Toxic's Name & Rank (and Robert's knowledge thereof), feat. Shroud
making my peace with the fact that not every asset on robert's conspiracy board is entirely useful to us, bc i don't think the devs spent THAT much time on a bunch of pictures of toxic (wearing the exact same clothes we see him wearing in-game... with all his tattoos and also his augments)...
BUT!
"the RETURN of the red ring" headline suggests the red ring was active PRIOR to shroud's 15 year stint in prison, and recently became active again after he broke out of prison. but how did he start an infamous gang of criminals after murdering mecha man, yet BEFORE going to prison? did he evade arrest somehow after killing robbie? was it actually a mystery who killed him at first, and they had to wait for the outcome of the investigation, during which shroud started amassing underworld connections? and by the time they realized it was elliot who committed the deed he had already made tracks, so it took a while to track him down and book him??
(the comics contain too many inconsistencies with the game, particularly with the contradiction that eli was simultaneously a former brave brigade member, but ALSO never got to be voted in as a member??? so i will not be taking them into consideration here, e.g. "well chase saw it happen, he would know!" LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER, elliot looks unaltered and unaugmented in his in-game mugshot, yet one of his eyes fully pops out when robbie is beating the shit out of him in the comics. and also he is covered in wires and shit. ergo, comic events as they pertain to eli cannot be taken 100% for granted as definitely true. i will concede that the comics are probably mostly canon, but everything pertaining to eli is so inconsistent that i'd call it defamatory crap published by the mecha man estate specifically to slander shroud post-betrayal, if i didn't think it was something closer to concept art. we will set this aside and move on.)
interestingly, toxic's mugshot features in this article, which suggests 1. he's been booked before, and 2. is a known member of the red ring (and he's wearing literally the same outfit we see him in but whatever, no extra assets for my boy and no tattoo references in the art book either 💀 whatever, I DON'T CARE)
also, the fact that the lefthand article about the prison break only says "shroud suspected" suggests that this article ISN'T referring to shroud's escape from prison, no? surely if he isn't fucking THERE any more you KNOW he broke out, so the article should say "shroud escaped". but it doesn't, so it must be written that way because he broke someone ELSE out.
but who in the world could be so important to his operations...? 👀
so, the red strings connecting the article about the prison break, the article about the red ring's return, and toxic's colored mugshot (as well as a crime scene photo which seems to show someone was hospitalized or killed during/as a consequence of the prison break/in a tangentially related incident) suggests to me that robert connected these pieces of information (and possibly some other legwork and inquiries not in evidence on the corkboard) in order to deduce that toxic was shroud's (MAYBE) lieutenant.
which is CRAZY interesting, because it means:
the fact that toxic (MIGHT BE) shroud's righthand man is actually not widespread public knowledge. robert had to deduce toxic's importance to the red ring's operations through shroud's possible involvement in his escape from prison, a news article that identifies him only as a prominent member or perhaps a key player (but not explicitly the lieutenant, because then why would there be a fucking question mark after the word "lieutenant" where robert wrote it on his mugshot?), shroud's willingness to kill/maim to get toxic back by his side, and whatever else robert learned poking his nose around where it didn't belong.
the fact that toxic is a super is a well-guarded secret. if robert knew toxic was a super, he'd be suspicious of the fact that he was able to bring him back to his apartment and so easily restrain him!! but we know the Llewellyn Steel Mill tip was a trick, and toxic was just playing along and PRETENDING to be intimidated into giving up the info. if he'd given it up too easily, robert would be suspicious. and if robert had known toxic was a super, he wouldn't believe he had the ability to put toxic on the ropes enough to make him reveal that information in the first place! ergo, robert--along with every official source he consulted!--thinks toxic is a normie with no powers.
ROBERT ABSOLUTELY KNOWS TOXIC'S LEGAL NAME FROM THESE ARTICLES BUT RESPECTFULLY ASKED FOR HIS VILLAIN NAME BEFORE THEIR FIGHT LIKE A GOOD TRANS ALLY WHO DIDN'T WANT TO DEADNAME HIM OR OUT HIM? 💚 KIND OF CUTE AND SWEET AND CONSIDERATE? AND THEN HE COMPLIMENTS TOXIC'S NAME??? when robert has NO PROBLEM telling visi her name doesn't suit her and flambae's name is stupid. but he ASKS and toxic says "you can call me toxic" like he's giving him permission :) and robert LAUGHS and says that "works for [him] on so many levels" 😊 like he respects the thought he put into it... yes i know this was the only way to introduce the character and he was not important enough to get a legal name (and i don't want one btw. unless i need it for fic plot reasons in which case i'll make up my own. kill the part of you that cringes and refer to superheroes by their CHOSEN names 🔫 like GOOD ALLY ROBERT ROBERTSON DOES) HOWEVER on a diagetic level robert 100% knows this guy's legal name and NEVER said it. bc he is a real one.
i suspect toxic conceals his powers because the punishment is probably much more severe if you're convicted of a crime as a SUPER, because you are considered armed and dangerous at all times? like, that shit automatically makes you a villain or something? and interestingly, despite toxic being INCREDIBLY useful, shroud seems to use him sparingly--like he also recognizes toxic is most useful when he's able to stay out of the limelight, to maintain his secret identity, and to only go back to normie prison if shroud ever needs to pick him back up again, lol. like bro is invulnerable but shroud doesn't ask him to show up ANYWHERE in plainsclothes because that might implicate him unnecessarily in the red ring's operations.
i can only assume this is why he doesn't show up at the sardine at all, and is so completely sidelined in the final fight. one could argue that shroud is leaving perfectly good cards on the table by not making more use of toxic, and maybe it's pure ego, or trying to keep TOXIC's ego in check, or to mitigate the chaos he introduces to a scenario just by participating... or maybe toxic is a trump card he's saving for later? (prison break 2: electric boogaloo??) or MAYBE shroud has a soft spot for him, and doesn't want him to be hurt in a blood feud he doesn't have a personal stake in... 🥺either way you spin it, it's interesting though...
toxic thoughts ironed out lovingly in conversation with @superloserz and @yigaclan and @mouseyblue-ao3 while i was recovering from carpal tunnel. ty all for ur contributions to my thoughts pertaining to him and chatting with me <3 i love my best boyyyy <333
okay that's all for now. thank u for coming to my ted talk. toxicshroud and mechatoxic forever 💚💀💚💀💚
honestly if toxic was shroud's prison boyfriend then that kiiind of makes robert's speculative "lieutenant? 🤔" on toxic's mugshot feel SO much more naive, like it's SOOO fucking funny??
robert: hmm... this guy is always hanging around shroud... but he doesn't seem to have a clear role in the red ring's hierarchy... but shroud lets him do whatever he wants, and even lets him give underlings orders on his behalf?? 🤨 as if perhaps, they share equal authority... 😲 maybe he's shroud's lieutenant!? 🤔💡✨
toxic: ohhh, is THAT what they're calling it these days...? 😏
like no, robert, that's his boytoy... 😂 that's his lover boy... his bunkmate. his bedfellow. his confidante. his devotee. his righthand man. his silly rabbit. 🥴
robert: wait, does he actually call you that?
toxic: yeah he does actually 😌✨
robert: i can't tell if you're fucking with me or not.
toxic: it doesn't matter. no one would ever believe you. :P
