> At first I was surprised by Chiaki's action, which seems to me to have rather too many uncontrolled risks and behavioural assumptions to be a wise plan. However, given that Chiaki can make a case for her behaviour I'm happy that it offers a new source of dynamic interplay and conflict between characters. In fact it could be a lot of fun (as long as we all play nicely).
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To summarize again, Chiaki took a calculated risk. The prison guards are well practiced for a mass escape attempt - it's not like she's catching them all with their pants down. It's very likely that most of the prisoners will be caught and reintroduced to their cells. In fact, she managed to notify the guard at the front gate that there was an escape.
But the fact that there was an escape attempt is going to hit the media. Also, the few prisoners that did escape will too. Chiaki is hoping the buzz will be greater than the actual impact, and sow public dissatisfaction with Beth Zemo's rein.
> * Showing Chiaki doing what she intended to do, mitigating some of the potential harm
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She would likely try to keep some of the colder, more homicidal types at bay. Ideally she would have liked to release just the supervillains who are obnoxious (like CSFB!, but bad). It simply wasn't possible to be so selective when staging a prison break.
> * Determining the longer term consequences of Chiaki's actions, including the reactions of the Lair Legion upon their return (I don't think it's too big a spoiler to say I expect them back sometime).
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What might be interesting also is if Chiaki will only submit to the Lair Legion for judgement. She might especially do that if the penalty for what she's done is death, or life imprisonment in the Safe (which would be worse than death, since the other residents there would recognize her). If she were forced to accept unfair public judgement (i.e. giving her the maximum punishment to quell public outcry) she may consider ritual suicide.
> There are a number of possible eventual outcomes:
>
> 1. Chiaki isn't found out. This seem unlikely given her presence on site and the resources investigators can bring to bear, but it is a possibility.
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If it helps, she also moved so fast it might be difficult to get solid proof of anything in the chaos. The chance of someone else staging a prison break during her visit to get her killed is about as likely.
> 2. Chiaki is suspected but there is insufficient proof to bring a case against her. This depends on Chiaki herself not confessing what she did.
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Chiaki doesn't volunteer information, but she's not accustomed to lying either. She might admit to it if Hatman asks her directly if she caused it, though at first she might avoid the question. If nobody ever asks her, she'll never say a word about it.
> 3. Chiaki is identified as the perpetrator but there is doubt as to whether it could have been another "double" like the one who impersonated Hatman.
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Or someone who knew of her arrival and staged an escape hoping she would be killed in the crossfire. The guard at the front gate will testify that she arrived calmly and departed in an agitated and frightened state.
> 4. Chiaki is identified as the perpetrator and becomes a hunted outlaw.
>
> 5. Chiaki is identified as the perpetrator, and is arrested, incarcerated (in the Safe?) and eventually tried.
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That's the only part she would resist, and go into hiding to avoid. Just about everyone at the Safe recognizes her - some of them metahumans - and she either wouldn't survive at the Safe, or she'll be tortured daily. If she was forced, she would probably consider ritual suicide over that sort of humiliation. Hopefully the Lair Legion would know that (at least Liu Xi and Yuki do, and they might object loudly).
> Clearly it's for Jason to say which of these he'd prefer, and then for other posters to express their views.
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Ideally it might be interesting to see a Lair Legion meeting over the Psychic Samurai on what they'll do. Weighing the options, considering that there was really no permanent harm done (none of them went and took over the world or destroyed the city) and what prison would do to her. Maybe coming to a conclusion involving one of Sir Mumphrey's very unusual sentences.
> For my part I've written quite a bit that touches on this fairly major plot point for the upcoming Saving the Future #10, including showing the Psychic Samurai encountering no less than seven escapees at different points. Unfortuately one of them has previously walked away from a nuclear explosion.
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Chiaki is a bit more precise and smarter than a nuclear explosion.
> I hope to have the story ready by Wednesday, but the footnotes alone will take a day or so to do. I have to go read up on Disco Tech.
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We don't need no footnotes.
