Chapter 17 | Page 5a: Managing the Optics (Patreon)

One of the challenges of long-form storytelling — especially in a universe like Evil Inc — is that reader assumptions don’t always update at the same pace as the story.

For a while now, I’ve felt the need to very deliberately restate the current status of Miss Match and Captain Heroic’s relationship. Not because anything changed recently — but because enough time has passed that it’s easy to blur what’s public, what’s private, and what’s emotional wishful thinking.

This section exists primarily to do that work.

The relationship between Miss Match and Captain Heroic is...

Publicly over

Professionally compartmentalized from the standpoint of Evil Inc

Ethically managed from the perspective of Justice Ltd

Captain Heroic remains under suspicion by certain parties, including Mr. Prentice.

Lightning Lady’s role here is to ask the one question that doesn’t fit neatly into that framework: What about Cap?

Transcript

Lightning Lady: So… you’re OK with this? — if Cap and the waitress get physical?

Miss Match: He hasn’t indicated that he wants to… yet. 

Miss Match: Besides… This could work in our favor. In the eyes of Cap’s boss, this puts to rest any lingering fears of Cap colluding with me.

Miss Match: In the eyes of Cassie, as long as I continue teaching — and stay out of the field — I can avoid conflicts of interest on my end.

Miss Match: In the eyes of the public, Cap and I are ancient history.

Lightning Lady: Yeah… but what’s in Captain Heroic’s eyes?

[The next scene shows Cap with hearts in his eyes.]