@NarayanK@Write Hi guys, it's me. I'm sure you've realized it by now given my inactivity but I've been with Heroes of Beacon so long that I thought you all deserved a proper farewell and an explanation.
The last, what has it been, three years? Working with you guys in that time has been a lot of fun. We've seen people come and people go. Most were talented and I enjoyed my time working with all of you. That said though the last three years outside of the Guild haven't been that great for me. Family drama, bouts of depression, inability to hold a job. One things after another. You guys don't really need the details. This last month I've been turning everything around, I took up the violin, starting running again, eating the way I should, reconnected with my siblings, I'm working full time saving to move to Vancouver in a few months. I'm getting back on my feet. That means though that I don't have the kind of free time that I used to and to be honest I had trouble keeping up with this RP when I did have days of nothing on my hands. I don't want what happened with @Multi_Media_Man in the Oswald/Sapphire/Demetra exchange to keep happening and despite my best efforts I rather suspect if I continued on here it would. So with regrets I must take my leave.
I have loved working with each and every one of you. No matter what happened between us this RP has been a great experience for me and it has helped me through a number of hard times. I've improved my writing craft here which I must thank you all for. Hopefully I'll see you around in other RPs but for the moment all I can handle is small groups.
Now to the logistics. Regarding Sapphire, as I've hated the way we've just sort of skirted around the disappearance of characters when their RPers leave I'd like to say definitively what happened to mine. The best solution to me is that during the family day Demetra had some kind of seizure related to her semblance and Sapphire as the big sister she is took time off school to help care for her. I hope one day I can come back to this RP and this explanation would let Sapphire be reintegrated into the story should that day ever come but if it does not this is to me an acceptable reason why Sapphire never returned to Beacon to finish her training. Her family has always been the most important thing to her after all.
If it is acceptable to you guys I'd like to write a final post, a Swansong I suppose. One where Sapphire says goodbye to Oswald and Gren on family day following Demetra's seizure. If not I understand.
I've loved being a part of Heroes of Beacon and I hope someday I'll be able to return to you all. Until then I wish you all the best of luck in all your future endeavours.
Who's going to be taking on the role of Batman? He's an NPC so is it just you that writes for him or can anyone based on what's needed as long as he stays more or less in character?
On a related note I've compiled a list of important NPCs and Villains in the 0th post of the Character Tab. In due course I'll write out a short summary of each one and their eventual fate plus potential ways they could be brought back if we were so inclined. If there are any NPCs or Villains that anyone thinks should be added or I've missed let me or Demon know.
So how do we want to get this started? Should we wait for @Demon Shinobi to place the first IC post? That's normally how it goes but he did say he didn't have much internet time for the moment and we wouldn't want the RP to stall out.
Someone named Matt McGinnis is the Vice President at Marvel Entertainment. My worlds are colliding, DC has infiltrated Marvel, THE UNIVERSE WILL END IN CHAOS!
@Prince of Seraphs Compassion Man? Sorry but I couldn't help but find that a little funny. Should I do a relationship thing to add to Jude's profile as well?
You didn't list a superhero name and I don't like empty spaces. Would Helper Guy have been better?
Most of us did the relationship sections after we'd posted a few times in the IC once we had a feel for everyone's characters. Feel free to do one now though if you like.
To the team Gloria goes by the name Catherine "Katty" Walker. Matt knew her true identity but respected her decision to keep it from the rest of the team. With him dead no one is aware of her real name.
To go with her false name Gloria has an identicard of such quality that it would be impossible to distinguish it from those distributed by the government. Attached to the card is a paper trail that seemingly dates back nineteen years. This includes a social security number consistent with the year and month of birth listed, previous addresses, elementary and high school transcripts, driving lessons and a license as well as all the other hallmarks of a normal life.
