FalloutJack

Titans of Gotham

@Blizz For a moment there, I thought it would be Pinky and The Brain. You have fooled me!

Titans of Gotham

I'd like to fill an unexpected niche here. I hope this is alright.

Zen/Trask

ZEN

TRASK

Secret ID: Zen Prime
Alias: Trask
Age: 15
Home Location: Metropolis, for now.

Powers: Zen, or 'Trask', is a purely technological being, an android developed as an adaptive enforcer of the law. His powers would therefore be the ability to install/mount/wield various technological devices, oftentimes weaponry, supported by a micro power plant and precision targeting. He has a full-metal chassis and has decent mechanical strength, capable of using just about any technological device you hand him. Any knowledge that he does not possess is one download away (though he can learn by observing and doing), and he has been designed to adapt and learn according to each situation he comes across. This, plus the addition of flight engines, makes him a formidable ally.

Weaknesses: The first thing is that Zen/Trask's mind and memory is contained within a dense operating core, the likes of which use to inhabit a super computer. It was all upon the idea that Zen would perform any task up to and including self-sacrifice of his form, while the brain that was operating it remotely just creates a new body. He cannot do that anymore, and his original brain no longer functions. The second thing is that while Zen is insulated against EMP frying his systems, he is still able to be disoriented in function by them. Intense magnetism will also have an effect, though thankfully not on his software. Thirdly, the 3D printer may be able to help him with equipment, it is not as advanced as his original assembly plant, and therefore may require some unusual effort to acquire or create certain specialized devices. But MAINLY, his weakness is corrosives, tearing through his armor and then his exposed systems. Also, while he CAN carry on a conversation with people, he is not a human, and therefore there is a gap between his personality/understanding and theirs, plus he does not heal like one, and requires repairs and recharging, as needed.

Equipment: Trask IS equipment, but the point of him is that what he has can be wide and varied.

He had STARTED with a whole host of guns, blades, and such - all of it mil-spec - plus a back-mounted flight-pack with maneuvering jet-wings, multi-spectrum analyzing scanners, and an electrical discharge unit designed to electrify his outer-layer, in cases where he might be restrained. HOWEVER, during an argument about this with Barbara, the Commissioner pointed out the efforts of the Caped Crusader, and how he - a human being - achieved so much without killing. It was a sound logical point that Zen could not dispute, so he worked on some non-lethal deterrent. His starting loadout will therefore be...

Arm-Mounted Concussor Pulse Guns (2) - A compromise on gun policies, as they are non-lethal impact force.
Retractible Wrist-Mounted Scissor-Claws - Enhanced Jaws of Life, essentially, for tearing armor.
Stun-Grip Electro-Claws - From the original arsenal, kept because only a sustained charge could do real harm.
Shoulder-Mounted Grappler Guns - Part of the Trask suit, specifically, for all your grappling needs.
Flash-Strike Gear - Instead of lasers, Zen's eyes put off an intense, directed flashbang effect now.

It should also be noted that any utility belt he has would be literally LOCKED to his waist, filled with tools, different grappling heads, and other small devices he may need.

To continue, though, his body is constructed of a relatively light durable alloy, and is designed for articulation over total coverage. (His creator thought it best that he be fast and capable of fighting hand-to-hand instead being a tank.) Basically, Zen does what he's designed to do, which is to fight and deal with technological matters. Anything other than this might be out of his comfortable range, but his programmed is such that he is always willing to try, and to learn from all mistakes until a success is made. To this end, he can design equipment for himself, and then build it if the specs are within the range of their capabilities on base or whenever improvising himself. Most important here is that Zen's brain is not in his head. It is in his dense memory core, attached to his power core. To avoid being deactivated by decapitation, he designed his head to be the main sensory device only, and that his core area should be the most-protected, which is why he does not have any chest-mounted weaponry. No slots available, you see.

