Pine

The subject's special power makes her presence almost imperceptible, facilitating stealthy movement during intelligence gathering.
Her weapon is a custom-made launcher capable of shooting out surveillance gadgets such as cameras and listening devices.

She once got involved in a conspiracy. Upon discovering the truth behind and refusing to submit to another individual involved in the plot, she was almost murdered. It was during this critical moment her special power awakened.

Her corruption level is mild, with no visible physical abnormalities. Her mental state remains stable most of the time, only showing occasional fluctuations when writing about gossip or revealing scandals.

A current affairs commentator who went viral during the election period and the owner of a media channel *The Hedgehog's Eye*. She actively publishes content across various platforms.
The subject's channel focuses on conspiracy theories, actively digging up and exposing the controversial pasts of selected individuals. Her content contains a lot of unverified information that may lead to significant adverse consequences. Immediate detention is mandatory.

Records about the subject's past indicate that she once held hope for the future, but Worthington's deception destroyed her faith. She became convinced that the only way to survive in the dark was to blend into it, achieving goals by muddying the waters.
Currently, the Bureau monitors her external activities and article publications to prevent her from causing social unrest. The subject is gradually beginning to trust and approve of Chief. Her pessimistic attitude unchanged though, her behavior has become significantly less disruptive.

The subject first encountered Chief during the Eastside election. After exposing scandals and inciting unrest during that period, she was brought back to the Bureau by Chief for investigation and supervision.

Since her childhood, the subject has been independent and unsociable. She developed her understanding of the world's darker side and human depravity by wandering the streets, observing different social classes, and assuming false identities to experience their lives firsthand. To further comprehend the structure and workings of society, the subject began focusing on the upper echelons in charge of maintaining social order, and later resolved to become a journalist to expose the true nature behind their pristine public image.

Due to practical constraints, the subject failed to become a news journalist and instead began a paparazzo job. Once, while tailing a B-list celebrity, she accidentally discovered the celeb's amour and subsequent dispute with Vick, then-councilor of Shedde Town. Later that night, the celebrity was found dead at home. Pine immediately rushed out an exposé suggesting the councilor's possible involvement in the star's death, which however was banned by her superior. After confronting her boss, she resigned.

Having quit her job, the subject continued investigating both the celebrity's death and Vick's activities, attempting to expose his corrupt dealings. With assistance from Worthington, a "righteous" commissioner, she successfully sent Vick to prison. However, she happened to discover that Worthington fabricated the evidence and was using her to eliminate Vick and secure the position for himself. Her refusal to continue working for Worthington almost cost her life, but she survived thanks to her newly awakened special power.
This incident taught the subject the dark nature of the political circle, prompting her to create her own media channel "The Hedgehog's Eye," where she began exposing the crimes of Eastside politicians by mixing fake news with facts.

Posing as a media intern, Pine attends a press event held by the Councilor of a satellite town called Shedde. The Councilor, Worthington, is using his handling of a recent explosion at a pharmaceutical company as a political stepping stone. Pine interrupts the event to ask a series of accusatory questions implying that the Councilor may have orchestrated the disaster to raise his own profile. She flees from event security, but on the way out she is captured by the Chief.

Three days later, in the MBCC interrogation room, the Chief and Pine argue about her release applications, on which she has written extremely vague explanations of her reasons to leave the Bureau. Pine argues that she can't disclose any details of her investigations before the full report is released. She is frustrated that despite the Chief's decisive action in the field during the election crisis, they have turned out to still be (in her eyes) an obstructionist bureaucrat. Pine is shocked when the Chief reveals that they are already aware of the subject of her investigation, a political neophyte in Shedde named Hale about whom she received an anonymous tip. Although she's initially outraged that the MBCC monitors inmates' online activity, the Chief convinces Pine that their political authority could be useful to her. Since the Chief already knows her target, Pine acquiesces to their demands. In exchange for approval of her application, Pine explains that Hale was once an ideological firebrand and would-be reformer, whose initial zeal was worn down by reality. She suspects that Councilor Worthington, as Hale's superior, brought him in on a corrupt scheme to buy his silence -- but that once Hale had crossed over, he tried to take down Worthington with the factory explosion, not expecting that the Councilor would be able to turn it to his advantage.

