Zombiedude101

Baybridge: Old Ghosts [COMPLETED]

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Quentin & Reed Taylor

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Strong Gold Community, Silver Hills

These days, reunions were never a bad thing for the Taylor brothers.

"... You sure you don't need a ride back?" Quentin asked one last time as he finished locking up the cab. His gear was all in place now; his RAVEN vest worn over the standard uniform he'd hastily slipped on just under an hour before, trusty old Remington 870 dangling by his side from its sling. Strange as it might've seemed for some, it felt natural wearing it all - something he'd become accustomed to over the years.

On the other hand, Reed was formally dressed for the occasion, though he had a holster concealed at his side with a CZ75 compact slipped inside. Just in case. "I'll call a cab, thanks." He waved Quentin off, before taking a step back towards him. "Look, I know you'll probably get something sorted with RAVEN, but if you still can't get some living arrangements - you're welcome anytime."

"What, with you and all of Cass' old junk? Never knew you had the room to spare." Quentin snorted, a wry grin forming across his face. And like that, he pulled Reed into a fraternal embrace. "Enjoy yourself, baby brother. And stay safe."

"You too, Quent." Reed smiled warmly as he was relinquished from Quentin's embrace. "See you later." Nodding, Quentin gave him the thumbs up before heading off. Knowing that the speech would be starting soon and aware that the traffic had left the both of them running late, he set off at a steady pace, brushing past over spectators and staff present for the event. One perk about wearing the RAVEN uniform was that nobody would bat an eyelid if he ever needed to take charge of things. Sometimes, he'd missed the inconspicuous look afforded by plain clothes, yet in the current climate of fear and insecurity, a uniform made people listen. Having a shotgun helped a little, too.

His gaze scanned the crowd, vigilant for anything that looked suspicious in the slightest. Pure, Alleigance, or something else, it felt like another threat was always lurking quietly from behind the corner. It didn't help with all the Saviors around - not all of them were assholes, yet something didn't feel right about them. Maybe it was just a side effect of being in his line of work.

Unsurprisingly, his theory about being late was confirmed when he found himself arriving just in time for Meifeng's uncle to start his speech. She'd spoken a little about him, but Quentin had never deigned to ask about him too much. Why? Well, maybe it was just never something that interested him. He seemed a nice enough guy, wealthy and benevolent, a man who'd paid a large contribution towards rehousing the thousands displaced by the destruction of Verthaven and was now here to open a sparkling new community with the same kind of interests in mind. A rare combination in the good ol' USA. Thoughts drifted to his daughter, Mika and Quentin remembered her too. She'd once helped save Cass and Reed alongside Meifeng. Feels like a lifetime ago.

Scanning the crowd once more, Quentin was eager to catch wind of either one of the Zhaos - he hadn't seen Meifeng since the aftermath of Prague whilst Lihua was a face he'd not seen in years. He wondered just how the Concrete Dragon was handling herself these days, now a teacher in Baybridge's local Academy. But there was one face that Quentin soon recognised, after a moment of disbelief. Cindy? Yeah, it was Cindy. It'd been a long time, but Quentin had never forgotten any of the faces he'd fought alongside back in Verthaven. Reed had mentioned her in high praises too. Glad to see her doing well.

But by this point, Quentin realised he'd kept quiet for too long. Clearing his throat, Quentin brought a hand to his comms piece, switched it on and finally spoke up. "Counterpoint in place. Sorry I'm late."

---

Reed, by this point, had already worked his way into the crowd. Being here made a nice difference from the hustle and bustle of work in the city, yet he couldn't help but keep thinking back to that particular case. His thoughts wandered to the victims, how their killer was still out there somewhere - waiting for another opportunity to strike.

But tonight, Reed had another duty - keeping an eye on things from a place nobody would expect. On the stage, he'd spotted Cindy in all the appropriate gear and a few other familiar faces he'd made out among the masses attending, yet Reed had also pushed for planting several plain clothes agents within the crowd to keep an eye on things from within. Extra eyes never hurt, particularly when nobody knew they were watching.

Baybridge: Old Ghosts [COMPLETED]

Also, shoot me a link to the next big collab that involves RAVEN/DOVE.

Baybridge: Old Ghosts [COMPLETED]

Got my first IC post up. @Mr Allen J, just need you to add my characters to the OP in the character section.

Baybridge: Old Ghosts [COMPLETED]

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Quentin Taylor

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Hello My Name Is MR.9/06

---

Somewhere in Brookacres, White Coast.