The identicard is one of the highest grade available on the market and Gloria paid a serious price to obtain hers. Though the card is flawless the cyber history that goes with it cannot stand up to the same level of scrutiny. It was designed to be passable to all but the most serious checks. Each piece of information can be verified at all levels in cyberspace however as it is a fiction it cannot be verified in reality. The name on the identicard appears in the roster of the schools that it claims "Catherine Walker" attended but while their system indicates a full academic career no photos of her appear in their records including graduation and yearbook. Likewise the smallest details of the history are suspect if the investigator knows what to look for. Things like DUIs, speeding tickets, or even just running a red light are missing. As are club entrees, checkpoint scans, and other such every day tasks required of the card beyond two months previous. Similarly no photos exist in the record beyond two months ago except for those so generic they are not necessarily the actual person, such as baby photos in the hospital records.
On top of that the card is effectively meant to pass the scrutiny of officials who have no personal connection or inside knowledge about the card's holder. Those who are in regular contact with the owner of the card could spot discrepancies between the history it claims for them and their normal manner. Though none of that is definitive proof of anything it is grounds for serious suspicion.
Appearance
Physical Appearance:
Extreme over extension of Gloria's abilities several years ago has resulted in a mild but consequential skin burn over most of her right arm and shoulder and her left hand a forearm. Though not debilitating it left the skin completely smooth, obliterated both her fingerprints and the harm follicles of the affected areas.
She has a tattoo on her shoulder from her time with the Jokerz that marks her as a member of the ruthless all female Joker gang, The Harlequins. It's four diamonds, three black with one red on the right and below the formation the word "Ace" and a heart symbol.
Aesthetic:
Titan's Uniform:
Her original costume was fairly simple. It consisted of a long black cloak with a large hood that shadowed her face, black steel toed boots designed for running, black leggings and a tank top. The only point of real flare was a studded belt emblazoned with a skull.
The Titan's Uniform is flashier and more practical but only specific elements were provided by Batman.
She kept the shoes from her previous set, the steel toe gives her an extra kick in combat, they have good grip and they're excellent for running and jumping.
She wears a pair of motorcycle pants, stark black and form fitting but not restrictive any more than other clothing. They provide a modest amount of padding to blows and falls as they're designed to protect the wearer to a certain degree in motorcycle accidents.
Her belt is outfitted with smoke pellets for use in scare tactics and escapes. It retains the silver skull from her previous costume.
The shirt she wears is black with sleeves that extend to the elbows, a neckline descending about an inch below the collar bone and two white strips on either side terminating at the shoulder.
She wears a black choker around her neck with a simple silver locket that hangs in the hollow of her throat.
The last two pieces of her costume were designed and provided by Batman. These include a modified version of her original cloak, this edition is made out of a material meant for harsh environments. It is heat and cold resistant, water proof, non conductive, provides radiation shielding to a degree and is somewhat effective at impact negation. The interior of the cloak is emblazoned with white wings as seen below. The cloak is reversible, she wears the wings on the outside when making a statement.
The other piece of equipment Batman provided is a set of black reflective motorcycle goggles. These are designed with a number of visual settings including night vision, infrared, as well as a camera which records onto a chip set into the side. The tint of the glass can also be altered, mostly for style.
Personal Possessions:
- An ornate silver butterfly knife engraved with the letter X. - A silver locket that no one ever sees her open.
Powers and Abilities
Powers:
Gloria has the ability to shift the quantum frequency at which her molecules vibrate in order to pass through solid matter. All matter on our plane of existence vibrates at a specific quantum frequency. It's like a signal that all matter operates on. By altering her own quantum frequency ever so slightly Gloria can pass through matter.
Weaknesses:
The biggest exception to this is electricity. Strong electrical currents are capable of jumping quantum frequencies. This means that attempting to phase through something that carries an electric charge effectively expose Gloria to that electricity. Depending on the voltage the effects of this exposure will vary. Anything with a high charge will effectively stop Gloria from being able to phase through the material. Any exposure to electricity in this state will result in intense pain but if the charge is low enough she may be able to push through. This kind of stress of her powers will leave behind something akin to a severe friction burn on any exposed skin that went through the process, effects on clothing may vary by circumstance.
