Some call us superhumans, some call us enhanced, some even call us freaks of nature.
Over time, the ‘politically correct’ term has become Variant -- as in, a variation of the normal human genome. We’re said to have an anomaly in our genetic code that allows us to manifest certain powers or abilities.
No explanation as to how or why or where this came from...either way, it’s a major source of conflict in our world.
While the world struggles to figure out what to do with Variants, the Variants struggle to find their place in the world.
There are those who want to try and maintain ordinary lives just like everyone else...perhaps use their abilities to help a few people or get ahead in life.
Some prefer to play the hero, believing that their abilities were somehow bestowed upon them for upholding some grand responsibility.
And, yet, there are those who would rather watch the world burn just to see if anything will rise from the ashes...
Apparently, a normal life isn’t an option for someone who can turn into ice or has armored skin or can read minds...too much to ask, it seems.
But with every struggle, there’s a story...and this is ours.
* * * * * * *
Organizations
[ N.O.V.A. ]
The National Office for Variant Affairs, more commonly referred to as N.O.V.A., is a government agency that deals with Variants involving everything from public relations to legal issues to scientific research. The agency for the most part is quite professional, though, over the years, corruption has started to make its way through the system at various levels.
Variant Types and Danger Levels N.O.V.A. uses a system to classify Variants based on their specific abilities and also by the potential threat to society that those abilities pose. This does not necessarily take into account the notoriety of a Variant, but an especially aggressive or abusive Variant may have a higher danger level than normal (if he/she has been identified).
Danger Levels Class 1 - Low (oh please...are you even a Variant?) Variant poses no threat to others; usually possesses low level enhancement or alteration abilities; abilities may even be inherently beneficial
Class 2 - Mild (yeah, that guy kinda bothers me a bit...) Variant may be a minimal threat to persons in close proximity if abilities are abused
Class 3 - Moderate (hey now...you be careful with that, ok? we don't want any trouble) Though they may not be an immediate danger, Variant has a high potential to cause damage or harm to others
Class 4 - High (wait...she can do what?!...yeah, we're screwed...) Variant is an immediate communal threat and individuals within his/her proximity should be on high alert
Class 5 - Extreme (that's ok...we don't need the Earth anyway, right?) Variant poses a national (or potentially global) danger and should be avoided at all costs; immediate action should be taken to neutralize this threat
Variant Types Brute - Variant with increased levels of strength and/or durability; he/she may be more difficult to harm or take down
Metamorphic - Variant can change anatomy and/or physiology, either partially or fully; can take human or non-human forms including animal, mineral, energy, or alien
Volatile - Variant has abilities dealing with fire, electricity, plasma, and any other explosive energy/force; includes corrosives
Mentalist - Variant possesses psychic abilities; can control and/or manipulate objects, people, or energy using his/her thoughts
Agile - Variant is prone to quick movements and/or fast/instant travel; he/she may possess increased levels of dexterity
Inhibitor - Variant wields abilities that can weaken and/or hinder others
Augmentor - Variant has the ability to improve the condition of themselves and/or others
Distortionist - Variant is able to alter space-time, intangible concepts, or reality as a whole
Natural - Variant has abilities that utilize and/or affect the natural world and/or animals
Architect - Variant who is able to manipulate, modify, and/or replicate matter and/or energy; some are able to construct tangible objects from energy
Notoriety One of the primary goals of N.O.V.A. is to identify and register all Variants living within the nation's borders. Variants have no legal obligation to register with N.O.V.A., so, as one would expect, not all Variants are willing to comply with the agency's agenda, whether out of privacy or sheer rebellion. For these reasons, every Variant has a certain level of notoriety with N.O.V.A., whether officially or unofficially.
Indistinct - individuals who have been recognized as Variants but have yet to be identified by N.O.V.A. (usually wear a disguise of some sort)
Watched - Variants who have been identified but have not registered
Wanted - Variants who are known to misuse their abilities and pose a threat to the well-being and quality of life of others; vigilantes operating outside of the law are also considered Wanted as oftentimes their actions can cause collateral damage to people or property
Noble - Variants who have willingly given N.O.V.A. information on their identity and abilities and are licensed to use their abilities for 'altruistic and benevolent practices'
M.A.D. N.O.V.A. employs a task force that is specially trained and equipped to handle Variant criminal activity. M.A.D., which stands for Monitoring, Apprehension, and Detainment, is a fairly recent institution that is being implemented in several major cities. Its members, which included Variants until a rather serious incident caused a policy change, are commonly referred to as MADmen. M.A.D. uses both street cameras and surveillance drones to track suspicious Variant activity. The main facility contains their central command center as well as an armory, garage, and training camp. There are also several smaller satellite 'posts' that are dispersed throughout the city to ensure a wider coverage and quicker response times.
[ The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly ]
Pariah Underground The Pariah Underground is a loose network of wayward Variants who have distanced themselves from society. Most Variants in the Underground have abilities that are dangerous, grotesque, or just plain odd. Members usually occupy areas that have little to no human population and some have even gone so far as to actually construct subterranean hideouts. Though some prefer to have little to no contact with the outside world, others take to the streets as vigilantes or even criminals (known as the Scourge). In any case, Variants in the Underground take extensive measures to avoid N.O.V.A. and M.A.D. as much as possible.
Chimera Chimera is an underground tech guild that frequently engages in acts of cyber-terrorism. One of the primary goals of Chimera is to infiltrate government systems and the systems of large corporations. Though governments and corporations are their main targets, they will make attacks on citizens quite often. Chimera employs a variety of militant techies including hackers, coders, computer engineers, and even hardcore gamers. For reasons yet to be discerned, Chimera has grown increasingly antagonistic towards Variants in recent times.
The Glorious Alliance The Glorious Alliance is an assembly of Nobles who work together for the general benefit of society. Members of the Alliance see themselves as altruists trying to better the image of Variant-kind while most other Variants view them as egotistical sellouts and showoffs. Though the Alliance claims to work for free, they have been known to accept 'gifts' and 'donations' from 'supportive citizens'.
The Syndicate The Syndicate is an extremely well-hidden, power-hungry Variant gang that happens to be infused with a substantial amount of money. As such, they are overly discriminatory about both their member selection and their mode of operation, sticking to high-level crimes involving major organizations and institutions. They usually only work to promote their own agendas but will occasionally collaborate with others if the dealings are beneficial enough -- which is rare, to say the least. Though their funding is near untraceable by conventional means, rumors have arisen that the organization is involved in smuggling and trafficking.
* * * * * * *
General Info
[ New Haven ]
The most ‘unique’ city in America. Vibrant culture, breathtaking architecture, rich history, festivals all year. One of the greatest cities the country has to offer...if you don't plan on staying, that is. Visiting is great; living there is a whole different story. Poverty, crime, and corruption all come to light once the veil is lifted and the allure fades away. The rich enjoy the most opulent of lives, while the poor struggle to keep food on the table. The city's rising crime rates are overwhelming local law enforcement. It's like biting into the most delicious dessert you've ever tasted...only to discover it contained a deadly poison.
Key Districts
Ville Rouge The oldest part of town which also happens to be the primary cultural hub.
Business District/Midtown The central urban area of New Haven boasting numerous skyscrapers and several rail lines.
Vines A historical neighborhood filled with mansions on large plantations located just south of Midtown.
Uptown Another wealthy district with slightly smaller estates than Vines.
The Shanty The poor area located near Bywater.
Warehouse District Trendy and artsy district with converted brick warehouses.
Bywater Known for its colorful street murals and has a bohemian vibe.
Brigitte A broad, predominantly middle-class, and racially diverse district favored by retirees and families.
Lakeview With its easy access to the waters of Lake Vista, Lakeview has a large sailing and boating community.
Anadine Village across the river featuring ancient oaks and tidy Victorian cottages.
New Haven East Raw and wild district full of marshes and wetlands with very little urban development.
Country/Bayou The rural area on the other side of the large river that borders the city.
Tech Alley - a popular stretch in Midtown lined with Nexus cafes, arcades, and tech garages, and generally nerdy shops
1 Marshal Avenue - huge government building located in the heart of Midtown housing several departments and agencies including N.O.V.A. HQ
Battery Bridge - a large suspension bridge in the Warehouse district connecting New Haven to the neighboring city over the river
Lindsay Park - the city's largest community park located in Lakeview near Brigitte
M.A.D. Headquarters - a massive building located on the edge of Midtown near Lakeview serving as M.A.D.'s central facility. Several satellite posts are positioned in each district
Market Street - historically charming open-air market in Ville Rouge
River Street - lined with centuries-old buildings that have been converted to shops, restaurants, nightspots, and hotels. Stretches from the Warehouse district to the Bywater district
[ Grand Global Nexus ]
Most, if not all, computers in the world can access the Grand Global Nexus (G.G.N. or The Nexus). The Nexus is simply a vast computer network that connects several other smaller networks (what would be the ‘Internet’). The most predominant branch of the Nexus is the Transnational Databank (TDB). The TDB is a universally linked system of hypertext documents (what would be the ‘World Wide Web’) that is organized into 'datasites’ which each have a 'datacode’. The TDB is divided into five main sectors: government (001), business (002), education (003), media (004), and general/personal (005). A datacode will look like this:
People can also receive digital mail (d-mail) through the Nexus. A mail command will look like this:
::MAIL.Wolfman187@005.ChainMail::
Popular Datasites Blabbr - a social networking site where users post photos, short video and audio clips, and small blurbs of text Visage - a social networking site where users create extensive personal profiles to share with others FriendBridge - a popular communication site used to send text messages and make voice and video calls Vivify - the top blogging site on the Nexus Optica - the world's largest video sharing and streaming site ChainMail - a popular d-mail provider with lots of personalization Privy - the world's most popular and trusted news site Reson8 - the top nexus radio site on the planet MetaSphere - a wildly popular gamer hub WildFyre - an underground site hidden deep in the Nexus
Top Nexus Providers Compass - comes standard with the Solaris operating system Vortex - has numerous customization options Nexpress - extremely fast and reliable
[ Tech Companies ]
Sunrise Corporation - develops and manufactures computer software, consumer electronics, and personal computers; creator of the Solaris operating system Panorama Industries - a major robotics and cybernetics manufacturer headquartered in New Haven Rhoella Technologies - the world's largest manufacturer of several smart technologies including mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, and televisions; helped develop the Interactive Immersive Interface (i³)
Intelligent Command and Operation Network (ICON) - an AI guidance system that controls the movements of vehicles and civil robots throughout the country. Construction bots, delivery drones, and public transport vehicles are all linked to ICON. Interactive Immersive Interface (i³) - virtual reality (i³Total) and mixed reality (i³Spatial) Omni-Lens - eyewear that uses i³Spatial technology Drones - any unmanned aircraft or airborne device; delivery, security, personal E-Vap - electronic vapor cylinders used for smoking; sometimes called 'cyls’ Stingers - used to shoot intravenous drugs Dissemblers - a small, concealable device used to make oneself ‘invisible’ to surveillance cameras; extremely rare and highly illegal
Recent major advances in cybernetics, along with the collective desire of non-Variants to ‘keep up’ with their Variant brethren, have resulted in the radical movement of body modification by way of technology. Enhancements to the body’s natural strength and speed, sensory boosters, and even lightly-armored skin plating are common modifications among civilians. Militaries have begun to develop mods that integrate weapons into the body, but these are highly experimental and dangerous, as well as classified.
