Name: Rick 'Cyber' Wheeler
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Appearance: Rick constantly looks like he's been through hell. A side effect of his bonding process created facial scarring around his eyes that - from a distance - resemble lines on his face from a lack of sleep. In addition, the process also cost him his right arm. He considers this a minor loss however since he was able to get a cybernetic replacement thanks to his newfound abilities. He keeps his silver hair messy and unkempt, often finding the process of grooming and self-care to not be worthwhile. He maintains a decent figure due to his brain having an enhanced calorie intake after being enhanced through the bonding process. In terms of clothing, he typically chooses to keep to the bare essentials. Cover up the vital areas with a tank top, pants, and a pair of combat boots. One personal item is a small chunk of respite that Rick keeps on a necklace which he calls his 'retirement plan'. If things ever start to get worse than they already are, he has no problem popping that thing into his body and waiting for the end.
Personality: To say Rick is depressed is an understatement. After losing someone close to him during an abomination attack, his normally casual and cheerful personality did a complete one-eighty. Now, he's a much more cold and calculating person, a trait that is amplified by his increased intelligence from the bonding. He sees everything as a matter of statistics and data, and he refuses to take a risk if the costs outweigh the rewards. In spite of that, he still can't fully repress his old nature and will more often than not continue to search for a solution to the problem even if others have given up. The only way to get past his cold exterior is to get him to open up about his past, which he is rarely willing to do, instead choosing to focus on his work and the task at hand.
Abilities/Powers: The main power that Rick acquired was Technopathy. In short, he has the ability to manipulate and control technology with his mind. In addition, the respite stimulated his brain cells, allowing him access to IQ levels that even some of the worlds' foremost scientists could only dream of. Thanks to this combination, Rick has found a place in Respite City both as a weaponsmith and an engineer, building and utilizing tools for the resistance to fight back the abominations in addition to the respite powers. He was even able to build a new arm for himself and a containment unit for smaller abominations which he uses for study. He hopes of devising some sort of way to utilize the abominations against themselves in the hopes of turning the tide against the monsters.
Weaknesses/Vulnerabilities: As stated above, Rick has been permanently scarred by the loss of someone close to him. This has caused him to have a grim/bleak outlook on the world and he constantly views things in terms of values and statistics rather than human life. One of the major drawbacks to his abilities are the increased calorie consumption required by his enhanced brain. He's almost constantly seen eating or drinking in order to keep up his energy. The other weakness is the cybernetics he placed within himself. Despite the respite enhancements, the mechanics aren't 100% compatible so he sometimes has to drink oil in order to keep it from locking up.
Specialized Equipment: Rick has a mechanized arm that can convert into a variety of weapons depending on the situation. Among them, he has an electrified blade, an energy rifle, and a plug-in for connecting to computers and other terminals. On his back he keeps a storage tank which he's modified to hold smaller abominations. After he catches them, Rick's goal is to find ways to utilize their power against the other abominations.
Biography: At one point, Rick had been living a meager existence on the outskirts of Respite City with his wife Jenny. They ran a small business collecting scrap and small pieces of respite from battlefields and converting it back into weapons and armor for the people unfortunate enough to live outside the city limits. They didn't have much money, but the two of them were happy being together. It was during 'The Attack' that everything changed. While attacks by abominations on the city were nothing new, this one was different. The biggest abomination people had seen in decades had appeared and began attacking the outskirts. Rick and Jenny had tried to fight so some of their neighbors could escape to the city, but Jenny was killed in the attack.
In a blind fury, Rick attempted to charge the abomination before someone pulled him back and carried him through the gates of the city. The guardians eventually killed the monster, but Rick was a changed man. He lost the only thing he cared about, and now he was little more than a shell of his former self. With nothing else to live for, he signed up to join the guardians. He reasoned that, if his love was gone then he could at least kill the things that had taken her from him. After his bonding, Rick awakened his abilities as a technopath, greatly increasing his skill with building and developing weaponry.
During an assault on an abomination nest, he discovered a collection of abomination eggs. Before the other guardians could destroy them, he held them off and made a case for keeping the eggs for study. If they had live specimens, then the humans could find more effective ways to both deal with, and turn the abominations into tools rather than live in fear of them. When he's not working for the guardians, Rick managed to use his paychecks to open a weapons shop within the city where he conducts new R&D on anti-abomination weaponry.
Fun Facts:
- Rick has gotten so used to drinking oil to maintain his cybernetics that it's second nature to him. He's also a compulsive coffee drinker to stay awake.
- Despite losing many of his emotions after losing Jenny, Rick still regrets that he never had kids. They are the only people he'll let his guard down around.
- Rick has a bionic heart which keeps him from tiring out when in combat situations.