I suppose I don’t dislike him because I don’t want what he has. Also, his hero worship for the MC feels nice.
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My MC loathes the very memory of Sidestep and never felt like they deserved admiration, so to each their own. Now, the fear and revulsion of Mastermind however, is probably the first time they’ve felt valid.
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Sidestep:
Summary
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At first i didnt take him as the nice guy i think he most likely is. I thought he was a corrupted superhero not interested in actually saving people but only doing it for publicity and money, i thought he was the type to scoff at people who are considered actual heroes, ie Ortega. And i didnt take her saying we are his hero seriously. But now i believe im atleast 90% wrong, dont hate him anymore because i saw a kid wanting to fight alongside his idol in the rooftop convo. I was touched when i read that he used to watch our MC and wanted to be just like him. So rn idk how i feel about Herald. Who knows my former hate might be justified in whatever @malinryden is cooking up.
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You forgot, full member of the Rangers because, unlike the mc, he can pass US government background checks.
But, yeah, that’s essentially the summary of why Herald is my mc rival and my mc used to hate him, now that they have actually met in person it has become quite a bit more…complicated.
I do still think the mc undersold or at least under-valued themselves in that department since we can optionally have the puppet look almost exactly like a young(er) version of the mc and they are apparently dreamy enough too. Still Herald is probably prettier, because with him it really does come natural, while the puppet and presumably the mc really have to work for it. Which fits my theory that the puppet and likely the mc are merely generically handsome by genetics but with the right work done they can make themselves either gorgeous or look like a bum. Which of course fits neatly into my theory that the mc was at least in part designed for field work and espionage
It is something also seen in some real-life (super)models who look rather plain in daily life but can always manage to make themselves look amazing at photo-shoots even without the aid of photoshop. One of my friends has the theory that it is all down to bone-structure, particularly the cheekbones combined with changing their posture and the way they move.
Unless the government did the standard re-gene branding and weird skin coloration on the normally non-visible parts of the mc’s skin of course.
In any case the bad boy/girl image of sidestep along with some very few facial photographs were apparently enough to sustain quite the fanclub back in the day and get to Herald before he even was Herald too.
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My MC didn’t want to join the Rangers. I like to think they were purely interested in being Ortega’s sidekick (being a massive and slightly obsessive Ortega fan), liked being out of the public view (until they were dragged out of their shell by Ortega) and didn’t care for the rest of the team but something, probably the admiration of the masses (to quote Bojack Horseman: "Everybody loves you, but nobody likes you. And that is the loneliest feeling in the world.) made them grow to resent that, combined with probably an increasingly unstable relationship with Ortega.
A suspicion that grew into a delusion that Ortega doesn’t respect them and never will as a hero kind fuels their villainous career.
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I hear you there, and that goes for mine too, but this isn’t about not wanting to, it is about never really having the choice and about that choice being taken away and keenly feeling the limits of that existence.
Exactly the same as yours with the key difference being that I see my mc as always having been aware of that and always resenting it from the moment he escaped whatever hellhole the Farm was, while with yours the sentiment grew over time. Two roads leading to the same destination.
And this is where those roads diverge, my mc chose to be Ortega’s sidekick and not some handsome male superhero’s exactly because Ortega felt like the safe (at least in as far as there is safety in the superhero business) choice. A possible friend but never more than that. In my game we can see the wisdom of that choice by the complications that come from focusing on Herald, which has all sorts of unwanted effects on my poor mc.
What my mc probably desires (besides possibly Herald, it’s complicated) is what he always wanted: freedom from the strictures imposed by, yes, but also respect and possibly fear from the US government.
But then I tend to play my mc as if the alternate US government was his psychotic, screwed up and abusive father (which may be true in a way) whose shadow he can never entirely escape. Thus when the equivalent of simply running away from home didn’t work my mc now feels he has no choice but to confront the government head on and his villainous career is driven by that goal. Even the Rangers and Ortega (except possibly Herald) are little more then white noise when it comes to those goals.
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Mine too but after escaping them their whole attitude is more “Ortega’s my new daddy/mommy now, screw you old, abusive dad!”.
Ortega was the first parental figure that actually seemingly cared about them as more than a disposable object and took an interest in who they are so there’s alot of parental issues going on there. I like to think my MC was extremely loyal before they met Ortega and awkwardly it basically just meant Ortega unwittingly stole a loyal and obedient human weapon with their charms and warmth.
They couldn’t care less what the US government is doing so long as they stay out of their way.
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Yes, again more of a difference in temperament as my mc was probably always the non-conforming rebellious child, always testing the limits, with even the pettiest things at “the farm”.