As this has undoubtedly been the fastest growing trend in recent global history, the demand for body mods far outweighs the supply. This being the case, modding is extremely expensive, making it quite uncommon amongst those who aren't super rich. Even though equipping ‘designer mods’ are a favorite pastime of the upper class, they certainly aren’t the only ones getting in on the action. An entire underground market has spawned from the popularity of modding, and you can bet that those involved don’t play by the rules. Illegal/black market mods like weapons, limit breakers, and mil-spec tech are readily available for the right price, and street surgeons called ‘Tuners’ are eager to get their hands on a willing body to tinker with. Some individuals are even willing to settle for second-hand, outdated, low-quality, or even experimental mods just to get a taste of the ‘enhanced’ life.
Calls for regulation on body mods have resulted in legal limits to the level of enhancement allowed by a mod as well as the amount of modification to one’s body. There have been several cases of enhanced individuals disregarding these limits and 'overclocking’ their bodies, resulting in various adverse effects including fatigue, comas, permanent damage to bodily systems and functions, and even death.
* * * * * * *
Character Sheet
(insert photo here, realistic preferred)
Name | Alias | Age | Gender | Appearance | (height, weight, body type/build, identifying marks/tattoos) Notoriety | (using the N.O.V.A. system) Danger Level/Variant Type | Abilities |
[Gear] Attire | Armament/Equipment |
[Temperament & Lifestyle] Affiliation | (Pariah Underground or independent) Personality/Habits | Occupation/Trade | Skills/Talents | Family | Background |
We’re focusing more on outcasts and vigilantes in this RP, but a few Nobles are welcome
Chimera, The Syndicate, and The Glorious Alliance are non-playable, however some loose ties or past associations are acceptable (just ask me if you need clarification)
N.O.V.A. / M.A.D. agents are non-playable; strictly for NPCs and background (suggestions for agents are welcome, though)
Non-Variant characters are welcome
Class 5 Variants are not allowed
Be careful when using Distortionist-type abilities so that they are not too overpowered
This is taking place in the year 2080 in an alternate version of America
If you want to play multiple characters, I’m allowing a max of two per person
Have fun!!!
Cast List
Variants Pariah Underground
Lina Lewis/Sear -- 26 -- Heat Immunity, Solar Absorption/Infusion Remy Doe/The Rat -- 15? -- Space-Time Displacement Miguel Garcia/Arthur Bautista/Dianus -- 23 -- Portal Creation James Chang/Jimi -- 18 -- Energy Siphoning & Redirection Zahariel Angstrom/Murder Express -- 30 -- Raven(s) Form Cameron Williams/Vermilion -- 23 -- Blood Detenation
Name | Remy Doe (Last name assigned, unknown) Alias | The Rat Age | 15? Gender | Male Appearance | This shifty looking teen has large brown eyes that are like two discs of wood. His fine, greasy brown hair is unkempt and constantly in need of a trim. He's very short with a thin build and long fingers. His skin is pale. He has high cheekbones. His wardrobe looks like it came mostly from Goodwill. Notoriety | Petty thief & escape artist, some street art (he's no Banksy) Danger Level/Variant Type | Class 1 Distortionist Abilities | Space/time displacement. - Random objects appear in his pockets when their owners bump into him - keys, wallets, smart phones, etc. Sometimes while they're being held. - Objects of moderate size and mass that he stares at long enough, as long as he has a line of sight to them, can also wind up in his pockets or messenger bag. - Objects known to him, if lost or taken, return to him. - If he goes to sleep in a jail cell, he wakes up on his pallet in the basement of an empty townhouse. - If threatened, he may disappear, reappearing randomly near by. [Gear] Attire | black watch cap, army jacket, green commando sweater, blue hawaiian shirt, jeans, long multicolored scarf, belt with suspenders, black tube socks (wears two on each foot), cheap canvas sneakers, khaki paint-splattered messenger bag. Most of it looks too big for him and could use a wash. Armament/Equipment | Swiss Army knife, pen light, brass zippo lighter, a fork whose metal handle is styled like bamboo, a large serving spoon, a green wristwatch with a woven band, khaki paint-splattered messenger bag, toothbrush. Can summon a 9mm Beretta from a police officer who arrested him once. Other items as needed. [Temperament & Lifestyle] Affiliation | Pariah Underground connections. Personality/Habits | Skittish around people, especially large, muscular clean-shaven men. Very quiet, tends to skulk while keeping a wary eye out for people. Occupation/Trade | Petty thief, street artist Skills/Talents | Moderate street tagger. Can speak French, Spanish, Russian, and Italian. Clearly has some education. Family | Unknown, claims to have woken up in some basement wearing a lot of bandages, with no memory of who he was or how he got there. Background | Met some kids on the streets and when they asked him his name, he said without thinking about it, "Remy". One of the kids laughed and said, "Like the rat in Ratatouille?" He had no idea of what they were talking about, but "the rat" stuck.
It wasn't long before bodega owners noticed how small things would disappear around him and began chasing him out of their shops. A few arrests for pickpocketing, shoplifting. Police may suspect he's a variant, but if he could take whatever he wanted, they can't understand why he'd still be a homeless street kid. Spends a lot of time at the library, it's warm and he can wash himself in their restroom.
The empty townhouse he lives in has a reputation in the neighborhood for being haunted by the former owners, John and Mary Remington, who died after their town car was smashed into by a van and shot up by masked gunmen. Their son in the back seat was the only survivor, spent a couple of months in the hospital in a coma, only to vanish one night in what the police and FBI believe was a kidnapping.
The household goods were moved into storage by the extended family within a week of the house being released by the police. Water and electricity remain on, heat pump keeps house in the 40's in winter, 70's in summer.
Name | Mikael Peacemaker Alias | Reflector Age | 16 Gender | Male. Appearance | 5'5, 60kg, Mikael has shortly-trimmed, clean blonde hair and green eyes and a slight build. Notoriety | Noble. Danger Level/Variant Type | Level 1 Distortionist Abilities |
Power Reflector - Powers or attacks enhanced by powers bounce off Mikael's body and are either reflected back to their wielder, another person entirely, or on a random direction. This covers all powers of all types, whether physical, mental, beneficial or negative, meaning that he cannot be hurt or healed by powers unless he intentionally suppresses his ability, which in turn takes concious effort.
Drawback: This does not affect bullets, speeding vehicles, or other mundane weapons. Basically, if it is not a power or enhanced by one, it does not bounce off and affects Mikael as normal.
[Gear] Attire | Mikael wears fine clothing, one which a rich boy would normally wear (see the picture for reference). Armament/Equipment |
- Omni-Tool/Smartphone. - Passport and Official Papers identifying him as a US Citizen, Registered, and Noble. - Credit Sticks containing enough cash to maintain a wealthy lifestyle for several months. - Bulletproof vest. - Taser. - Pepper Spray. - Self-Driving Limousine /w bulletproof glass windows.
Personality/Habits | Mikael is dedicated to the study of powers, and his life goal is to find a way to replicate the Variant Gene in order to eliminate the inequalities which come from the existence of superpowers. Arrogant, standoffish, and a believer that money and power can solve every problem he has, Mikael nevertheless desires to be loved and love in return, which creates a vulnerable spot in his heart. Nevertheless, Mikael is self-aware enough to know that his behavior would cause problems in the future, and so he tries to learn the ruidments of politeness and etiquette.
Occupation/Trade | CEO of a Start-up Company.
Skills/Talents | Mikael is a socialite who has learned enough business and economics in order to run a company, and also surprisingly-skilled in track-and-field. He also knows basic programming and cybersecurity, enough to get into a heavily-guarded building with help.
Family | Ramiel Peacemaker (Father, Dead), Gabrielle Brown-Peacemaker (Mother, Dead).
Background | Mikael was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, to a rich family which had used investments in the tech industry, outward friendliness to Variants, and plain luck (though they would not admit that). His parents loved him without spoiling him, and knew that they needed to sacrifice some of their social position in order to spend time with their 'adorable and cute son'. And even though he didn't know that their devotion to him was unusual among the rich at that time, he returned their love with everything he had.
Nevertheless, growing up rich and privileged still made him isolated from those 'beneath him', and the love he was showered in blinded him to the ambition and grasping nature of his peers. And so when someone hired a Variant hitman to kill his family, it came as a surprise to him, and the only way he survived the superpowered fire the hitman blasted him with was the activation of his own abilities, which didn't save his family; even today, he still felt as though he might have been the one to kill them by reflecting his foe's attack.
Inheriting their wealth after inheritance taxes took a percentage of it, Mikael searched for a purpose in life, and that was studying Variants, first to save people from them, then later deciding that the best way to do that was to give everyone the chance to have powers. And so he first made sure to use his wealth and connections to get Registered and get a 'Noble' status from N.O.V.A. even as he prepared to use his remaining fortune to, well, start a start-up which would do research on Powers, fully-ethical research conducted on paid volunteers...