Organic matter carries a discernible electric charge which while not deadly in any sense will result in acute pain if she passes through a living thing such as a person or animal. Passing through vegetation is not a problem as the charge it carries is almost unnoticeable compared to other living things.
Application:
When passing through electronics she is able to fry circuitry, such as security systems or computers by alter her quantum frequency in quick succession while inside the device.
Though density does not effect Gloria's ability to move through a substance it does require greater concentration as if Gloria were to dephase while inside something a denser material would break her apart at the subatomic level while inside a less dense materials her own molecular structure would do the same to the substance.
History
Experience:
Three months
Hometown:
Neo Gotham
Brief Bio:
Gloria was the adoptive daughter of Rose and Peter Latham of Latham and Co Law Offices. There busy jobs defending the elite of Gotham left them little time to spend with their daughters. Whatever time they did have was usually spent with Gloria's little sister Cassandra who was the Latham's only biological child. This lead to a resentful and conflict driven relationship between Gloria and her parents. Further stress developed between them when Gloria's meta gene became active at the age of fourteen. Rose and Peter had a very strict intolerance of superpowered individuals whether it was caused by accident, exposure, design or in Gloria's case nature. They pulled her out of school to keep her out of the public eye and from that day forward she was raised primarily by tutors and servants of the household.
Two years later scandal and tragedy struck the Latham household. Cassandra was found dead on the walkway three stories down from the Latham family penthouse, apparently murdered. Gloria was held responsible by her own parents testimony, which stated that they'd seen Gloria push her sister to her death. Other circumstantial evidence corroborated this theory, however it was far too late to charge Gloria for it. She'd not stuck around long enough to see what the courts would determine. She ran for it, disappearing into the bowels of Neo Gotham.
For a little less than three years Gloria drifted from place to place taking what she needed as much as she had to. At one point she even feel in with a group of Jokerz. Three months previously however something changed, a chance encounter saw Gloria prevent the mugging of a convenience store. This simple act filled a small part of the gaping hole inside her that had opened after she'd run away from home. Desperate to feel as though she wasn't a complete failure, as though she did (even in a small way) matter Gloria set up shop in an abandoned gym. What she didn't know of self defense and combat she taught herself via the web. This began a unique hero career as whenever she saved someone she took something of value from them. Not much, just enough to survive, to keep going. This earned her the name "The Reaper" in the district she inhabited as her favors never came without a price.
Ha! You thought I'd reveal everything? FOOL!
Reason for joining Robin?:
To everyone else she says she joined because she had no place else to go and nothing better to do but really she agreed to Matt's proposal because of a desire to set right those things in her past that haunt her still and to make sure it never happens to anyone else.
Above all else Gloria is clever and calculating. She approaches every situation from a logical standpoint and very rarely lets her emotions cloud her judgement. This applies to not just to her exploits as a super hero but to her personal interactions as well. She trusts no one any more than she can verify their allegiance and always double checks everything wherever possible. She keeps extensive notes on each of her teammates. That's not to say that's she's cold when dealing with others. She's quite friendly but in the kind of way that someone who's got their prey cornered would be friendly. She gives off an aura of sizing up the people that she talks to, like she's already figured out the easiest way to take them down. Buried deeply is Gloria's dangerous sense of reckless abandon and her anger management problems. Both of these she keeps rigidly controlled under her mask of calm logic. She channels this energy into an aura of cynicism. As a result much of the time Gloria is sarcastic and doesn't seem to take things very seriously. She's blunt about mistakes made but she doesn't exaggerate, if she tells someone what they did wrong they can usually trust it to be accurate if unkind.
