It's Me or Him

Saga: Intimidator Arc

Prerequisites: Completion of previous missions in Arc.

Summary: Psi awakens back in the Intimidator HQ, to the sight of the recently stolen generator being attached to a previously unseen cannon of visibly WMD proportions. Psi realizes the usage or even the threat of usage of such a weapon would be little more than common terrorism, which even by Intimidator standards is considered pretty henious. The rest of the Inimidators support the move behind Artemis, even Synn, leaving Psi alone storming out of the HQ in anger. The two personalities argue persistently about the motives and moralities of the sudden turn of events, until Synn finally offers to break the stalemate in a rather unorthodox form - he takes Psi to a secluded location, knocks both of them out and initiates a fight to the death within their unconcious minds, to put a long story short. After a brief but fierce fight, Psi wins of course, and rather than killing him entirely he spares Synn to make him later see the monster Artemis has become.

Script:

[The screen fades in to the sight of Psi out cold yet again in the Intimidator HQ alongside Akumaryu - but this time, completely unsupervised. Sounds of construction are going on just outside the door, making a loud racket and occasionally shaking elements of the room mildly. A crane is heard dropping something into place with a massive thud, abruptly waking Psi up and causing some of the glassware in the room to topple to the floor and break. Once the player walks outside, they are greeted with the sight of a massive cannon where the main hall used to be, and various Intimidator engineers working tirelessly on assembling it. Artemis is overseeing the process, but hasn't seen Psi yet.]

Psi: What in the... what the hell is this!?

Artemis: What-- oh, crap.

>Psi: What is that, a telescope?

Synn: It's a cannon, you idiot!

>Psi: What are you up to, Artemis?

Artemis: I admit this might seem a little abrupt, but this was on the cards for quite a long time.

Psi: So you're just going to blow everything up, is that it!?

Artemis: Only if it comes down to that. Truth be told, I'm not leaving it up to us - when threatened with an unstoppable force, even a criminal mind will have no choice but to do as they're told. If they're foolish enough to disobey and get themselves killed anyway, then on their head be it.

Synn: ...this is exactly what he needed me for. This isn't the first time I've stolen things for this project. The focusing lens, then generator, heck, even the gems. Everything I've done lately is a contribution to this cannon here. Even if I don't... recall all of it.

Artemis: Almost correct.

[Artemis pulls the blue Gem of Chaos from his robes.]

Artemis: I only needed one gem, and I already had it long before this all started. I only really needed the gems to ensure nobody else could have the power to oppose us, but I'm sure we can deal with it when the time comes.

Psi: We? Why should I have any part in this? This isn't what the Intimidators stand for! This is a common act of terrorism, and you know it!

Artemis: It's exactly what the Intimidators stand for! I don't know what you think you learned during your training, but terrorizing is exactly what we do for a living. We instill in others the burden of fear to tempt them away from a criminal path for as long as we still exist. This weapon changes nothing except the scale of our operations.

Synn: He does have a point, you know.

Psi: Synn? Don't tell me you agree with this madman!?

Synn: Is it really so mad? A city, even a world, completely devoid of crime? A means to control it more effiiciently than hunting offenders down on the individual level?

Psi: You are subjugating the wellbeing of innocent civilians with this thing! Punishing the entire populace for the acts of a select few! Do you seriously not see something wrong with this picture!?

Synn: Well hey, no plan's perfect. Can't go making an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

[Psi stutters madly for a moment, then screams and storms out in frustration.]

Synn: Hey hey HEY! Where are you taking me!? You... get me back there! Don't you walk out on us!

[Some Intimidators move to persue Psi as he leaves the HQ, but Artemis gestures them to hold.]

Artemis: No. Let them go. They'll be back soon enough. We still have a lot of work to do.

[Cut to outside the Intimidator HQ, with Psi storming around outside of the player's control. Naturally, he and Synn are bickering furiously.]

Psi: I'm telling you, he's up to something!

Synn: Of course he's up to something! It just so happens to be something you don't personally agree with!

Psi: I'm not talking about that! You think he made a fully functional WMD just to threaten people with it? He would've just pulled an elaborate bluff if that was the case!

Synn: Who the hell do you think you are to make judgements of character like that!? This man is the closest I've ever had to a father, and I WILL NOT let you slander him like that!

Psi: Slander? Listen to yourself! You can't stand the thought of your mentor commiting an act of genocide right out of the blue, so you blindly defend everything he does? Am I seriously the only one who sees something wrong with this!?

Synn: So what, you're just going to accuse him of things with absolutely no basis whatsoever?

Psi: No... I only ask of you the chance to prove myself right.

Synn: You want a chance? Fine! One chance. Take us back to Courage's apartment. I know how we can settle this.