Okay, reduced Remy to a class 1 and made an additional note that the police may suspect he's a variant, but how they don't think he could be since he wouldn't be living rough. And posted to the Characters tab.
You’re the first person I’ve seen wanting to play a Noble. And he definitely seems the type because Nobles usually have money (there are fees that come along with being a Noble). His level would be Class 1 though because his ability isn’t dangerous on its own.
Notoriety | Unknown Danger Level/Variant Type | Class 4/Volatile Distortionist
Abilities |Super-Conductive Electromagnetism - Rhamses's body itself can generate raw electromagnetic energy, which he has learned to manipulate, control and enhance. Rha can sense sources of electromagnetic energy or objects that can be affected by it such as underground water pipes. He can magnetize and demagnetize metals.
Electromagnetic Fields - Rha generates an Electromagnetic field just like the earth and the sun generate their own Electromagnetic fields. Rha can also create barriers and shields that he can use to defend himself and others.
Minor Technopathy - Rha can capable of fixing or operating electronic devices through his electromagnetic manipulation. He can operate most devices just by touching, even if they are not plugged.
Electromagnetic Levitation - Rha can cause objects to ‘fly’ by using their electrons to repel the ones in the air.
Wavelength Tuning - Rha can hear radio waves meaning he can listen in on the police broadband and music stations, as well as tapping into the phone lines so he can make calls.
Electrokinesis - Rha can generate electricity from his body and administer it in a range of different attacks and uses. He can charge devices, drain devices and project his electricity in a variety of controlled ways.
Electrical Displays - Electromagnetic Light Displays that Rha can craft around him in the forms of pictures and words. He can also use it to bend the spectrum of visible light around him to appear invisible for a short period of time.
Electromagnetic Force Bolts - He can fire bursts of electromagnetic energy from his body for uses similar to an EMP.
Ball Lightning - Named after Ball Lightning, the weather phenomenon. Electromagnetic Energy compressed into a large ball and thrown at targets; an offensive maneuver in a combat situation.
Static Cling - Rha can adhere most objects or people to surfaces and other objects, plus he can magnetize/demagnetize surfaces.
Enhanced Physiology - Due to his bionically enhanced body, Rhamses possesses above average physical strength, durability, endurance, and self-repairing capabilities. His brain became partially computerized, allowing him to process, learn, and react to information really quickly. It ironically gives him a powerful memory, though, it cannot currently unlock his organic memories before his reawakening. He doesn’t have to eat as much as his frame may suggest, nor does he need sleep if he can absorb electrical energy. Cybernetics and metal gear protect his most vital humanoid organs.
Armament/Equipment | He doesn’t often carry much, but a piece of equipment, is his Seeker Eye. This is a piece of technology that he works on constantly. It possesses a camera, several filters of vision such as infrared, ultraviolet, microscopic, and can differentiate between Variant and non-Variant individuals.
[Temperament & Lifestyle]
Affiliation | Pariah Underground
Personality/Habits | The best way to describe Rha’s personality, is that of a man with amnesia. Rhamses at this current point in his life is trying to rediscover the person he was before, ‘Rashawn’. His determined nature is likely one of his most defining character traits. He can also be very contemplative and highly self conscious. Rha's thoughts and actions are often conflicting between his more logical mind and his human one. He’s honest, at times bluntly, with himself and others. He also has trust issues with humans, especially with Karen conflicting with honesty and those who mistreat variants. He also has a special spot for music, which is likely his strongest connection to his former self.
A lot of his emotions are just as much a mystery to him, as he’s also struggling with the concept of humanity and trying to find his own. Despite his cyberized state, he is capable of irrational thought and emotions, such as anger, sadness, and joy. However, he isn’t quite sure how to express these emotions at times, which means his stoic demeanor could mean a variety of different things. Only certain people have the ability to make him innately show this side of him. Despite this though, he has the learned behavior of compassion for others, particularly variants or those of Pariahan affiliation, but extending to some humans as well. This is what, in turn, spurs him into vigilantist action when he feels necessary while on the surface.
Background | A lot of Rhamses' past is shrouded in mystery, even to himself, as his farthest memory back was waking up in Baba’s arms one year ago. Everything before that faded or outright blank. Images, faces, and places appeared in his mind that he couldn’t put together.
All he knew was Baba, Karen, and his current state of existence. He was told that he grew up with two parents. Rha at least remembered that Baba was his father and he assumed that she was his mother, though, he didn’t really remember her at all. He asked why but that was when she told him where he came from. The story shattered whatever childhood he believed he had.
He was...created? Experimented on by the ‘Reapers’? Supposed to be the messiah for variants against humans? To escape the trap? Baba saved him; and Karen. But not his mother? Baba always spoke about his mom, yet, that woman wasn’t Karen. Rha never saw the woman he talked about.
Whenever he asked about it, Baba cried, so Rha stopped asking him about it. Karen tried to take the truth back when Rha hounded her with questions instead. Pushing him to live his life. To do his utmost to gain a better life as a variant. To keep away from the darkness his father saved them from. That some things were better left untold.
Some time ago, men with black suits took Baba away when they were on the surface. She told him that they were going to help him, and that he was going to be home soon. Rha didn’t believe her, and still searches for him. More recently, he saw a face that he somehow remembered. A face his memory held in fondness. A face that was possibly a key to solving all of this.
One thing was for sure, that The Watcher would find the truth.
Name | Kasumi Steward Alias | Senbonzakura Age | 23 Gender | Female Appearance | 5’8”/172 cm - 135 lbs - curvaceous and athletic build - pale clear skin with no distinguishing markings or tattoos - chin-length, wavy pink hair (dyed from black, she claims) - brown eyes. Notoriety | None. (has taken pains to conceal her powers from N.O.V.A.) Danger Level/Variant Type | Class 3 Mentalist/Architect
Abilities |
Spectral Guardian Kasumi can conjure a flying spiritual humanoid projection, which issues forth from her body up to 5 meters from her position and acts according to her telepathic commands and desires. This "spirit" is semi-sentient to some degree in that it can act to fulfill its user's will even without her conscious input, defending her even when she is otherwise unable to personally command it according to both what it knows of her desires and what it can personally perceive. The spirit knows everything Kasumi knows and vice-versa, the two flawlessly sharing senses and perspectives at all times. One must not mistake the spirit for a personage, however, as it is merely an extension and expression of Kasumi's own selfhood. The spirit is extremely fast and dexterous, enough to perceive and react to supersonic targets. In terms of raw core strength, it is not incredibly strong but is still notable to a dangerous degree, sitting at peak human. It has enhanced senses and has protection against those senses being overwhelmed by overstimulation and sensory attacks.
The spirit is pseudo-physical and can selectively interact with the world according to Kasumi's desires. The spirit is unable to be affected by any non-spiritual phenomenon and has a high resistance to even those, able to tank the equivalent of diamond-shattering force with only a "bruise" to show for it. This selective tangibility is arguably its most underrated strength, allowing it to interact with the insides of objects without being waylaid by the outside, turn invisible, act as pseudo-armor by overlaying Kasumi's body and even allow her to fly using the same "overlaying". This, in effect, can make either the spirit itself (or Kasumi while "wearing" it) a borderline immovable juggernaut. While "overlaid", Kasumi benefits from her spirit's brand of inviolability and is subsequently shielded from exotic effects like mental manipulation and power manipulation.
Senbonzakura The spirit has the ability to transform anything it directly, physically touches into Sakura petals under its telekinetic control or remotely revert them. "Direct" in the sense that it can't touch someone's arm and transform their whole body, only the surface of the body that the spirit makes immediate contact with. This is not directly deadly so much as disabling, as severing a leg doesn't cause the victim to bleed out, just leaves the limb mystically detached. Even if reverted without proper reconstruction, it doesn't cause deadly severance, merely leaving a victim/target nonlethally dismembered in a fate arguably worse than death, their body/form somehow functioning normally despite the spacial difference/disconnection. Although, they can be manually reconstructed by being picked up and pieced together like a living puzzle, the parts automatically fusing back once correctly oriented.
That said, any wounds upon severed body parts/target portions still affect the whole. A remotely reconstructed and crushed heart will kill the person it was removed from at range, for example. Transformed targets remain in a form of "stasis", which allows wounds and damage to be temporarily prevented from affecting a victim, granting time for treatment to be delivered. It can also be used to "fuse" broken parts back together to heal wounds by deconstructing something, "pinching" it together and reconstructing it. More indirect uses of the power can be deadly, like drowning someone with petals shoved down their throats.
The petals have the same non-interest in physics as the projection proper and can be destroyed only by spiritual phenomenon, reverting back to what they originally were in a destroyed state. The petals aren't individually strong, but their "mostly inviolable" state makes them very effective barriers if positioned in mass well, even deadly ones depending on how hard they are impacted and if the petals are hit along their flats or edges. They also can thus be used as midair footholds or for pseudo-flight. The spirit is passively aware of the position of every created petal under its control but has no direct sense of their surroundings beyond an ability to "feel things out" with physical contact. Petals automatically revert to what they were transformed from upon getting more than 10 kilometers from their creator, but they do not automatically reorient themselves to reconstruct what they were prior.
One particular technique of Kasumi's is to turn portions of her body into petals and send them away, thus seeding "anchors" from which her spirit can manifest and bypass her normal range limit.
[Gear] Attire |
Kasumi's wardrobe is one that rides a line between casual and luxury. While on the work daily, she dresses to impress in smart bright tops and black pants and shoes, under more casual (or clandestine) settings, she is prone to comfortable darker clothes. Sweaters, hoodies, men-style jeans and sneakers all have their place and time, favoring navy blues and greys. No matter what her business, she is inclined to cleanliness. Even so, when practicality calls for it, Kasumi is far from adverse to shedding the trappings of wealth for the sake of convenience, and she expresses a preference for sufficient numbers of pockets no matter her garb.
Armament/Equipment |
A fairly paranoid sort due to her wealth and training, Kasumi is nearly always ready for trouble, carrying on her person a concealed pocketknife, extendable baton, pepper spray, taser, hand lighter and her smartphone. As a fairly wealthy heir to upper 10% individuals, Kasumi has access to a variety of resources in the financial, technological, legal and business spheres that she can make use of within a certain reason. Her position demands she not be overly wasteful and financially irresponsible, but she has access to potential bases of operations/safe-houses along with access to a private security team and the ability to catalyze (re)armament efforts. Her family has estates in Midtown, Uptown and Lakeview. Remainder of personal inventory subject to change.