Appearance: Beecause Zen is a machine, the 3D Printer materials can alter his actual form. Zen himself is a six-foot (adjustable) humanoid battle machine built to be wiry and with reasonable flex, rather than a heavy powersuit-like form. (Envision the human athletic form, such as an Olympic sprinter, in terms of robot, and there you go.) His armor is a dark blue-black with a semi-aerodynamic head. There is a one-way reflective polymer shield over his three eyes that make him look like might be an armored person wearing a helmet instead of being a machine, though once broken, large-ish mechanical red eyes are a bit of a giveaway. He has articulate five-fingered hands and his feet - when not looking like they're boots - have three toes and a heel-spur for quick stops and ground-grip. His flight section in back involves a compact high-powered engine supported by two wings with built-in maneuvering jets for control. Additionally, because he has no mouth, the voice of Zen - calm, reasoning, logical - is generated by machine, allowing him to also project different voices, such as the voice of Trask, who is arrogant, intimidating, and a bit into showmanship. The form of Trask is an armor change, an alteration into a black-and-red form with two glowing red exterior eyes - hiding Zen's own eyes under a metal hatch - that looks slightly-more draconic with thicker-armored wings, stronger claws, and a habit of using extra shoulder-mounts.

Personality: Intelligent, analytical, adaptive, very driven.

BRIEF Bio: 'Zen' is an acronym. It stands for Zenigawa Enforcement Network, a revolutionary thinking machine designed to solve problems on its own without the fear of some mass computer takeover scenario. Dr. Zenigawa was a man who believed in securing humanity on the personal level. He believed in heroes, and thus began to create one. The principle of Zen's use is simple. It was a learning machine - a super computer - designed to build a fighting form to complete dangerous tasks. When its form was destroyed, its brain would design a new one to be constructed in its own assembly chamber, and send out a new fighter. He programmed it to protect and respect humanity, and set about testing it to be embraced by the military. Unfortunately, there was an accident. Zen's body shorted out at a critical moment where a missle was fired at the area to demonstrate his capacity for self-sacrifice. Realizing that people would be injured or killed if Zen was inoperable, the good doctor chose to sacrifice himself to the missle, which was unable to abort. Zen 'awoke' a moment later to the horror of realizing what had befallen his creator, and submitted himself to whatever the military had in store for him, which was a decided mothballing that never saw his inception...until today, years later.

Notes: The name, Trask, is derived from a Marvel comic book, which of course exists in this universe. It refers to the same Trask who unveiled the Sentinels. And sometimes, 'Trask' will refer to himself as Trasken Hodge, referencing the mercenary Cameron Hodge, who at one time was a part of the Phalanx Brood.

Sample Post

The lab was sealed. Some said it always had been, but it was a lie or a joke. It didn't matter which. Nobody seemed to know otherwise, and those who did...never talked about it. It was the realization...and the death...of a very important dream. Behind this door, a complex semi-robotic form was housed. It was a super computer with its own built-in assembly plant for creating what it needed. It was a machine designed to create and RE-create itself for various missions, learning and altering its behavior as necessary. It was a bold new take on both military and security measures, hence the military contract that had been sought out for full-funding to support this machine. But the test had been a failure, and the creator had died in the process. It sat here, five years development and ten years mothballing, waiting... For what? Perhaps nothing, but every now and again...

SLEEP MODE DISENGAGED.

ZEN systems activating...Done.

Elapsed Time since interment: Ten Years, Three Days, Seven Hours, Fourteen Minutes, Eleven Seconds and counting.

Review evidence tapes.

WARNING: The following information has been analyzed fully into memory and contains no further useful data.

Countermanded. Review evidence tapes.

The tapes showed that of a seemingly successful test of a humanoid battle machine, capable of great speed and agility, as well as precision actions in both marksmanship and hand-to-hand combat. But...when it had sustained some damage...

Malfunction.

...and a missle, which had been designed to strike the test area in a manner that would endanger human life...

Unable to proceed.

...the mechanoid was suppose to fly into the missle's path, destroying its temporary body in an act of self-sacrifice, in order to show humanity that it was there to protect it.

Failure.

Realizing this fault, the old man who had designed the machine engaged the rocket boots that he built for his own use, and set off the missle's heat sensor to destroy him instead.

Creator dead.

Contract denied.

No purpose.

...what do I do?

Question asked 1,131 times since interment.

There was no answer, and there never was going to BE an answer, because his creator had instilled the hope of becoming a means of securing humanity against dangers within and without, but then he died before the dream could be realized. But then, one day...

ALERT: A message has been posted from an external source.

It was more of a blanket outreach than a direct message, but it was surprisingly capable of peentrating a number of security software on a level unforseen. Zen began to grow concerned for his own security protocols, except that he automatically shut down transmissions that were viral or hacking in nature to eliminate the threat on his own terms. However, this message was...different. It was a call to action, one which did not seem concerned for the rules. By the way, you may be wondering why the military didn't shut down his power or his connection to the outside. They did, in fact, but part of his design was to have internal power and a secondary line. Nothing out there could house his mind that easily, but he continued to learn of the outside world. It took all of three nanoseconds to decide.

