Adventures in Editorial Ethics

Get me the sweetest dessert you have on the menu.

Sigh...

Ya sure you should be eating somethin' so sweet? Aren't ya worried about the calories?

I appreciate your concern, but it's really none of your business.

Sorry, didn't mean to offend. I suppose ya need a little comfort food right now...

......

Heh... You know, I read that article about ya. The Light and Darkness of COA, was it?

Extortion, back room deals with criminal organizations, shuttin' down multiple fraud investigations...

Even a few trumped-up charges here and there. Not a great look.

That article is pure fabrication. It's simply not true.

Sure, but that's not the way the public sees it.

You're pretty much all anyone's talkin' about these days. And you should see the things they're sayin' about you on the net, or maybe you shouldn't. You know how people love to see the powerful fall from grace on there.

What's your point, exactly?

S-Sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude. I was just interested...

Lemme make it up to ya with a round of what I'm drinkin'. It'll go great with your dessert there.

Alright. I do like a little drink from time to time.

Heheh, that's the spirit. Another round for me and my friend here!

In that case...

I'd like to order another one of these desserts for her, please.

Thanks. Shall we, then?

Enjoy.

That's really got some kick...

It's so sweet...

So? Are you just gonna sit back and do nothing?

Huh?

I heard you were suspended following the public outcry over the article.

I was. My superiors told me to lay low for a while.

So you're waiting for time to solve your problems?

That's the plan. The public will see the light eventually.

Do you really believe that? I mean... You braved the outside world today to confirm your hope that the public reaction wasn't really so bad, right?

But the blow-back was way worse than ya imagined. That's why ya came here for some sugar-coated comfort.

......

...... The good people ya worked so hard to protect have now turned around and spat in your face. And even you, a COA officer who's probably seen it all, are at a loss as to how to deal with this.

......

You seem to be implying that you have a solution. What is it? Sue the reporter?

That will only look like a powerful organization silencing a brave journalist who dared to speak out. Besides, I can't blame the public for feeling angered by those claims. It's understandable.

Bottom line is that as frustrating as all this is, I just have to put up with it for now.

That's why I wanted to talk to you. To let ya know that there IS somethin' you can do before ya withdraw into a sugar-induced coma.

Huh? You...

Look, I'm upset about the article, too. It does a disservice to journalists everywhere.

But that's not what concerns me. What concerns me is WHY it was written.

Why?

It's completely unprecedented for a COA officer's name to be printed in an article. Or anything, for that matter. That information is usually withheld from the public.

So how did a mere reporter find it? There must be someone else who provided them with the information and pressed for the article. Someone with their own agenda.

Are you saying... But that would mean...

That's gotten your COA instincts pumping, huh? If you're intrigued, follow me. I have a room at a hotel in the Gamma District. We can talk there.

......

Very well. I'll come with you.

Welcome back! How'd it go?

Pretty well, I'd say.

Come to think of it, I never introduced myself. Sorry, I hope that didn't make you uneasy.

I am the mysterious, the ever-elusive...

You're Renri the freelance reporter, right?

Huh? How did you...

I've been hearing rumors about you for a while. I first suspected it was you back at the tavern. But seeing you now, I know for sure. You're exactly as described.

Sigh... And after all that effort I put into hidin' it. I figured you wouldn't be willing to talk to a reporter.

I wouldn't have followed you all the way here if I didn't know who you were.

Then do you know who I am?

Of course I do. You're Macaron, Renri's partner and support pod.

Ehehe! Yay! I'm famous!

(It looks just like Cetie's pod, but it can't be the same one, right?) (That one wasn't anywhere near as friendly.)

Poor thing. Can't be easy to have your whole career called into question by some dirty hit piece. The whole internet's in an uproar about it. There's even demonstrations calling for the dismantling of COA.

Ironic, really. Ya work your whole life to create a fair and just world... Only to find yourself facing a pitchfork mob, ready to dispense some vigilante justice on you.

......

You can't attack this head-on. Because what you're up against isn't a criminal. It's a whole society.

That was probably their goal.

That reminds me. You mentioned something about motives back at the tavern?

You've been pursuing a new underworld organization, right? One growin' more influential by the day. Your superiors put a halt to the investigation, but even that didn't stop ya.

Nothing unusual about that. It goes against my beliefs to turn a blind eye to any wrongdoing. And I almost had them, too. Just a little longer and I would have caught them.

Exactly.

I don't entirely follow.

Puttin' pressure on ya didn't work, so what did they do? They published lies about ya instead.