[Temperament & Lifestyle] Affiliation |
Independent. Generally avoids the Variant "culture" but has had some occasional interactions with the Pariah Underground.
Personality/Habits |
Growing up rather isolated and mostly self-dependent, Kasumi is a prideful young woman with a repressed bleeding heart, who seeks to catalyze her personal freedom and security first and foremost. Self-interested and heartless towards those that obstruct her goals, she head-strongly pursues her own well-being and fortunes above and beyond all else, the goal being to achieve a peaceful, stable life in a world of insanity. She is plenty willing to kill for her goals and feel not the slightest hint of remorse after the fact, so long as she can get away with it. A consummate liar and social chameleon, she is nonetheless quickly tired by socialization. An introvert in nature, she has little patience for playing a role contradictory to her selfhood long-term. Her loner tendencies are in large part fueled by her desire to conceal her powers, seeking the path of least resistance by avoiding attention and the resulting trouble.
All that said, buried within her blackened heart is something approaching redeeming qualities. She does have a sense of empathy for the misfortunate... in spite of able to kill her emotions for her own sake. She is not needlessly cruel, and when it wouldn't seriously inconvenience her in a truly unacceptable way, she is willing to put her neck out for others, particularly the helpless or innocent. She despises drugs and other addicting substances, seeing them as net drains on society and human productivity... to say nothing of how they can twist the mind. In spite of her isolationist tendencies, she is also fairly charismatic when she wants to be and capable of rapidly adapting to changing circumstances. Her analytical mind makes her a dab hand at finding the best ways to synergize her abilities with any allies of convenience she encounters.
Occupation/Trade |
Banking Computer Manager working from home.
Skills/Talents |
Martial Arts: Practices the brutal art of Muay Thai to a black-belt proficiency and subsequently has a high pain tolerance.
Firearms: Can handle most firearms safely and competently. She's not going to forget to use the safety.
Swimming: A strong swimmer capable of towing another person safely.
High spacial awareness: Misses very little in her vicinity and easily grasps potential environmental assets.
Resourceful: Has a talent for creativity in combat and can generally intuit her way around most weaponry with a little trial and error.
Social chameleon and skilled liar.
Multilingual: For the convenience of her profession, has English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and Russian under her belt.
Financial Guru: Has a very good head for numbers and is very good at identifying market trends and handling finances.
Family |
Jason Steward (father). Nodoka Steward (mother).
Background |
Raised in New Haven's Uptown, Kasumi's early life was filled with luxury. Born to the upper 10% to a pair of bankers and investors, financially, she wanted for nothing. The best food. The best clothes. The latest fads in entertainment and electronics. She was educated away from the "common masses", homeschooled for the majority of her life by the best tutors. All these privileges and more would have been easy to take for granted, but Kasumi's parents -even as often absent as they were for business matters- were the practical sort and had no intention of raising a useless lay-about. Kasumi's upbringing, therefore, put much focus on making her feel as though she must earn what she had, and it stuck, churning out an heir that was doggedly hard-working and utterly ruthless when it came to business once she was deemed old enough to begin being involved in matters of family finance.
Kasumi's life was good, and she had no interest in rocking the boat. The matters of Variants did not concern her in the slightest insofar as they were uninvolved with her family's business dealings. (Un)fortunately, she'd not end up with a choice in the matter. As a daughter of fairly wealthy individuals and generally perceived non-Variant, Kasumi at 16 found herself the target of an attempted kidnapping and hostage situation, presumably with the intention of using her to extort money from her family. Those "enterprising" criminals counted among their number both mundanes and Variants alike, and in spite of giving nearly as good as they got, Kasumi's security was lax due to complacency from a lack of incidents and subsequently insufficient. A captive Kasumi was drugged out of her mind to keep her docile, dragged out to an isolated area in the Warehouse District, and nearly subjected to some... far more unfortunate circumstances in her near-insensate haze.
And then there was an explosion of noise and sensation, sending the girl into fits... and that was around when her long-dormant powers chose to wake up, her body exploding into a cloud of petals and freed of the drugged state she had been wallowing in. The girl had no idea what she was doing, flailing in her practically disembodied state, but she managed to mildly contribute to the ensuing chaos. Her captives were entirely caught off guard by the intervention of a vigilante and the formerly non-Variant girl they had grabbed suddenly become a whole lot less containable. Between the two allies of circumstance, the criminals were soon laid out unconscious, and the vigilante was helping the panicking girl quite literally pull herself back together. In the wake of this, the shaking girl found that her hair had turned a violent shock of pink, and to her dread, she could not deny what had occurred. She... was a Variant now, possibly always had been.
Stranded without an easy way to return to the safety of her family's property, Kasumi was forced to swallow her pride to accept the aid of the vigilante as escort and protection for the fledgling Variant. What ensued could have been movie about a wealthy individual getting reality-checked by misfortune, as Kasumi was forced for once in her life to interact with the poor and criminal aspects of New Haven, shocking her with the true depth of the criminal rot that oozed beneath the surface, strangling the light above. Self-centered and apathetic as she was, Kasumi began to feel a sensation she'd not truly developed at length, a conflicted squirming in her head and gut that she could only scowl at. It wouldn't be until long after she finally was returned to her home, till she was swaddled away within her bed that night after a stressful time spent lying her ass off to the police and her parents about her own part in the events of her rescue... It wouldn't be until long after that when she realized that what she was experiencing was a quailing form of empathy and strange guilt, a desire to do something but not about what or for who. There was a rot in New Haven, and it needed to be dealt with. She really didn't want to be the one to do it...
But would she have a choice? She had just been shown that her disinterest and apathy weren't worth the air it took to convey them if those she was set on ignoring weren't keen to return the favor. That damning thought, among others, is what would see the girl suddenly developing a feverish drive to learn self-defense, to hone her body as much as her mind had already been. She was determined to never again be helpless the way she had been. Her parents humored her newfound drive. Pleasantly surprised, they even humored her desire to attend a more public education soon after gaining her high school diploma. So it was that Kasumi would begin to interact with the masses a bit more in depth, developing social and physical skills to go with her intellectual ones. She would eventually graduate with honors and then smoothly integrate herself into her family's banking business.
Throughout this time to the present, her disinterest in the plights of Variants in general had not changed, not with a lifetime of habits behind her. And yet, even so, she managed to further soul-search and discover she wasn't entirely as aloof from the issues of the lower class as she might have liked to be. An anorexic sense of empathy and altruism was stoked and developed, and the girl found herself indulging it on occasion when and where it wouldn't inconvenience her ends. She didn't engage in "vigilantism" so much as aid those she happened to be in a coincidental position to. She kept her powers hidden from everyone, aside from -eventually- her parents, lying shamelessly and without hesitation. She had no intention of being on N.O.V.A.'s radar in an official sense, and she had every intention of continuing to catalyze her financial success in life, free of annoying scandals and meddlesome prejudices.
You’re the first person I’ve seen wanting to play a Noble. And he definitely seems the type because Nobles usually have money (there are fees that come along with being a Noble). His level would be Class 1 though because his ability isn’t dangerous on its own.
Name | Diarmi 'Dimi' Carlevaro Alias | Flip Age | 14 Gender | Male Appearance | Who dresses this kid? That may be the first thing that comes to mind of anyone who encounters Diarmi in civilian life. His outfits tend to be ill-fitting and ill-matched, with plenty of stitching and patchwork. Given his size - 5'2" and 120 pounds when soaked - probably isn't a surprise to realize his parents do. He's visibly young, with tan skin and bright green eyes that haven't yet picked up on all the cynicism of the world apparently. His dark brown hair is often neatly combed, though his habit of getting into high places often makes it wind-tousled. Notoriety | Watched Danger Level/Variant Type | Class 1/2/Mentalist Abilities | His powers are directly linked to his mental state - the stronger/more enduring the state, the more potent the powers. When he's depressed, his powers tend towards the defensive - invisibility for a short period of time, creating a shield against hand-to-hand attacks, and slowing one's perception of time. When he's manic, his powers are more offensive - telekinesis, psychic energy blasts, and levitation. When "normal", he has access to weakened versions of all his powers.
[Gear] Attire | Diarmi's superhero attire isn't much - a blue spandex bodysuit, an orange windbreaker, a blue scarf wrapped around his neck (around 6 ft long), and orange-tinted goggles. Armament/Equipment | For the most part, this kid goes out unarmed. However, it's worth noting that his scarf has a weight sewn into both ends - he can use it as a makeshift grapple or as a quick bludgeoning weapon.
[Temperament & Lifestyle] Affiliation | Vigilante/independent Personality/Habits | Diarmi's a performer at heart, and it shows in his nature: jovial, friendly, expressive, in a few words. He's hardly going to intimidate anyone, and he seems aware of this fact - he's slow to anger, and quick to release it. He's quite friendly and actually loves comics and superheroes, having spent hours in bookstores , comic book stores, and libraries reading them when he has the chance. He actually looks up to most Nobles, seeing them as the 'good guys'. Despite his cheer and belief in heroes, he resents being called 'naive'. Occupation/Trade | Street performer Skills/Talents | Diarmi is excellent at parkour. His spatial awareness is excellent largely out of necessity. Family | Father (Cosimo Carlevaro), mother (Guadalupe 'Lupita' Calevaro-Fuentes), older sister (Alessandra 'Alessa' Carlevaro), older brother (Lorenzo 'Loris' Carlevaro), younger sister (Zola Carlevaro) Background | Diarmi's family has been poor for as long as he can remember - they skipped town to avoid paying the bill for his birth and were living out of a van at the time. At least, that's how Alessa tells it. Both his parents insist they did pay the bill for his birth, though neither denies the claim of living out of the van. As they tell it, they couldn't afford the RV until after Zola was born. The point is, Diarmi is used to living in poverty, busking in the streets as soon as he was old enough and proved himself at first to be a decent singer, to go along with his father's fiddle-playing. By the time he was 11, he switched to parkour, climbing to high places for the entertainment of those below.
