Intertwined Reimagined is a Wattpad book by IAmHoussem17 and Watermelon Caticorn. It is based on the previous series consisting of Intertwined and Intertwined II The Lost Spirits and features the same characters while having a different plot that introduces new ones.

Once again, we are following the lives of six teenagers: Asher, Evelyn, Jordan, Mara, Matthew and Michael. Later, they're joined by Eliza. As they form an unlikely bond and deal with different shenanigans, namely their classmate Amy and Evelyn's father's rival Kyle, they discover some secrets that were buried deep a long time ago...

Characters newly introduced in the book

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Amy Thornton

A classmate of the protagonists. She's a bully and a spoiled brat with an overinflated ego.

Arc Villain: For the first half of the story.
Attention Whore: Everything she does screams "Pay attention to me!". This is probably a result of her absent father and cruel mother.
Be Careful What You Wish For: Amy eventually gets her victory over the protagonists thanks to Mason, but the kicker is that his scheme turned out to be so horrendous even she was appalled by it. This is lampshaded to her by Asher.
Asher: Well... You finally got what you wanted. Hope you're happy with yourself.
Big Bad Wannabe: Amy fancies herself as the cast's Arch-Enemy, but most of the time they don't take her seriously and consistently mock her, much to her chagrin.
Boisterous Weakling: Amy likes to pick on those weaker than she is, but the moment someone calls her out, she'll fume and moan or leave.
The Bully: She regularly belittles her classmates, especially Mara.
Bully Turned Buddy: Amy becomes friends with the people she used to bully before.
Card-Carrying Villain: Always announces her supposed villainy in an over-the-top manner. Partially why no one really takes her seriously, cause she'll all bark and no bite.
Character Development: Becomes kinder and more independent from her mother.
Daddy's Girl: She's actually very close to her dad, as he's one of the few people she genuinely loves.
Defrosting Ice Queen: It takes time for the seven heroes to get through to her and help her embrace a positive attitude.
Even Bad People Love Their Parents: Amy has a closer relationship with her dad, and it's her most prominent redeeming quality.
Even Evil Can Be Loved: Her father truly cherishes her and wishes he could be home more to spend time with her.
Everyone Has Standards: She's horrified to learn that Mason is Jordan's abusive ex, and he had been manipulating her to execute a horrible plan targeting Jordan.
Evil Counterpart: To Evelyn. Both of them are the daughters of rich men with whom they have a close relationship with, but while Evelyn is Spoiled Sweet but can be stern if needed, Amy is a Spoiled Brat who bullies everyone and belittles them.
Ex-Big Bad: Amy pull a Heel–Face Turn and join up with the heroes against nastier foes.
Freudian Excuse: Her dad's absence left her vulnerable to her mother's manipulation and led to her becoming as unpleasant as possible to try and appease her.
Freudian Excuse Denial: Once she apologizes to the protagonists, she admits that she had no right being unpleasant even with her family's circumstances.
The Friend Nobody Likes: She's very unpopular amongst her peers, even the ones who are known for being mean towards everyone else.
Harmless Villain: Although she claims to be aiming to humiliate the protagonists badly, Amy's plans are rather simplistic and not at all nefarious.
Hated by All: Before her redemption, not a single person liked her. Not her mother, not the protagonists, and not even Mason.
Heel–Face Turn: Amy reforms after finding out Mason's true intent and his backstory with Jordan.
Horrible Judge of Character: She's quick to trust Mason even when we can tell something is off about him. She pays for this very dearly.
Inferiority Superiority Complex: Amy always puts on an act to appear confident, cool and awesome, but she's shown many times that it's just to make up for her fragile ego and insecurities.
Insufferable Imbecile: This is how she's seen as, at least. On top of being a jerk, she's not gifted academically or even in street smarts.
Jerkass: What with her being a spoiled brat and a bully.
Rich Bitch: Amy gives off this impression, especially with Jordan noting she acts all high and mighty because her dad is the second richest man in town. She gets better though.
Pet the Dog: She sympathizes with Jordan upon learning that Mason was her abusive ex.
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: The reason why Amy supposedly gets away with bullying at school is due to her father being rich and influential. Then again, she's not actually harmful nor taken seriously by anyone.
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Going with the above, wealth is also a cause for her high-and-mighty personality.
Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: Amy, though she tries to be a genuine Arch-Enemy, the gang don't take her seriously at all, leaving her as a Big Bad Wannabe.
Small Name, Big Ego: She has a high opinion of herself, but no one around her thinks the same way.
Spoiled Brat: She regularly gives off this impression, what with her dad being rich. However, in an interesting twist, it's her manipulative, abusive mother whose to blame for this behavior, not her rich father.
Starter Villain: Amy is the first antagonist encountered in the journey.
Starter Villain Stays: She continues to be important to the plot after her introduction (albeit still incompetent) till she eventually reforms.
Took a Level in Kindness: Amy becomes a lot nicer since her Heel–Face Turn.
Unknown Rival: She considers herself the arch-nemesis of the protagonists, but they couldn't care less about her.
Unwitting Pawn: To Mason, who's just using her to advance his own agenda and pin the whole blame on her.
Upper-Class Twit: Born to a rich family and is a mean spirited bully.
Villainy-Free Villain: Compared to every other antagonist at least, Amy is really the only one who doesn't break the law and just acts like a jerk to the heroes.
"Well Done, Daughter!" Gal: Part of the reason why she acts the way she does is wanting to impress her toxic mother.

Kyle Hoffman

A businessman who's also the third richest person in town. He hates Norman with a passion and wishes to outdo him by any means necessary.

Ambition Is Evil: Kyle's single-minded determination to outdo Norman as a businessman and make profit and gain power often leads him to commit amoral acts.
Arc Villain: The clearer threat in the first half of the story. Afterwards, he starts working for the new Big Bad Arthur before eventually reforming.
Big Bad: The first true threat in the story before the appearance of the Black Hats.
Big Bad Friend: Kyle used to be friends with Norman until a falling out led to the bitterness between them today.
Confirmed Bachelor: He confirms himself as such after the ordeal with Rebecca trying to get close to him for his money.
Corrupt Corporate Executive: Kyle is the CEO of his own computer company and is willing to do anything to make profit, and specifically beat Norman.
Cut Lex Luthor a Check: While his company does business legally, Kyle himself often uses the resources to make shady dealings behind the scenes.
Demoted to Dragon: After serving as one of the two Big Bads of the first half of the story, Kyle joins the Black Hats and becomes a subordinate to Arthur, but not without ulterior motives.
Disc-One Final Boss: At the beginning, it seems like Kyle is the Big Bad of the whole story, as the rival of Norman and a credible threat compared to Amy. Enter the Black Hats.
Do Wrong, Right: Kyle isn't pleased to learn that Rebecca was trying to get close to him for his money. Not because he disapproves of underhanded ways to get money, but rather of her not making any actual effort to get said money.
Dragon with an Agenda: Kyle joins the Black Hats with the intention to take Arthur's place and take over.
Et Tu, Brute?: Kyle was hurt by Norman's betrayal in the past that he started hated him completely.
Even Bad People Love Their Parents: Although they're different in character, Kyle admits that he still looked up to his dad his whole life.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He really cherished his friendship with Norman and Liam, and it being broken is what drove him to villainy.
Even Evil Has Standards: Kyle is not a Dirty Old Man like Harold was, evident by him completely shutting off Kate's advances on him and opting to do business without any sexual undertones. He was also shocked to find out the Black Hats had Norman's wife killed. Oh, and he hates gold diggers.
Evil Former Friend: To Norman.
Evil Is Hammy: In contrast to other antagonists, he's very grandiose in whatever he does.
Ex-Big Bad: After his reformation, Kyle no longer acts like an antagonist.
Freudian Excuse: He was betrayed by Norman in the past, leaving him and Liam hurt.
Friendly Enemy: Kyle is polite to the kids (yes, even Evelyn), despite them being wary of him for his hatred of Norman.
Greed: As usual for his type of character, this is Kyle's defining character attribute aside from his hatred for Norman.
Heel Realization: When he finds out he's been targeting Norman without realizing he's working with the very same organization that got the former's wife killed.
Heel–Face Turn: Kyle reforms when he finds out that the Black Hats, who he aimed to take control of, killed Norman's wife all those years ago.
Hidden Heart of Gold: He generally presents himself as ruthless, but still has moments of kindness every once in a while.
Hypocrite Has a Point: When he finds out Samuel hates Hunter after the latter orders a service from their company, he tells Samuel it's stupid of him to hold a grudge against Hunter for once liking his wife in high school. Samuel immediately points out that Kyle had his grudge against Norman for years, although Kyle had a good rebuttal:
Kyle: I don't see my grudge hurting the business like yours. And for the record, I have a better reason to hate Norman. You still have your wife, don't you?
It's Personal: Has it out for Norman specifically, and thus he has no ill-will towards the protagonists or anyone else really, unless they bother him first.
Jerkass Has a Point: Kyle's anger at Norman seems to be just fueled by jealousy, but their backstories reveals there's more to it and that the reason is surprisingly valid: Kyle and Norman (along with Amy's father Liam) all used to be friends and partners until Norman turned his back on the two to do business with the Black Hats. This left both Liam and Kyle deeply hurt, and it made the latter vengeful.
Jerkass to One: Might be less than personable with most people, but gets downright mean-spirited with Norman.
Laughably Evil: Despite his ruthlessness, Kyle has many entertaining moments thanks to being a Large Ham.
Like Father, Unlike Son: Due to Norman's betrayal, Kyle wound up the complete opposite of his benevolent father.
Married to the Job: Kyle is a Confirmed Bachelor because he's so dedicated to his job and his goal to take over and beat Norman.
Mean Boss: Surprisingly, he treats his employees well enough to not qualify as a Bad Boss, though he's still rather rigid.
Missing Mom: His dad is mentioned and has a role in the backstory, but his mom isn't.
Nothing Personal: Kyle has no problem with Evelyn, even if she is the daughter of the person he hates the most on the planet because he insists she's a good person unlike him. As a matter of fact, he doesn't have anything against all seven protagonists and actually can be nice to them on occasion.
Not-So-Harmless Villain: Kyle is treated like Amy, a wannabe bad guy, but no one predicted he would be willing to threaten Samuel to get to Norman. It eventually ended with him finding out that the BH were the ones who Norman did business with years ago, so he goes to decrypt their website and proceeds to contact them...
Pet the Dog: After helping to bring down the Black Hats, he gives Samuel a promotion to be the new CEO of the company.
Pragmatic Villainy: Though Kyle isn't the nicest person/employer, he refrains from crossing lines for the sake of keeping his company afloat and his good image going because he realizes it's the best thing for the business.
Reformed, but Not Tamed: Even after his Heel–Face Turn, he's still willing to utilize schemes to con people out of their money.
Shipper on Deck: Weirdly enough, he offers Samuel some sincere congrats when he hears his son Matthew got together with Evelyn.
The Starscream: Kyle joins the Black Hats with the goal of usurping Arthur and taking over so he can have more power than Norman.
Start of Darkness: The reason why Kyle is the way he is now is because he's seeking revenge on Norman for betraying him and Liam years ago after they've been friends and partners for so long.
Straight Man and Wise Guy: Samuel tends to be his serious Straight Man, responding to Kyle with a lot of deadpan remarks.
Took a Level in Kindness: He's a lot more nicer after turning good.
The Unfettered: Doesn't let anything stop him from his goals, even joining a dangerous criminal syndicate and planning to overthrow the leader is a step he's willing to take.
Unknown Rival: Norman doesn't really care much for getting back at Kyle despite the latter's obsession with their enmity. This is because he regrets betraying him.
Villainous BSoD: Kyle undergoes one when finds out the Black Hats killed Norman's wife Rose and that's why he retired and became a more charitable person. Later, he would pull a Heel–Face Turn and helps the heroes take them down.
Villain with Good Publicity: He maintains this status in town as his company is successful with sales and frequently does promotions and campaigns.
Visionary Villain: Along with his goal to outdo Norman, he also dreams to have a choke hold on the town through his business.
We Used to Be Friends: It's revealed he, Norman and Liam used to be friends before Norman turned his back on them.
Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Admits that he has nothing against Evelyn (or any of her friends for that matter) despite her being Norman's daughter.

