"Calm down. I only shot you in a non-vital organ..."
Age: 29
Appearance: Beneath his youthful appearance, one can see Johnny's easy smile doesn't quite reach his eyes. A look under his glasses would reveal a cybernetic right eye and the cold calculating look of a tactician. In addition to his eye, Johnny has several mods implanted directly into his spinal cord and a Cyberlink port in his left arm. He keeps his GEO-ID sewn into the inside of his trademark jacket in order to keep people from seeing the emitted light when he needs to be stealthy. A shoulder holster is tucked away under his jacket, and Ryker keeps a blade hidden on his belt clip.
Faction: Solo/EX-Black Maria
Sk8te Cell: While not affiliated with any one cell, Ryker's reputation as an 'info broker' makes him a valuable resource for Sk8ters looking for job requests.
Background: Born on the Backstreets of Megacity-01, Johnny Ryker's life was anything but peaceful. Due to an accident at the city power plant, he lost his father at a young age which left his mother in charge of the home. She would end up being hospitalized a few years later after her body began to reject the cybernetics she'd been required to get for her job in the red-light district. With few other options for the young boy, he began working for his mother's employer in order to pay her medical bills. Little did he know at the time, but her boss was a lieutenant of Black Maria, and a right-hand man to its leader: Dax Lawson!
Over time, word Johnny's scrappy nature and willingness to do just about anything to save his mother's life reached Dax's ears which piqued his interest in the young boy. At fifteen, Johnny was brought to Dax and the latter decided to 'test' him. Up until that point, Jhonny had only been taking on small-time jobs for the lieutenant; usually smuggling drugs, or doing simple burglary. Dax handed the boy a pistol and brought out an E Street member who was in debt to Black Maria for millions of credits and was long overdue to pay up. Dax explained that - if Johnny pulled the trigger - his mother's medical bills would be covered for life and he'd personally take Johnny under his wing as an apprentice. At first, Johnny hesitated while the man begged for his life, but his resolve won out and Johnny pulled the trigger.
With his mother taken care of, Johnny spent the next several years becoming an Enforcer for Black Maria. He quickly picked up hand-to-hand combat, and - with a few trips to the ModDocs - developed wicked speed and accuracy with firearms. Unlike other members of Black Maria however, Johnny was notoriously conservative with his credits. After a job, most of his cohorts would blow their payments on a night in the casinos or the brothels, but Johnny's past life on the Backstreets caused him to be a lot more careful with his earnings. This careful nature combined with his close relationship to Dax, would ultimately be Johnny's downfall.
Working under Dax, Johnny would end up rubbing shoulders with some of the richest and most powerful people in Megacity-01. While his repuation grew in the Megacity underworld, this also had the adverse effect of stirring up ire within his own gang. Many in Black Maria were disgruntled with Johnny's meteoric rise to becoming Dax's 'Backstreet Pet' and they began looking for ways to get rid of him. Eventually, after a botched job caused Johnny to lose his right eye and Dax was fatally shot, his detractors had their chance. Blaming Johnny for the failure, he was exiled from Black Maria and left to fend for himself.
Despite losing everything in the span of one night, Johnny didn’t let the blow demoralize him. The ex-enforcer quickly relocated to Metro Street and - using his amassed credits - opened up The Bodega, a store specializing in 20th and 21st century music and culture. While he doesn't get frequent customers, the store serves as a front for his REAL business where he works as a private investigator, info broker, and hired gun.
Cybernetics
- Odin Cyber-eye: A replacement for the eye he lost, the Odin serves every basic function as a regular eye would save for a few added features. It comes equipped with zooming, focus, and camera capabilities. The Odin even has the ability to see through holograms! For those willing to cough up the extra credits, you can get a scanning feature and even a laser installed. For his needs, Johnny sticks with the basic model.
- Skynet Navimod: A neural mod typically used by Sk8ters, Skynet provides users with a map overlay of Megacity-01 with Sk8te routes marked out for safe travel. Skynet also allows users to view Holotags. Holographic graffiti that typically marks territory between Sk8te cells or showing where edgy kids love to mark walls.