Innate Motivations:
Due to a number of unfortunate incidents in her past Gloria has suffered a great deal. Because of the nature of those incidents on some level Gloria believes that she deserves that suffering, that it's atonement for every mistake she's ever made. As a result on any given mission Gloria doesn't shy away from pain or injury. She's not stupid, she doesn't seek to get hurt in the field but in any of her plans her own safety is always the lowest priority. She always takes the role that garners the most risk, partly to protect her teammates but mostly because she doesn't care about her own discomfort. On a very deep level that she's not consciously aware of Gloria believes she lost the right to live a long time ago and her continued existence is due only to circumstance. She's looking for a way to die that has some meaning and some purpose so she can rest knowing she at least did something right.
Notes:
Gloria segregates many of her behavioral tendencies and habits into different personas that she's held over the course of her life. For instance "Katty" embodies her search for redemption, her pursuit of justice and her willingness to put the needs and well being of others before her own. In contrast "Ace", the name she went by as a member of the Jokerz represents her vicious tendencies, a reckless devil may care attitude and impulse control issues.
Gloria was raised for several years almost exclusively by private tutors and other such professional help. While she doesn't have any formal degree representing an education she is versed on many subjects as her parents never gave her teachers a curriculum and being curious as she was asked for lessons about subjects that interested her at the time. These range from how her powers actually work to American Sign Language to notable superheroes of the 21st century. She had many different and changing interests as she grew up which often result in her knowing odd or very specific information about seemingly random topics.
| Terrence "Terry" McGinnis | Batman |
| Mentor | Relationship Status |
Short description of Gloria's relationship with this character.
| Mathew "Matt" McGinnis | Robin |
| Leader | Deceased |
Gloria felt a kinship with Matt who she only knew as Robin. Though she knew very little about him, far less than he knew about her, Gloria trusted him. She considered him to be good and kind and possessed of the best intentions. All traits that she values and does her best to emulate. Gloria respected him as in their first encounter he engaged her in a one on one combat and emerged victorious before making his offer. However she also believed him to be too headstrong and reckless. His death impacted her greatly (though she does not show it) but it did not come as a shock.
| Jonathan Oliver Queen | Red Arrow |
| Teammate | Wary but Amusing |
Red Arrow carries the strange dichotomy of being the team member that Gloria has the most faith in and the one she trusts the least. Through some casual conversation she is aware that he is a legacy hero, either the son or the grandson of one of the vigilante's from the Golden Age of superheroes. As a result she respects both his talent, his skill, his equipment and his engineering abilities though she'd be the first to point out that he could apply all four more effectively. In any combat situation she leans on him the most out of anyone because she has absolute faith that he will do what is necessary for the greater good. The flip side of this sees him as the teammate the she keeps at arms length at all times. Though she'd trust him with her life she would never confide anything remotely personal to him. His insistence on keeping his identity a secret is a sign to her that while he can be trusted as a hero he can't be trusted as friend or as a person. She enjoys witty banter and conversation with him but it never strays within a mile of her life or her past.
| Carmelita Garcia | Accel |
| Teammate | Pitiable |
Gloria values Carmelita as an asset to the team and respects her as someone who without agenda or ulterior motive wishes to improve the city. However Gloria regards Carmelita's powers as a serious security risk. She sympathizes and pities the state that Carmelita's incomplete connection to the Speed Force has left her in and in addition to Gloria's other research has as best she can been looking for a solution to the problem. Gloria has heard Carmelita describe her state as a living hell and has come to the conclusion that for the chance to become a full fledged speedster and thus be freed from her prison Carmelita would do anything. To Gloria that includes the very real chance of betrayal. Though Gloria values Accel as part of the team she is on constant guard for the day that Carmelita will betray the Titans for her own sake.
| Calvin Lennard | G-Man |
| Teammate | Contemptible |
Gloria doesn't like or trust Calvin. Nothing she has discovered about him has inspired any confidence that he has the makings of a hero. She regards him a poor choice on the part of Robin as he is the only member of the Titans who wasn't engaged in a hero career prior to joining the team. She believes he is only their because of Batman's wish to honor Robin. She considers him a nuisance at the best of times and a liability at the worst. She makes no attempt to hide this though her words are mitigated somewhat by the fact that she uses the same mocking tone and harsh language with every member of the team. She believes Calvin is only invested as long as his tenure with the Titans is "fun" and that the moment they hit a significant roadblock in which a sacrifice is required on his part he will desert them. She often refers to him as "playing hero".
| Jude Davis | Compassion Man |
| Teammate | Relationship Status |
Short description of Gloria's relationship with this character.
| Character Name | Superhero Alias |
| Relation to person in two words | Relationship Status |
Short description of Gloria's relationship with this character.