Having spilled the details, Pine threatens the Chief to let her go so she can continue the investigation. The Chief mulls over some concerning elements of the case -- that Pine seems more aggressive toward Worthington than Hale, even though Worthington is, in a way, a victim of Hale's ambition; and that the Chief had found Pine at the press conference thanks to an anonymous tip, likely from somebody trying to silence her before she could complete her expose. The Chief agrees to let her out on the condition that they accompany her -- not disclosing that they intend to do so both to prevent her from stirring up more trouble, and to protect her from backlash by her targets.

Through the interrogation, you learn that an anonymous source has reported multiple crimes committed by Hale, Shedde Town's administrative officer, to The Hedgehog's Eye, along with supporting evidence. This is why Pine is requesting to leave the Bureau, to conduct a field investigation there and verify these allegations.
After some back-and-forth, you finally reach an agreement with Pine. You approve her request, but on one condition: You would accompany her on this investigation.

Pine sets a network of surveillance devices around Hale's building, but they don't turn up any evidence of wrongdoing. She decides to change tack and observe close up, so she and the Chief disguise themselves as maintenance workers and enter the building. There the Chief is surprised by Pine's ability to convincingly navigate social situations, in contrast to her usually brusque and antisocial personality. She plants a bug on Hale, which she and the Chief use to tail him to a sketchy neighborhood. They are sure that this is where he will reveal his true nature, but it turns out that Hale has come to deliver money to an old man who didn't receive the assistance from the state that he was promised. Pine is still adamant that Hale must be evil, but the Chief suggests that Pine's tipster might have been trying to smear an honest man. Pine immediately latches on to this reframing and directs all her ire toward Worthington, sure that he must be the one responsible.

Pine recalls a time when she was working as a paparazzo and accidentally discovered the previous Councilor for Shedde, Vick, had murdered his mistress, a famous actress whom Pine was reporting on. She quit her job when her editor refused to publish the story, but she could find no concrete proof -- until she was contacted by Worthington, then an employee of the sitting Councilor Vick. Worthington provided her with the evidence she needed, and as a result the Councilor was taken down and imprisoned. However, it later turned out that the evidence he provided was fabricated, and Worthington had used her as an opportunity to remove a political obstacle. Worthington told her that she would never have been able to put Vick behind bars without bending the truth, and since he was really guilty, the ends justified the means. Worthington wanted to keep working with Pine, but she swore to take him down just like Vick. Later that day, a mystery assailant slit her throat, giving her a scar that she now hides behind her choker; Pine would have died if she hadn't awakened as a Sinner.

Pine and the Chief are interrupted by Hale, who reveals that he had also placed a bug on them at the same time that they were investigating his office. Pine tells him about the tip that she received and that she suspects Worthington of having been the culprit. Hale replies that he's aware of the conspiracy, but that Worthington did not contact her -- Hale himself did.

After a whole day of investigation, you find nothing suspicious about Hale. You turn your attention to Worthington, Shedde Town's Councilor.
Meanwhile, as Pine tell stories of her past, you learn about her long-standing feud with Worthington.
To your surprise, the mysterious anonymous informant turns out to be Hale himself.

Worthington receives a call from Hale, who tells him that Pine has been killed. In exchange for this service, Worthington offers to introduce Hale as his successor. At a charity event that night, Worthington lets Hale take the stage but to his surprise, Hale outs him to the crowd as the mastermind behind the factory explosion. Hale welcomes Pine into the event, and she displays evidence to the crowd that Worthington conspired with the factory manager to produce illegal Mania-based drugs, then orchestrated the accident to cover their tracks.