Diarmi deeply loved his family, even if the RV was cramped and only one bathroom for six people was about as pleasant as it sounds. He never questioned why the family moved around so much or how they seemed to make more money than one might expect from busking - then again, do most kids question their parents' finances? Besides, he had bigger things on his mind, like when he realized he could pick his blanket up off the floor just by thinking about doing it. He was a Variant, he quickly realized, with a variety of skills he could make use of. Was anyone else in the family? This stuff was genetic, he read at the library. Maybe Mom was, she did do a magic act that was pretty impressive and no one questioned. Then again, maybe she was always as good at sleight of hand as he thought. He decided to try to keep it to himself - it's what most heroes did in the comics he read, they never told anyone about their powers.
But one day, when he was 13, Diarmi was forced to confront that love and those questions he never asked when it was his turn to total the day's takings, and he found a woman's wallet among the items. She must've lost it, he reasoned, and Loris had to pull him aside to explain what, besides street performances, their family did: while Mom and Dad, and now Diarmi, held the crowd's attention, Alessa and Loris would pickpocket them. Yes, Mom and Dad knew, who do you think taught them? And yes, one day, Diarmi and probably Zola would either take over performing or pickpocketing, though they were both still too young. So, no, the wallet was not lost, though Loris usually tried to sneak wallets back after emptying them of cash and card. Alessa must've taken the wallet. Loris then decided he'd finished counting the day's profits, as Diarmi was visibly shattered by these revelations.
At first, he cursed Loris for telling him, then everyone else (sans Zola) for lying to him, then just his parents for making them all criminals. Diarmi didn't want to be a pickpocket, he wanted to be a hero like in the comics. But to do that, he'd have to turn his family in. That was a lot of pressure to put on a 13-year-old, and then he and Zola would be orphaned. And then what would happen to them? They'd probably be separated, she was a good four years younger than he was. And ultimately, what would he have achieved? Doing one good deed at the cost of everything he knew and loved. And so, not without disgust with himself, he chose to keep the family secret - though he did demand Zola be left out of it to Alessa and Loris. Let her keep her innocence. For his part, he'd never quite unerstood the vigilante impulse until now - he couldn't be a real hero, not as long as he let his family keep stealing. But he could go out and stop others from stealing and attacking people. And so, with his Variant powers, his parkour skills, and a new sense of purpose, he fashioned himself a costume from hand-me-downs and became a vigilante.
(insert photo here)
Name | James Chang Alias | Jimi Age | 18 Gender | Male Appearance | Standing at 5'6" - a bit shorter than average - Jimi's none-too-impressive build often leaves others with the impression that he can be pushed around, and nothing about the way he carries himself suggests otherwise. Most of his clothing is a size or two too large for him, and is mostly hoodies and jeans, with bandage wrappings under the hoodie. Thanks to those wrappings, he typically smells of lavender and sage. Under the wrappings are ten scattered eye tattoos (hazel, unlike his own blue color), which he insists is part of the 'evil spirit's' manifestation. He generally looks a bit sickly - unusually pale, highlighted by messy brown hair, and often bending joints in ways that ought to be painful. Notoriety | Wanted Danger Level/Variant Type | Class 3/Architect Abilities | Jimi's mainpowers involve the siphoning of energy - he can drain heat energy off a person or object, leaving them much colder (or even hypothermic), and transfer it into something or someone else, potentially causing fevers and fires. He can also 'store' the energy (which can cause internal and external damage to his body)
[Gear] Attire | No special uniform for 'Variant' work - he just sticks with the hoodies and jeans. Armament/Equipment | Jimi carries around a metal pipe with a rubber handle; he uses this to conduct the electrical energy he converts, effectively giving himself a stun baton.
[Temperament & Lifestyle] Affiliation | Pariah Underground connections Personality/Habits | Jimi comes across as a typical, if perhaps overly cheerful, teenager at a glance. This glosses over some of his quirks, such as how superstitious he is, his somewhat fatalistic beliefs, and his need to be useful. Jimi is cheerful and optimistic, true, about everything but himself. For his part, he's convinced he's host to an evil spirit and one day, it will consume everything he loves and cares about - so perhaps it's best his lot in life is kept small and insignificant. This steadfast belief is directly at odds with his desire to have friends and not be lonely. The only way he could find to reconcile the two was to employ his services for others, regardless of their moral code. He is fiercely loyal to whoever employs him, but it has not stopped him from apologizing whenever someone gets hurt. Occupation/Trade | "Mook for hire" - he's a criminal accomplice in other words. The lookout, the distraction, sometimes even the muscle. Skills/Talents | Besides his powers, Jimi is decent at hand-to-hand combat and dodging. He's actually quite adept at controlling a battlefield. For non-combat skills, he's surprisingly decent at chess and great at most card tricks. Family | The closest known is a Chinese-American couple who had taken him in for about 6 years, before he ran away two years ago. Background | Jimi's earliest memory has him as a child, waking up surrounded by corpses in an isolated building in the middle of a forest. He had no idea who he was, just the echo of the name 'James' in his head. He made his way back to civilization where he was confronted with a new problem: he had no idea where he lived or was supposed to even go. The thoughts in his head grew dark: hurt people, kill people, take their food, take their homes. They no longer felt like his thoughts. He wanted someone he could talk to who'd answer all his questions and make him feel better. He ended up homeless for about a week, before he was finally noticed by a woman named Mei Chang. She bought him a burger and asked where his parents were. Upon receiving no answer, she offered to take him to the police. Jimi freaked out, at which point she offered to take him to her house instead. Thus, Mei Chang ended up taking Jimi home to her husband, Haoyu Chang. While the child was a surprise, he was not exactly an unwanted one and, as long as he helped out around the house, he was allowed to stay.
And so James, nicknamed Jimi by Mei, became a part of the Chang household. He started getting a grasp on his powers and using them for tasks like cooking. All the while, that little voice in his head never went away. It practically craved blood and when Jimi researched it, he learned about possession, something he felt fit perfectly. He was possessed, and he could not let the Changs know or else, as the voice liked to point out, they'd probably throw him back onto the streets.
Jimi did his best to balance his Variant status, his apparent possession, and his less-than-legal status. He knew at any moment the Changs could hand him over to police to find his real parents - why that frightened him so badly, he couldn't remember, but he knew it had to be avoided. The 'spirit', however, simply got worse and worse until it provided Jimi with a gruesome plan to do away with the Changs. That was the night Jimi packed a bag and left the Chang household. He didn't stickaround long before leaving the city entirely and finding a new city to call home - New Haven. He was 16 (probably), he could handle himself. Though it quickly turned out what he couldn't handle was the loneliness. Even with a spider "pet" he was still lonely. It wasn't until reading the police blotter one day that he was struck by an idea: he could hang out with people, easily! After all, he could make for a great lookout and, if he could be honest, he probably wouldn't be as scared of the 'evil spirit' threatening criminals who would hurt others for a quick payout. And so Jimi began assisting various criminals in robberies, burglaries, and other property crimes. Despite his earlier thoughts, he found he had a hard time stomaching the company of those who really would kill for a quick payout. It wasn't to say no one ever got hurt on the heists he attended, but it was more a side effect than a goal. However, he still proved to be a soft touch, apologizing even to cops who got hurt while he tried to distract them or ditching his post to help someone injured.
It is at this point that, while being investigated, his fingerprints brought up a missing person case: a married couple and their son, who was 5 at the time of disappearance. They were Jacob and Victoria Lauder, with their son Dwayne Lauder, reported missing by Victoria's parents. According to them, Jacob and Victoria before their disappearance had spoken of having found a better religion to raise their son in, one that promised to "make him important or some nonsense like that". Cross-referencing the area they lived in with known Variant activity brings up one James H. Fisher, a man known for being able to take over others and control their actions, even most Variants. It is known he runs a small religious cult with the aim of bringing people to him. Between Jimi's assumed name and history of intrusive thoughts, it can be theorized that Fisher tried also using his power on him and failed. From then, it's all unknown, but it's not unreasonable to assume Fisher had this failure "killed", as well as the rest of his existing cult, leading into what Jimi remembers.
Name | Zahariel Angstrom Alias | Murder Express Age | 30 Gender | A Man Appearance | Some might say Zahariel is a disaster man that does not sleep. Well, he does sleep, but it never seems to be enough. Despite his not-too-old age, he uses a cane to help himself get around.
Other than that, he's… mostly indistinct. At a glance, he's the last person you'd think to be capable of turning into a shadow demon of your deepest nightmares. Notoriety | Indistinct Danger Level/Variant Type | Class 2 Metamorphic/Architect Abilities | Transformation: Zahariel has the ability to turn into a fifteen feet tall eldritch raven. In this transformed state, he has powers of flight and sharp talons. Strangely enough, he exudes a dark mist, which leaves a fleeting trail of shadow wherever he flies. He can intensify this mist to mask his escape.
Fortunately for everyone involved, this transformation doesn't destroy his clothes, unlike the entity known as Hulk.
Murder Assault: Summons a flock of spectral ravens from the mist that trails off his transformed state. These bite and tear at anyone he directs them to; it would feel like getting attacked by a swarm of flying, feathered piranhas.They seem to be fully integrated to this plane of existence, and can get damaged and destroyed by conventional weapons. Despite their spectral nature, they are unable to phase through solid objects.
The flock can also function as a makeshift bridge for a single person, though this would purely be for the benefit of others as he doesn't require any bridges to go anywhere. [Gear] Attire | Zahariel's attire is… variable. It could be said that he "changes clothes like a popular girl does with her dresses." Whatever the case, though, he always carries himself well. In casual settings, you can expect him to be wearing a shirt with a jacket over it, which are usually in the darker tones. In more official things, he'll be using something that's perfect for the occasion, but never overly opulent or luxurious; it's always "just right". The stuff he wears always seem to be well maintained and ironed, resulting in an orderly vibe about him. Armament/Equipment | As a necessity of his… special situation, Zahariel always has a box of supplement pills in his bag. These help maintain his health when he's out of his Metamorphic form, as he'll otherwise start manifesting cardiovascular and respiratory issues.