Name: Terry McGinnis Alias: Batman Experience: Three years and two months Hometown: Gotham Age: 21 Powers: None. However the bat-suit gives him enhanced attributes and a variety of weaponry and tools. Weaknesses: He's just a guy in a super durable multi-million dollar bat-suit. His mind and other senses can be attacked and now he no longer has Bruce Wayne in his ear. Reason for joining Robin?: Terry is honoring the memory of his brother by keeping his team together and training them when not in school or on a mission with the JLU. Appearance:
BRIEF Bio: In the beginning, Terry lost his father. Shortly after he became Batman with the guidance of the original, Bruce Wayne. Terry lived with his mother and younger brother until he was out of high school and got an apartment of his own. The last fourteen months he'd been living the dream, going to college, and being a member of the Justice League. Everything came crashing down when an enemy of Wayne's brought up the connection to the Batman Beyond Project. Terry got the DNA test, but Bruce didn't have the answers Terry was looking for and Amanda Waller was in as bad condition as Bruce Wayne. The two had a falling out and Terry operated as Batman without Bruce for three months. That was until Bruce found proof he had no hand in the Project and was unaware Waller and a splinter cell of Cadmus swiped his DNA.
Four months ago Wayne's health took a turn for the worse. While he was still of sound mind and body he signed his remaining fortune and stock in Wayne/Powers over to Terry.
Six weeks ago Matt McGinnis found out his brother was Batman and that their father was somehow Bruce Wayne. He did this by hacking an old email account of Terry's that he used to frequently send messages to Maxine. Realizing he could be a hero loved by millions Matt made a Robin suit and the rest is history.
Terry is still grieving the loss of his fifteen year old brother and his mother is taking it exceptionally hard. To get his head right he's taking time away from the League to train the Titans as well as help his mother in times of stress. It's one thing to lose an ex, it's another thing entirely to lose a child.
Notes:
* Obviously I've used bits of continuity from here and there. Still no clue who gave the info to Terry, that will be a sub-plot for much later.
* The JLU in this is greatly influenced by the cartoon interpretation as well as the JL Beyond 2.0 comic some time after. Members include Superman (Clark Kent), Barda, Warhawk, Aquagirl, Micron, Green Lantern (Kai-Ro), Shazam (Billy Batson), and Starfire. They're based in Metro-Tower in Metropolis.
* Most people are familiar with the show so the most of the continuity will be used from that. Stalker will come into play down the road. As well as another original enemy inspired by one of Batman's rogues.
Important NPCs
Beyond Villains
Classic Villains
Bane's constant use of Venom had degraded his body and transformed him into a wheelchair-bound invalid, barely able to move and needing constant infusions of Venom just to stay alive.
Gangs
In the Static Shock episode Future Shock Static is sent to the future via the accidental activation of a time machine that he, Batman and Robin had confiscated from a villain calling himself Time Code. Time Code's relatively straight forward plan to to charge super villains and ordinary criminals who could afford his prices to help them escape their warrants by sending them far enough into the future that they would be assumed dead and no longer actively searched for. Though Time Code was apprehended and his time machine dismantled it was not before he's sent a great number of criminals roughly forty years into the future. Now in the 2040s these criminals have resurfaced in the current timeline and armed with 2040s technology have banded together to form a crime syndicate which aims to take control of the underworld of Gotham.
