#be dd

You put out your cigarette. It’s best you get moving before Scout gets set on fire or something. You tell Innovator you’ll see him later.

Probably under less amicable circumstances, he says.

You wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s a nice thought, he says, although it’s a great deal harder than it sounds.

You say yes, well, platitudes are all you have time for today. Scout’s been blowing up your phone for the past fifteen minutes and you suspect that Innovator knows exactly why.

He says no, what? Why would you think that.

He’s so full of shit.

So it’s Scofflaw himself that’s bothering him.

Innovator sighs.

Scofflaw made his choices, you say. Innovator tries to interrupt you, but you say it again. Scofflaw made his choices, and he followed his path to its end, for better or worse.

And that’s it. Unfortunate or not, it’s over.

What’s left now is for Innovator to make his own choices, and follow his own path, and see where that leads.

He says he’s been speaking with Death. Since Scofflaw was technically a Horrorterror, he broke Their treaty when he attacked the Demonhead. Death’s in negotiations with Them to determine reparations... he might be able to get the Scoundrels out of their contract.

In a way, Scofflaw did what he said he would. He didn’t want them to suffer the same fate he did, and they won’t.

It’s just too bad he didn’t mean for it to happen this way.

He doesn’t answer that. You suspect it’s a little bit of both.

You say that Scofflaw’s return gave both your teams the closure they needed. Doxy’s no longer grieving. Scout is no longer obsessed with the revenge he never got. The end of the world was the best thing that could have happened, ironically enough.

Innovator says he guesses so.

Something is still weighing on him. You wonder if it’s seeing what the afterlife did to Scofflaw, and still knowing that same fate is waiting for him.

Innovator says no, that isn’t it.

The Scoundrels have been busy. Making up for a year’s worth of lost time, no doubt. They’re no longer afraid to admit that their leader is long dead, and they’ve made it clear that they’re still a force to be feared, even without him.

But you haven’t seen Innovator at all.

Are his injuries holding him back? Or is he just too occupied working behind the scenes?

You thank Innovator for the information, but assure him that you'll do whatever the fuck you like.