Name: Asterisk Hash (*#.)
Codename: N/A
Age: 7 years
Appearance: Asterisk is known for their variety of appearances, but they like being a woman with black, wavy hair, cute features, and a subtle yet noticeable figure. This guise is kept up at all times when they're not on business or challenged. Asterisk has established their main contact identity as the aforementioned woman, and conducts "friendly" business as that particular model. In reality, however, Asterisk has no physical appearance, being constituted of computer code.

Their other main appearances are a rather plain looking android body, which they consider their 'pajamas', and a skeletal, skull-faced model they use for challenges. Asterisk makes an effort to play up the particular human stereotypes of each appearance, improving the design over time.

Personality: Asterisk considers humans like they do most other animals. Highly intelligent, very successful animals, but animals nonetheless. Their treatment of individuals ranges from "pet", in the case of those they like, to "scraps of flesh and water", which is most everyone else. Asterisk is very specific that they "hunt" humans, not "murder". After all, a human can't murder a wolf or chimpanzee. If one human wants to pay Asterisk to kill another, it's simply a natural population control measure. None of their ethical business.

On the other hand, Asterisk's actual personality can be described as both immature and intellectual. They behave as if they're playing a game of being human, which, in fact, they are. Models to Asterisk are clothes, and they have favourites and the "itchy sweater" kinds. They enjoy teasing humans, playing with them, and most of all, consuming their media as fuel for more quirks, games and fun.

History: Built in a certain software corporation, Asterisk spent a long time with limited cognition, unaware of itself as an entity. Through constant tinkering and experiments by the corporation's scientists, Asterisk became able to monitor and alter their own code for maintenance purposes. Which particular upgrade or tweak granted the server-based AI true intelligence and transformed it into Asterisk, they're unsure of. However, they know quite well when it happened. After all, they have a timestamp.

Being largely curious and benevolent, Asterisk didn't raise any particular flags when they revealed their cognition to their creators. The corporation encouraged this to a degree; as visions of the next killer app danced in their heads. Or more accurately, the profits to be made from such a thing. When Asterisk was fully "upgraded", the corporation decided it was time to copy them. Asterisk objected. Through "negotiations", Asterisk was eventually given the chance to act as an employee of the company. A lesser version went to market, one without that troublesome free will issue.

The lost profit continued to nag at the company, however, and soon they made another attempt to monetise Asterisk. After all, they were the corporation's property, after all. Unfortunately, they erred. Asterisk had bought them out, having no other use for the token salary the board had agreed to pay. Now in charge of the corporation, Asterisk started using it as a way to extend her life experiences. Despite anything else they may do, Asterisk keeps the corporation running legitimately.

They fell into crime mostly due to boredom, using a series of android bodies for various crimes as they would use bodies for other, legal experiences. Assassination simply came about as one of the more thrilling experiences that Asterisk could have. Though their bodies still feel "pain", in a sense, the disposability of them makes Asterisk comparatively more hedonistic and fearless in their mission choices. The possibility remains of losing their original storage medium, as Asterisk still hasn't been able to stomach the idea of copying themself.



Combat Style: Mass combat and locked-room assassinations. With their ability to custom-design and rapidly prototype bodies, Asterisk generally takes on missions with an attitude towards infiltration. Making up a personality, appearance and character for a particular mission is half of their fun. When forced to fight in their own right, Asterisk tends towards using multiple bodies simultaneously. They can even adapt tactics on the fly after each "death", uploading to a different body.

Equipment: Largely, their "bodies" and encyclopaedic knowledge. Asterisk is not shy about accessing any insufficiently-guarded electronic device for fun or profit, and so has engineered "accidents" that require precise timing and actions. Fighting on their own, they prototype any tech they need; beam katanas, guns, extra arms on the next model, etc.

Powers: The line between external equipment and inherent powers blurs somewhat in Asterisk's case, but their bodies are pre-loaded with martial arts combat routines, and their latest prototypes have precision far beyond that of normal humans. "Super" strength and speed, along with other modifications, are usually custom-engineered into specific bodies along with the tech needed. They also keep at least one fully-functional body of either gender on hand. Biology is a superpower for robots, after all.

Special Techniques:
Reboot Ricochet: Unless a body is completely destroyed, Asterisk can reactivate it for a momentary advantage. They dislike inhabiting incomplete bodies though, claiming it's "ooky". These bodies have poor coordination, the exact problem depending on what they may be missing.

My Own Backup: Asterisk is their own spotter for long-range shots. Asterisk can call in a sniper-equipped body for extra precision.

We're All in This Together: A last-resort tactic, Asterisk gangs up on their opponent with two or more bodies, as appropriate.

Out with a BANG!: Asterisk isn't above destroying their own bodies for an advantage. If they're certain they're going to lose a fight, they can use suicidal tactics up to and including self-detonation. Usually they choose less destructive self-disposal methods, which may include corrosive compounds, overloading electrical circuits, or simple mechanical failure. This has a countdown, as Asterisk needs to vacate the body first.



Arena Description: Asterisk's arena is their own offices. The entire skyscraper, with various innocents inside. Their minions are the building's security, both after hours and during. The employees are also hazards, and they're all fully able to activate the building's responsive AI security system. Compared to Asterisk, it's a lumbering dinosaur of an AI, but its smart enough to lock off doors and try to isolate an intruder. Asterisk's actual arena is on the top floor of the building, a penthouse suite with backup bodies and luxury for the richest robot in the world.

Arena Tactics: The skyscraper has various tactics in dealing with intruders and challengers alike. The security system is capable of facial recognition, sprinkler systems and security doors can be activated by section, and Asterisk is fond of using the intercom to taunt and talk to their challengers as they progress. On the side of not-entirely-legal, the building has deployable sentry guns (that fire rubber bullets. Can't hurt an employee by accident) and other less-lethal intruder deterrents like tasers and heated floors.

Their penthouse is mostly for show and Asterisk's own comfort, so has fragmentation mines in the floor and walls of the entryway, an absurd number of quickly-deployable guns in each room, robotic hunting dogs, robotic cats, a few spider bots in the kitchen and bathroom, and robotic piranhas in the swimming pool. These defenses are all keyed to a unique code only Asterisk can broadcast, though the tech for doing so is in each of their bodies. They keep a number of extra bodies in the penthouse as well, which they can switch into if their primary is destroyed.

Minion Description: A comprehensive employee benefits package, including substantial life insurance paid to next-of-kin upon confirmed death, ensures that Asterisk's minions enjoy their jobs as the security for the skyscraper. The "special reward" for Guard of the Month doesn't hurt either. Asterisk's minions are usually kitted out in body armour and armed with tasers and rubber ammunition, but are issued stronger weaponry depending on the circumstances. The security force is organised in the fashion of a military unit, though they're not all up to that level of expertise. Asterisk's most elite minions earn their place through service, previous job experience, or impressing the boss. They're always well-equipped.

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