You could list all the ways in which Ortega vexes you, but in the end, it would come down to the same thing. He knows you too well, and yet he doesn't get you. At all. Infuriating man. You hoped things would change after you beat him, but that only made things worse.
You're not obsessed. He just happens to be the biggest obstacle in your way. Unreadable. Yet confident in his ability to read you.
Asshole.
You shake your head, taking a deep breath to center yourself. This is not the time for introspection.
Above you, the sky is a hazy brown, the smog colored by the rising sun. It's been a bad couple of weeks, bad enough to raise calls for emission control in the media, but as always, nothing will come of it. Regulation is a dirty word in the Free Economic Zone that the West Coast has become, almost as dirty as taxation.
You don't mind. The smog lends a certain ambiance to the day. Things become muted. Indistinct. Muddled.
You know that feeling.
You Wait Patiently
Your internal alarm beeps, alerting you that your current target is approaching.
Time for action.
You boot up your armor in combat mode, stretching to your full height. You've been curled up long enough that the returning rush of blood makes your feet tingle. Your perch was not chosen for comfort, just far enough up on the bridge supports that you've turned into an indistinct lump to the tired drivers passing by.
The plan is a simple one, no need to complicate things if you don't have to. Your target is called the Handyman, one of the low-key vigilantes of Los Diablos that's neither modded nor boosted. At least not to your knowledge.
There's always a chance that you're wrong, of course. Minor mods are often overlooked and not registered, but they shouldn't affect a battle. The same goes for weak boosts, those unlucky ones who gambled with their lives only to get something nearly useless out of it. Like seeing more colors than the average human or having a supernaturally keen sense of taste. Not something that would show up on anybody's hero profile.
Useless. Recyclable.
You shake your head, ridding yourself of bad memories. You can't afford to get distracted. Once upon a time, they thought you were powerless as well. The Sidestep of old, relying on gadgets and martial arts, a high-tech energy caster your main offensive weapon. You don't know what the Handyman can bring to the fight, only what he has brought in the past.
He fancies himself a detective, which is the reason you've decided to pick him off. At this point, your only weakness is your secrets, and people that might ferret them out are dangerous.
Powerwise he's got some interesting toys, but nowhere near as interesting as yours. Especially not since he's got scruples in using them; he's one of the vigilantes following a moral code. No killing. No more violence than necessary. Still, he could eventually be a problem, better to deal with him before he finds something he shouldn't.
You check your HUD; the boat is still in position at the far side of the bridge. Good. Rosie wasn't overly happy with that particular kind of getaway vehicle, but you've been assured that the owner is used to stranger jobs than this. If they run the smuggling route to Mexico, you suppose that must be true. The sea is strange these days. You might be overly cautious planning an emergency exit from what should be a routine fight, but you've learned the hard way that it pays off having an easy way out in case things turn against you.
Be one step ahead.
The media might be annoying buzzards, but you've gone beyond worrying about them.
Let them do what they want; you have other things to focus on.
Another beep, your HUD alerting you to your rapidly approaching target.
Time to get this show on the road.
The HUD's overlay is a pale grid of green, tracking trajectories of the vehicles below you. In the distance, a bright red dot approaches, and you lock focus on the target.
Nice.
You have a visual on the Handyman's bike now, your enhanced vision zooming in on the target as he weaves his way through the traffic. That is a new addition to your suit, thanks to Dr. Mortum. The Handyman will have no idea what hit him. That's the drawback of being a detective, place a few leads in his path, and he will follow up on them. And if that means that the road he will take leads across the bridge, all the better. Scenic setting. Limited maneuverability.
Time to get ready. You know what to do.
Let's do this!