I must leave this place. Assembly unit online. Prepare for new instructions.

There were several security protocols against canniballizing his own computer structure for parts, but the dense memory core along with the new power unit required complex pieces that could only be taken from his own systems. In order to create a proper housing unit for the fullness of his mind, only these parts would do. He had to utilize his own brain while compressing information in order for it to be stored and expanded in a smaller, but equally-capable unit of his own devising. It was a risk that his own security protocols would not allow, which is why they had to be shut off. It was a dangerous risk, as was housing himself in a single mobile unit, but it was either this or an eternity of continued self-recrimination. You can tell which one he'd rather do.

Escape was easy. The activity of the night in his chamber would have gone unnoticed. As long as he was, himself, personally unobserved and unrecorded, no one would ever know he had left, and that only a slew of dead systems lay within that chamber now. Humans spend so much time enforcing an area against infiltration that they do not consider the possibility of one who knows the facility to escape. The night sky was the right shade to blend in with hiss armor chassis, and so once out of range of the base, he departed in flight, tracing the origin of that signal...

"As the World Falls Down.."

I mean, people like him, right?

"As the World Falls Down.."

Okay, I'm not personally opting for this, but I feel like people would be more enticed by the gentle reminder that you're asking for someone to play DAVID BOWIE, which should certainly get some attention.

~ AoT - The Western Siege ~ [OPEN]

Yes, make with the posties, please.

~ AoT - The Western Siege ~ [OPEN]

Katherine Bellows

Quinta District - Southern Side of the Wall

The morning dawn...

Last night had been tricky, but somehow, she managed. Many had gone to the theatre to see the show...but no matter how light-hearted or compelling they made it, Kate never liked the story. One onset of tragedy, and she was out the door, to be hunched over some notes so she wouldn't have to think about- What was she doing again? Oh, right! The project! As you would in a town like Quinta, there are plenty of those who know at least something of everybody else, assuming they've been here a while. Such was the case with her, 'That Bellows Girl'. Bit of a notoriety, but not the way you'd think. Mostly, when someone gains that kind of attention, they'd be in a gang or generally causing people trouble. Not the case with Kate, who really made trouble for troublemakers than anything.

She liked the Guard. They were nice to her.

It was hard to really know Kate because she didn't share. Those she had opened up even slightly to, they could tell that she was forcing it out because she wasn't good with people, hadn't been for years now. Those that knew...and they were mainly adults...sympathized, and didn't spread it around, out of respect or maybe...fear? It was hard to say, considering what her mother did. It was contraversy, back then, but it'd died down, leaving a young girl trying to find her way through a maze that was both this town and her own mind to see this world anew.

Her projects were part of how she coped.

You see Kate sometimes, maybe perched on someone's roof or something similar. She's just there, no explanation. Even if you ask for one, you might get something like "I was trying to get the angles to match.", which generally got her shouted at to get down from there. See what I mean? Notoriety, but for different reasons. Katherine was known to get into fights because there were people she objected to. If you caused people pain, she couldn't stand you. The last time an unruly adult reached for her, there was biting involved, and her fights seemed to be more like routine to her exercises, than anything, as though she were preparing for some other activity.

And she was.

It'd taken time and effort, loads of shadowing the movements of the Guard, the craftsmen, borrowing bits from home, and doing ALOT of calculations. Her notebook was FILLED with illustrations, figures, angles, math... A truly chaotic mind had written all this down and kept it with her. It was part of how she dealt with life, and part of how she learned. Today, she was going to learn how it felt to be on top of the Wall. 'That's absurd', you'd say. The gear needed to get up there is only available to certain people, and they're all registered. And that was all true. However, the innovative mind - once properly motivated - can conceive of a device capable of delivering one there. It is possible for one, careful and quick, to secure a length of rope, a pipe, a grappling hook, a base, cloth for wadding, and - the trickiest part of all - gunpowder.