The Ferryman's Tavern was nothing special to behold, yet another watering hole in Brookacres, typically frequented its disgruntled and impoverished denizens. Dotted around the counter were a cluster of stools in various states of repair whilst a TV crudely mounted to the wall gave people a hazy picture of whatever sports rerun was going on at the time. Tables and chairs were planted across the walls, surrounding a pool table with the classic emerald lampshades overhead. Right now, it was occupied by a small group of patrons - regulars by the looks of it, spectated by a stranger in the corner of the room.

"Shit, so you didn't hear 'bout Jim Campbell?" One of the scrawnier patrons had remarked as they took their shot. "What? Haven't seen that guy since Christmas." His opponent, a squat man in a lumberjack shirt, gave him a quizical gaze. "Yeah... 'bout that, he's dead."

"What?!" The squat man exclaimed, eyes widening in shock. "Shit, what the fuck happened?"

"Murdered by a freak." Scrawny leaned towards his companion, his voice taking on a low tone, but the stranger in the corner could still just about pick it up. "And you'll never believe who - that boy of his. Yeah, that's what I said - Jim Campbell's boy turned out to be a freak who murdered him. His own blood."

"Jesus, fuckin' freaks everywhere. Dunno who to trust these days."

"Gotta watch out wherever you go."

"Say, weren't he married?"

"Hell with that bitch, Jim said it best himself - she's always been a fuckin' skank."

"And what happened to that little shit?"

"Beats me, fuckin' whitey birds came in and walked him off. Probably let him off with a warnin'... god-damned animals. It's bad enough those freaks are out there, nevermind being left in charge."

"Whatever," another patron butted in, "I see that little fuck, I'm gonna cave his little head in. Jim weren't no saint but he was one of ours and I'll spit on my old man's grave before I let pricks like him walk free."

The stranger decided that he'd heard enough, driving a palm into his knee to stand up, leaving behind a half-emptied beer bottle on the table. He'd no doubt that the Pure wouldn't have taken kindly to having him drinking in their midst.

Stepping out, he quickly took a left turn and then a left turn again, where a chainlink fence covered the relatively compact space that had been set aside for parking. As he'd expected, the pickup was still there - and intact, windows, wheels and all. It was a funny thing, really - Max had only intended to loan it to him for a few months, but he'd had gained a certain fondness for the former service pickup and when NEST's assets were finally sold off or transferred to the new DOVE/RAVEN initiative, he'd managed to strong-arm the new director into letting him keep it as an unmarked service vehicle. Instead of the official markings it held before, the pickup had been given a new coat a couple of years before, leaving it with a naval blue tone.

So it happened, Quentin was back in town for the first time in a while. It'd been a long time since he'd had a full assignment here, probably not since the first few months after the shitshow in Verthaven. After losing Cass. But that wasn't exactly his concern right now - RAVEN could wait a couple of hours longer. No, that honour went to a certain someone whom he'd not seen in a good while.

Climbing into the pickup, Quentin whipped out his phone and brought up a familiar name on the contact list.

---

Reed Taylor

---

Guided Meditation

---

DOVE Central Office

"Walter Price, aged twenty-seven," Reed spoke aloud from the file once more, before sighing as he uttered the next two words. "Registered Metahuman." As far as he was concerned, it had effectively confirmed any suspicions that the initial report had raised.

It was no coincidence, Reed had mused. Two other deaths within the same number of months, each with a similar MO. Both the victims had been found in the Starrybank district, each having last been seen enjoying the nightlife before their respective disappearances and autopsies had confirmed that both of them had been spiked, incidentally with the same drug that displayed a level of toxicity towards a very specific group within Baybridge's population. Metahumans

"Can I see the autopsy report, please?" He shot a look at one of the other agents searching through the folder, before they retrieved a freshly photocopied sheet of paper. Setting it on the table before him, Reed's inquisitive gaze quickly scanned across the report, before his eyes locked on the toxicity note.

Traces of 551 toxin found in system in addition to moderate alcohol levels.

That confirmed that Walter Price had been spiked, which probably explained why he hadn't put up much of a fight. Being able to manipulate air could've worked in his favour, yet somehow his killer had managed to garrote him to death and hide the body in an unlocked drainage opening, to be discovered two days later by a maintenance crew. The MO was too much of a coincidence to be anything else.

Serial killer.

Reed's lip curled at the thought. Time had taught him not to jump straight to the finish on matters like this, but his gut told him that something was off. And whoever the killer was, they were still out there - CCTV footage had only captured the late Mr. Price stumbling out of the Northern Star whilst any witnesses who had been near the scene of the crime were equally useless.