All to bring down one lone investigator.

Isn't that going a bit overboard?

Maybe, but it's effective. They've got ya shaken and surrounded by enemies.

And as if that wasn't enough, you've been suspended, too. I'd say it worked pretty well, wouldn't you?

I suppose so, yes. Well, it sounds like you've really done your research into me.

And there I was thinking we were being subtle...

But I worked so hard encrypting those files! How'd you trace it back to us?

I'm COA, that's how. Though I have to admit, you didn't make it easy for me.

Anyway, what did you mean when you said there was something I could do?

Simple. Get proof that the article was fabricated.

You want to arrest whoever's behind it?

No. As you say, that would simply look like COA trying to hush people up.

Instead, I'll write an article detailing the evidence, and get the message out there.

Then you can start to restore your good name. The pen is mightier than the sword, right?

Interesting. But why would you go to such lengths for me?

Because I'll have a talented COA officer in my debt.

Well, I guess that's not the only reason. Honestly, it just makes my blood boil. For someone who always does the right thing to be suffering at the hands of this cowardly attack...

...And then for you to just sit there and turn the other cheek!

......

Anyhow, that's my plan, but it's up to you if you wanna go along with it. I mean, I'm sure this would go against the terms of your suspension...

...If we could find its source, that would bring us one step closer to tracking down the syndicate. I see no reason to refuse. ...And if I'm being completely honest, I just can't accept what they've done to my reputation.

I knew you'd see it from my point of view! Right, leave this to me, okay? But just one thing...don't interfere with my methods. Are we clear?

That sounds concerning. What exactly do you have up your sleeves?

Oh relax, I won't do anything you wouldn't agree with.

In that case... I guess we're in this together now.

What's your first move, Renri?

You mean me?

Ah... This is gonna get confusing. I mean the tavern troll.

Hey, who you callin' a troll?! I don't live under the tavern, ya know!

Really? That's news to me. As for you... You'll be "Sugar Tooth."

"Sugar Tooth"? That's a terrible nickname...

Yeah, it really is. But whatever, we have bigger fish to fry right now. Laula Dome awaits.

I know a guy there from the editorial department that published the article.

An old tavern buddy of mine. Come on, let's go get some evidence!

He'll be on his guard if he sees the subject of his article with me, so I suggest you hang back.

Here, wear this.

I'll do the talking.

Got it.

Hey, you! It's been a while!

Great...it's you again. Look, I've got nothing for a hyena like you.

Ouch, what a greeting. I hadn't even said anything yet!

I just came over to congratulate you on that COA article of yours.

No you didn't. You're sniffing around for the unreleased info.

Wait, I thought they were friends. Why so hostile?

Oh, he knows she'll do whatever it takes to get a good scoop. He has his guard up.

You ain't getting any scraps from me. Now scram.

You've got it all wrong. I really did just come to congratulate ya.

Your department must be delighted with the response to that article.

Not really. The thing is, we didn't even know about it until it was published. The editor-in-chief did it all on his own.

Honestly, we're still a bit confused by the whole thing.

Your editor-in-chief went behind your backs? Did you ask him why?

I wish, but he's been on vacation since yesterday. Not gonna hear a peep out of him for a while.

Sigh... And there I was, thinking I wasn't gonna talk to you.

Yeah, but it's good to talk, right? Come on, let's order another round and share some good ol' gossip.

I guess there's no harm in that... But let's make this the last one, okay?

You ordered so much he passed out, then hauled his unconscious body out of the tavern?

Pretty much. Come on, let's give him a quick body search before he wakes up.

I thought you were just going to talk, not knock him out...

Look. He did this to himself. He clearly knew more about the editor- in-chief than he was tellin' me... But whenever I asked him where he was or how to get in contact, he'd change the subject and start whinin' again. This was the only way to get any answers out of him.

Way to go, Taveren!

Flattery will get you nowhere.

Why are you acting like this is a normal way to behave?

Because this is normal for her.

The pen may be mightier than the sword..., But sometimes a little food and drink is mightier than the ink.

How would you crush your enemies, Sugar Tooth? Feed them too many cupcakes?

No, I'm not in the habit of weaponizing desserts.

Okay, here's all the electronics he had on him. Analyze them for me, will ya, Macaron?

You got it!

Now that's just stealing! Keep this up and you'll be behind bars in no time.

Yeah, well what choice do we have? We're not exactly swimming in options here.

Analysis complete! I got the editor- in-chief's contact information!

And I used that to ping his network and determine his approximate location.