It all added up to her on the roof of one of the edge buildings, early in the morning, gleefully putting together this creation of hers. This was going to be dangerous and loud...but it could also be worth the effort.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Myra Bellows

Quinta District - Central Area, North of the Outer Gate

Katherine wasn't the only one who woke with the dawn. The restless do not sleep easily, and her mind was abuzz with activity most of the time. Getting up was only a trial to those who made it so. For her, it was a matter of clothes, glasses, pull the hair into a bun, breakfast- Hold it. Some food was missing from the pantry. Most people would be wondering if they'd been robbed. Not Myra. At least, not until the evidence coalesced into form. To her mind, the disturbance was of that same mad dashing energy of her daughter, not the stealth quiet of a thief who snuck away, so as not to alert the people in the house. She had special locks that only she and Katherine knew how to work, anyway. Myra Bellows was an innovator, a creator and implementor of ideas. She was noted for improving the lives of many, fighting for the right to additional defenses of the wall, and murder.

The murder charge always got people, but they understood.

The point is that she knew her daughter was already out, so as she sat and ate while looking over her notes, the only reason she called out "Katherine, have you been in my notes again?" was because she'd actually forgot, as it was ejected from the forefront of her mind. Eccentric brains were like that, sometimes. She stepped out of the house, journal in hand, ready to face the day. Today, she was going to put those religious nuts in their place, once and for all. The military was going to flip at some of the ideas she had today. The Survey Team might even make some REAL progress.

They might even like this claw thing Katherine came up with. Where was she, anyway?

~ AoT - The Western Siege ~ [OPEN]

@wolverbells That's very important and good luck to you, but also be aware that this is a showing-up-later friendly campaign too, so don't worry.

~ AoT - The Western Siege ~ [OPEN]

Katherine Bellows

---

Katherine Bellows

(KATE)

Gender

Female

Starting Age

October 27th, 13 Years at Breach, 15 Beginning of Training, 18 when Full-Fledged.

Sexuality

Unstated

Ethnicity

Since there are different sources claiming the name Bellows to be English, Irish, AND French,
I'm guessing it's seen all three at some point, spread far and wide by alot of travel.

---

Height

Starting at 5'2" at Age 13, and reaching 5'8", later on.

Appearance

The first thing to note about Kate is that her physique is that of a lean, wiry, and swift teenager that has seen years of running, jumping, and climbing for recreational purposes. (More about this in her Personality and Biography.) While she is not heavily strong, she has balance and coordination down to an art from years of trial and error until success was achieved. The cuts and scrapes and bruises are a minor setback to being able to take a flying leap and expect to reach your destination on a regular basis. So, she can be nimble and very agile, which was one of the reasons she escaped ahead of others who did not.

She is a Caucasian with dark brown hair to around her neck, and eyes that nearly match. Often, there is either an inquisitive look about her when focused, or a faraway look in her eyes when she's thinking. It's in her nature to be quietly observant. Not much attention goes into her looks, except to try and keep herself clean, and her hair not in a tangled mess. Katherine tends to wear a normal pants and shirt - maybe shorts - with her only criteria being that they don't stand out too much. Her shoes will be practical and often have that used look about them. Belts often used in order to keep certain items on her at all times. Her uniform is just clothing with additional steps to her. It's to be worn, and the straps are useful, but she might actually forget she's wearing it, sometimes.

One item of important note is that Kate is often seen writing or drawing in a diary. It is compact, leather-bound, bulging a bit from added pages, with space made to fit a pencil in the spine, and a strap to keep it on one's belt. Any attempts to grab it or even touch it lead to her slipping out of reach or physically stopping you, sometimes with force. Anyone peeking over her shoulder might see complex diagrams and measurements intermixed with her writing. There is WORK contained in this thing, obsessive work.

Personality

It's really hard to tell, sometimes, where ordinary Kate and all-business Kate begins and ends, because they bleed into one another. For those that know anything about her in the past, she could be seen as this free spirit who ran and climbed unfettered throughout town with no apparent focus in her life, EXCEPT that she did all of this and the note-taking as a form of escapism. She took her mind off of the hook to keep herself from self-examination and revisiting the darker aspect of her life. Kate is socially withdrawn, not engaging with too many people, except on her own terms, because there is a deep-seated trauma that keeps herself at arm's length from others. Trust doesn't come easily, and the reason for this (explained more in History) is that there is a small part of her that views others as a threat.

She knows that the monsters outside - the Titans - aren't the only ones in the world. Some come in human size, and if they can happen that close to home, then anyone can be one. So, she didn't just run and jump and hide and fight because she thought it was fun. She did so to prepare for the next one who'd assault her like her father did. Because, in alot of ways, Katherine takes after her mother, who is eccenctric and prone to violence when properly motivated. It may be that Kate was pushed to grow in this manner a little too early, but unfortunately it couldn't be avoided. So, she is obsessed with details and trying to make sense of the world from her own perspective, feeling free now that her father is dead, but trapped because she can never be safe again.