[The player is allowed to make their way over to the apartment of their own accord. The two remain completely silent until the player makes his way inside, at which point Synn casually hops onto the bed, sits down cross-legged, then abruptly punches himself in the face.]

Psi: AGH! What the hell did you do that fo--

[Synn punches again repeatedly until they both fall unconcious. The screen fades to black, and eventually fades back into the same Mental Realm last seen in Showing the Ropes. Psi and Synn are lying face-down on opposite sides of the screen. Synn gets up quickly, but Psi seems to expend more effort trying to do so.]

Synn: Do you know why we are here?

Psi: Ugh... because you kept punching us in the face?

Synn. ''Do you know. Why we are here?''

Psi: ...no.

Synn: It's because we have a dillemma. You, bound by honour to uncover some sinister plot, and me, bound by duty to defend the one accused, to the death if necessary. Only one of us will get our way in the end, so in the end, there can only be one of us.

Psi: Wait... what are you saying!?

Synn: I'm saying that one of us... must die.

[A character VS screen appears, announcing a major boss fight. Every time a character takes a hit, faint images of scenes from previous missions flash in the background, as subtly screenshotted by the game throughout the player's actual progress beforehand. Just a few blows in, the fighters seperate themselves with some distance, and a brief ingame cutscene follows.]

Psi: What is wrong with you? Why are you doing this!?

Synn: Ever since you showed up, you've been nothing but a thorn in my side! Constantly pestering everyone with ignorance, distracting me from the task at hand, and maintaining this obsession with your past when much more pressing matters are happening, here, now! And now you have the nerve to accuse my mentor, who I owe everything to, of crimes you probably don't even have any concept of!? I've put up with this for days, but no longer! I'm ending this today, one way or another!

Psi: It doesn't have to be like this! We can unmask him! Together!

Synn: Keep that attitude up, and you'll never get past me! Rrrrraaaaagh!

[Combat resumes. Psi and Synn no longer speak to each other until right before the scripted end, where Psi and Synn seperate themselves again with only a small amount of health left between them. Synn starts charging up a TK Pulse and the Quick Draw interface shows, although the player has no control over it as the numbers rise.]

Synn: Yes... this is as it should be...

[Psi starts charging a TK Pulse of his own]

Psi: Stop this, Synn! I don't want to kill you!

Synn: Why must you be so soft? Your ambition and your very survival depends on your ability to end my life... I know this is not the way you live, but even you must realize there's no other way this can end.

Psi: And I'm telling you there is another way! Just stop letting your pride tell you what to do and for once, just hear me out!

Synn: My pride has gotten me this far, and it won't fail me here! Now do what you came here to do and finish me off!

Psi: ...no. It is not our way to kill in the name of justice. I will defeat you if I must, but I won't kill you outright.

Synn: Then you die today, Psi! Take this!

[Both fighters launch large TK Pulses at each other, causing them to impact and create a Tug-of-War Clash, of which the player this time has a part in. If Psi loses, the player dies instantly. However, if the player manages to get the clash away from themself and closer to Synn, one last ingame cutscene plays.]

Psi: (to himself) Wait... that's it! He'll try to push it back with one last effort, and then...

Synn: Too little, too late, I'm afraid. Now DIE!

[Both fighters charge up one last TK Pulse to add to the clash in order to tip the scales in their favour. However, Synn is the only one who actually launches it into the clash, causing the entire mass to rocket back towards Psi at high speed. He holds his own projectile until just the right moment, then slow motion kicks in as he launches it at the ground beneath him, causing a shockwave that blasts him into the air and narrowly avoids getting hit by the combined force of the clash. After realizing that his attack failed, Synn slowly looks upward, stunned, at the sight of Psi regaining his composure in midair before stomping down on Synn with both feet, right as the slow motion wears off again. Synn struggles, but can't move with Psi's weight on top of him.]

Synn: Ngh... what the hell are you doing!? Just finish me off! Or I'll kill you first!

Psi: You still think things will end that way? I told you, I'm not killing you, and after that last attack I doubt you have the energy to have a say in the matter. You're defeated. Stand down.

[Synn continues to strugge for a few moments, but eventually gives up, letting off a huge sigh to himself.]

Synn: What is the point of this? Why do you insist on keeping me around if all we're going to do is oppose each other?

Psi: Is that so bad? I figure that the omnipresent second perspective is kind of refreshing, actually. We've both benefitted from it - I've started taking things more seriously, and... and... well, I guess I could say you've become slightly less of an uptight prick. But more importantly, this whole experience has shown us we can't always trust those closest to us. Which is why I want you to come with me and see Artemis for what he really is.

[A long pause follows.]

Synn: Do what you must. I no longer care.

[The screen fades to black, ending the mission as normal.]