Jex's Bad Decision Tree

(set: $card to 0) The door to the art vault bursts open, revealing Kai, Winslow's assistant, in all her straight-laced glory. Behind her is a veritable army of militia-types. You can't see their faces around the balaclavas and masks, but you just //know// they have cool facial scars. //''What do you do?''// [[Prep for a fight!]] [[Summon your Duality]] [[Go voluntarily.]]

It's just like the movies! You shake out your hands and do a little one-two hop. Bouncing between your feet, you give the first guy the universal "come at me, bro" handwave. You're confident that this is how it works. You don't need to spend years training, learning to hone a martial art. You heard that it's, like, automatic, or something. Any minute now, and your body will respond by beating them all into the concrete. Just-- --and the guys descend on you. You do your best to fight them off, but end up with a broken clavicle, lots of bruises, and genuinely hurt feelings. They were so mean! Anyway, they cart you off. You talk their ears off the whole time, loudly bemoaning how //movies are so unrealistic//, and //no one can really move like that unless you're Bruce Lee//, and //why even make movies like that anyway?// Kai is displeased by your lack of self-awareness and annoyed by your unending stream of consciousness nonsense. They change their mind about whether they need you after all. They dump you back at your own front door. So much for adventure. ''(text-colour:red)[>>> GAME OVER <<<]'' And keep an eye out on Friday for a fun new surprise, headed your way. Return to the [[Beginning|The Assistant's Revenge]]

LOLz your Duality has barely manifested. You feel the slightest twinge in your chest, but you kinda like the idea of being carried away by what you assume are hot masked men and so you don't exactly feel threatened. Blade, Sloane, Reno, and Ax, however, have different ideas. They yank the hood off your head as you're boarding a private jet. They were supposed to drive you to Kai's secret hideaway but lost the caravan and brought you here instead. See, the boys recognize that if Kai wants you that you're important. They tell you they need a new assistant and you're it--whether you like it or not. Except you do, in fact, like it a lot. And you keep liking it at a frequency that is probably going to create a bacterial imbalance but c'est la vie. None of you seem to mind. You wander the world with your boys, helping them organize their mercenary jobs and earning about a million bonus points in the mile high club. ''(text-colour:red)[>>> You've won! Or lost. Up to you. <<<]'' And keep an eye out on Friday for a fun new surprise, headed your way. Return to the [[Beginning|The Assistant's Revenge]]

You can see the writing on the wall. You're all alone trapped in an enclosed space. The best option is to go willingly, feign innocence and harmlessness, and then find a way out. They subdue you fairly easily and cart you off. At least the hood smells clean. [[Bide your time.]]

For three miserable days, they keep you locked in a clinical, white room. Fine, it isn't three days. It's three hours. But it FEELS like three days. Napping in a bright room is impossible. You pass some of the time scanning through your knowledge of 90s Top 40 lyrics, but can't remember the words to the "Waterfalls" rap break and give up in annoyance. Kai arrives with two menacing mercenary types. They aren't wearing masks, which makes you very uneasy. As they're binding your wrists together, you realize that the reel has snapped on one of their security ID badge holders. He's got it precariously hanging from a side pocket. What do you do? [[Bump up against him.]] [[Nothing. It's not worth the risk.]]

You roll your eyes like you're about to pass out and fall gracelessly against the guy with poor security instincts. He catches you and, as he does, you swipe the card from his pocket and cradle it between your closed hands, //Now You See Me// style. Man, that was a good movie. You should take up card--no. No, no. You're focused. Escape the kidnapping now. Pick up new hobbies later. At least you got the keycard. (set: $card to 1) Go with them to [[Kai's Office]].

You consider whether you can or should take the keycard, but being cautious has gotten you this far. It's not worth the risk. I'm sure it will be fine and this interaction does not portend any future mishaps whatsoever. So, you: ...follow them to [[Kai's Office]]. ... second guess yourself and brush up against the guy [[in the hall]].

Kai's office is yet another spotless, white void. Honestly, it looks like the inside of an egg but with too many lights. All along the far wall, floor-to-ceiling windows span the length of the room. ... is this ...// an actual villain's lair?!//🤩 Kai sits behind their curved, white quartz desk. They tent their fingers, then point them together to a completely white chair that you didn't even see because it blended in with everything else. The men leave you together, and Kai examines you for a long moment. "I've heard about you," they begin. "No one knows your actual name or where you're from. They don't even know your alignment. Are you Kier or Clara?" You respond with silence. You didn't get to where you are by being candid. They seem to like the stoic response, though. Kai nods, stands, and points a remote to the windows. Soundlessly, the glass folds away. Kai goes to stand beside it and beckons you over with a head nod. You join them, basking in the vibrant exterior. You can't possibly be in a tropical rainforest, but that's what it seems like. The door overlooks a deep ravine lush with verdant life. On each side of the door, in irregularly shaped ponds that could even be natural occurrences, a vibrant technicolor spectrum of fish zip and hover in the water. It's really beautiful. A thrill of fear at being so high up makes little sparks ignite in your chest. //Weird.// It's not like nerves, exactly. Perhaps you should have brought some Pepto with you. "I have a proposition for you," Kai begins. "I need an assistant of my own. After Winslow's ... demise, I was there to pick up the pieces on his enterprises. While he was careless and crass, I've been much more thoughtful." They look over at you to hold your eye contact. "I could make something of you, beyond you skulking in the shadows. Right now, you're malleable. Unknown but knowing. There's opportunity in that." Do you ... [[Eagerly join.]] [[Make a run for it.|Door Check]] Totally agree while planning to [[backstab them.]]