Running a palm down his face, Reed sighed and decided to get down to typing up his own report - along with his consensus on the matter. Three people had died in as many months because of this twisted bastard and with Anti and Pro-Metahuman sentiments stirring up left and right in the wake of the Beast's emergence in Prague, the timing couldn't have been worse. Reed wondered just how easy it could've been for his brother over in RAVEN - no worrying about the social or legal aspects of things, just getting things done. But then, that's where they'd differed - that's why he'd joined DOVE.

He worried about his older brother sometimes. Ever since Verthaven, well... sometimes it felt like only one of them had buried their uncle. He missed Cass, even now, and wished he could see just how his nephews had turned out - one going on to join a successful agency whilst the other had practically turned his life around. But Cass was gone, and all the retribution in the world wouldn't bring him back. Cindy had spoken a few times how she felt on that matter, how Meifeng had embraced and even gone beyond Quentin's zero-tolerance approach towards what was left of people like the Hands, but there was only so much that Reed could do beyond speaking up about it occasionally.

Soon enough the report was finished and Reed was just about ready to finish his day at the office when he felt his phone buzz. Bringing it up to eye-level, a smile quickly formed across his face as he saw the Caller ID.

Mass Effect: Borealis

<Snipped quote by Zombiedude101>

Yeah we do :) if you're going to work on it tonight I'll pop in when I get home from work.

@DearTrickster

We can focus on that once the mission is finished, no rush.

Baybridge: Old Ghosts [COMPLETED]

@Mr Allen J Thanks, Reed's in the character section too, now. Just need them listed on the OP.

Mass Effect: Borealis

@Sundered Echo @Hellis @DJAtomika

Morty and I are working on a collab to take down one of the snipers. We originally were going to finish off the last two but we'll focus on the third one which will leave one sniper left to take care of. Along with opening up the opportunity for anyone to rush to help Tanya and Iosif further down the shaft.

@DearTrickster

That reminds me, we've still got our collab saved for the post-op shopping setup.

Baybridge: Old Ghosts [COMPLETED]

And here's Reed!

Reed Taylor

Basic Information

Name:

Reed Taylor

Nickname/Alias/Etc:

Lazarus (Callsign), Nosferatu

Gender:

Male

Age:

33

Height:

5'10ft

Weight:

180lbs

Home District:

Greencrest Heights

Appearance

Hair Color:

Black

Eye Color:

Brown

Ethnicity:

African-American

Physical Appearance:

Standing at 5’10 and still in good health and fitness as a result of his career choice, Reed is still a man in his prime and arguably not too hard on the eyes. His eyes are a lighter shade of brown whilst his face is relatively smooth and clean-shaven, kept free from stubble whilst his head is cropped fairly short. Along his left forearm is a twisted scar from where it was bitten by one of the Devil's creatures and never fully healed.

Attire:

Whilst Reed is known to wear the standard DOVE uniform when the occasion necessitates it, often he'll go for the less conspicuous plain-clothes approach, wearing a shirt with jeans or cargo pants along with a jacket on occasion and keeping his sidearm in a concealed holster.

Personality

Innate & Outward Personality:

Strong-willed and brimming with determination, Reed was the kind of man with a motivated drive for seeing things through, almost to a fault given how stubborn he could be. However, several years on the force, his experiences and losses in Verthaven and his time with DOVE have only served to dispel the naiveté and replace it with a realistic sense of how the world actually works, along with giving him some good instincts. That doesn't mean he lacks the same drive, rather he just understands there's a way about doing it and whilst he still maintains a relatively calm, professional exterior there's a sense of passion and drive just beneath the surface.

One of the main reasons he first joined up with the force was to follow in the footsteps of his uncle and losing him has only cemented his idea of doing the right thing, hence why he carried on with DOVE to honour his name. Unlike his brother, Reed's probably more the pacifist of the two and is generally inclined towards talking his way through a situation and using those good instincts of his to avoid causing trouble. It helps being a DOVE, but it's also something that comes naturally to him.

Having spent his early childhood and lost a mother to alcohol abuse, he's also sympathetic to the plight of the poorer lower classes and metahumans subjected to abuse and is disgusted at the prospect of the local gangs taking advantage of either, to the point he's willing to go out of his way to put an end to it. Likewise he doesn't take kindly to signs of corruption or misconduct in either DOVE, RAVEN or the BPD, having worked his own ass off to get where he is and still wanting to help dispel the public mistrust of law enforcement and metahuman regulation agencies.