Mr. Thornton

Amy's father and the second richest man in town. He's generally absent as he leaves on business trips.

Chekhov's Gunman: He was mentioned occasionally before the revelation about his connection to Kyle and Norman
The Dog Bites Back: After being manipulated by her for years, he finally cuts Rebecca out of his life for good after discovering how she treated their daughter.
The Ghost: He is notably the only character who is constantly mentioned yet he never shows up in person. That doesn't mean however, that he is not involved in the story's plot.
Good All Along: From the few times we hear about him, it's hard to pinpoint whether he's nice or not. The story would later confirm that he is indeed nice, and in fact had always been the nicest of the three rich men of the town.
Given Name Reveal: Mr. Thornton's name is revealed MUCH later as Liam.
He Who Must Not Be Seen: The only prominent character to never ACTUALLY appear or speak, even after reference is made to his return to the town.
Locked Out of the Loop: Because he was away on a business trip, he's completely unaware of all the plot development and changes that happened.
Nice Guy: He was in fact the nicest between himself, Norman and Kyle when they were partners.
No Name Given: He goes nameless for most of the story.
Morality Chain: While Amy's bad behavior can be traced back to her mother, it is clear she didn't rot completely thanks to her father being a Nice Guy.
Morality Pet: Mr. Thornton acts as this for Kyle, who genuinely valued his friendship with him and a big part of the reason why Kyle hates Norman is because the latter's betrayal hurt both him and Liam.
Papa Wolf: When Amy tells him the truth about Rebecca, he responds by divorcing her and kicking her out.
Present Absence: He's the only character who never appears, even after coming back to town. His absence actually has a lot of influence on Amy as she feels neglected.
Small Role, Big Impact: He never even appears, but he's a big part of the reason why Kyle has a grudge against Norman.
Token Good Teammate: While none of them were necessarily evil, he was the nicest between himself, Kyle and Norman when they worked together. The former two would even lampshade this.
Two Aliases, One Character: Kyle often mentions a Liam that he used to know whenever he justifies his anger with Norman. It's finally revealed after Kyle's redemption that this Liam is none other than Amy's father.
Unnamed Parent: He was the only parent whose name wasn't given right off the bat.
Walking Spoiler: For his role in Norman's and Kyle's backstory.
We Used to Be Friends: With Norman.
When You Coming Home, Dad?: He loves his daughter Amy genuinely, but his job often has him away from home for long periods of time. This had a very negative effect on Amy.

Rebecca Thornton

Amy's mother. A stingy woman and verbally abusive to her daughter.

Abusive Mom: She's verbally abusive to Amy, trying to shape her into being a horrible person like her.
Asshole Victim: She dies at the hands of Derrick, and nobody misses her.
Back for the Dead: She goes absent for a while before coming back to be Derrick's final test to join the Black Hats.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She behaves sweetly around her husband, but is absolutely nasty if he's not present.
Evil Matriarch: Amy's mother doesn't care about her own daughter or anyone else.
Evil Mentor: To her daughter Amy. She teaches her that she can only be loved if she controls her peers by fear.
Gold Digger: Rebecca only married her husband because he is the second richest man in town.
Greater-Scope Villain: She's the whole reason why Amy acts the way she does. She's also the one who gives her ideas for schemes.
Hate Sink: She has zero redeeming qualities and spends all her time being rude and opportunistic.
Idle Rich: She's not seen often, and every time she is, she's always lounging around doing nothing thanks to her husband's riches.
It's All About Me: Has no concern but for herself.
Jerkass: One of the biggest ones in the story.
Karma Houdini Warranty: Though she eventually kicked out of the house and can no longer leech off her husband, she doesn't really get properly punished until she's captured by the Black Hats for their new member to kill.
Lack of Empathy: Rebecca is remorseless about leeching off her husband's money and making her daughter into an asshole.
Manipulative Bitch: Pretended to love her husband just so she can leech off his riches. She also tries to shape her daughter into being like her.
Meaningful Name: One possible meaning for the name Rebecca is "snare", fitting a gold digger like her.
More Hateable Minor Villain: Rebecca is not a major villain in the long run (even when compared to fellow Hate Sinks Jack and Harold) and she's evidently not sympathetic like Arthur, who's the overarching antagonist.
Parental Neglect: She never takes care of Amy and leaves her to her own devices, which led the latter to become an Attention Whore.
Psychopathic Womanchild: She's married with a kid, but behaves more like a Spoiled Brat teenager.
Rich Bitch: The wife of a rich man and she's abhorrent.

Nate Hoffman

Kyle's deceased father who used to own the company before him.

Benevolent Boss: He was always nice to his employees and cared for them.
Honest Corporate Executive: He used to be the CEO before his son and he ran it the complete opposite way.
Innocently Insensitive: Him promoting Derrick left Francis really miserable.
Like Father, Unlike Son: He's not a ruthless, underhanded businessman like his son.
Nice Guy: He treats everyone with respect and kindness.
Posthumous Character: Long dead before the events of the book.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Nate always tried to listen to his employees and make them feel heard.
Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: Kyle mentions that his father once had the chance to get a huge payout for shady dealings but he turned it down out of principle.
Small Role, Big Impact: It's thanks to him that Derrick realizes Kyle is Samuel's boss, and using old connections he still has to the company from working there, Derrick manages to contact Samuel and send him important information about the Black Hats.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Kyle's father is revealed to have been Derrick's and Francis' boss in the company he would later pass onto his son, and him giving the promotion Francis wanted to Derrick is the last straw that truly ruined their relationship and later lead to the argument resulting in Francis' death.

Amanda Mell

Arthur's wife. Her death is a major source of angst for her husband.

Happily Married: With Arthur before her death.
Nice Girl: She was kind and sweet.
Locked Out of the Loop: She was unaware her husband was part of a secret criminal organization because he obligatorily kept it hidden.
The Lost Lenore: To her husband Arthur.
Morality Pet: Again, to Arthur.
Posthumous Character: She was killed by Kate on orders of Harold years ago.
Small Role, Big Impact: Harold used her as leverage to get Arthur to kill Rose, then had her killed anyways so he can get rid of Arthur himself.
Supreme Chef: According to Arthur.
Too Good for This Sinful Earth: She's one of the purest and nicest characters in the story, and her death is treated as very tragic and traumatizing for her husband.
Walking Spoiler: You can't mention her without revealing the circumstances of her death.

Alan Chase

The police chief in town. Generally a reasonable man with a strong desire to bring down the Black Hats.

Benevolent Boss: He values all of the men on the police force.
Beware the Nice Ones: He's sweet, but don't piss him off.
Big Good: Alan Chase, the police chief, serves as this, opposing Big Bad Arthur.
Celibate Hero: A police chief who's uninterested in being in a relationship.
Chick Magnet: Has quite a lot of female citizens attracted to him.
Cool Old Guy: He's said to be older than Norman and is a Reasonable Authority Figure.
Confirmed Bachelor: When asked about his female admirers, Alan admits that he doesn't think he's one for marriage, especially with his job as a police chief.
Da Chief: He's the leader of the police station in town.
Fair Cop: Is considered an attractive fellow by female residents.
Friend on the Force: The police chief Alan is already acquainted with Norman and comes to help the cast when they need it.
Friend to All Children: He gets along very well with the kids.
Good Is Not Soft: He's nice to those close to him, but absolutely goes ruthless on criminals.
Humble Hero: Alan often brushes off the praise he gets, insisting that he's just doing his job.
Ideal Hero: He's compassionate, fights for justice and looks out for everyone in town from his underlings to citizens.
Inspector Lestrade: Zigzagged. He's implied to be as competent as you'd expect from a police chief, but there are times where he doesn't notice things that the kids do, though that is mostly because they have details he doesn't.
It's Personal: Bringing down the Black Hats has always been something he pursued, so seeing them outsmart the police time and time again made him swear he'll do it one day.
The Paragon: Many of the citizens look up to him as a role model.
Reasonable Authority Figure: He's normally very understanding when he deals with problems. One example being when Evelyn asks if her father will be arrested for his past dealings with the Black Hats, to which Alan says no because they are a bigger problem and they should be dealt with instead.
Two First Names: Lampshaded by Asher:
Asher: Kinda sounds like he's missing a last name, doesn't it?
Universally Beloved Leader: It is mentioned that everyone in town looks up to him.

Derrick Hansen (Spoilers Unmarked)

Derrick Hansen

Eliza's father who went missing years ago and was never found.