You attempt to pickpocket the card, but it's ham-fisted with your wrists already bound together in front of you. The guy reacts poorly, back-handing you so hard you fall into the other guy and the world goes black. When you wake up, you're in a hospital four states away from where you started. You've been in a coma for three months and had no identification on you. They apparently fished you out of the river. Properly weighting a dead/dying body should be entry-level bad guy knowledge, but your buddy had his keycard hanging out and flopping in the wind so odds of doing this right were low to begin with. Not that you're complaining since it meant you survive. You call your best friend, who immediately drops everything to come get you and then berates you for the 10-hour car ride home about taking improper risks. ''(text-colour:red)[>>> GAME OVER <<<]'' And keep an eye out on Friday for a fun new surprise, headed your way. Return to the [[Beginning|The Assistant's Revenge]]

You two share knowing smiles. You eagerly accept. For the next five years, you help Kai run their criminal enterprise. You learn the ins and outs of the business. But, Kai is a cold master. They're ruthless in business and in their personal life. That makes for a poor purpose to get behind. You decide to set out on your own. Only, it's much easier to assume control of something that exists than build it from the ground up. Kai would tell you that first hand. You build no particular bonds to them, and so you feel nothing when you betray them and seize the enterprise. You live, paranoid and alone but obscenely wealthy, until a ripe old age. And you start to realize why Winslow had the island to begin with. ''(text-colour:red)[>>> GAME OVER <<<]'' And keep an eye out on Friday for a fun new surprise, headed your way. Return to the [[Beginning|The Assistant's Revenge]]

Oh, hell, to the fucking no. You have zero interest in being Kai's puppet. Whirling around, you dash for the exit door. You slam into it, yanking at the door handle, but it. Won't. Budge. A red light beside the door flashes like an annoying stoplight. Sighing, Kai murmurs something into their watch. The light switches to solid green, and the door swings open. The two guards from before emerge and grab you by each arm. They drag you toward the windows. As they throw you off the ledge, the last words you hear are Kai's comments about how disappointed they are by wasted potential. ''(text-colour:red)[>>> GAME OVER <<<]'' Return to the [[Beginning|The Assistant's Revenge]]

You two share knowing smiles. You eagerly accept. Except, you have no intention of accepting. Those earlier sparks explode in your body, lighting your nerve endings like a torch in the night. Kai senses the shift and raises a wrist to give a command into their watch. Energy and power flood into your system: [[You're Terraer.]] [[You're Ignisunda.]] [[You're Serobestia.]] [[You're Orisalvus.]] [[You're Menscorpis.]] Not sure of your Duality? Find it here!

Energy, electric and near painful, explodes from you. Your body heats, your mind expanding and contracting with every breath. You sense every molecule of stone and glass in this area. The aching stone so unhappy with how it's been carved hollow. The white tiles, humorless and ambivalent. And the glass stretched taut and anxious. You call upon that tension, and dive into the pond a half-moment before the glass window bursts. And Kai is standing right in the way. Shards of glass explode in a concussive force, driving them off the ledge and into the ravine. Well, that's one way to escape. //Shit, you still have to get through the door.// [[Make the ultimate choice.|The ultimate choice]]

Energy, electric and near painful, explodes from you. Your body heats, your mind expanding and contracting with every breath. You can sense every molecule of water around you. Without warning, a lash of water springs up from the nearest pond. It snatches Kai by the ankle. They get out a surprised little, "what?" before it drags them into the pool. There's a lot of splashing and ruckus, but it only takes a minute for Kai's body to still. Welp, can't be leaving evidence around. You ask your new waterfriend for an assist, and they gingerly toss your captor's body into the ravine. With their security card and watch. //Shit, you still have to get through the door.// [[Make the ultimate choice.|The ultimate choice]]

Energy, electric and near painful, explodes from you. Your body heats, your mind expanding and contracting with every breath. The life teeming in the ponds calls to you. They're vibrant, those colorful little fish. //And strong.// You beseech them to respond quickly to what you need. They eagerly accept you as a new friend worth protecting. Water churns as the fish activate, jumping and hurling themselves across the span between the two ponds. You hit the deck, but Kai spends too much effort on starching shirts and not enough on reaction timing. A particularly large angelfish smacks them in their face. They stagger backward, lose their footing, and plummet into the ravine. For a few stunned seconds, you realize that somehow, miraculously, you have escaped! Kind of? //Shit, you still have to get through the door.// [[Make the ultimate choice.|The ultimate choice]]

