It's all about accessorizing!

Because my characters need some cool stuff, then I can make more merchandise!!

Of course, this means more illustration work... Oops.

Tools

Each main character has their own tool that is completely unique to them. It helps them to acquire their goals and get to where they need to be. A tool could help a character navigate the city, track another character or get them out of danger. Things like phones don’t really count. Who doesn’t have a phone these days? 

Alex: ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

Alex carries this novel around with him wherever he goes. It has no practical use in the real world, other than to calm Alex down when he reads his favourite passages. In a way, its uselessness is quite befitting of Alex’s reserved and vulnerable nature. However, in Alex’s wonderland he is able to use the book more practically, such as conjuring up weapons (anyone for a Vorpal Blade?). However, such conjurings are representations of the real world, so that Vorpal Blade is more than likely a length of steel piping in the real world. So really, the seemingly useless novel that Alex carries around with him is actually a useful tool that provides Alex with the mental strength to fight back and defend himself. 

Alice: GLASSES

Alice’s glasses are a strange pair. They’re actually a device that only Alice is capable of using, however Alice intends to tweak the device so that it can be mass produced for the use of other doctors. The device in question is used to see what another person can see, provided said person is wired up to the device. In using the device Alice has been able to gain a deeper understanding of patients’ minds, particularly those suffering from hallucinatory conditions. However, the device requires a very strong mind, or one might find themselves lost in another’s twisted mind. This is the main reason only Alice is capable of using the device for the time being. Alice’s device is currently calibrated to Alex. As well as peering in to Alex’s mind, Alice can also use the device to track Alex’s location should the pair become separated. 

Alyssa: GRAPPLING HOOK GUN

There’s not a great deal that can be said about Alyssa’s grappling hook gun. She points it at something, fires and then zips away in a flash. It’s a great way to get out of danger in a pinch. The wire in the device is even strong enough to carry more than Alyssa, should that be necessary (and of course, if Alyssa has the strength to carry more than just herself). As a fugitive, the tool is practically essential for Alyssa. It’s pretty quiet too, so Alyssa can be as stealthy as she needs to be. 

Rosa: HENCHMEN

It might seem a little odd to refer to people as tools, but then that mentality just about sums Rosa up these days. She’s very single minded and completely lacking in compassion and empathy. The henchmen in question are two very large, very strong twins that work as security guards at the asylum. They essentially carry out any “dirty work”, such as tracking the young, innocent boy that Rosa seems hell bent on imprisoning. The two of them are essentially controlled by Rosa. There’s no mind control involved, but a set of microchips implanted in their brains provide Rosa with the leverage she needs to put them up to any task. 

Dinah: LOCK PICKS

What’s a journalist without a set of lock picks to break in to all of those places she isn’t supposed to be? Provided a good kick won’t permit entry, Dinah carries around a set of lock picks. There’s even a nifty digital pick that can be used to open electronic doors. As a bit of an inventor, Dinah designed this one herself. Simple really; door won’t open? Find the lock. Make it open. 

Dinah has a few connections too, henchmen of her own in a way. Seems almost unfair that she’s got so much assistance, doesn’t it? To be fair, lock picks aren’t very cool.