The Ace: As he grew up, Derrick developed a reputation for being good at a lot of things. It's this reputation that made his brother jealous of him later in life.
Always Someone Better: To his brother Francis.
Ambiguously Evil: As Jake, he seems suspicious but nothing can be confirmed. Turns out he's Good All Along. Well, "good" might be stretching it a bit...
Anti-Hero: Derrick is a genuinely nice and good person, but he believes that taking down the Black Hats can only be done through some extreme methods.
Archnemesis Dad: Downplayed. He doesn't come in direct conflict with Eliza herself, but he turns out to be hiding a lot of shady details about what he did.
Broken Pedestal: He was heartbroken to see Francis become so distant from him out of jealousy.
- He's on the receiving end from Eliza after his death, after she found out all the things he did and hid.
Chekhov M.I.A.: Derrick shows up near the end unexpectedly and reunites with his family...and then we find out he's been really busy.
The Chessmaster: Derrick's plan to take down the Black Hats involve gathering as much information as possible, leak it to the police then sound a false alarm to trick Arthur into coming to a desolate spot to kill him.
Combat Pragmatist: Going up against the Genius Bruiser that is John would force you to be one. While the latter is just throwing punches and kicks, Derrick is using anything he can in sight to rebut.
Consummate Liar: A lot of his plans required him to lie immensely in order to achieve his goals.
Creepy Good: As Jake. He acts very secretive and mysterious, but he really wants to help the heroes take down the BH.
Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: Derrick disappeared from his family's life years ago because of his Accidental Murder of his older brother Francis, and he planned on blaming it on the Black Hats after he helps take them down.
Didn't See That Coming: He didn't account for Matthew getting suspicious of him and secretly investigating, leading to him uncovering the truth behind everything.
Disappeared Dad: He disappeared from Eliza's life years prior to the series.
Enigmatic Minion: While posing as Jake, he deliberately keeps up the mysterious act so he won't be questioned too much.
Good All Along: He was working to bring down the Black Hats all along.
Good Is Not Soft: He pulls no punches when it comes to dealing with the Black Hats.
Guile Hero: Derrick is no fighter, he mainly relies on wit and plans to achieve his goals.
Happily Married: He's been this with Catherine, and even when they reunite after his long absence, they reconcile.
Heroic Sacrifice: Derrick gives up his life to take down John and keep him away from the others.
He Who Fights Monsters: In his pursuit to bring down the Black Hats, he follows some of their ways. Matthew calls him out on this in the finale.
I Did What I Had to Do: Derrick says this twice in the finale to both Matthew and John who question the methods he used to take down the Black Hats.
Manipulative Bastard: Derrick pulls a lot of manipulation in order to achieve his goals.
Mole in Charge: Derrick winds up quickly climbing the ranks and becomes close to the leader Arthur, which helps him in his mission to take down the Black Hats. Unbeknownst to him however, this was all part of Arthur's plan.
Mysterious Backer: As Jake, he directly contacts the heroes through Samuel and leaks the Black Hats' info to them, though the shady tactics he uses makes him look understandably untrustworthy.
Mysterious Parent: After many references being made to his disappearance, he finally reappears near the end. We find out later that he's been Jake the whole time and he also killed Francis by accident years ago.
Nice Guy: Described by Eliza as very kind and sweet.
Never My Fault: His case is rather complex. He's painfully aware it was his fault Francis died, but when he learned about the Black Hats, Derrick saw a way to blame it completely on them to cover his crime.
Nothing Personal: During his final showdown with John, the latter calls him out for using his brother Gerald to infiltrate the organization. Derrick retorts with this, saying it was the only way he could pull it off, though that doesn't calm John down.
Papa Wolf: The whole reason why he came out of hiding to take down the BH was to protect Eliza.
Parental Betrayal: Eliza is utterly crushed to find out what he did AND that he planned to lie to her about it afterwards.
Pragmatic Hero: Derrick goes through with joining the Black Hats (killing someone to do so), allowing murders and other crimes to occur while he's searching for info, using the gang to assassinate someone else all in the name of protecting his daughter and the people around her.
Shared Family Quirks: Eliza exhibits many that she shares with her father: pulling a Declarative Finger every time they start an explanation, speaking eloquently and addressing friends formally.
Shoot the Dog: Really, everything he does as Jake qualifies.
A Sinister Clue: Jake is left-handed, and it's a subtle hint foreshadowing his true identity when we later find out Derrick is also left-handed.
So Proud of You: He tells Eliza he's proud of her for lending her help in taking down the Black Hats.
Sympathetic Murderer: His murder of Francis was accidental and in a moment of anger, and Derrick regretted it immediately.
- Also his murders of Rebecca, Jack, Arthur and John were intended for getting rid of people he deemed bad and needed to go.
Taking You with Me: Derrick pulls this off on John (who setup bombs to blow him up as an act of vengeance for Arthur) at the end, holding him off long enough so that they're both caught in the explosion).
The Unfettered: In order to reach his goal of taking down one of the biggest crime organizations to exist, Derrick does anything from committing murder, manipulation, lying, backstabbing and hacking. And he doesn't let it show that it bothers him, he just keeps pushing through it.
Villain Killer: Derrick manages to pull this off four times: The first time was the If You're So Evil, Eat This Kitten! test needed for him to join the Black Hats, and it involved killing someone picked for doing bad things (e.g. Amy's mother Rebecca). The second time was by proxy, when he anonymously used the Black Hats to assassinate Jack, then he tricked Arthur in order to blow him up. Finally, the last villain he kills is John by pulling a Taking You with Me on the latter who came to kill him personally in the finale.
Walking Spoiler: He was Jake the whole time, and basically acted as The Mole for the heroes' side after infiltrating the gang discreetly. He also had reasons for doing it this way: He feared that if he got in touch with them directly, he would be questioned on his years long disappearance and eventually discovered that he accidentally killed his younger brother Francis in a moment of anger and that's why he disappeared for a long time.
Worthy Opponent: In their final confrontation, John admits to Derrick that he's impressed with him being able to carefully plan the downfall of the BH and pull it off successfully.

Francis Hansen

Eliza's uncle and Derrick's brother. He also went missing along with the latter.

Aloof Big Brother: Becomes more like this trope after his relationship with Derrick went down the drain.
Big Brother Bully: Downplayed. He did become less pleasant to Derrick over the years out of jealousy, but he didn't really go out of his way to antagonize him.
Big Brother Instinct: He used to defend Derrick from bullies in their childhood.
Big Little Brother: Derrick is taller than his older brother Francis.
Cool Uncle: Francis serves as this to Eliza. His disappearance took a major toll on her.
Dead All Along: Derrick reveals in the end that he accidentally killed him during an argument and it was why he disappeared.
Driven by Envy: His envy of Derrick made him more apathetic and distant from him.
Fatal Flaw: His poor communication skills. Had he sat down with Derrick and had a serious talk with him about his feelings, maybe the argument that led to his death could've been avoided.
Foil: Francis serves as this to John. Both of them are the older child and admired by their younger brothers, though Francis had an emotionally closer relationship with Derrick than John did with Gerald. While John still loves his brother till his death, Francis' love for Derrick turned into jealousy and envy over his successes and it resulted in his death.
Green-Eyed Monster: The reason behind the fallout between him and Derrick is jealousy over the latter's success.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He was a little meaner than Derrick, but a decent person nonetheless.
Jerkass to One: Francis was generally a Jerk with a Heart of Gold, but he started becoming more dismissive and passive aggressive towards his brother Derrick.
Older Than He Looks: He's often mistaken to be the younger sibling because his brother is taller and has a deeper voice.
Poor Communication Kills: A literal case. His estranged relationship with his brother ended up with Francis dying.
Posthumous Character: Revealed to have been Dead All Along due to an Accidental Murder on Derrick's part.
The Resenter: He became increasingly so over the years watching Derrick's successes.
Small Role, Big Impact: Francis plays an important role in his brother's backstory, as his jealousy of Derrick drove a wedge in their relationship, which led to Derrick confronting him about it and accidentally killing him during an argument.
Took a Level in Jerkass: Francis went from loving his brother to hating him with a passion and distancing himself from him.
Vocal Dissonance: Francis is said to have a higher voice than his younger brother Derrick. This, along with the latter's big stature, makes people mistake Francis for the younger sibling often.
Walking Spoiler: He's a key player in Derrick's backstory and the reason behind his disappearance.

The Black Hats

The Black Hats are a mysterious criminal organization that does various dealings to fund itself, make connections and establish dominance. It existed for many years without being taken down and had many leaders. It serves as the primary antagonistic faction in the second half of the story.

Official Members

Arthur

The current Black Hats leader. He's deadset on capturing Norman and dealing with him personally for an incident that happened years ago.

Affably Evil: Arthur is genuinely cordial and kind with allies and rivals alike.
Alas, Poor Villain: Arthur's death is treated as a very sad moment in the story, despite him being its biggest antagonist.
Anti-Villain: Despite being the Big Bad, Arthur is a genuinely kind individual who values his underlings and has compassion for even those who oppose him. He also has a rather tragic backstory that shaped the heartbroken man he is today.
Arch-Enemy: He's this to Norman. Later it's revealed Arthur doesn't feel the same way at all.
Badass in a Nice Suit: The standard outfit for male members of the Black Hats.
Beard of Evil: Has a goatee.
Benevolent Boss: Arthur, being the affable person that he is, serves as this to The Black Hats.
Berserker Tears: When he attacks Harold for killing Amanda.
Big Bad: As the leader of the Black Hats, he is the overarching antagonist of the story, looming over everyone else.
The Chains of Commanding: Arthur earned his spot as the leader after killing the previous one in a rage over his wife's death, and it still haunts him in the present day. Additionally, him being the leader put an obstacle in his plan of turning himself in and apologizing to Norman: The rest of the organization would come to avenge him, and he didn't have the heart to tell them about his plan.
The Chessmaster: After finding Norman again, Arthur came up with a plan to apologize to him for killing Rose then turn himself in, but he figured doing so will cause the organization to come after the heroes for revenge so he went the extra mile and signlehandedly planned the dissolution of the Black Hats by himself, starting from recognizing that Jake and Michelle are actually moles working to bring them down so he would gently push them in the right direction every now and then, and he also granted them secret protection from anyone else who might be suspicious of them.
Dark and Troubled Past: He found no employment to support his wife so he ended up falling in the clutches of the Black Hats, which was led by Harold at the time. And then his wife died by their hands.
Dragon Ascendant: He used to be Harold's right-hand man before becoming the leader after his death.
The Dreaded: Anyone who knows of the Black Hats fears them, especially the leader, and Arthur is no exception. Though he's actually very personable and wouldn't hurt anyone without a good reason.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Arthur truly loved his wife Amanda, to the point where he never married or looked for love again.
Even Evil Has Standards: Arthur is completely against needless violence and Misplaced Retribution.
Evil Old Folks: He's around Norman's age, who's the oldest of the parents in the story.
Face Death with Dignity: He doesn't grovel or beg when Derrick has him at his mercy. He simply accepts his fate in serenity, knowing his plan would be achieved anyway.
Fingore: His left ring finger is missing. It was cut off by Harold after he had Arthur's wife killed.
Forced into Evil: Arthur believes in doing good even through dubious means, so he was completely against killing Rose to get revenge on Norman but Harold forced him into it by threatening to kill his wife Amanda.
Freudian Excuse Denial: In his Video Will, Arthur full-on says that he had no right taking Rose away from Norman and Evelyn, even if he did it to save his own wife.
Friend to All Children: The one time he meets the protagonists personally, he surprisingly gets along well with them after easing their nerves. Helps that he never had children of his own, so he probably sees them as his own.
Given Name Reveal: His actual name is Jeremy Mell.
Go Out with a Smile: He smiles to himself as the bomb that kills him comes close to exploding, eager to meet his wife.
Happily Married: Used to be this with Amanda.
Hidden Agenda Villain: For a while, all we know about what he wants is to personally "deal with" Norman. He never elaborates exactly what he means by it. He actually wants to personally apologize to him for killing his wife and turn himself in and the tough demeanor he put on when talking about Norman was just a facade.
Hidden Villain: For his first few appearances, he's kept in the shadows, only speaking with John personally.
Large and in Charge: The leader of the Black Hats is the tallest and most well-built of the members.
The Man Behind the Man: In their introduction, it seems like John is the boss of the Black Hats. We find out later that he's the right hand of the actual leader, Arthur.
Mirror Character: Norman and Arthur are more alike than they think. Both of them had a wife they lost to murder, and it left them with a lot of emotional baggage, and both of them have since been trying to atone for it.
My God, What Have I Done?: His reaction when he finds out his wife Amanda was killed anyway despite being promised it won't happen if he kills Norman's wife.
Never Hurt an Innocent: This is Arthur's primary principle, and the reason why he collided with Harold in the past. Harold believed Arthur is too soft to succeed him as leader because of this trope and planned to get rid of him, setting in motion the events that would shape the story later. Due to the other members' loyalty to Arthur, they also seem to apply this themselves as seen with John in the finale. When he finds Matt together with Derrick (his target), he's shocked and immediately urges him to leave.
Necessarily Evil: After killing Harold in a rage, Arthur becomes the new Big Bad leader of the organization, but he's clearly determined to be a better leader than Harold ever was.
Nice Guy: Even with him being the fearsome leader of the Black Hats, Arthur is a genuinely kindhearted man who cares about his underlings and is very empathetic.
Noble Demon: Arthur actually has respect for the heroes despite them wanting to bring him down, and he follows a set of principles even when ordering his underlings.
Non-Action Big Bad: Mostly because he has to stay behind the scenes. When he confronts Norman, he shows impressive fighting skills, though in this particular fight, he was holding back. We see him give it his all against Derrick when the latter leaks the organization's info to the police.
No One Sees the Boss: Arthur was a Hidden Villain in his first few appearances, only interacting directly with John.
Orcus on His Throne: Arthur generally stays behind the scene while his subordinates do the work. Justified since he's the boss, and preserving him is key to maintain the organization's efficiency.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: Although he usually stays behind the scenes, Arthur has proved twice in the book that if he does go out to fight himself, he will be a challenge for his opponent.
Real Name as an Alias: When Jeremy first came into the Black Hats, he chose his real name as his codename without telling anyone about it. He decides to change his codename to Arthur after he becomes the leader.
Single-Target Sexuality: Arthur apparently never married or found love again after his wife died.
That Man Is Dead: Jeremy took on the name Arthur on the day his wife died, seeing that "Jeremy" died along with her.
Tragic Villain: He only found employment in the Black Hats to support his wife Amanda, but his association with them led to her death and the death of another woman who was a wife and a mother by Arthur's own hands, which left him very scarred and guilty.
Two Aliases, One Character: Jeremy and Arthur are one and the same, as revealed in a flashback.
Villain No Longer Idle: There are only two times Arthur actually takes matters into his own hands. The first time is when he meets up with Norman and ends up fighting him after kidnapping Evelyn. The second time was when Jake revealed himself as a spy to Arthur and they end up fighting, though Derrick wins and kills Arthur.
Villainous Friendship: Arthur and John share a closer relationship than any other Black Hats member. Their friendship goes way back.
Villain Respect: Arthur has great admiration for the protagonists despite them wanting to bring him down.
Walking Spoiler: He used to be known as Jeremy and he met Norman years ago while working as Harold's Dragon. One day, Harold plotted to get rid of Jeremy because he saw him as too soft to be his trusted lieutenant. He had Arthur kill Norman's wife otherwise he'll have Arthur's wife killed, then had Kate kill Arthur's wife Amanda anyway to provoke him into attacking so he can kill him in self-defense. Jeremy did survive and become the leader but the incident left him with a lot of emotional baggage, scars and deep, deep guilt.
Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Arthur is against killing innocents, and especially seems to be against killing children/teens.
You Kill It, You Bought It: He became the leader after killing Harold in self-defense, which was instigated by the latter killing his wife.