In a flashback to the alley, Hale explains to Pine and the Chief that Worthington had offered to make him the next Shedde Town Councilor in exchange for eliminating Pine after he learned that Pine suspected his involvement in the factory disaster. Hale had intended to cooperate with this plan, but after he overheard Pine's backstory, it reminded him of the reformist zeal that he had had earlier in his career. They agree to work together to take down Worthington.

After Worthington is arrested, Pine asks Hale if he still intends to continue in politics. Hale tells her that he still believes he has to work within the system in order to change it, but Pine warns him that the longer he is a part of that world the more chance he'll be corrupted by it. Hale points out that the Chief is proof that someone in government can remain a good person, to which Pine has no response. Later, Pine repeats her concerns about Hale to the Chief. They suggest that even if she's afraid of what he may become in the future, what matters is that he decided to do the right thing now. They also point out that Pine has immersed herself in that world for years, but has not lost sight of her ideals. She retorts that she has never tried to make the world a better place, only to expose its ugliness. But she and Chief are able to agree, even if the world will destroy itself someday, they can continue doing their best for now.

You manage to expose Worthington's hypocrisy to the public. Pine finally breaks free from the shadows of her past.
Evil may be ever-present in this world, but they cannot extinguish the flame of hope. Perhaps a doomsday will finally come, but at least it's not today.
"In that case, I'll just have another lollipop."

Shortly after moving into the Bureau, the subject surreptitiously installed surveillance cameras and listening devices in every corner, including but not limited to trash bins, ventilation ducts, flower pots, and dining tables. The technical team is currently conducting a systematic sweep to locate and remove these devices.

The subject maintains a highly irregular schedule, typically resting during the day and working at night. Hence she has no trouble missing precisely every single meal at the Bureau's cafeteria. Consequently, the subject single-handedly consumes over half of the Supply Office's monthly stock of instant noodles and other fast food.

Many of the Bureau staff members and Sinners are devoted readers of The Hedgehog's Eye. While the subject shows no interest in proposals related to fan meetings or fan clubs, she is actively recruiting informants within the Bureau to provide her with leads and scoop.

Having spent some time together, the subject has become extremely curious about Chief and is planning to launch a new column in her channel titled *Chief's Untold Stories*, dedicated to documenting Chief's past and secrets. Recent days the subject is gathering information through her sources, becoming a major headache for Chief.

[Pine shoves a massive stack of audio transcripts into your hands.]

Pine: Listen, your Bureau needs some serious cleaning up. You know the guy in charge of food supplies? He happens to be the chef's neighbor's ex-wife's son. They're probably splitting kickbacks from the procurement budget. How did this slip past you?

• Prompt: How did you find this out?
• Pine: Just a bit of eavesdropping. With my modified equipment, it was child's play.
• Pine: 😏

• Prompt: Don't jump to conclusions.
• Pine: ...Tch, so by-the-book. Fine, take all the time you need with your precious verification process.
• Pine: 😥

[To maintain the health standards required of Sinners, Pine has been instructed by the medical staff to improve her diet.]

Pine: What a pain. Why make such a fuss about food? As long as I'm not starving to death, isn't that enough?

• Prompt: At least stop living on instant noodles and snacks every single day.
• Pine: Then I'll switch to energy drinks. They'll keep my vital signs going, and I won't even need to drink water additionally.
• Pine: 😐

• Prompt: Why not try sandwiches? They're quick to make and easy to eat.
• Pine: Not a bad idea. I can also take some with me when I'm out. I'll give it a shot next time.
• Pine: 😏

⚠ Superpower

Pine's room has always been a mess.

System Notifications: Despite the chaos in Pine's room, she can miraculously pinpoint the exact location of every single item among the clutter.

• Prompt: Could this be another one of her superpowers?

⚠ New Gear

You've noticed Pine making frequent trips to Eureka's studio lately.

System Notifications: You've noticed Pine making frequent trips to Eureka's workshop lately—it turns out she's been having some new gear crafted there.

• Prompt: What interesting gadgets we have here?
Chief: A wiretap-karaoke hybrid machine, a water-spraying camera, and a propeller baseball cap...? Are these actually going to be of any use?