Great job! I love you, Macaron.

What a coincidence! I love you too!

Wow, I'm impressed. I thought we'd be walking away with his number or something, not his actual coordinates.

Yeah, she's awesome, huh?

The editor-in-chief is currently in the Industrial Ruins. Odd spot for a vacation if you ask me.

Very odd... Maybe the syndicate who made him write that article are trying to silence him for good?

Aren't you jumping to conclusions there?

Sadly, I'm really not. I know their ways much better than you do, and trust me, it's all too probable.

We should get to the editor-in-chief before it's too late.

Wait a minute. What about this guy? Are you just gonna leave him here?

Oh, him? He'll be fine! It's a safe area. Worst he'll suffer is a cold.

But...

There's no time to lose! Hurry!

Sorry about this!

You know, we wanna thank you. Thanks to your article, that pesky li'l mouse'll stop givin' us trouble. Who knew you could write such a great piece just by makin' things up? Even the boss is impressed.

I'm glad to hear it. So...my reward?

I got it right here. But before that...

...I gotta deal with one last talkative li'l rat.

What? No! W-Wait! I'm not gonna talk, I swear!

I leave you alive, maybe you'll talk, maybe you won't. I leave you six feet under, you definitely ain't talkin' to no one.

Then you leave me no choice...

I wrote another article detailing everything you asked of me in case anything should happen to me. If I press this button, the article will be sent out to all desks in the editorial department. Your crimes will be public. Are you sure you're willing to risk that?

Go ahead, press it. All the data's been wiped anyway.

Wh-What?

You think we wouldn't see a li'l trick like that comin'? One of our guys has these real impressive support pods, you see.

He had your li'l article erased the minute you walked in here.

Wait, please! I...

No, no more waiting. This is the end.

Looks like we're just in time!

You?!

Now how's that for a twist? Comin' to save the very man who destroyed your reputation. What an admirable sense of justice you have, COA Officer Renri. Or, since your suspension, I guess it's just Renri now?

One down.

Your friend here has no respect. And I'm runnin' out of patience. Time to die, li'l mouseys.

'Kay, Renri. This is usually the part where I cut loose and cause some chaos. As an officer of the law, do you have any objections to that?

None at all. We can hardly let him escape, can we? I'm sure my superiors would have something to say about it, but well, I'm suspended right now.

Heheh... I love you, Renri!

What a coincidence. I love you too.

And I love you three!

Okay, let's do this!

Well, we defeated the drones...but where'd the guy go?

Macaron!

I'm on it! But something's jamming me and keeping me from scanning the area. (This jamming...it feels so familiar. Why? Is this my darling's program? Ugh, the torment!)

You're pretty skilled, I'll give you that. Why don't we leave it here for now?

You've got the bark, but where's the bite? Admit it. You failed. The editor's still alive, and Renri's in top form again.

Heheh. We never expected this measure to have such an effect. We just wanted to give you a warnin', that we were willin' to play dirtier than normal if need be. Everyone has their weak point. Everyone can be beaten.

Tsk.

Well, so long.

Wait!

Well... There's good news and there's bad news. Good news: I'm no longer being jammed. Bad news: he's gone.

He could be anywhere by now. We'll just have to deal with this guy instead.

You saved me! I knew I could count on you, Officer!

Funny, that article of yours would suggest otherwise.

Wait, I know you...

You remember me? Yeah, I was that poor little journalist you so cruelly arrested.

All for being just a little too tenacious in search of the truth.

Oh, please! Don't play the sympathy card with me. Someone almost DIED because of your so-called tenacity!

Hm. Sounds to me like someone had a little grudge. Is that what this was all about? Vengeance?

Hey, don't act like I'm the one to blame! You saw how they treated me! I'm a victim here! A VICTIM!

Don't even try it. You colluded with a criminal organization to write a fabricated article about me.

Fabricated? You got any proof of that? I thought you were all about a fair and just society.

How's it fair to judge an innocent man based on your own prejudices?

How did you...

I don't have time for this. If ya won't drop the innocent act...

We'll just have to try this another way.

Aaah! Are you crazy?! You almost shot me!

Blah, blah, blah. Maybe you'll quiet down with a hole through your throat.

Hey! We're both journalists! We resolve things with words, not violence!

You know, during my time as a journalist, I've come to realize something...

The pen may be mightier than the sword, but there's no beatin' a gun.

Renri!

You're NUTS! You can't do this!

Meh. I'm not bound by the same constraints as our COA friend here.