Other than that, he always carries a smartphone, a taser, a wallet filled with cards and a spare dollar, a load of cash stashed in his boots (yes, he keeps most of his pocket money down there), and the keys to his house. [Temperament & Lifestyle] Affiliation | Pariah Underground Personality/Habits | Despite the intimidating and almost eldritch vibe of his Variant powers, Zahariel is a friendly, swell dude. It's always been said that he's an exemplar of good behavior back then. Well, except for that one little incident back home, but we don't talk about that.
That doesn't mean he's above violence, though; if a mysterious character were to approach and try to squeeze from him the location of a Pariah Underground safehouse, a swarm of angry birds won't be too far behind. That is, if he doesn't just transform at the spot and bite off your head. He may be nice, but he'll do whatever it takes.
Occupation/Trade | Professional gardener that makes a living by selling pots and plants. Formerly a botanist in the Martian colony in Mariner Valley.
Secretly, he's a ferry for the Pariah Underground. With his transformation, he can evacuate one Variant at a time to safety. Or more, if they're small. Skills/Talents | Salesmanship Gardening/Botany Power-based combat Near perfect recall Family | Johan Angstrom (father) Sylvia Angstrom (mother) Imrahil Sabat (brother, deceased) Background | The Murder Express is an oddity in NOVA's files. Supposedly, it's a Variant that stalks the night, interrupting agents in the middle of sting operations. A swarm of spectral ravens attack, disrupting them for a few precious minutes.
Each time, the Murder Express is seen flying off with the operation's target on its back, disappearing into the darkness as a black mist covers its escape. The true, human identity of this Metamorphic had never been confirmed so far, and many agents favor pursuing easier projects than trying to know who the hell this is.
The Variant that would go on to become the Murder Express (named so because a group of ravens is called a murder and it summons just that each time it is encountered, not because it murdered anyone) was born not on Earth, but on Mars. There, the first fruits of humanity's first forays beyond the homeworld have begun to bear fruit. Domed and underground settlements lie within suitable locations such as Mariner Valley and Olympus Mons. Thousands of people now call the Red Planet home, and one of them was Zahariel Angstrom.
His family was part of the later waves of colonization; wealthy tycoons and industrialists that came after the scientists and engineers made their first marks on the world. The Angstroms owned a Swedish defense contractor: the aptly named Angstrom Defense Corporation. And so, at first, Zahariel had it pretty easy, if we're talking about material possessions. While he got all the money that the second world could offer, he only had maids, pets, and robots as company. His parents, ever the obsessive masters of an industrial military complex, were as hands off as they could ever be. They didn't bother to check if their son was getting into gambling and … more gambling.
It was during a heated argument and fight in a casino that the 19 year old Zahariel first manifested his Variant Powers. After being engaged in a lengthy fist fight, he suddenly transformed into a great raven and tore off the other man's arm.
Of course, while neglectful, his parents were quick to cover up the incident. They accomplished this with the trusty method of applying more and more money into the problem until it stopped being a problem. In short order, all records were destroyed and all witnesses suffering seemingly convenient accidents, such as 'falling through a window'. In exchange, though, Zahariel was given a massive stash of supplements, a boatload of cash, and a one way trip to Earth. Make no more trouble, they said. And don't ever come back.
The problem, of course, was obvious. While he did have his own professional skills, he was Martian, and would always have health problems while on Earth. The situation forced him to finally wise up. Within the decade, got a quaint little plant shop and a decent enough house.
At the same time, Zahariel experimented with his Variant powers. He found that transforming into the great raven nullified his problems with the different gravity, but he can't stay that way forever. So, he usually slept while transformed, and never invited any friend over.
Well, that was until his brother knocked on the door.
Turns out, when Zahariel was five, his older brother "died". That much wasn't true, as Imrahil was a Metamorphic Variant, though he turns into a tentacle monster, apparently. The approach of their parents to apply money to problems and then kick those out was a recurring theme, it seems.
As part of their reunion, Imrahil told Zahariel of the Pariah Underground; the network of Variants with abilities that made them unsuited to living with regular society. Imrahil often talked about how they're despised by everyone else for being strange and different when they had no control over their situation. He never said it directly, but Zahariel felt that his involvement would be appreciated.
That was an unspoken offer that he sat on, unfortunately. After a few months, Zahariel wouldn't see Imrahil again. He wondered what had happened for another month, until other members of the Pariah Underground came over, regretfully informing him that Imrahil was killed by the Syndicate.
Understandably, Zahariel was utterly pissed, and also regretful. He aligned, albeit secretly, with the Pariah Underground.
Appearance | Harlow is a Caucasian female with long. blonde hair, silver eyes, and a cream complexion. Harlow dresses in what one would describe as "punk" or "goth" depending on the day, usually with leather jackets, ripped jeans, combat boots, and lace camisoles in red, pink, or white. Harlow has both ears pierced (three on each side) and a small stud on her upper lip on the left side. Harlow wears make-up, usually red or black lipstick, foundation, blush, black eyeliner, and mascara.
Notoriety | Wanted
Danger Level/Variant Type | Level 3 Inhibitor
Abilities | Harlow's abilities revolve around her 'cursing' other people. Depending on the curse inflicted, different results occur.
Queen of Hearts: Through the use of curses, Harlow is able to command others. When cursed, the other person feels drawn to complete the task given. If the task is not completed, the person feels a sense of despair until it is done. Depending on the task, the despair could be mild and manageable or lead to depression and feelings of contempt for oneself. The target may be able to break out of the curse.
Mad Hatter: Harlow is able to cast a curse that has the target see hallucinations. Given that these are hallucinations, to the average person, nothing is there. But to the target, they are very real and can be seen. heard. smelled, touched, and tasted. The hallucinations last for a short period of time unless the curse is maintained.
Cheshire Cat: Harlow is able to inflict pain through the use of her curses. The pain is only physical and, while there are no wounds to be seen, the pain feels real. The pain cannot cause death as there are no actual wounds being inflicted.
Personality/Habits | Harlow is slow to trust others having been more or less alone for her life. As such, she does not wear her heart on her sleeve. To most people, she is a snarky, sarcastic individual who is not afraid to put a person in their place. To those who are able to pierce her armor, Harlow is a person who cares about fairness and justice for those not in power. Harlow is drawn to fighting and ensuring everyone sees the people in power for who they truly are.
Occupation/Trade | Hacker/Anarchist
Skills/Talents |
Hacking
Cyber Security
Virus Implementation
Coding
Guitar Playing
Decrypting
Electronic Repair
Family |
Quincy Bishop: Harlow's younger brother. The two of them are almost inseparable, much to Quincy's dismay. The two of them only had each other growing up and had to rely on each other to ensure they had food and shelter. Quincy is interested in being famous and has done all he can to be noticed as a dancer.
D0min8: Harlow has never met the person behind the handle, but despite this, the two of them have a friendship that borders on familial. The two have only exchanged words through text, but they have helped each other on jobs. There are very few people Harlow trusts, but D0min8 is one of them.
Thallia Bishop: Harlow and Quincy's mother. A trust fund baby who never wanted children, but went along with her ex-husband's desire for offspring. Once he passed, Thallia tossed her children to the street to fend for themselves. Ever since then, Harlow has made it a side mission to make sure Thallia never knows what happiness is.
Allistair Emory: The man who took Harlow and Quincy in as children and trained them. Eventually, he proved himself to be a piece of garbage, but Harlow could at least appreciate the skills he imparted to her.
Background | Harlow knew life on the streets. She knew from a young age after her mother kicked her brother and her out of their childhood home. The woman who was her mother wanted nothing to do with them after their father passed away. Fewer mouths to feed meant less income being wasted. Harlow did what she could to provide for herself and her brother, but it was tough. Authorities drove them away whenever they found a suitable place to sleep, no one batted an eye as two broken children walked past. Any kindness shown to them was quickly taken.
Harlow quickly learned that to make it, she would need to get tougher. So Harlow opted for stealing. This worked for a while and fed their stomachs, but they would need more. An older man saw the two of them and offered them a deal: work for him and get provided a roof and food. Quincy was eager to accept but Harlow was not so sure. She agreed on a tentative basis and promised to run as soon as things got dicey.
However, Harlow saw the work they did as necessary. Harlow was given insight into electronic systems, showing how to enter the backdoor and wreak havoc. Harlow quickly took to the lessons, showing promise beyond her years.
Soon though, the man, Allistair, made it clear that there was more Harlow needed to do to earn her place in his home. When she made it clear she would not be doing so, he attempted to force her. Harlow managed to get away, taking a knife to Allistair's shoulder. Harlow grabbed Quincy and ran back to the streets.
Despite the setback, Harlow used her newfound skills to earn an income and was able to find a place for her and Quincy. Now Harlow aims to fight back against the people and systems set up to see that she and people like her fair.
@Eclektik still need to do the grammar once over but I finally finished the actual content so I figured I'd run it by you
Name | Eli Ford Alias | Breakneck Age | 48 Gender | Female Appearance | Breakneck is noticeably taller than the average woman at 5'9", and has a toned build. She's lean as befitting a runner, wiry in a way that conceals her immense strength. A side effect of her powers is that she appears younger than she really is, her physical aging process somewhat slowed. Notoriety | Noble Danger Level/Variant Type | Class 4 Agile-Brute-Architect Abilities |
Speed: Breakneck's most powerful ability and the one she's most famous for. Capable of breaking Mach 3, although doing so is nearly always overkill. Even moving at a "mere" thousand miles an hour she's more than fast enough to suit her purposes.
Strength: Unsurprisingly for someone who regularly contends with ten-plus Gs Breakneck is incredibly strong. While the ability to throw cars and kick people through buildings comes in handy during a fight the real benefit is far more mundane. Without her enhanced strength, Breakneck simply wouldn't be able to turn while running full speed, leaving her as little more than a human-shaped unguided missile.
Endurance: Breakneck is far more durable than a normal person, able to walk through gunfire and let perps ram cars into her. To contend with the stresses supersonic speed puts on an object her body is functionally insulated against extremes in in temperature and surges in electricity. She uses this ability to breach, sprinting through walls to catch suspects off-guard. In addition, poisons, diseases, and irritants such as tear gas or pepper spray are generally unable to affect her, while the natural aging process is greatly reduced.