⚠ Security Inspection

MBCC has conducted a security check recently.

System Notifications: During the recent security inspection, the technical staff discovered dozens of listening devices hidden inside your office.

• Prompt: It's not hard to guess who planted these.
Chief: This calls for a serious warning!

⚠⚠ Dimensional Pockets

Just how much Pine's pockets can actually hold?

System Notifications: As you wrap up a post-training analysis session with Pine, your eyes are drawn to her outfit—covered in an unusual array of pockets.

System Notifications: Noticing your gaze, Pine arches an eyebrow.

Pine: Out with it. What else do you want to ask?

Chief: Alright... I've been meaning to ask for a while now—just how much can those pockets of yours hold?

System Notifications: Pine lets out a scoff, her tone carrying a mix of pride and mockery.

Pine: Not that much, really, but still more practical than that sorry briefcase you carry around.

Chief: ...

Pine: Fine, I'll humor your curiosity.

System Notifications: Seemingly amused by your speechless reaction, a smirk plays across Pine's lips. She begins pulling various items from her pockets and tossing them onto your desk.

Pine: Ten miniature listening devices, ten micro cameras, a voice recorder, a backup recorder...

Pine: A jumbo power bank, charging cables, an ID holder, my launcher...

System Notifications: You stare in disbelief at the growing pile.

Chief: ...Don't tell me you're carrying your entire arsenal with you.

System Notifications: Pine responds with a noncommittal shrug and continues rummaging through her pockets.

Pine: I'm not done yet. Hold on... Ah yes, and here's the crown jewel—three backup phones.

Chief: You... you even have backup phones?! Three of them?!

Pine: What else would you expect? Many places don't allow phones inside, but with my setup, even if I voluntarily hand one over and another gets confiscated, I still have two more ready for action.

System Notifications: You stare at the equipment strewn across your desk, a blend of amusement and disbelief crossing your face.

Chief: ...I'll give you this one—your pockets are the real secret weapon here, aren't they?

System Notifications: Pine flashes a defiant smile as she returns each item to its designated pocket.

Pine: My investigations rely on wit, not gadgets—though it never hurts to be prepared, you know.

⚠⚠ A Secret on the Tree

On this clear day, a group of little Sinners fill the Outdoor Activity Area with vigor as they fly their kites in the breeze.

System Notifications: On this clear day, a group of little Sinners fill the Outdoor Activity Area with vigor as they fly their kites in the breeze.

Sinner A: Run faster! Faster!

Sinner B: Haha! It's flying! Look, guys... Ah!

System Notifications: An abrupt exclamation pierces through the air, causing the cheerful atmosphere to evaporate instantly.

Chief: ...Is there anything wrong?

• Prompt: Go check it out

Sinner B: ...Chief! Our kite is stuck up there. Could you please help us get it down?

System Notifications: A child runs up to you, gently tugs at the hem of your clothes, then points at a nearby tree with a worried expression.

System Notifications: Following the child's gesture, you look up to find their swallow kite hopelessly hooked by a branch.

System Notifications: The branch is far too high—even after several determined jumps, you still can't reach it.

Chief: It's okay... Don't worry. I'll go find a stick...

Pine: Don't bother.

System Notifications: After some rustling in the leaves, a purple-haired head suddenly pokes out from the dense foliage. In the next moment, she grabs the kite and leaps down, landing as gracefully as a cat.

Chief: ...Pine?!

System Notifications: After the children thank you both and run off, you stop Pine as she is about to walk away.

Chief: Hold on, Pine! Care to explain why you were up in that tree?

Pine: Enjoying the view.

System Notifications: You find Pine's answer rather suspicious. After all, this tree stands right in the center of the lawn, with its unobstructed crown providing a perfect view of the entire Outdoor Activity Area.

Chief: Are you sure you weren't spying on anyone? Or have you planted cameras in the tree again?

Pine: Hmph, as if I had time for that nonsense.