Maybe not, but your career in journalism will be over if you do this!

A shame, but hardly the end of the world. I wasn't plannin' to stay long in this time layer anyway. Now. I have a recording of your conversation with them, so quit playin' dumb, and start cooperatin'.

If you heard our conversation, then you already know they deleted my evidence.

Oh, please. Someone like you wouldn't just throw away all your dirt on them. I know you have a backup, so hand it over.

Eeek!

Oh, stop squealing. That barely even touched you.

You! Don't just stand there, say something! Make this crazy lady stop!

I admit, I don't approve of her methods. But the thing is...

Even if you manage to weasel your way out of this, the minute the syndicate finds you, you're a dead man.

Ngh...

So, I have a proposition for you.

Confess to fabricating the article, and I'll guarantee you temporary COA protection.

Gee, that's a great idea! COA protection sure beats a bullet between the eyes, don't ya think?

Ugh! Fine!

This is a backup of all my evidence. It can't be accessed remotely, so they wouldn't have been able to delete it.

Yoink.

Yep, that'll do it!

Between this and my records, I think we have enough for an article here.

Good. Then maybe we should get out of this place. I'll need to go discuss his protection with my colleagues. What will you do next?

Me? I'll get cracking on that article right away.

Once I'm done, why don't we meet up in the Elzion tavern? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Sure. Sounds like a plan.

Sugaren! It's good to see you again!

Sugaren? Somehow my nickname got even worse... Wait a minute, where's Renri?

She'll be here soon.

Ah, okay. Have you read the article?

You know it! This baby's gonna restore your good name for sure! But there was something kinda... Well, I'll let you read for yourself. You'll say if anything seems off, won't you?

Of course.

Sorryyy! I hope you haven't been waiting long!

Okay, here's my first draft. Give it a read! I'm dying to know what you think!

Okay, I've finished.

And? What'd ya think?

You've gone through and explained each and every fabrication in great detail...

I'm sure everyone fooled by the original article will see the light after reading this.

Right? Now we just gotta get the word out there. I'll use all my connections and...

But there is one thing...

Yeah? What?

The editor-in-chief's name appears multiple times in this. Maybe you should avoid using real names.

I dunno. That won't do its credibility any favors...

I disagree. It's such a thorough article, I don't think anonymous testimony will do it any harm. If you keep it like this, he's going to suffer the same public shaming I did.

......

So what if he does?

He wrote a hit piece on ya, all for money and petty vengeance. Everything ya suffered was his fault. He's getting what he deserves if ya ask me.

Look, I appreciate that this issue would never have been resolved if it hadn't been for your help. And I know I promised not to interfere with your methods...

But I cannot accept this.

But...

No matter what I've been through, it's not for the public to judge his crimes. That's what the law's for.

We've been investigating him at COA, and we've found evidence of more crimes besides defamation. He should be punished for those crimes by the law. I won't let mob justice rule.

But!

Renri... You and I take a very different attitude...

But I think our views on justice are actually pretty similar.

Justice must never be brandished out of hatred, even if that hatred stems from compassion.

How did you...

...A friend once told me the same thing.

"Never act out of hatred, even if it comes from a place of compassion."

......

I believed in his justice once. Together, we helped so many people. I did whatever it took to make it a reality.

But I guess somewhere along the way, I started takin' things too far. My sense of justice got distorted.

It's not distorted. Think how many people you've helped. You did whatever it took to uncover the truth, to help those in distress, to raise awareness...

And I should know, since I was the one you were feeding your information to. Your sense of justice isn't distorted; it's just dulled. Give it a little polish, and it will be right as rain. In any case, I don't need the editor's name exposed to feel vindicated. You've already done more than enough for me.

......

Okay, I'll amend the article. Thanks for telling me.

You really don't need to thank me. Besides, I think your partner had the same concern.

Macaron...

Yeah? You want something?

Heheh...

I was right to seek you out, COA Officer Renri. I knew you'd be someone I could trust.

Well, I'm glad I lived up to your expectations.

The syndicate will start makin' their next move before long. And they will do everything in their power to eliminate anyone who gets in their way.

Alone, it'll be an uphill struggle to take them on, but together, I think we stand a chance.

I think so, too. Can I ask you something, though? Why are you going after them?

Oh, that's a story for another day. Today, we celebrate our victory!

Let me get the usual for me and my friend here.

Oh, in that case... My usual for us both, too.

Shall we?

Yep. Let's dig in.

Dang, that's good!

Yeah. Not bad at all.