- Matsuda Battle Mod: A higher end mod grafted into the spine, this reinforces Johnny's skeletal, muscular, and organ systems. Along with a modest enhancement in physical prowess, stamina, and vital function. An increase to shock absorption helps him tank hits when in combat. In addition, the battle mod can secrete adrenaline into the body to further increase the user's capabilities in life or death situations.
- Cyberlink Model One: A standard cyberlink port implanted into Johnny's left arm. Allows him to link up with terminals around the city and store data in an internal memory bank.
Weapons and Tools
- MAK0 Crackshot: A custom high-power pistol that can fire .45 caliber live rounds and can switch to specialized electric rounds that cripple cybernetics. The Crackshot combines raw power with ruthless efficiency to create a weapon that's both strong and easy to wield. Bought on the black market, this pistol is one of the rare guns developed by legendary Pack member MAK0 (Mako). How Johnny came to be in possession of such a weapon is anyone's guess, but the Crackshot is one of three weapons in Megacity-01 confirmed to have been created by MAK0.
- Kelvin Knife: When Johnny runs out of ammunition, - which isn't often - his knife becomes his weapon of choice. With the pull of a trigger, the blade can heat up to levels of 373 K!
- Echo Disks: A simple gadget, and the one that earned Johnny his nickname, Echo disks are one-use items that can be programmed with images and sounds. When activated, they project said imagery until the disk powers down or is destroyed. Johnny will commonly upload videos of himself firing his gun, insulting his opponents , just being an idiot, etc. to either distract his target or to make a quick getaway.
Likes
Music - Johnny has always seen music as the sole form of escape from the reality of the Megacity. Even before he was taken in by Black Maria, his most prized possession had been a collection of pre-war songs his father had digitized. This love of playing and listening to music was part of the inspiration for him to open The Bodega.
His Contacts - Being an info broker and a private investigator, Johnny has a wide list of contacts in various factions and occupations. He makes sure to keep good relations with these contacts as they're the people who keep him in business and provide his leads.
The Bodega - This shop on Metro Street has since become Johnny's home and base of operations. Living on the upper floor, Johnny handles all of his work out of the shop and he's even garnered a reputation for having one of the largest collections of pre-war music and items for sale in the Megacity.
Dislikes
Annoying Sk8ters - As someone who grew up seeing the absolute worst of Megacity life, Johnny has a particular distaste for the more idealistic members of Sk8te or the ones who believe they have the power to change the system. In his mind, the only worthwhile thing to do is carve out your place in society and play with the cards you've been dealt.
The Backstreets - Similar to the last point, Johnny spent his early years in the Backstreets. Once he got a taste of the high life in Black Maria he grew to hate anything that reminded him of his past, especially the Backstreets themselves.
Expensive Payments - Even with his careful nature, Johnny hates having to spend more money than he should on any purchases. Since it took most of his money to open the Bodega - and customers who actually buy stuff are rare - Johnny has pretty much been living from job to job in terms of getting paid. He actively avoids buying expensive stuff if he can avoid it.
Quirks
- While Johnny is easy enough to talk to, he refuses to mention anything about the night of "The Incident" that saw him removed from Black Maria. In fact, he actively avoids talking about it.
- Johnny will often wear his headphones while he's out doing field work. While this may seem like it limits his hearing, Johnny actually prefers to tune out the noise of the world around him so he can focus on his current objective.
- While not at the Bodega, Johnny can be spotted at Shimazu's noodles. He's one of the few people that actually enjoys eating the Spicy Ramen Bowl.
Places of Interest
Johnny's base of operations and his current home. The Bodega is a two floor shop that specializes 20th and 21st century music. The bottom floor is the shop and there's a back office where Johnny discusses 'private matters' with customers. A locked door on the side leads to a set of stairs that connect to the second floor and Johnny's living space.
A popular - and cheap - noodle shop along the edge of Metro Street. The food isn't anything special but it's a frequent stop for anyone who happens to be on a budget food-wise. Popular items include the Beef Bowl and the Spicy Ramen Bowl.