Perception: Moving as fast as she does means that Breakneck perceives times differently than normal people. When unfocused she'll generally experience the passage of time at close to the same rate as non-Variants but when she's tuned in it seems to slow to a near-crawl.
Protective Aura: The most exotic of Breakneck's abilities, and to her the most important. The ability to pull someone out of harm's way is all well and good but if a normal person were to suddenly accelerate to supersonic speeds the resulting whiplash would be...unpleasant.
This is mitigated by her ability to essentially share her part immunity to the effects of extreme speed with people and objects she touches. While a normal person likely wouldn't enjoy being moved at top speed they will survive it mostly intact.
On a day to day level this ability is what allows her to travel without worrying about destroying the roadwork or disintegrating her clothes.
[Gear] Attire | Breakneck's costume consists of her old flight suit and helmet. While she doesn't always wear it the tough material is harder to damage in a fight and the helmet has a several communications channels built in, allowing her to listen in on and communicate with local law enforcement.
Armament/Equipment | Her preferred weapon is a set of short, thick steel stakes similar to bo-shuriken. Such esoteric weapons are highly effective in the hands of a super-strong, super-fast Variant. She also carries CS spray and a stun baton. Any other weapons are picked up in the field as opportunity allows them to be.
[Temperament & Lifestyle] Affiliation | As a Noble Breakneck is affiliated with N.O.V.A, and the Glorious Alliance to a lesser extent. While not connected to the organization she has expressed sympathy for Pariah Underground in the past.
Personality/Habits | Breakneck hasn't spent her career trying to become a superhero, she's worked to become the definition of a superhero. The past ten-odd years have been spent building her reputation, tackling every challenge ranging from simple street crime to natural disasters. While most of her activities have taken place in her adopted home of New Haven she's been known to sprint over to crisis points across the country, occasionally straying beyond America's borders. She's been quoted as saying "It's impossible to help everyone, but that doesn't mean I can't help anyone."
She projects confidence when seen in public, always happy to spare a moment for an autograph or a message to a fan. When dealing with lesser opponents like unpowered gangsters or low-tier Variants she's cocky bordering on arrogant but serious threats bring out a serious side of her.
People close to her know that despite the brave face she puts on in public the loss of her father and her being kicked out of the military still affect her to this day. When not wearing her "game face" so to speak she can seem callous, almost cold, traits that ended up causing her marriage to dissolve. She is very particular about her personal space, careful to keep people from entering it.
Occupation/Trade | Formerly an Out of Atmosphere Fighter Pilot and military contractor, currently a full-time celebrity Noble.
Skills/Talents |Breakneck is a trained pilot and a veteran of low-intensity conflicts around the world. Her military experience has given her a mind for tactics, a key advantage over her generally untrained opponents.
Already quite intelligent before awakening her Variance her ability to perceive time at a slower rate lets her reason through problems faster than one would expect.
Family | -Roman Ford, Father: Died when Eli was a teen -Sofía Ford, Mother: Sofia is retired now and living in the Hamptons, enjoying her post-service life thanks to her daughter's success. -Evan Nielsen, Ex-husband: Met Eli in college and married her soon after she left the Space Force, only for their relationship to break down after she left Manticore. They're on fairly amicable terms for the sake of... -Jamie Nielsen, Stepson: Evan's son from a previous marriage, met Eli when he was only four years old. Jamie's mother had died when he was a toddler and Eli felt a kinship with him through this loss. She visits regularly.
Background | Breakneck's life story is a matter of public record. In fact she's published a (ghostwritten) autobiography detailing. Eli, as a few close friends call her, isn't a native of New Haven. She's a military brat, born to a pair of officers stationed at Nellis Air Force Base. By her own account she had a lonely childhood, bouncing from school to school every couple of years as her parents were reassigned according to the mysterious whims of Uncle Sam. It was a decent enough childhood, in the material sense. While the family could never be called rich Eli had food to eat, a warm bed to sleep in and no shortage of entertainment when requested.
But socially it was quite lacking. Making friends was tricky for her to do when she knew she'd be leaving them in a year so she mostly kept to herself. Even after the family finally settled in New Haven when she was thirteen she chose studies over companionship, shutting herself away from others in order to focus on her schoolwork. The exception was drama, Eli picking up a love of acting that pushed her to try out for roles at each school she attended.
As she entered high school Eli planned to study aerospace engineering, a career path influenced by her parents. But when she was 15 her father was killed in a crash landing, a freak accident snuffing out a veteran with a decades-long career. Having crashed on reentry into Earth's orbit, nothing was left of him to bury.
Her father's death, caused by a faulty braking system that had been missed during the pre-flight check, changed Eli's plans drastically. While she still went to college (Cornell, Summa Cum Laude) instead of chasing a job in the defense industry she applied for Officer Training School, with plans to enter attend Weapons School right after.
Eli found herself flourishing in OCS, driven by the need to serve her country and make her parents proud. After being commissioned into the Space Force as a second lieutenant she immediately joined flight school, learning to pilot the same model of spaceplane as her father. She took well to operating in low gravity, learning how to dogfight in open space and attack ground targets from the upper atmosphere.
Her career as a fighter pilot, while promising, would take a strange turn three years into her service. During what should have been a routine patrol flight an errant bit of space debris fractured her cockpit window, forcing Eli into an emergency landing. While she had trained for such an event she had never before experienced it, the reality of the situation brought to mind her father's death. Eli panicked, failing to control her descent.
When she breached Earth's exosphere she was frozen in her seat, watching helplessly as the craft plummeted at more than twenty thousand miles an hour. Paralyzed by fear she failed to perform the required retroburn, essentially trapped in her own head unable to free herself. It felt as if time was slowing as she sank through layer after atmospheric layer...
and in a way, it was. Eli's Variance had awakened, and as she got faster her reflexes grew to match. The change in perception allowed her to gather herself, pulling up so that she might have a chance of surviving. The landing was badly botched, her ship skidding to a stop in a trench far outside the base, but she came out alive.
Being unused to her powers meant that wasn't able to regulate her speed, clearing the ten miles back to base in under five seconds. This made it painfully obvious that she was a Variant and thus useless to the brass. Eli accepted her honorable discharge with grace, leaving behind her dreams of flying.
As much as she would have liked to keep flying life moved on. She reconnected with an old college flame and would end up marrying him, and while she would never be a combat pilot again she quickly found herself in training once more.
The United States might have been unwilling to work with Variants but there were plenty of private companies more than happy to hire them. A small but aggressive PMC based out of South Africa sought her out and offered her a job. While Variants were simply too small a portion of the population to staff a private army with, Manticore did specialize in them to point that a notable percentage of their agents were empowered. They would approach civilians with noteworthy powers, offering to take the financial risk of putting them through training in exchange for a five year contract.
While they lacked the multibillion dollar spacecraft she wanted to fly Eli was too far removed from her university days to seek employment as an engineer and didn't consider herself as being capable of much else. She signed up on a whim and whisked off into the exciting world of fighting for money.
It was at Manticore that Eli learned to harness her powers, measuring her speed so as to avoid burning out while working to generate the passive field that would allow her to interact with the world without destroying it. In addition to honing her Variant abilities, Manticore had her go through boot camp once more, having her hone the basics of fighting on foot.
By her mid-twenties she was a fully-fledged military contractor, Manticore deploying her to various hotspots around the globe. Eli, or "Breakneck" as she was now called, naturally specialized in the rapid extraction of VIPs but would be given additional training so in infiltration and demolitions.
Breakneck found comradery among her fellow contractors, many of the Variants within Manticore also having been discharged upon the discovery of their powers. She served with Manticore for nearly a decade, making good money and living a life of adventure. But as much as she enjoyed it the soullessness of the work needled at her. The military had given her a purpose before rejecting her, promising the chance to live up to her parent's legacies. Manticore was just a job, and an unpleasant one at that. Her mood soured and she began to drift away from her husband, Evan unable to understand even if she cared to explain.
She would be forced out of the mercenary life when Manticore suddenly dissolved. A number of incidents with local law enforcement brought international attention down on the company while many of the higher-ups and investors suddenly found Interpol agents digging through their more illicit files. As the moneymen were arrested for fraud the company simply disappeared, its files burned and hard drives disposed of in discrete rivers and lakes around the world.
Breakneck took this as a sign that it was time for her to do something good with her life. Now in her mid-thirties and recently single (she and Evan agreed to a divorce the day before she found out she was jobless), Breakneck went back to New Haven and sought to put her experience to work as a Noble. She signed up with N.O.V.A and got to work immediately.
Early in her career, she struggled to make a living off of her good deeds, not comfortable seeking payment from those she helped, but as she become more of a known figure she was contacted by an ambitious talent agent. He'd sell her image, get her interviews and book deals and make her a star, ensure she'd have more than enough money to care for her mother all while saving lives.
In return he'd get fifteen percent of all her earnings, a steep charge but one well worth paying he promised. Once again devoid of any other options Breakneck agreed.
In the thirteen years since starting her agent has done what he promised. Breakneck is something of a celebrity, attending fan signings and auctioning off old bits of gear for charity in between missions. While those close to her know that she finds fame somewhat stifling she'll always prefer it to what she was doing before. There's been ups and downs, painful injuries and tragic failures, but she's making a difference in the world.
That's good enough for her.
Name | Unknown Alias | Ignoble Age | Unknown Gender | Unknown Appearance | It's hard to determine features underneath the armor and mask but Ignoble is well-built and broad shoulder, their size fairly deceptive when compared to their quick reflexes. Specific features are still unknown. Notoriety | Wanted Danger Level/Variant Type | Class 2 Brute-Agile Abilities |Enhanced Phsyiology- Ignoble is tougher, stronger and faster than any non-Variant. They've kept pace with a speeding car and can easily manhandle full-grown men as if they were children. While they try to dodge bullets whenever they've been hit a number of times over the years and have yet to be truly injured, suggesting they can sustain some amount of damage before needing to retreat.
Enhanced Reflexes- While hardly precognizant Ignoble has demonstrated a level of awareness that suggests Variance in that aspect. They are capable of dodging gunfire and quite dangerous in close combat.