@Demon Shinobi@ProPro@Skwint@Pathfinder I'd say that just about does it. If there is any other important information that surfaces over the course of the RP I will add it to the 0th post.
It always begins with a Robin. Matthew McGinnis, after the revelation that his older brother was Batman also discovered that an illicit program called Project Batman Beyond had result in Terry and Matt being the biological sons of the original Batman, Bruce Wayne. To Matt there was little doubt what his next step was. As a legacy of the first Batman and brother of the current one Matt would take on the mantle of Robin and become a protector of the city. This idea though was dashed by Terry. He didn't want his brother in that kind of danger. Bitter and angry Matt vowed that no matter what Terry thought he would prove his worth. Matt stormed from his brother's apartment with his Robin uniform determined to show that he could be just as effective as Batman. Like Robins of the past Matt knew what he must do. To be able to measure up to the caliber of hero that Batman was he'd need a team. Matt set out to form the Teen Titans for this era.
Matt sought out other amateur heroes, ones with strange abilities that they used to help as best they could whether they be metahuman, mutation or magic. To his cause the latest Robin recruited six heroes who ranged from legacies of the Golden Age to high school students, to those with nothing left but their cause. During their first mission they ran afoul of Batman. The clashing of the Titans with Batman resulted in their target escaping. Furious with each other the fight between the brothers came to blows. Matt had no chance of taking on the more experienced Batman or his suit, but when the other young heroes came to Matt's aid it truly became a brawl. Though the result saw Batman disable each of the Titans in turn their skills and powers in some small way earned his grudging respect, though he'd never admit as much to Matt.
Just two weeks after they came together as a team a blow was struck at the very heart of the Titans. A horribly mutated woman capable of shifting into liquid form, Inque was a brutal mercenary willing to do any job for the right price. Paid by an unseen force who knew the secret of the Batman, she killed Matthew McGinnis and left his body, bloody and lifeless for Terry to find. Terry was enraged and grief stricken. He had tried to keep Matt out of this life for fear that this day would come. That he would lose Matt completely. At the insistence of Bruce Wayne whose health in recent years had started to fail Terry contacted the young heroes of his brother's team. To honor him, Terry took it upon himself to train these new Titans.
______________
The DC Animated Universe's Beyond Universe, taking place in the 2040s was sadly extremely underused. Though Batman Beyond was one of the pillars on which newer DCAU properties like Justice League would be built after it's cancellation the universe that it created received only a handful of cameo appearances though the use of time travel from present set DCAU properties. This has always been to me and others a great shame. The Beyond Universe had a lot of potential. We're here to tap into some of it. As outside of Batman and Neo Gotham City only a handful of things are known of the Beyond Universe this grants a great deal of freedom for exploration of DC properties reborn into this new era and entirely unique ideas invented by our industrious cast for the amusement of all. We will take an iconic team of heroes, the Teen Titans and reimagine them for a new age with a new cast of heroes, some reinvented or descended and some entirely made up by us. If this interests you please feel free to inquire about joining though be warned that the Teen Titans are not the Justice League Unlimited. We don't have an infinite roster and so will take only the best and brightest. Without further ado, welcome to TITANS 2043: HEROES OF TOMORROW!
Name: Alias: Experience: [Anywhere from twenty-eight to ninety days, but you had to have been a hero on Matt McGinnis' radar and now we've been training together at least a month or so plan accordingly.] Hometown: [Options include: Gotham, Bludhaven, or Hub City.] Age: [15-20 years old] Powers: Weaknesses: Reason for joining Robin?: [This can simply be because you wanted to be a hero, or a power/responsibility thing or a great tragedy moment occurred. Whatever you like.] Appearance: Personality: BRIEF Bio: Notes:
The HQ is located underneath a 19th century arcade in the Historical District of Neo Gotham. This is the area that while technically protected under historical preservation laws is barely maintained and as a result attracts drifters and homeless who have nowhere else to go.
Member
MULTI_MEDIA_MAN
Mixtape Ghost N
Azereiah
Blizz
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