John

The second-in-command of the organization. A mysterious and quiet individual, John takes his job very seriously and is completely loyal to Arthur.

Affably Evil: He's rather professional and respectful during his business meetings.
Aloof Big Brother: Downplayed. John maintains his professional demeanor even with his brother Gerald, but he'll slip for a moment to show affection to him every once in a while.
Avenging the Villain: John is out for blood after Derrick killed Arthur, and kills him (and himself) by blowing him up, just like how Arthur was killed.
Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: Jack is eventually found dead, and it's revealed later than John was the one who did him in.
Beard of Evil: Has a five o'clock shadow.
Berserk Button: Kate herself seems to be a walking Berserk Button for him, as he cannot stand to be in the same room as her for five minutes. Also hurting either Gerald or Arthur.
Big Bad: Becomes this in the final Story Arc after Arthur's death.
Big Brother Mentor: John sometimes advises Gerald about their line of work during leisure or meetings.
Catchphrase: John tends to greet people and end his business meetings with "Good day". When he comes face to face with Derrick in the finale, the latter sarcastically throws it back at him.
Chessmaster Sidekick: John who serves as the second-in-command of the Black Hats is generally the one to come up with plans. Not that Arthur is stupid by any means, he just prefers to have discussions with John because he acknowledges him to be very smart.
Conflict Killer: John's arrival to kill Derrick in the finale coincided with the latter's confrontation with Samuel, thus bringing them out of their stalemate.
Consummate Professional: John is very dedicated and serious about his position as the second-in-command.
Creepy Monotone: John has been described as speaking this way.
The Creon: John's Undying Loyalty to Arthur is what stops him from attempting to overthrowing his boss, as he tells Kate who wants to get rid of Arthur.
Dark Is Evil: Aside from the uniform, John also has black eyes and hair.
Deadpan Snarker: He's more deadpan than snarky, and usually courteous but this shows up particularly when he talks to Kate, whom he dislikes intensely.
Kate: You never gave me a chance, John.
John: You should be grateful I even acknowledge your existence.
The Dragon: Arthur's right hand man and the Black Hats' second-in-command.
Dragon Ascendant: John takes over as the Big Bad and Final Boss of the book after Arthur's death.
Dragon Their Feet: John was absent when Derrick blew up Arthur because the latter sent him away with everyone else when the organization started getting threatened. It's only at the end of the story that he takes action to avenge Arthur.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: John truly cares about his little brother Gerald.
Even Evil Has Standards: He's disgusted by Kate's murder of Arthur's wife and resents her for it.
Evil Genius: He's the planner for organization.
Final Boss: Ends up being the last Black Hats member and overall antagonist to deal with.
Genius Bruiser: John acts as both the planner and assassin for his organization.
Gleeful and Grumpy Pairing: The Grumpy to Gerald's Gleeful.
Hitman with a Heart: He's the designated assassin of the division, but he's not without standards.
Jerkass to One: Normally he's cordial with everyone he meets, but he cannot stand Kate to the point of him being hardly able to maintain his calmness when talking to her or being around her.
Knight Templar Big Brother: Do not harm Gerald. John will make sure you get pay dearly for it.
Meaningful Name: Or codename, in John's case. It's a very common name and taking the term "John Doe" into consideration, John has always been an enigmatic character that we don't even know what his real name is.
Morality Chain Beyond the Grave: Just how Gerald kept John from going overboard with villainy, John's death only ensures that Gerald is more determined to become good, since he'd want the best for his little brother.
Mr. Smith: He presumably chose this codename with this trope in mind.
Mysterious Past: We get a hint to the past of every member of the Black Hats...except for John. Even what we hear from his brother Gerald leaves it unclear, as he says John doesn't like to talk about it.
No Name Given: John is the only Black Hats member (and character overall) that we don't get to learn the name of, adding more enigma to his character.
No-Nonsense Nemesis: John fits the bill as the most serious member of the Black Hats and one of the most efficient.
No Sense of Humor: Gerald describes his brother John this way, as he prefers to remain serious and focused on work. The only time John ever smiles is when he's having a moment with either Gerald or Arthur.
Not So Stoic: John looks downright deranged when planning to kill Derrick for using Gerald as a mean to infiltrate the gang.
Only Sane Man: Most of the time, he's the serious-minded person who makes sure everyone else is staying on track and doing their jobs.
Pragmatic Villainy: John is actually well-aware that Kate was the one who murdered Jeremy's wife under Harold's orders but he chose to blackmail her just so she can continue to be useful to the gang while simultaneously sparing Jeremy from having to kill one of their own.
The Quiet One: John is a mix of this and The Stoic, saying most of his few words in a monotonous voice.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue to Gerald's Red.
Sanity Slippage: The events of the story drive him to slowly go from rational and emotionless to bloodthirsty and unhinged. This especially reaches its peak when he finds out Derrick used his brother to infiltrate the Black Hats.
Siblings in Crime: With Gerald.
Sibling Team: Again, with Gerald.
Sibling Yin-Yang: He's quiet and standoffish while Gerald is energetic and friendly.
The Stoic: Very rarely does he emote, unless he's with Gerald or Arthur.
Undying Loyalty: To Arthur.
Villainous Friendship: Arthur and John share a closer relationship than any other Black Hats member. Their friendship goes way back.
When He Smiles: Gerald comments that on the few occasions that his brother does smile, it makes him happy to see it.
Would Hit a Girl: John has no qualms about killing women.
Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Like Arthur, he's completely against killing or directly harming them.

Gerald

One of Arthur's subordinates. Unlike most members, he's cheerful and friendly, though no less competent. He's John's younger brother.

Affably Evil: He's very friendly despite his association with a criminal organization.
All of the Other Reindeer: Gets this treatment from the townsfolk after reforming.
The Baby of the Bunch: Downplayed. Gerald is the youngest of his division and acts the most jovial, but he's as competent as everyone else.
Beware the Nice Ones: Gerald's sunny disposition makes it easy to forget he's a criminal still a criminal willing to do what's necessary for the Black Hats.
Break the Cutie: Losing his brother and everyone else who he considered a friend takes a toll on him.
Big Brother Worship: Gerald often talks of John very highly to everyone.
Et Tu, Brute?: When he finds out that Jake was a persona made up by Derrick to infiltrate the organization, Gerald is crushed, though he doesn't hold it against him.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He loves his big brother John very much.
Everyone Has Standards: For all his love for John, Gerald admitted that his brother killing Derrick in revenge for him was going too far.
The Face: When paired with his brother John, who has a case of No Social Skills, he takes care of acting charming and affable to the organization's partners.
Friend to All Children: He actually winds up getting along well with the protagonists. Helps that he was really nice to them, unlike Michelle or Kate.
Fun Personified: Compared to everyone else in the gang, at least. Gerald's goofy behavior rarely disappears.
Given Name Reveal: His actual name is Patrick.
Gleeful and Grumpy Pairing: The Gleeful to John's Grumpy.
The Heart: Gerald often tries to maintain peace between his fellow Black Hats members, whether it be by making jokes, offering consolation or spending quality time with them.
Heel–Face Turn: He's the only Black Hats member who gets to do this after being arrested.
Hypocrisy Nod: Gerald laments that "Jake" was a persona made by Derrick to infiltrate the Black Hats but he immediately makes it clear that he shouldn't be sad since the very first thing he does in the plot is spy on the main cast for information after the organization found out Norman is still alive.
The Mole: His role was to get close to Norman and the people around him to spy for information.
Morality Chain: It can be argued he's this for his brother. John always maintained his stoic (and mostly hidden soft side) persona as long as Gerald was with him. After Gerald got arrested and John was left with nothing, he went completely crazy.
Morality Pet: To Kate. Aside from John, Gerald is the only one whom Kate treats nicely on a regular basis, saying she's genuinely fond of him.
- He's also this to Michelle. Her hatred towards the Black Hats doesn't really extend to him, as she's shown speaking amicably with him after her arrest.
Mysterious Past: Out of his relation to John, whom we also don't know anything about his past. Gerald admitted that he's honoring his brother's wish to not bring it up with anyone.
Nice Guy: Genuinely a sweet and friendly person.
No Last Name Given: We find out that Gerald's real name is Patrick but his last name isn't mentioned. This was done intentionally to keep any part of his brother John's name unknown.
Nominal Villain: Gerald is well aware of the Black Hats' dealings but sticks with them because his brother John is also a member and the only family he has left.
Perpetual Smiler: Often sports a smile on his face.
The Pollyanna: Easily the most optimistic character in the book. Even after losing his brother and enduring abuse at the hands of citizens, he remains adamant about turning his life around.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Red to John's Blue.
Reformed, but Rejected: After fully turning to the good side, Gerald admits that turning a new leaf in a town where everyone knows he used to be a member of the Black Hats is hard, though he says he's determined to push through until it gets better.
Shipper on Deck: He thinks his brother and Michelle would be a good couple.
Siblings in Crime: With John.
Sibling Team: Again, with John.
Sibling Yin-Yang: He's friendly and energetic while John is quiet and standoffish.
Token Good Teammate: Gerald is not only the nicest Black Hats member we see, but he's also the least villainous. He's really only sticking with the organization because his older brother John is there. This doesn't mean that he's incompetent at his work though.
Villain Cred: Gerald has great admiration for both his brother John and Arthur.
Was It All a Lie?: This is Gerald's reaction when he finds out that "Jake" was secretly working to bring down the Black Hats, and used Gerald to infiltrate it. When John confronts Derrick over this in the finale, Derrick defends himself by saying it was Nothing Personal.