Energy, electric and near painful, explodes from you. Your body heats, your mind expanding and contracting with every breath. You don't know why, but your gaze snaps back to Kai. Kai responds immediately, their own face whipping even with you. Glassy eyes await your command. "I think you want to go for a swim," you hear your voice say. "Go for a swim," Kai repeats. "In the ravine." "Yes, in the ravine. That sounds nice." That vacant expression still on Kai's face, you maintain eye contact while walking together to the edge. "Enjoy your swim," you tell them. "Thank you." And Kai steps off the ledge. //Shit, you still have to get through the door.// [[Make the ultimate choice.|The ultimate choice]]

You run to the only exit you can see and (if: $card is 0)[ [[try the door.|Door Locked]] ](else:)[ [[try the door.|Door Opens]] ]

Oh, hell, to the fucking no. You have zero interest in being Kai's puppet. Whirling around, you dash for the exit door. You slam into it, yanking at the door handle, but it. Won't. Budge. A red light beside the door flashes like an annoying stoplight. But you have the keycard! You nearly pants yourself freeing it, but you slam the little plastic rectangle down onto the flashing light. ... and are rewarded with a green light! Not before Kai could signal to their guards, though. The two guards from before emerge and grab you by each arm. They drag you toward the windows. As they throw you off the ledge, the last words you hear are Kai's comments about how disappointed they are by wasted potential. ''(text-colour:red)[>>> GAME OVER <<<]'' And keep an eye out on Friday for a fun new surprise, headed your way. Return to the [[Beginning|The Assistant's Revenge]]

Energy, electric and near painful, explodes from you. Your body heats, your mind expanding and contracting with every breath. You feel so full and bloated with essence it's painful. You scream, the primal sound a vibrating force that emits from you and reverberates off the walls. The psychic burst shakes your body and racks you with pain, but it's worse for Kai. They grab their head, trying to use their hands to buffer noise that's more mental than audible. They stagger away from you, fall to their knees, and list sideways off the edge of the ravine. Once the power dissipates, you realize what you've done. Nope, that's a later problem. Escape now, debrief on dangerous new powers later. //Shit, you still have to get through the door.// [[Make the ultimate choice.|The ultimate choice]]

You eye the door, but you realize - that's not the right call here. Kai is gone. There's a power vacuum. If you're strong enough to wield it. So, you can choose now. Do you [[rule in their place]]? Or do you [[scale the ravine]] and make your escape?

You don't know how, but you manage to climb down the vines without seriously injuring yourself. After four days of wandering in the jungle, you realize that Kai must have drugged you because you are absolutely somewhere in the Amazon. When you stagger into the nearest village, you call your best friend. They fly down to save you from the local jail--the villagers assumed on sight you were up to no good, and they weren't wrong. They berate you for the entire 20-hour flight home, but at least you are home. ''(text-colour:red)[>>> GAME OVER <<<]'' And keep an eye out on Friday for a fun new surprise, headed your way. Return to the [[Beginning|The Assistant's Revenge]]

You circle Kai's ... ahem, YOUR office, and then finally come to sit behind your new desk. You swivel in the stark white chair, taking in the ravine beyond, and put your feet up on the desk. A bit of mud falls from a shoe onto the pristine surface. Alarm bells ring, and the room begins to flash between red and white. Fuckshitdamn. A console slides up in the center of the desk. >>Use KeyCard To Disable Alert<< (if: $card is 0)[ [[Try to disable the alert.|Alert Remains]] ](else:)[ [[Use the keycard to disable the alert.|Alert Disarms]] ]

//Shit, shit, shit.// You're SO grateful you took the risk and stole that keycard. The console flares to life, and your fingers fly across the keys. It seems the guards aren't the only ones terrible with security. Kai was great at organization and planning. Not so great at keeping people from their system. Granted, you doubt they expected a breach at their own damn terminal. By the time the door bursts open and the guards rush in, you throw your hands up in submission. "I'm your boss now!" you scream. They skid to a stop and stare at each other. Not the brightest duo, these two. Perhaps that's why Kai liked them for personal guards. You explain to them that you have complete control over Kai's enterprise, and have reset the password to a sixteen-digit PIN they'll never figure out. They're angry at first, but when you explain their paychecks will still cash, they don't seem to care much. You replace the mercenaries with true believers as quickly as you can. You even fall in love with two of them and live out a long, prosperous life with your billions and power. ''(text-colour:red)[>>> THANK YOU FOR PLAYING! <<<]'' And keep an eye out on Friday for a fun new surprise, headed your way. Return to the [[Beginning|The Assistant's Revenge]]

//Shit, shit, shit.// You REALLY should have stolen that keycard. The two guards rush into the room, pointing guns at you and circling the room. It's easy to see what's happened. And that you've just killed the person who signs their paychecks. Angry, the security-unconscious guy grabs you by the wrist brace and drags you to the ravine. He throws you over the ledge without a second thought. The last thing you hear as you plummet to your doom is, "I didn't even get my bonus yet." ''(text-colour:red)[>>> GAME OVER <<<]'' And keep an eye out on Friday for a fun new surprise, headed your way. Return to the [[Beginning|The Assistant's Revenge]]