much harder to justify, than a kill by gunshot.
SAVOIR FLAIRE - The chase went horribly wrong too. We should have made that jump between the buildings. We could have made it.
LOGIC [Medium: Failure] - Oh yeah, Savvy's right, we could have totally flown over that distance.
[ - 4 LOGIC DEBUFF: You'll never be good enough. Kill yourself]
REACTION SPEED - Flying high, like a superhero!
INLAND EMPIRE - But you are no hero...
PAIN THRESHOLD [Heroic: Failure] - Everything hurts.
ENDURANCE - That can't be a physical thing, PT. Because I'm still standing.
VOLITION [Impossible: Failure] - I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore. We can't finish writing this report. We just can't.
INTERFACING - Errrrr... But I'm working fine. Hello?
VOLITION - …
[- 2 Morale Lost. Morale Paused.]
INTERFACING - Heyyyyy? Earth to Volition?
ENDURANCE - Why do I suddenly feel a looming weight on my shoulders?
ESPRIT DE CORPS - Man down!
INTERFACING - Guys, I’m snapping my fingers at Crownhead’s face, but there’s no response.
HALF-LIGHT - Move. I got an idea. Arrrgh!
RHETORIC - Did punching him work?
HALF-LIGHT - Nah. I feel good though.
EMPATHY [Legendary: Success] - You piece of sh*t half-wit! Of course, violence wouldn’t work; he never responded well to that before, so why would he now?
HALF-LIGHT - Woah. Chill out, man. All I’m doing is throwing stuff at the wall, gotta see what sticks.
EMPATHY - Tch.
ENDURANCE - Fine, your turn. You’re the feelings radar, you should have a better read on your comatose friend. Tell us what’s going on.
EMPATHY [Formidable: Success] - Voli never wanted to ditch us. Something, or a series of somethings broke him, and he needs a break. He’ll be back soon, he has to.
LOGIC - But, erm... What do we do without him, in the meantime? I like being the voice of reason, but not if I'm the only one here.
AUTHORITY [Medium: Success] - I can take charge.
RHETORIC - No way in hell. Nuh-uh. I ain't voting for you, Sir Bitch-face.
AUTHORITY - f*ck off, Loudmouth.
RHETORIC - I have been. Because I f*ckED YOUR MOTHER LAST NIGHT!
AUTHORITY - Why, you little-!!!
LOGIC - Nonsensical insults aside, Loudmouth is right.
AUTHORITY - You must be joking, you better be.
SUGGESTION [Easy: Success] - There's a reason why the big man only uses you for interrogations, Bossy. You scare the civilians.
AUTHORITY - Well, I, you see. Ummm. f*ck. God, I hate it when the grovelling sycophant is right.
SAVIOUR FLAIRE [Challenging: Success] - I could take Harry-boy out for a spin, get groovy. Extreme Disco-cop style! HARDCORE TO THE MEGA!!!
ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Hell yeaaargh! Now we're talking. Let's down some shots, shoot up some speed, smoke up a fog with some ciggies. It's been aeons, since we last rode the lightning. We need to… P to the A to the R to the T to the Y to the exclamation mark - PARTY!
ENDURANCE [Legendary: Success] - Please no. We'd go ‘SPLAT!’ and become dead roadkill in a week.
SUGGESTION - "Please" from Marathon, huh? Must be serious.
COMPOSURE - Okay, so... now what?
DRAMA [Godly: Success] - How doth an actor continue the show without a script? Playing the fraud, of course, faking it until we make it. Make haste, send word immediately; what's the most socially acceptable cop-o-type?
SUGGESTION - A regular guy that falls in the background. The definition of normal.
ESPRIT DE CORPS - So, Boring Cop?
DRAMA - Consider it done.
INTERFACING - We're acting like a robot? Despite the circ*mstances, I kinda like that idea.
DRAMA - Almost. I'll sprinkle in one or two human elements.
COMPOSURE [Medium: Success] - I'll help.
INTERFACING - Good enough for me.
PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Formidable: Success] - Boys, it's business as usual for the body. Eat, exercise, sleep. No puss*ing around, got it?
ENDURANCE - Aye, coach.
PAIN THRESHOLD - Yes sir.
PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - Good.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Awwww… bummer.
EMPATHY - Okay, you guys got this handled. The Psyche team will go into the backroom and figure out what’s wrong.
HALF-LIGHT - Best of luck.