Michelle (Spoilers Unmarked)

Michelle

The tech savvy member of the division. She has the job of keeping track of logistics and people the organization deals with. She's also the subject of John's affections.

Ambiguously Evil: Like Jake, it's hard to pin down whether she's truly evil or not. She seems uninterested in the actual dealings of the BH and only wants her paycheck at the end of the day. Turns out she's definitely against them, but her selfish motivations of revenge make her a Nominal Hero.
At Least I Admit It: When she hears about Jake's true identity and goals, she comments that at least she admitted to her wrongdoings outright, instead of plotting to hide her mistakes forever.
Being Evil Sucks: After years of being a successful solo criminal, her assets gets taken away by the Black Hats. This made Michelle vengeful and to bite back, she joins them and goes along with their evil while she finds a way to bring them down. After her arrest, she laments that her life became unpleasant thanks to all the horrible things she did to get money and for the sake of her revenge.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Derrick is shocked to see her act so rigid with him in secret, in contrast to the sweet persona he first saw in her.
Chekhov's Gunman: She's alluded to briefly by Alan before the reveal of her true identity.
Cut Lex Luthor a Check: Her computer knowledge could've easily helped her earn money legitimately, but she chose to use to rob people's assets instead.
Enigmatic Minion: Compared to everyone else in the gang, Michelle is not really invested in the evil acts they commit, she just wants a paycheck, and never says much about herself. As mentioned below, she was working from the inside all along to bring them down.
Even Evil Has Standards: While she hates the Black Hats, even she's horrified by Harold's actions in the past, admitting that Arthur is a much better leader.
Evil All Along: She was a true criminal before joining the Black Hats, and just played the act of an uninterested employee only looking to get paid to hide it.
Evil Genius: She's the tech savvy member of the organization.
Evil Pays Better: She tells Jake that working for the BH made her more money than ever. She also already made plenty through deceitful means thanks to her computer knowledge.
Foil: Jake and Michelle have an interesting contrast once The Reveal about them happens: Jake is Eliza's missing father Derrick aiming to bring them the Black Hats to protect his daughter and everyone around her, while Michelle (real name Karen) is doing the same thing for personal revenge against the organization for ruining her business. Once the BH are brought down, they both go their separate ways, and there's yet another glaring difference: Once Karen was caught, she accepted it and immediately admitted to everything, while lamenting how her revenge ruined her. Derrick on the other hand, faked Jake's death and came back pretending to have been missing because his brother Francis had quarrels with the Black Hats, when in reality, he was the one who killed him, albeit accidentally.
Given Name Reveal: Her actual name is Karen McReary.
Heel–Face Revolving Door: At first, Michelle is a villain working for the Black Hats, then she allies herself with Derrick and the heroes to take them down, THEN returns to her evil ways after all is said and done. And once she's arrested, she agrees to surrender what she knows about the Black Hats to help take them down.
Hidden Heart of Gold: Michelle is notably only nicer to Gerald in the end cause she says that he redeemed himself in her eyes.
It's All About Me: Although she is working for the Black Hats, she is against them, putting her on the side of good, but it's for her own reasons.
It's Personal: The Black Hats stole from the treasures she worked hard to steal, making her vengeful.
Karmic Nod: Eventually agrees with everyone saying she should still be jailed for what she did in the end.
Karmic Thief: Downplayed. As we find out through the story, the Black Hats are actually mostly nice people who happen to work for a criminal organization so Michelle's plan to rob them seems unwarranted. Until we learn that they actually robbed her first.
Love-Interest Traitor: John has feelings for her and is unaware she's secretly working against them.
Manipulative Bitch: She's playing the part of an uninterested employee to trick the Black Hats while she plans to take them down.
The Mole: She teams up with Derrick to leak the organization's info.
Nominal Hero: Michelle is also secretly working to bring down the Black Hats, but she's only doing so as payback for them stealing properties that she stole first.
Not in This for Your Revolution: Michelle is revealed to be working on the inside to bring down the BH but it's for her own personal reasons.
Oblivious to Love: Michelle is unaware of John's crush on her.
Only in It for the Money: This is what Michelle sites her motivations for joining the organization to Jake, though he's secretly doubtful of it. She's not exactly lying. The reason why she joined is to bring down the Black Hats for robbing her own loot.
Pay Evil unto Evil: In her own eyes, at least. Michelle got robbed out of her life, so she plans to bring down the Black Hats and do the same thing they did to her to their organization.
Pet the Dog: Her interactions with Gerald, in which she acts slightly nicer than usual.
Punch-Clock Villain: She tells Jake outright that she's not evil, she just does a job for a paycheck. Turns out later that she is a villain, and only hid behind this as a facade.
Revenge Is Not Justice: Though her anger towards the Black Hats for what they did to her is understandable, everyone still holds her accountable for her actions. After getting arrested, she admits this herself.
Secretary of Evil: She's in charge of keeping track of records of the organization, which comes in handy when helping Derrick take them out.
The Smart One Turns Traitor: She's the tech savvy secretary of the division and is secretly The Mole as well.
Smart People Wear Glasses: Michelle has glasses (albeit fake ones to help hide her face a bit) and she's pretty good with computers.
Stealing from Thieves: The Black Hats robbed her specifically sometime before, so she decided to rob them back for revenge.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Her partnership with Derrick is a little troubled thanks to her rough manner.
Vengeance Feels Empty: After working hard to infiltrate the Black Hats and take them down for what they did to her, Michelle admits after her arrest that her life has been ruined by what she did, and she feels absolutely miserable.
Villain Cred: She has begrudging respect for Arthur due to him being a Benevolent Boss.
Villain Respect: Appears to develop this for Jake, who's really Derrick, for being able to help her bring down the BH and tracking her down after they parted ways.
Walking Spoiler: She's also a spy like Jake.
Wild Card: Michelle doesn't really have a clear allegiance. Throughout the story, she works with both villains and heroes simultaneously for her own benefits.

Kate

Another subordinate of Arthur, which she dislikes. She's typically tasked with doing assassinations and meetings with men to persuade them using her sex appeal and charm. Has eyes for John and is jealous of Michelle for taking his attention instead.

Abhorrent Admirer: Kate is actually attractive, it's her morality and actions that disgust John.
At Least I Admit It: Kate believes she is among the few honest members of the Black Hats because she doesn't try to delude herself that what they're doing isn't for anything but to assert dominance and get power and money.
All Women Are Lustful: Kate's very promiscuous and makes a lot of suggestive comments towards John.
Beauty Is Bad: She's considered attractive and is a villainess.
Brainless Beauty: Downplayed. Kate isn't a ditz, but by comparison to other characters, her ability to plan and orchestrate pales.
Broken Pedestal: She couldn't believe Harold didn't actually care about her like he claimed, and sheds tears of remorse for hating Arthur all these years.
Card-Carrying Villain: As stated above, Kate is the only member who outright admits to being proud of being evil, because she sees that as the standard for all Black Hats members.
Child Hater: Freely admits to finding children annoying to the point where she would hit one.
The Creon: Believe it or not, Kate is this and not The Starscream. She's okay with not being the leader, but what she's not okay with is someone like Arthur being the leader.
Did Not Get The Guy: In the end, she gets arrested and John dies in a confrontation with Derrick.
Dragon with an Agenda: Wants Arthur removed and have someone worthy take his place.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: It seems at first that Kate's love for John is superficial and only a means to an end to free herself from his blackmailing but her genuine sadness at him turning away from her suggests otherwise.
Even Evil Has Standards:
- Kate might be the resident evil seductress, but she explicitly states that she's above using her charm on someone much younger than her or forcibly seduce someone.
- She was also horrified when she found out Harold planned to betray her.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: When Kyle reforms and tricks her so she's arrested, Kate tearfully wonders how he could turn and go help Norman when he betrayed him years ago.
Evil Feels Good: She enjoys committing crimes and openly expresses it a lot.
Evil Redhead: Has dark red hair and is a member of a criminal syndicate.
False Friend: Kate pretends to be on good terms with Arthur so he doesn't suspect her intentions to get rid of him.
Faux Affably Evil: With most men when she's conning them into doing her bidding.
Femme Fatale: Kate is attractive, seductive and really, really dangerous to get involved with.
Fiery Redhead: She's as feisty as her hair is red.
Freudian Excuse: While she was younger, she was ostracized by all her peers, but when she grew up and became attractive, they suddenly started trying to get her attention, leading Kate to believe that she can only advance in life by using her looks to get ahead.
Given Name Reveal: Her actual name is Melissa Quinn.
Green-Eyed Monster: Kate has eyes for John, but feels like he has his eyes on Michelle. She's quite a literal example too, since her eyes are actually green.
Hidden Depths: Kate might seem less intelligent than her peers when it comes to planning, but apparently she's really good at card games.
Hopeless Suitor: Not only cause John has eyes for another, he outright says that Kate disgusts him because of who she is as a person.
Horrible Judge of Character: Kate put her trust in Harold to execute his plan, failing to consider that he'd be as willing to kill her as he was to kill Arthur.
Ignored Enamored Underling: Kate is lower in rank than John and she has feelings for him, which he is aware of but actively shuns her down for a couple of reasons, the most notable being that he hates her for killing Arthur's wife on orders of Harold and that he's not interested and doubts her sincerity, though Kate also suggests he has feelings for Michelle instead, but John denies this.
Ladykiller in Love: Gender inverted. Kate is The Vamp of the Black Hats, but her feelings for John are genuine, though her reputation leaves him with a lot of doubt that she really means it.
A Lighter Shade of Black: Kate is no saint. She's selfish, envious and a bit of a jerk, though looking at Harold and how he manipulated her, Kate at least has a heart and standards of her own.
Manipulative Bitch: As a seductress, this is a given. She uses her charm to manipulate men.
More Despicable Minion: Downplayed. All of the Black Hats members (sans Harold) are relatively sympathetic, but Arthur is more of a tragically sympathetic character who is genuinely nice to everyone. On the other hand, Kate is more selfish and underhanded, but her sympathy comes from her genuine love for John and Gerald, her standards and being exploited by the more despicable Harold.
My God, What Have I Done?: Once she finds out that Arthur actually saved her from being killed by Harold years ago, she becomes full of regret and disgusted with herself for killing his wife on the latter's orders.
Opportunistic Bastard: Kate wants Arthur removed as leader, but she doesn't have a plan written down to achieve that goal, instead jumping at the chance of Kyle joining and secretly wanting the position to do so. John even condescendingly lampshades this to her:
John: You are useful indeed, Kate, but you lack forethought and can only leech off coincidences. Just be sure your usefulness doesn't run out. It's the only reason why you're still here.
Pet the Dog: Kate is genuinely nice to Gerald and treats him better than most.
Properly Paranoid: Her suspicion of Michelle was on point, as she was a spy working to bring them down from the inside.
Psycho for Hire: Unlike John, Kate really enjoys the assassinations she gets to do.
Right for the Wrong Reasons: She was mainly distrustful of Michelle due to jealousy of her being John's love interest, and her desire to get rid of her would've been beneficial since Michelle really is a mole working to bring them down secretly.
Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: Kate is a prominent player in the story, and her hair and eyes both symbolize important aspects of her character (Other than making her pretty, her red hair signifies her feisty personality while her green eyes signify her jealousy).
The Tease: Other than using it to get men to do her bidding for the organization, she also likes teasing John, whom she's interested in.
Tears of Remorse: She sheds those when she finds out that Arthur saved her from being killed by Harold years ago.
Teen Hater: She's the only one of the Black Hats who treats the protagonists with contempt.
Token Evil Teammate: Kate is the only Black Hats member that we meet who is truly selfish and malicious. Case in point, she was among the few who hated Jeremy and wanted him removed, so she went along with Harold's plan to eliminate him and killed Jeremy's wife Amanda, though even she is surprisingly more sympathetic than Harold.
The Vamp: Kate uses seduction to advance her goals and is clearly the most evil of the Black Hats we see, barring Harold.
Unwitting Pawn: To Harold. He planned to use her to kill Amanda as part of his scheme to get rid of Arthur then get rid of her as well.
Villain Cred: Kate admires the previous leader Harold for being one of the few truly ruthless leaders the organization had, as she believes that's how all leaders should be.
Villain Has a Point: Kate's looked down on by John all the time for being inferior in position and smarts, but in the end, she was right about one thing: he shouldn't have let his feelings for Michelle cloud his judgement, as she was working to bring them down all along.
Walking Spoiler: She's the one who killed Arthur's wife on orders from Harold because she also saw Arthur as unfit to be the leader.
Wasted Beauty: Lampshaded by John, who bluntly tells her that if her soul was as beautiful as her appearance, she might have a chance with him.
Would Hurt a Child: Unlike everyone else in the syndicate, Kate has no qualms about hurting youngsters.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Unbeknownst to her, Harold, the one she respects immensely and thinks should've been the leader, planned to get rid of her after she killed Arthur's wife, for seemingly no reason other than just because he can.