System Notifications: She lets out a dismissive snort and ignores you, stuffing her hands in her pockets before striding away. Something about her retreating figure suggests her trying a bit too hard to look innocent.

Chief: Looks like I'll need to grab a ladder and check up there myself...

⚠⚠⚠ "Fuel"

You received the quarterly bill from the Supply Office.

System Notifications: Today, you have received the quarterly expense report from the Supply Office, detailing everything from equipment purchases to personal items requisitioned by Sinners.

Chief: ...Hmm? What's this?

System Notifications: As you quickly flip through the pages, the section related to Pine suddenly catches your eye.

Chief: Nothing but instant noodles and lollipops? And the quantity—several boxes every month? How does she manage to consume so much?

Chief: Is that all she eats every day?

• Prompt: Check Pine's cafeteria consumption records

System Notifications: As you suspected, you can probably count on one hand the number of times she has visited the cafeteria in the past few months.

Chief: Could it be that she doesn't like the cafeteria food?

• Prompt: Talk to Pine about it

System Notifications: After searching all over MBCC, you finally find Pine nestled in a quiet corner, thoroughly absorbed in her laptop.

Pine: This lead is promising... Just need to spice it up a bit, and it'll be enough to bring them down completely...

Pine: That hypocritical mask... Soon I'll strip away every last bit of it...

Chief: Ahem, Pine... Do you have a moment...

Pine: Speak.

System Notifications: She responds without looking up, her fingers continuing to fly across the keyboard.

Chief: I was thinking, maybe you're not a fan of the cafeteria food?

Pine: Not really.

Chief: Is that so? Then why have I barely seen you at the cafeteria all month, while you've been living off instant noodles and lollipops?

Pine: First of all, your cafeteria's hours are too rigid. Most of the time, I miss the meal periods because of work.

Pine: Plus, how can cafeteria food compete with instant noodles? Just add hot water anywhere, anytime, and you're good to go in five minutes.

Chief: But don't you ever get tired of eating the same thing every day?

System Notifications: At your question, Pine pushes up her glasses and finally looks up, giving you a genuinely puzzled look.

Pine: Why would I get tired of it? It's just fuel to keep my body running. One type's as good as another.

Chief: ...

Chief: That's certainly the first time I've heard someone refer to food as "fuel"...

• Prompt: Try to reason with her further
• System Notifications: Just as you're about to launch into a speech about the importance of healthy eating habits, she cuts you off.
• Pine: Stop. I know what you're going to say, but could you please wait?
• Pine: I'm extremely busy right now, and you're breaking my concentration by talking to me about this trivial matter.
• Pine: ...Fine, if you absolutely must lecture me, at least let me finish writing this article first.
• Chief: ...How much longer do you need?
• Pine: An hour at most. You can head back first—I'll come find you when I'm done.
• System Notifications: She pulls a lollipop from one of her pockets and tosses it to you, then waves you away with a shooing gesture.
• Pine: I solemnly swear on this lollipop that I won't forget. Happy now?
• Chief: You better not forget this time...
• System Notifications: You let out a sigh and turn to leave, eyeing the lollipop in your hand with deep doubt.

• Prompt: Very well, then.
• System Notifications: You know well enough that she won't listen to anything you say right now, so a tactical retreat seems best for the moment.
• Chief: I'll leave you to it. Good luck with your writing.
• System Notifications: She gives you a quick thumbs up before hunching back over her keyboard, fingers flying across the keys with rapid-fire clicks.
• Chief: ...
• Chief: ...She really shouldn't keep surviving on nothing but instant food and sweets like this.
• System Notifications: The thought lingers in your mind as you make your way back to your office.
• Chief: Maybe I could ask the cafeteria to prepare some nutritious grab-and-go options tailored to Pine's particular needs?

A comfortable, form-fitting tracksuit that helps one blend into the crowd and vanish from the scene quickly when needed.

Rumors? Hah, these are the sparks that expose the rotting core of this world.