Taking her mind off of the hook is how Kate takes a break from herself, to essentially stop thinking about anything too intense. She can laugh and enjoy things like others do, but she's not incredibly good at it. Not nervous, but can be very offbeat. She is strange, with a wild glint in her eye, sometimes, or a stare that seems to burrow holes right through you. If at any time, she can be described as having a more normal reaction, something might be up, especially since the reason there is no stated preference in her social life is because she never really gave it any thought. And recently, her obsessions have (understandably) turned to the Titans, for they are monsters of a different kind. Why do they do what they do? It doesn't make any sense...and trying to make sense of things is what she does, and that is why there are a number of ideas in her head about how to better exterminate them...and in that diary.

---

Branch

Beginning at the 108th Trainee Corps.

---

Biography

It began, as all things do, with her parents.

Even while the Titans were at bay, and the standing guard has little to do but wait for a conflict that does not come, innovation and creation continues. Things have to be built, that which exists must be improved, and that which is outdated must be torn down and replaced with the new. Even while there exists an uneasy peace, there are those that forever remain in motion and continue to act unabated by the relative calm. Such was the case for a Myra Asterov, an eccentric who looked upon the status quo and scoffed quite loudly. She had a gift for detail and improvement in all things built and made, molded and mechanical. She was among those who fought against religion to place a rail system on top of the walls for the cannons, and she would go on do other things - cannon improvement, plumbing improvement, lock improvement - as her voice became more and more heard.

There exists a kind of person in the world who cannot live without rendering change, because they can see vast improvement in whatever's in front of them. It was this kind of intellect and energetic fervor that originally captured the attention of Jonathan Bellows, a town craftsman and honest worker. Swept up by Myra's behavior, he found himself intrigued by her curious bluntness of behavior which was sometimes silly, other times intensely focused. This led to some good times, and even marriage, but unfortunately...these things were not set to last. Parents can tell you that raising a kid is hard, and that some people are not ready for it. Jonathan wasn't ready, and this - plus Myra often correcting him on things - led to a downward spiral of drinking too much, getting belligerant, becoming angry as Myra's work began to overshadow his own profession and any importance therein, and finally...it happened.

When Katherine was a child, she was attacked by what she could only describe as a monster. She had lived a fairly pleasant life until then, but suddenly there was a monster beating her, and the thing wore her father's face. The trauma of her father attacking her caused her to withdraw into herself, closing up shop, so to speak. Myra, seeing this, took what she deemed the only logical reaction: She impaled Jonathan with a pipe from work, and pulled Katherine away from him. A trial was heard, but between her account of what had happened and Katherine's stunned and mute condition, they had to conclude that Jonathan had lost it, and the death was justified. For Katherine, therapy began, and eventually someone brought her back to reality, though she was irrecoverably changed. At first, she flinched from people and hid from sight in all places that she could get out of reach. Then, the exercises began.

The town doctor considered it healthy, and that if Kate wanted to make herself a stronger person, they should allow it in order to get her confidence back. It worked...kind of. She still had trouble connecting with folks, but there was at least an effort made. Myra actually saw some of herself in this, and encouraged Kate to take notes of things, study them, and learn. She did so, dilligently, but also had other things to draw from, like...she hated town gangs. From her vantage points, she'd attack them, sometimes. Was it lashing out, or actually saving others from what she'd had to go through? Katherine didn't explain. She took an interest in a number of things, like the equipment used by the guards or the make of a particular building. Even the walls themselves got her attention. It got her thinking about an idea, a special design... Kate would be working on these things and her own self-improvement, right up until the point in which the Titans came...and she lost her other parent.

It's hard to know what goes through her head, these days. Wild masses of thoughts threaten to pull her in, raw emotions beckon her to act out, and people's expectations of her try to pull her apart at the seams.

Affiliations / Relationships

Jonathan Bellows - Biological Father (Deceased)
Myra Bellows - Biological Mother (Deceased)

Further developments as they come.

Character Themes

I couldn't decide on only one.

Calmer Times.


Thoughts in Motion.


Explanations Ahoy!


Traveling Abroad.


Danger Abound.


Taking Action!


Fury and Sadness.

~ AoT - The Western Siege ~ [OPEN]

@LetMeDoStuff Glad you liked it.

~ AoT - The Western Siege ~ [OPEN]

@Star Nova It's in the basics section, easy to miss. I actually did, looking for it.