Harold Wilson

The previous leader of the Black Hats. Nobody in the division likes mentioning him because he was one of the cruelest leaders they had.

0% Approval Rating: As the tropes below allude to, he wasn't a very popular leader.
Asshole Victim: Nobody felt sorry for him after Arthur killed him.
Bad Boss: Harold doesn't care for his underlings and is willing to use/kill them.
Bait the Dog: Based on everyone else in the clan refusing to talk about him, Harold might seem like he wasn't an ideal leader, albeit with a soft spot for at least Kate. Turns out he didn't care about her either, and planned to kill her when she outlived her usefulness to him.
Bald of Authority: Had no hair and was the previous leader of the Black Hats.
Bald of Evil: He has no hair.
The Chessmaster: He orchestrated a plan to get payback on Norman, remove Arthur and then remove Kate once her usefulness ran out.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Harold seems to believe trust is made to be broken. He made a plan with Kate to get rid of Arthur then planned to get rid of her as well. Even before then, he was The Starscream to the leader before him and it is implied he had a hand in his death.
Diabolical Mastermind: With him being worst than most Black Hats leaders, he certainly fits the mold.
Did You Actually Believe...?: He takes his betrayal of Arthur a step further by mocking him for falling for it.
Dirty Old Man: Harold is implied to have been one towards Kate, with him calling her "doll" among other inappropriate nicknames. Worse of all, he might've been exploiting her by giving her attention and never truly cared about her, despite them sharing the same goal.
The Dreaded: Due to his no-nonsense and extremist attitude, his underlings were afraid of him.
Entitled Bastard: He still expects respects from his underlings despite his mistreatment of them.
Evil Feels Good: Harold takes delight in committing all sorts of evil acts, evident in his smile and laughter while doing so.
Evil Is Petty: Not only is he murderous, he's also a petty jerk to his underlings on a regular basis.
False Friend: To Kate.
Fat Bastard: Notably the only heavyset antagonist in the whole book.
Faux Affably Evil: He maintains the facade of a gentleman even as he's committing amoral acts.
For the Evulz: He virtually had nothing to be gained from eliminating Kate, the only member that supported him, after she finished her role in his plan. He really simply decided to get rid of her just because he can. Thankfully, Arthur killed him before that.
From Nobody to Nightmare: A regular member till he betrayed the previous member and took his spot.
Greater-Scope Villain: NEARLY everything bad that happens in the story can be traced back to him. Had he not planned for Jeremy to kill Norman's wife, have his own wife killed by Kate then torture him and try to kill him, the story would've gone a very different way.
Hated by All: No one in the division was fond of him.
Hate Sink: He spends all his time being a jerk, and has zero redeeming qualities.
Hat of Authority: Harold used to have this when he was the leader of the Black Hats.
Hidden Disdain Reveal: When confronting Harold about his wife's murder, Arthur questions him about the culprit he hired. Harold doesn't say the name to Arthur, but condescendingly says it doesn't matter and that he will have them killed next because they're no longer of use to him. We already know that the killer was Kate, and it's especially jarring since she seemed to be the only person Harold had some sort of good relationship with.
Hoist by His Own Petard: It was his plan to get revenge on Norman using Arthur that backfired on him and caused his death by Arthur's hands.
I Control My Minions Through...: For Harold, it's fear and loyalty through indoctrination in Kate's case.
I Lied: Harold promised Arthur that his wife Amanda would be spared if he killed Norman's wife Rose, but Arthur came home later the same day to find Amanda killed anyway. Harold takes great pleasure in taunting him over this, leading to his demise.
It Amused Me: If his laughter after doing petty things to his underlings is any indication.
It's All About Me: All of his plans are to benefit him, and he sees his subordinates as pawns to be used in said plans.
I Will Punish Your Friend for Your Failure: He uses this tactic on Arthur by threatening to kill his wife if he doesn't kill Norman's wife Rose.
Jerkass: Big time.
Karmic Death: Killed by Arthur in retaliation for tricking him and killing his wife.
Kick the Dog: Planned to have Kate killed for virtually no reason after she worked for him. He also deliberately cut off Arthur's left ring finger as a reminder that his wife is dead.
Knight of Cerebus: Nothing is remotely funny about this guy. He means complete business.
Lack of Empathy: Harold views empathy as weakness and demands everyone who follows him do the same.
Manipulative Bastard: Has shades of this in his interactions with Kate. He could've very well been flattering her just so she would easily cater to every whim of his, and he planned to remove her afterwards.
Posthumous Character: Is said to have died in an incident years prior. We find out that Arthur killed him in self-defense during a fight over Harold's evil plan.
Predecessor Villain: Harold Wilson was the Black Hats leader before Arthur.
Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: His betrayal of his deal with Arthur results in the latter murdering him in rage over it.
Sadist: He gets a kick out of orchestrating others' suffering.
Sketchy Successor: He's considered this compared to the leader before him.
Smug Snake: Arrogant and has no respect for anybody.
The Sociopath: Faux affable front, narcissism, no empathy and sadism. He checks out.
The Starscream: He was this for the previous leader, with implications that it was him that killed him being thrown around.
Tyrant Takes the Helm: The leader before him apparently used to be a far cry from the Bad Boss that Harold is.
Villainous Demotivator: All of his underlings except for Kate were not pleased during his time as leader, but kept doing their job properly anyway because he always threatened them with punishment should they fail, even when they did do a good job.
Villainous Legacy: Harold is long dead before the present events, but without him, they would've gone very differently.
Virtue Is Weakness: Harold was a firm believer of this, and it's the reason why he saw Arthur as an unfit second and future leader. This is what led him to plan to kill him.
Walking Spoiler: Though he died a long time ago, he had a major hand in shaping the events of the story.

Hired Criminals

These people are not official members of The Syndicate, but rather people hired by the Black Hats to assist them in exchange for payment.

Leah Lyons

Nathaniel Newman

One-Steve Limit: One of his fellow criminals is called Nathan.

Liam West

Affably Evil: He's polite for a Punch-Clock Villain.
Best Friend: One of Leah's best friends, alongside Sam.
Nice Guy: Among the nicest in the group.
Odd Name Out: The only one in his circle without an Alliterative Name.
One-Steve Limit: He shares his name with two other Liams in the story: Amy's father and the Black Hats leader preceding Harold.
Token Good Teammate: The nicest of the bunch.

Matthew Morales

Badass Driver: He might drive crazy, but he's really good at it.
Commonality Connection: He gets along with Jacey because they both like smoking marijuana.
Drives Like Crazy: He's a joyrider, and absolutely loves it.
It Amused Me: Unlike most of his teammates who are Punch Clock Villains, he engages in crime because he enjoys reckless driving.
One-Steve Limit: Shares his first name with protagonist Matthew. The latter is unamused when he finds out.

Michael Murray

Jerkass: He's very pushy and rude to his teammates.
One-Steve Limit Shares his first name with protagonist Michael.
Token Evil Teammate: The most meanspirited of the bunch.

Sam Sullivan

Best Friend: She's one of Leah's besties, the other being Liam.

Jacey Johnston

Commonality Connection: She gets along with Matthew because they both like smoking marijuana.
The Stoner: Like Matt, she likes smoking weed.

Jasmine Jacobs

Seth Stone

Nathan Norton

One-Steve Limit: One of his fellow criminals is called Nathaniel.

