video; locked from the Joker

[reformedrogue]

[ It's Piper, so that means red hair, yellow glasses, and a green hoodie. He's chewing on his bottom lip and fidgeting as he fumbles setting up the camera. ]Okay, that, the thing that happened with the police? That was mind control. I mean, duh, but look, this is really important. This is not going to be a limited case. It never is. I know because

Comments

[numberonedoll]

Mind control?

Great, just when I thought life in the City couldn't get any stranger.

[reformedrogue]

Oh, well, mind control isn't really even weird in comparison. Sadly.

[numberonedoll]

Fabulous.

Why? What else has been going on around here?

[reformedrogue]

I think there was the week everyone kept breaking into song? Aaand, sometimes people randomly get replaced with younger or older versions of themselves? I wasn't actually here for Godzilla but that had to be pretty surreal.

voice, private

[gardenerthief]

Thank you for this. Yusuke is a friend of mine, and I can assure you that the behavior we saw on the comm is not something he is capable of. Even the calmest human being can harbor hidden anger or snap, but not like that. Not so utterly seamlessly, for only the blink of an eye. That was someone else's doing.

I certainly don't trust the filtering on this device, but I will keep an eye out for you, and for any trouble that might come your way. Is there anyone who can help defend you, who you trust? You'll be a target for those who want to keep the chaos going.

voice, private + encrypted

[reformedrogue]

His co-workers will have to come to the same conclusion, I'm sure. The total lack of provocation, and his past behavior should hold out for him.

Thank you. I do have a friend to call on, but I think I'll be okay. Going after me will only prove there's something going on, and the cat's out of the bag anyway. Still, no reason not to be careful.

[voice]

[doubleoohbaby]

Seems like the only sane explanation for it.

Who's doing it is another matter entirely. Newbie, possibly, unaware of powers. Still, going for the Commissioner seems a little... planned. No better way to get the police worked up than hitting them from the inside.

[voice]

[reformedrogue]

It was definitely planned. When I was — a newbie makes certain mistakes. They'll set the triggers to the wrong thing, like a keyword, or choose the wrong person to attack the target. I don't see that happening here. Someone's put a lot of thought into this... programming, you could call it.

[voice]

[doubleoohbaby]

You're some sort of mind manipulator yourself, I take it?

[voice]

[reformedrogue]

A long time ago, yeah.

voice;

[enigmaestro]

How do you know it won't be a singular case?

voice;

[reformedrogue]

Just one? That's not enough of a guarantee. I'd put at least three in the police force. ... [gusty sigh] If I were someone out to kill her, I mean.

And maybe she was the target — I'm sure she had enemies. What message does this send? Why use this particular method? It says, I can get you wherever you are. It says, this is the power I have over you, to turn your friends against you. Okay, so they've shown the police that. I just don't think they'd stop there.

Because really, and I don't mean any offense to the police, but... there's no need to strike back at them for anything. They struggle day to day, don't they? They really try, but they're not the biggest game in town.

voice;

[enigmaestro]

Right, all right, take a breath.

If this is a--a pattern of mind control, can you reverse it? On the individual level?

[Voice]

[reformedrogue]

One was all they needed. But in order to guarantee that one, it's possible they put a few more in.