[Gear] Attire | Ignoble's outfit is heavily armored, consisting of bulletproof canvas weave covered by ceramic plating. There are multiple pockets for ammo and other cargo, and beneath is an aramid bodysuit, likely Nomex or a similar product. The skull-like helmet they wear likely has some sort of HUD, although if that's the case it's running on a closed loop outside of the Nexus as attempts to hack in have gone poorly (see the files on the killing of registered Noble White Hat), and appears to have inbuilt filters to serve as a sort of gas mask.
The ensemble is clearly designed to evoke fear, and has been described as "pretty edgy" by a M.A.D who survived an encounter with Ignoble. Be that as it may, the suit works.
Armament/Equipment | Ignoble uses a variety of equipment, what they carry with them on a given day is tailored to whatever their current objective is. They've been known to use grappling hook launchers, lockpick guns, dissemblers, and prebuilt hacking modules to defeat electronic security measures.
Every time they've been spotted they've carried a primary firearm, a secondary or two and a fighting knife. Other notable weapons include a variety of explosives (improvised or not), stingers loaded with sedatives or overdose quantities of mundane narcotics, and less-than-lethal options for dealing with non-targets.
[Temperament & Lifestyle] Affiliation | There's a good chance that Ignoble is affiliated with the Syndicate, or at least has contacts within the organization. Ignoble's Variant-supremacy leanings match up with the gang, and they would have needed help sourcing the variety of equipment they've picked up over the years. Them being a full member is extremely considering the clash between their modus operandi and the Syndicate's.
Personality/Habits | Ignoble is professional, driven and extremely dangerous. They hold great disdain for those who would attempt to harness the Variance and are openly hostile to N.O.V.A, but tries to avoid involving mundane civilians in their conflict. Being a Variant is no guarantee of safety either, Ignoble has fought a number of them, Noble or otherwise.
Ignoble believes that attempts to regulate Variants are inherently unjust, and any attempt to even the playing field for non-Variants is to be seen as an act of war. Those would try to give the Variance those without, or working on ways to neutralize Variation, are at risk.
Interestingly they appear to be fairly ambivalent on cybernetic and organic augmentation. Analysts suggest that because those types of enhancements come from an outside source they don't tread on Ignoble's need to be special, at least not overmuch. However, suitably drastic changes might draw their ire.
Occupation/Trade | Vigilante and pro-Variant terrorist.
Skills/Talents | Outside of their powers Ignoble is a skilled gunman and infiltrator. They're capable of making and using quite complex IEDs and are a competent, if not outstanding hacker. These traits made them a very good bank robber in the past and a very good assassin in the present. They're extremely dangerous and not it's recommended that N.O.V.A. agents refrain from engaging without backup when possible.
Family | Unknown.
Background | As far as N.O.V.A is concerned Ignoble came into existence eleven years ago in Las Vegas, Nevada. When they first popped up on law enforcement radar they appeared to be a fairly standard Variant crook, faster and stronger than a normal person but not to the degree seen in Class 3s or above. They used their powers to rob armored trucks and casino vaults, hitting a few in Vegas before branching out to Phoenix and Portland.
While a Variant robber running around certainly wasn't ideal Ignoble wasn't a big enough problem to be a priority for N.O.V.A. But then after a year of activity, the street criminal suddenly dipped a toe into terrorism. A renowned molecular biologist by the name of Franklin Payne was shot dead outside his home in Norfolk, Virginia with Ignoble leaving a note taking credit.
Dr. Payne had recently spoken about his theory of the Variant gene and expressed an interest in transplanting it in non-Variants. Ignoble declared their opposition and promised to do the same to anyone else with the same idea. In addition, they declared open war on N.O.V.A, decrying it as openly corrupt and causing people to suffer under heavy-handed attempts to meddle with forces it didn't understand. As far as Ignoble was concerned it fell on Variants to police themselves, and they would just that.
The note ended with a promise: Ignoble would do their best to avoid killing any mundane while they pursued their hunt, save for N.O.V.A agents and those attempting to harness the Variance.
And thus began a cycle of violence. Ignoble would appear as if out of thin and target some young researcher or attack a laboratory, using guns, explosives, and poisons in to achieve their goal. After destroying as much research as they could they'd simply disappear for weeks or months, reappearing elsewhere to do it all over again.
They got into fights with other Variants as well, both those attempting to stop them and ones who Ignoble considered to be careless with their powers. In keeping with their policy of self-policing, they eliminated Variants that caused excessive suffering to the unpowered.
They've kept up their crusade ever since.
[Temperament & Lifestyle] Personality/Habits | Breakneck and Ignoble are one and the same, alter egos of Eli Ford. The balancing act required to keep the lie going is crucial to get right but far easier for her than it would be for someone else.
Breakneck is known to value her privacy when not in public, often sprinting to some vacation hotspot or another when not working. Ignoble is only ever in the public eye for a few minutes or hours at a time, disappearing off to God knows where after each attack. Breakneck, while quick to react, is not omniscient so she can't respond to calls she doesn't hear about will not be able to help since Ignoble is generally gone before anyone knows what's happened.
It's a tiring way to live, but it's what needs to happen.
Skills/Talents | Outside of the previously mentioned, acting. Eli's always had a knack for the craft so slipping into a costume to play a role comes naturally to her. The voice changer in her helmet and padding to the armor are necessary parts of the costume but she's the real star. Ignoble looks, acts and sounds entirely different than Breakneck.
Background | As far as the public knows Eli accepted her discharge with grace and understanding, disappointed that her career had ended so soon but accepting the military's reasoning. In actuality she was embarrassed and enraged, the sense of failure she felt at being unable to live up to her parent's expectations mixing her feeling of abandonment by her country to poison her perception of Variant-Mundane relations.
While she considered getting a job as a commercial pilot she felt that her resume would be weak. As a fighter she didn't actually that many flight hours logged compared to the transport guys she'd be competing with. Moreover, it wasn't fair that she even had to consider civilian work! She joined Manticore because it offered her a chance to be exceptional, not because she liked the idea of being a mercenary.
Plenty of her comrades felt the same. Throughout her service she grew close to a fellow contractor by the name of Jake, a man with a sketchy past and an eye for valuables that he could snatch up from the battlefield and sell at a profit. Originally Breakneck was cool towards him, unimpressed by his vulturish tendencies. But after she saved his life in an ambush in Northern Yemen he latched onto her, and she found herself growing to like him.
After that they constantly buddied up often for operations, getting to know each other over the course of a decade of service. By the end of it she had managed to piece together that he was a low-level affiliate of the Syndicate, one of many criminals using Manticore as a means to make connections. Earlier in her life Eli might have been disgusted with him but post-discharge she couldn't muster up much more than vague disapproval. While it might have been wrong Variants using their powers to better their lives was something she could sympathize with.
When the company suddenly shuttered its doors in the face of an international crackdown Eli managed to get out clean, having done nothing illegal save for violating a few laws on the importation of alcohol in various countries. Jake however went down for smuggling and wire fraud, whisked off to French Guiana for trial. Before he turned himself he promised to hook her up with a couple of opportunities from his friends in the Syndicate.
She was fairly certain that she'd never see him again but thanked him anyway, wishing him well. As much as she hated to see her friend go she had her own problems to worry about. Settling back into New Haven she found that the forms and fees to register as a Noble were unreasonably high, the money of course flowing into non-Variant pockets. Once again her wish to serve was hindered by her very nature.
But Breakneck managed to scrape together the money and lived off her savings, working hard to build up goodwill with the community. She had just about managed to find her footing as a hero when she was connected by an unknown agent with some very interesting information.
To her sadness but not surprise Jake was dead, having escaped from prison a year earlier only to get killed in a drunken brawl. But before he got himself murdered he had passed her name on, as promised. The person on the other side of the screen wouldn't explain more without a more secure form of communication, giving Breakneck precise instructions to follow if she were interested.
Curiosity would get the better of her after only a week, and after establishing a secure room deep within WildFyre she was directed towards Las Vegas. While the Syndicate wasn't going to dirty their hands with simple robbery they did have the inside scoop on plenty of potential takes, and they'd pass along the information in exchange for a cut.
Ignoble came into existence as a childish way to get revenge, Eli masking up and lashing out at the world that had been so quick to keep from doing what she wanted with her life. It was a sort of stress relief in that she could spend most of her time sprinting around saving lives and then take a break to release all her anger by comitting grand larceny.
Her robberies were bloodless, military training and insider information allowing her to beat the police response time with rarely a shot fired. As her legitimate career became more successful the dirty cash piled up. It was when she was trying to figure out what to spend her ill-gotten, hard to explain gains on when the idea occurred to her.
The ease with which her still-unnamed Syndicate contacts could get her what she wanted distracted her from just how quickly she was willing to turn to murder. The fairly ratty mask and second-hand plate carrier she had been wearing were replaced by proper gear, an old moonshiner's tucked away in the depths of the New Haven Bayou converted into a safehouse. Ignoble turned from profit-based crime to violence in the name of ideals, lashing out at those who would leash her.
Both careers continued on with little impact on the other, save for one event. As much as Eli enjoyed helping those who couldn't help themselves the stress of working as a celebrity Noble was beginning to get to her. Compared to Ignoble Breakneck was an inescapable part of her life, recognized on street corners and in theatres. Someone who valued privacy as much as Eli did couldn't keep up appearances for as long as she had without a long vacation, and she had a way to kill two birds with one stone.
Breakneck was accompanying a squad of MADmen in an attempt to rescue a hostage Ignoble had ferried all the way over from Houston. Intel suggested that the vigilante and their victim were holed up in the Shanty, but that was nothing but a ruse. The building was rigged to blow, and the resulting explosion wiped out half the team. Breakneck took the brunt of the blast, her durability allowing her to walk away alive but injured.
It was a drastic way to buy time but it worked. The doctors told her that she'd be moving at less than half-speed for at least a year and her PR team informed the world. Meanwhile Ignoble, far slower and weaker than Breakneck's normal condition, escaped to continue their activities. Eli had winged herself, but she already had to hold back when playing as her criminal alter-ego.
Ignoble kept doing what they did best, Breakneck was back in action in ten months, and since then Eli's found some semblance of balance. By day she helps people that need it, by night she hunts those would put her down again.