Intertwined Reimagined provides examples of the following tropes:

A-F

Accidental Murder: The reason why Derrick and Francis disappeared from Eliza's life is because the former killed the latter in a moment of anger during an argument over their strained relationship.
Accuser of the Brethren: At first, Norman refuses to consider the possibility that Arthur feels sorry for killing his wife Rose, which puts him at odd with his daughter Evelyn. Finding out the true circumstances of the murder later softens his heart, though.
Adaptational Heroism: While Jordan fell victim to Big Bad Slippage in Intertwined due to her jealousy over Evelyn, in here she doesn't, and her antagonism towards the latter's crush on Matt is played as genuine concern for her.
Adaptational Jerkass: In the original series, Norman was always said to be a loving father and a nice person. Back of his backstory here however, is that he used to be a big jerk and a neglectful father with a major case of Screw the Rules, I Have Money!, which is the attitude that led to him backstabbing Liam, Kyle and The Black Hats, the latter of which is what got his wife Rose killed.
Affably Evil: Surprisingly, most of the Black Hats members we meet are this. Arthur is polite and can be emotional, while John has a more professional approach to conversation, he's more stiff and standoffish. Gerald on the other hand, is outright cheerful and friendly.
- Most of the people they hire are perfectly sound and approachable individuals as well.
Alliterative Name: All of the criminals hired by the Black Hats, except for Liam West.
Amicably Divorced: Jordan's parents Lizzie and Daniel are divorced but on good terms, and Daniel occasionally visits the two.
And There Was Much Rejoicing: Everyone in the Black Hats were happy about Harold's death at the hands of Arthur.
Anti-Villain: Most of the Black Hats members are this, they're morally ambiguous and seem to only target people worse than them, or people who betrayed them and thus they feel justified in getting revenge against. Their hired help are also Punch Clock Villains at worst.
Arch-Enemy: To Norman, The Black Hats and Arthur specifically.
Arc Villain:
- Amy and Kyle for the first part of the story.
- Mason takes over Amy's spot slowly before he disappears. Though he does appear again much later so he can be dealt with properly.
- Jack emerges sometime after the Black Hats are introduced, and later gets dispatched.
- John winds up being the Final Boss of the book after Arthur dies.
Arc Words:
- "Big brothers comes first to protect the young ones." First it was said by Mike, then by Xavier in his Heel–Face Turn, then by Gerald talking about his brother John, and finally by Derrick lamenting his brother Francis.
- "Make it right." Said by characters attempting to remedy a mistake they made in the past, namely Norman and Arthur.
- Derrick's riddle "It can only be broken by someone put on it." ties in with the idea of Broken Pedestal experienced by a few characters throughout the story.
Batman Gambit:
- John proposes that they have good leverage over Norman with his daughter Evelyn, so he suggests taking her to draw him to them.
- After Kyle joins the Black Hats, Derrick learns that he and Norman used to be friends. After learning from Michelle that Kate was the one who killed Norman's wife, Derrick let it slip to Kyle, predicting he would be shocked that he actually turns sides and helps bring down the organization.
Beyond Redemption: Pretty much everyone has this opinion on Jack Nakamura and Harold Wilson.
Big Bad Ensemble:
- For the first half of the story, we have Amy and Kyle who both act as antagonists towards the kids and Norman respectively.
- For the second half, the Black Hats emerge and Arthur takes the spot, but then we also meet Mara's Abusive Dad Jack for the first time.
The Big Bad Shuffle: First we have Amy and Kyle, both are thorns in the side but relatively harmless. Then we get introduced to Mason, who proceeds to manipulate Amy into painting Jordan as abusive towards him and pinning all the blame on her. He disappears afterwards but his actions lead to something bigger: The Black Hats found out about Norman due to Evelyn being on the news reports of Jordan's incident, and the leader Arthur takes over as the main antagonist for a majority of the story. Mara's father Jack also seems to build himself up as a Big Bad, but his unpredictable and violent behavior only gets him so far, he's killed by John.
Big Brother Bully:
- Xavier is this towards Mara until he gets better.
- Francis is a downplayed example. After becoming jealous of Derrick, he never went out of his way to bully him, he just distanced himself while occasionally making passive aggressive comments.
Big Brother Instinct:
- Part of Xavier's Character Development is gaining one of these for his sister Mara.
- John has the extreme version of this for Gerald.
- Francis used to have this for Derrick when they were younger, but it disappeared as their relationship worsened in adulthood.
Cain and Abel:
- Xavier is Cain while Mara and Kata are Abels.
- The book has an interesting variation on this. You have the Aloof Big Brother Francis as Cain while the Nice Guy Derrick is Abel. It's Abel in this case that kills Cain, albeit accidentally.
Call-Back: The first thing that John has to say to Derrick in the finale:
John: Didn't I warn you about hurting him first thing that day?
Casanova Wannabe: Mason frequently hits on the girls despite them being clearly repulsed by him.
Central Theme: Some people are Beyond Redemption, but you can still choose to atone for your mistakes of the past.
Chekhov's Gag: Asher is given a puzzle by Derrick for fun: "It can only be broken by someone put on it." And he struggles with it. In the finale, after looking at Eliza's state during Derrick's funeral, Asher realizes the answer:
Asher: A pedestal.
Matt: What?
Asher: Can only be broken, by someone put on it.
The Chessmaster: Mason secretly conducts a plan where he frames Jordan as his abusive ex by gaining a good reputation among the citizens beforehand with charity work then tricking the former into beating him up in public.
Connected All Along:
- Amy's father, Kyle and Norman are the richest men in the town, and that's not the only connection between them. They all used to be friends and business partners before Norman turned his back on the two and did business with the Black Hats.
- Turns out Kyle's father who also owned a company before his son was Derrick's and Francis' boss, and he was the one who gave the former the promotion Francis wanted for so long, making his jealousy full-blown.
Continuity Reboot: The setting is mostly the same as Intertwined: vaguely American town with High School protagonists, however there are major expansions, deviations and additions in this story.
Cornered Rattlesnake: Jack might be a Dirty Coward who only picks on those weaker than him, but much to the surprise of John, who was sent to kill him, he doesn't go out without a fight to the point of forcing John to actually act very brutally to put him down.
Create Your Own Hero: The Black Hats tends to make people rise to defeat them with their actions, notable examples being Derrick who wants to protect his daughter Eliza, and even Kyle pulls a Heel–Face Turn when he hears they killed Norman's wife.
Create Your Own Villain: The reason why Kyle is the way he is now is due to Norman betraying him years ago to do business with the Black Hats, betraying their friendship.
The Cutie: Mike's youngest brother Henry.
Deceased Fall-Guy Gambit: Once he took out Arthur, Derrick planned to blame his accidental murder of Francis on the Black Hats and on the former specifically.
Deck of Wild Cards: Aside from Kate who clearly wants Arthur removed, we have Jake who's secretly Derrick planning to take down the organization, Michelle is the same then Kyle who wants to overthrow Arthur to get the power for himself.
Domestic Abuse: Jack towards both Mara and his wife Dianna.
The Dragon: We have John to Arthur, and Xavier to his father Jack.
Dragon-in-Chief: Though Mason is hired by Amy to help her humiliate the protagonists, it becomes clear that he's far more competent than she is. His ultimate plan to frame his ex Jordan as abusive has more ramifications than anything Amy could hope to think of.
Dragon with an Agenda: Mason accepts his position as Amy's assistant in planning schemes, but it's clear from first glance that he's just using her to advance an agenda of his own.
Elopement: Arthur and Amanda did this because her parents didn't approve of him.
Equal-Opportunity Evil: It is mentioned that as long as you're loyal and competent, you can join the Black Hats.
Even Evil Has Standards: Mason sometimes makes a point to say he's above doing certain evil acts, such as murder. This seems to be just another part of his Faux Affably Evil charm, but it seems more genuine when we see him freaked out for the first time upon finding Jack's body. He also makes it clear that he looks down on Rebecca and Jack.
Evil All Along:
- Downplayed with Eliza's father Derrick. He was revealed to be disguised as Jake and working for the heroes, but he also planned to use the situation to his advantage so he can hide his murder of his brother Francis.
- Played straight with Karen aka Michelle, who posed as mild mannered employee when in reality she was a criminal plotting for revenge against the Black Hats.
Evil Genius: John and Michelle in different ways: he's a strategist while she's tech-savvy.
Failure Gambit: Arthur concludes that his plan to turn himself in and apologize to Norman can only work on one condition: The Black Hats have to disappear. So he starts planning that, taking advantage of Derrick and Michelle, whom he found out to be spies.
Faux Affably Evil: Mason always acts like he's old friends with the protagonists, even though he's clearly a sadist who enjoys messing with them and hurting them.
Foreshadowing:
- Mike mentions that his father works as a construction worker, though he insists on being called a mason for some reason. Once Jordan hears the word "mason", she freaks out then brushes it off. Mason is her ex boyfriend who later makes an appearance.
- When Gerald is telling Jake that his brother John is kinder than he seems and that big brothers look after the young ones, Jake replies "Well, I'm glad they still exists." Given that Jake is later revealed to be Derrick, he was definitely talking about how his own relationship with Francis soured.
- A subtle hint to Jake's true identity is that both he and Eliza's father Derrick are left-handed, which is a rarity in the setting.

G-L

Gambit Pileup: Once the Black Hats get involved in the plot, this kicks in hard:
- First, we have the main characters obviously planning to take down the organization.
- Once Kyle hears of Norman's involvement with the gang, he plans to become the new head of it so he can gain even more power and influence.
- Arthur's plan was to setup a private meeting between him and Norman so he can explain what truly happened the day he murdered Norman's wife, apologize and turn himself in.
- John has been keeping Kate under his thumb all this time because he knows she's the one who killed Arthur's wife.
- Kate wants to get free from John's blackmailing and take down Arthur. Once she sees Kyle's ambitions, she comes up with a plan to achieve her goal by tempting the latter with power.
- Michelle and Jake both working together to bring down the Black Hats from the inside.
Good Parents: Most of the protagonists' parents are, but it tends to be more hit-or-miss when it comes to the parents of other characters.
The Good, the Bad, and the Evil: The protagonists and most of the characters around them are heroic. The Black Hats are the Big Bad faction for most of the story, but most members are sympathetic Anti Villains who are rather likable and have their principles, making them the Bad. The Evil faction would include some other antagonists who are despicable and reprehensible, such as Jack or Rebecca.
Gosh Dang It to Heck!: Most characters don't use swear words, though Matthew frequently drops "hell" and "damn". Mara's father has no problem with profanity though.
Happily Married: Almost all the parents we meet are this...except for Mara's and Amy's parents (both due to one spouse being abusive physically and/or emotionally).
Hate Sink: We have:
- Jack Nakamura, abusive jerkass to his family and everyone else.
- Rebecca Thornton, abusive and deceitful mother and wife.
- Harold Wilson, the previous Bad Boss of the Black Hats.
Heroic BSoD: Evelyn has one when she finds out the truth about her mother's death and Norman being her stepfather.
Hero with Bad Publicity: Jordan ends up this way due to Mason's scheme targeting her, causing people to think she was abusive towards him during their past relationship.
Hidden Agenda Villain: Mason as explained above. It doesn't become clear what he's trying to achieve until we find out that he's Jordan's ex and aiming to humiliate her.
High School: Our main characters continue to be teens in high school.
Honor Among Thieves: This belief is held by most Black Hats members.
Hypercompetent Sidekick: Samuel might be the vice president of Kyle's company, but it's clear he's the one mostly taking care of it and making sure everything is good since Kyle is often busy scheming for money or plotting against Norman.
I Am Not Your Father: Norman is actually Evelyn's stepfather. Her real father is a florist named Nate.
If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!: Samuel calls out Derrick's actions using this argument.
If You're So Evil, Eat This Kitten!: The Black Hats have this test that you have to pass in order to join them. When Jake joins, he is presented with having to kill Amy's mom Rebecca, which he does.
Internal Reveal:
- The audience is already aware ahead of time that Arthur is in fact Jeremy thanks to a flashback. The characters In-Universe only find out after his death by listening to a voice message he recorded.
- The characters don't also find out that Kate is Arthur's wife's murderer until Kyle's Heel–Face Turn.
In Touch with His Feminine Side: Mike, especially when compared to the overly confident and manly Asher and the apathetic serious Matthew.
Mike: Do you think I'd look good with makeup on?
It's Personal with the Dragon: Inverted. Some antagonists have it out for Norman, Evelyn's father, and harbor no ill-will towards the actual protagonists, namely Kyle and Arthur.
Jerkass: We have Jack, Xavier, Kate, Harold and Mason to name a few.
Just Between You and Me: Played for Drama. Arthur planned to do this with Norman but not to gloat, it was to admit he was the one who killed his wife years ago, apologize and turn himself in.
Just Like Us: The heroes were surprised to discover that most BH members turned out to be more humane than they seem at first glance.
Knight of Cerebus: Jack Nakamura, Mara's father, reprises his role as the most serious threat in the story.
- Arthur could also count as this, given how his involvement makes the tone serious, though he's much more sympathetic than Jack.
Lack of Empathy:
- Mason clearly has no concern for anyone he targets and uses as pawns in his schemes.
- Jack as well, being the most psychotic of the characters.
Last Plan Standing: In the Gambit Pileup mentioned above, the only plan that almost went flawlessly was Arthur's as he manages to help bring down his own organization so he can turn himself in. The only hiccup in the plan however, was that Arthur didn't anticipate Jake (or Derrick) killing him before he can go, and even then, this was rectified by Arthur being Crazy-Prepared enough to record himself beforehand and put the video in the info files for the heroes to find.
Laughably Evil: Mason makes a lot of wisecracks at the expense of those around him, in contrast to most antagonists who are serious about their villainy even if they're not very competent.
Lean and Mean: Most villains are rather slender in appearance, with the notable exception of Harold.
The Lost Lenore: Rose is this to Norman.
Love Triangle: Although John insists he's not interested in Kate because he doesn't want romance in the first place, Kate believes that he's turning her down because he loves Michelle instead, and there are some subtle hints that this is true.