This is another divergence in a way to move on my mc needs the government’s respect and that means they need to take him seriously as a threat even while he tears himself (and possibly the entire new west coast) away from their grip. Otherwise my mc will never feel free. After last time as Sidestep this is a confrontation that needs to happen, which is why my mc will now work towards it and seek it out when the time comes even if the government were to have a total change of heart at this point in time and let us be entirely unmolested or even observed from here on out.
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Every good villain has a group or individual that they’re obsessed with. My MC’s is Ortega and anyone associated with them, yours is the entire federal government. To each their own. 
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Bah…
I personally don’t and cannot see Herald as a rival . Way too spinless and clueless to fit the shoes of a rival . Argent on the other hand could , she got the stamina , the rage and some ghost of her own .
As why I don’t like him ? heroworship . Ken in barbie house lol he is just your pretty face…look pretty in a poster , have great big dreams…but clueless and an imbecile when it count .
Between him and steel , I think my MC hate herald more . But she never picked him as a rival . None of them…not even argent if she could . But herself …well…old self that is .
My mc is a vigilanté , not a sidekick and certainly not a hero . But also not a true vilain…just one out of necessity .
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I’m here in my corner wholeheartedly cheering for the day when MC goes from unwitting and unwilling mentor to full time protective mentor who is long suffering because Herald gets himself in all kinds of situations :))
I’m just
MC YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO LOVE AND CARE FOR YOU LET THEM IN ;A;
[Rooting for the day they find their self worth and happiness and not in destructive tendencies]
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The way I see it, my villian character is basically Doctor Doom without the magic, mind you. Imposing armor with cape for the win! And Hearld could be compared to Johnny Storm, Lady Argent to Thing, and maybe Steel as Reed of the team. Ortega is basically Ms. Fantastic that my character had a thing with in the past but now, nothing really matters to him since he feels like there is no choices in life, you are what you were made of. Life or death is irrelevant to him, he just wants to show that his downfall was nothing but an inevitable event that was always meant to happen to him.
Should be interesting to see how he’d go up against the Farm considering how my playthrough of the first book ended and whether he’d ever consider teaming up with the Rangers seeing how “an enemy of my enemy is my friend” could be the case here. The only way that anyone would even find out that my MC was the villian the entire time is to kill him. Or even a self sacrifice act to save only Ortega since she’s the only one that he wouldn’t want to face in a battle again.
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I’m here in this corner with you. Also I’m going to smash him because he’s cute and maybe overall seduce him to my side but that comes later. Would be cool to have everyone’s beloved Hero at my beck and call.
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That’s a very fair hope, one I share. I have a soft spot for all the rangers, honestly. They’re flawed and very human but they’re trying to do the right thing, and care for the MC in their own way (with possible exception of argent lmao but I still like her-us girls gotta stick together) like, I enjoy the drama but I want the Mc to come out happy in the end and willing to have supportive relationships with people they care about.
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This is what I love about this story…everyone is so interesting! I found myself surprised with Steel as I didn’t think he cared enough. To really see a bit of concern for the MC after the Heartbreak incident it just makes me feel sad that I’m working against him. I feel like Steel wanted to be a friend to the MC before but he couldn’t because logic says otherwise and that MC is a telepath. This makes me wonder if MC can convince Steel to side with him/her. Or better yet if Steel can have romantic feelings for the MC ala Samara from Mass Effect.
With Herald, I don’t dislike him. But yes I agree he is like a puppy. a Flying Puppy.
Though, what bothered me with the scene with Ortega…didn’t he say that they would talk to the MC after the hospital? I found it weird that there was no mention of it…or is it because its been a few months after that time?
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This would be my headcanon (could I call this a headcanon even though Steel will be a RO in Book 3?)
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Wh-What?
Can someone explain to me what you mean by “romantic feelings like Samara” because I’m not sure what you’re talking about (and I’ve played Mass Effect).
Do you mean unrequited feelings? Because I love unrequited feelings in fiction.
Mmyes, tell me that Chen has liked our MC all along but never did anything because he considers Ortega a friend and also because of the trust thing (kind of like a fucked up Batman/Catwoman thing) but mostly because they know Ortega has always had feelings for the MC and Chen would never swoop in like that against a friend, and maybe that’s why Chen had been extra mean to the MC this whole time, because what if he’s trying to keep them at arm’s length so he’s never tempted…?
Mmmmmfuckyes I want this desperately.
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Yes unrequited like “In another life it could have been…but hold me in this moment”. As much as I don’t want them to suffer…MC and Ortega and Steel need like a break in life… But Fudge! I want this TROUBLE! Unrequited feelings canon for the win. haha.
I feel I need to share this song. It fits somehow with this story.
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I didn’t know Samara since I haven’t played Mass Effect. 
Should have remove the Samara part in the quote. My headcanon would be that Steel thought my MC have feelings for Ortega and go through the things in what @rose-court said but when Book 3 rolls around, he was mistaken, my MC has a crush with Steel ever since she met him.