M-R

The Man Behind the Woman: It turns out Rebecca started harassing the main cast so she'll be able to lead them to Mason, who has an offer for them.
Manipulative Bastard: Mason, full stop. Amy's mother Rebecca also counts.
Metaphorically True: During the time the protagonists are trapped with Arthur in the trap Kyle set up, Evelyn asks him about a Black Hats member named Jeremy (the one her father told them about before), he tells her "That man is dead, and I miss him." It seems to be a perfectly normal response revealing that Jeremy died a long time ago. It's only much later that the cast learns that Arthur was name-dropping the That Man Is Dead trope. He was Jeremy all along.
Missing Mom:
- Evelyn's mom Rose died years prior.
- Asher's mom left the family.
Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Arthur was actually willing to work with Harold just fine at the beginning, but his continuous unnecessary actions rubbed him off the wrong. It eventually culminated in Arthur killing him over a deal they had that costed the life of Arthur's wife.
My God, What Have I Done?:
- Norman once he realizes his wife was killed by the Black Hats because he tricked them.
- Derrick when he accidentally kills his brother Francis in a moment of rage.
My Greatest Failure: For Norman, it's causing his wife's death due to messing with the Black Hats.
- Ironically, the same ordeal is also this for Arthur, as he was the one who killed Rose under the threats of Harold killing his own wife Amanda. Amanda getting killed anyways doubles this for Arthur.
Nebulous Evil Organisation: The Black Hats.
Nice Guy: Mike, Evelyn, Eliza and Mara.
- Of the parents, Samuel, Dianna, Mark, Sophie and Norman.
- Surprisingly, Arthur and Gerald too.
Non-Action Big Bad: Quite a few antagonists are not much for physical fighting, preferring to rely on other methods instead, namely Amy, Kyle and Mason. Subverted with the Black Hats however, as Arthur and John both demonstrated they are capable and will fight if necessary.
Nothing Is the Same Anymore: To say the Black Hats' involvement in the plot changed everything would be an understatement, as several characters come to realizations of things that were hidden from them years ago.
One-Steve Limit: We have it averted by:
- Kyle's father Nate Hoffman and Evelyn's biological father, Nate.
- Kata's girlfriend Amanda Anderson and Jeremy's wife, Amanda.
- Amy's father Liam Thornton, the Black Hats leader preceding Harold, and Liam West, one of the hired criminals of the Black Hats.
- Protagonists Matthew and Michael share names with two of the hired criminals.
- Nathan Norton and Nathaniel Newman.
Papa Wolf: Norman immediately leaps into action whenever his daughter (and her friends) are in danger.
Pay Evil unto Evil: This is the BH's M.O. Yes, they do bad things to people, but generally it's towards people who have done reprehensible things in the past. They even go as far as researching their targets and making sure they did those things.
Plot Armor: The teens remain safe from death throughout the story. The adults? Some weren't lucky.
Plot-Triggering Death: The backstory events that would go on to shape the present story started with Evelyn's mother Rose being killed by Arthur on orders from Harold.
Posthumous Character: We have a handful of them, and all of them play a role in the backstory:
- Evelyn's mom Rose was killed by Jeremy under Harold's orders or else his own wife would be killed...which she was, so she counts as this as well.
- Eliza's uncle Francis Hansen who was accidentally killed by his brother Derrick in an argument and forced Derrick to go into hiding.
- Harold Wilson, the previous Black Hats leader and pretty much the Greater-Scope Villain of the whole story.
- The Black Hats leader preceding Harold, Liam.
Pragmatic Villainy: Mason discovered when he first started dating Jordan that all of her exes before him physically abused her, so he deliberately avoided doing the same thing just so he'll be able to manipulate her and reel her in easier.
Precocious Crush: 8 years old Henry gains one on 16 years old Evelyn after he meets her.
Rebuilt Pedestal: Evelyn eventually forgives Norman for lying about her mother's death circumstances after causing it and him actually being her stepfather.
Recruiting the Criminal: Kyle, technically a criminal by aligning himself with the Black Hats, turns himself in after realizing they killed Norman's wife. The heroes then decide he would make for a good mole and get him to help them bring the organization down.
Red Right Hand: Arthur is missing the ring finger on his left hand. In a subverted example, this actually humanizes him more: His finger was cut off by Harold as he was torturing him, and he specifically chose that finger because he just had Arthur's wife killed.
Regretful Traitor: Norman comes to regret betraying Liam and Kyle when doing business with the Black Hats ended up with his wife Rose being killed.
Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Norman betrayed both Liam and Kyle to do business with the Black Hats. It resulted in his wife getting killed and being forced to go into hiding.

S-Y

Sadistic Choice: Harold proposes this to Arthur: Either he kills Norman's wife for revenge or his own wife Amanda will be killed. Arthur complies but Harold had other plans.
Ship Sinking: John makes it clear many times that he and Kate will never be together, as he's repulsed by her and has eyes for Michelle instead.
Shout-Out:
- The previous Black Hats leader is named Harold Wilson, and it's no coincidence that they're both Hate Sinks.
  - Also, Matthew sarcastically comments that Asher's ideas are about as good as trying to make friends between a blue cat and a goldfish.
- Two brothers named Derrick and Francis who have a bad relationship between them. Now where have you heard that before?
  - On that note, the Black Hats members we meet are Gerald (Real name: Patrick), Michelle (Karen) and Kate^note Plus the current leader and his right hand are Arthur and John.
- Derrick's codename being Jake is a reference to the hacker named Jake from Duskwood. Alan Chase is also named after the police chief Alan Bloomgate.
- The Black Hats were inspired by The Toppat Clan and The Black Organization.
- Arthur missing a finger was inspired by Toffee from Star vs. the Forces of Evil.
- The Chekhov's Gag described above with Asher realizing the answer to Derrick's riddle after seeing Eliza at the funeral is directly inspired by a similar situation in God of War Ragnarök.
- At one point, Michael reads a haiku in his mother's collection that goes like this:
Reality illusion
Universe is a
Hologram, buy gold, and bye
- Gerald's codename while in disguise is Edward Thatch.
Sympathy for the Devil: Almost everyone on the good side feels bad for Arthur after discovering his Dark and Troubled Past.
Sympathy for the Hero: Three of the Black Hats members (Arthur, John and Gerald) feel bad that the seven teenaged protagonists had to be dragged in the big mess between them and the police and Norman.
Take Over the City: This is Kyle's goal aside from outdoing Norman.
Together in Death: As he's about to die, Arthur says he's looking forward to seeing his wife again.
Town with a Dark Secret: Downplayed. The town the story takes place in is relatively accommodating, but as it turns out, a lot of the history isn't pretty and many terrible things happened in the past, most of which can be traced back to the Black Hats.
Two Girls to a Team: Michelle and Kate are the only official female Black Hats members we see.
Undying Loyalty: All of Arthur's underlings (except Kate) have this for him.
Unknown Rival: Norman doesn't really see Kyle as a rival like the latter does him. It was shown to be the result of his guilt over betraying him years ago when they were friends.
Used to Be a Sweet Kid:
- According to Dianna, her husband Jack used to be a lot nicer than he is now.
- Downplayed with Francis. He didn't become a jerkass towards his brother Derrick, just distant and a bit snarky.
Viler New Villain: This happens twice:
- The first antagonists we meet are Amy and Kyle, both of whom are antagonistic, but not truly evil as Amy is rather harmless and Kyle is not ruthless although he isn't nice. Once Mason comes into the picture, he surpasses both in vileness and efficiency with a plan he executes without remorse.
- After the Black Hats are introduced, we get to meet each one of them and they're all relatively likable (or at the very least have standards they won't cross). It's around this time we meet Jack, Mara's father and one of the two biggest Hate Sinks in the whole book.
Villain with Good Publicity:
- Mason turns out to have built this reputation to use in his plan to make sure a lot of people would believe him when he frames Jordan as his abusive ex.
- Kyle presents himself as affable to the public for the sake of his company.
Wake-Up Call Boss: With Amy being a Harmless Villain who's constantly ridiculed by the main characters and Kyle being an Unknown Rival to Norman, Mason is the first antagonist to really shake up the status quo and change the course of the story forever.
Wham Shot: Jeremy (who we don't know is Arthur yet) coming home to find his wife dead, despite Harold's promise that she would be spared if he did as he was told.
Wham Line:
- "A few things are going to change around here. Starting with me. From now on, I'll be called Arthur". Said by Jeremy in a flashback.
- Kyle finally reveals who is Liam that he always mentions:
Kyle: Liam was our friend back then. Liam Thornton.
Wounded Gazelle Gambit: In order to gain sympathy and be able to lie easier about Francis, Derrick played himself to be a victim of the Black Hats.
You Said You Would Let Them Go: When Harold betrays his deal with Arthur, the latter responds with this.

Darth Wiki / Intertwined Reimagined

Characters newly introduced in the book

Amy Thornton

Kyle Hoffman

Mr. Thornton

Rebecca Thornton

Nate Hoffman

Amanda Mell

Alan Chase

Derrick Hansen

Francis Hansen

The Black Hats

Official Members

Arthur

John

Gerald

Michelle

Kate

Harold Wilson

Hired Criminals

Leah Lyons

Nathaniel Newman

Liam West

Matthew Morales

Michael Murray

Sam Sullivan

Jacey Johnston

Jasmine Jacobs

Seth Stone

Nathan Norton

Intertwined Reimagined provides examples of the following tropes:

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Darth Wiki / Intertwined Reimagined

Edit Locked

Characters newly introduced in the book

Amy Thornton

Kyle Hoffman

Mr. Thornton

Rebecca Thornton

Nate Hoffman

Amanda Mell

Alan Chase

Derrick Hansen

Francis Hansen

The Black Hats

Official Members

Arthur

John

Gerald

Michelle

Kate

Harold Wilson

Hired Criminals

Leah Lyons

Nathaniel Newman

Liam West

Matthew Morales

Michael Murray

Sam Sullivan

Jacey Johnston

Jasmine Jacobs

Seth Stone

Nathan Norton

Intertwined Reimagined provides examples of the following tropes:

Previous

Index

Next