The other thing that's liable to piss him off is bringing up his family or friends and badmouthing any of them - particularly his brother or late uncle.

Hobbies/Interests:

Like his brother and uncle before him, Reed doesn't mind heading out onto the range every once in a while. When he's not busy, good TV and classic films such as The Terminator or Predator are something he can quite gladly appreciate. On another note, he's also kept a lot of his uncle's film memorabilia and, in some ways, has gained a fondness for collecting it albeit not to the same degree as the old man did.

Skills/Talents:

Time on the VPD and with DOVE have done more than their fair share of good for Reed. He's picked up a fair amount of skills in his time both through training and personal experience. For one, he’s quite analytical and decisive when push comes to shove and has been given a degree of wisdom from his time on the beat and with DOVE and he's not a half-bad shot either, and knows his way around most firearms. Practice on the range outside of work has only served to cultivate this. He’s also pretty damned athletic and knows how to take care of himself in a fight- a necessary skill for a man who’s job requires him to be able to apprehend fleeing and potentially dangerous suspects whilst staying by the book, so to speak. He still speaks a little Spanish though, again, his pronunciation is a little off and he's probably rustier than ever by now.

Goals/Motivation

Reed has a vested interest in doing some good for both the Metahuman and Non-Meta communities, it's one of the reasons why he first joined DOVE to begin with (that, and his being out of a job).

History/Bio:

Verthaven

Born towards the end of the ‘80s on Eagle-Rock Row, Reed was the youngest child of two kids born into crime and poverty to a single parent, surrounded by drugs, violence and the social tensions of the time. From early childhood, their mother quickly relied on a string of deadbeat boyfriends, minimum wage jobs and alcohol to pull the three of them through life and it took its toll on her from an early stage, often forcing her elder brother to step in to assist.

Whilst his older brother, Quentin got caught up with the local street gangs working the corners, Reed was left at home with an alcoholic mother who only seemed to be aware of his existence half of the time. Quentin did as best as a kid his age could yet all the same Reed’s early childhood was one devoid of any real parental figures. It was only after his mother’s death from alcohol poisoning that the closest thing to a parental figure he’d ever had showed up: his Uncle Cassius, his mother’s elder brother.

Having been aware of their situation for some time and having already made preparations to step in, Cassius took both of the Taylor brothers in as his own children and ensured that they’d never have to face the lifestyle he’d pulled them out of ever again. Years passed by and Reed grew closer to his uncle, having never had a stable parental figure to follow whilst Quentin, being older, continued to do his own thing in order to, in his own words, “be his own man”. It would, for some time, drive a wedge between the two.

Reed wanted to follow in the footsteps of the only father-figure he’d ever had and eventually wound up in the police academy, wanting to be a cop. Persistent as anyone and hoping he might make a difference in addition to doing right by his uncle, he pushed on through his training and joined up with the VPD.

Wedging his foot in the door for the beginning of a successful career, Reed flourished on the beat and worked his way through things until finally, hoping to follow in his uncle’s footsteps, he earned a promotion to a position in the VPD's detective bureau as an Investigator, which was going well up until a surge in Metahuman activity sweeped across the city.

Things escalated as NEST began its war against the Hands of Science, yet through this there was something good that transpired - a reconciliation between Reed and his elder brother, now a NEST agent. But things would still get worse, culminating in the emergence of the Devil of Verthaven. Reed himself was injured during this occurrence, his arm suffering a nasty bite wound from one of her creatures that would only be mitigated by the efforts of the late Trevor Obott.

A threat greater than anything Reed could have expected as a cop, both he and his uncle were among the remaining VPD cops who joined up with NEST when the city was isolated and fought boldly in the effort to destroy her. It paid off, but that was not the end of the Verthaven Disaster. Not quite yet.

In a surprise attack, the Changelings (whom had previously formed a temporary truce with NEST to fight the Devil) quickly turned on NEST, killing an agent - and then Cass. Reed was not present at the time, but soon learned over the comms - and promptly responded by ramming an armoured VPD truck into one of the Changelings and finishing them off with a shot to the head.

The battle between NEST and the Changelings came to its climax - and the remaining forces of NEST emerged, bloodied and bruised, the city a ruin to be abandoned, but still victorious, for whatever it was worth. Having lost his uncle, who had been more like a father to him than anything else and now out of a job, Reed contemplated his future until Quentin revealed that he'd pulled a few strings and found him a place in the agency that would go on to succeed NEST.

Skeptical, Reed cited his lack of powers - to which Quentin pointed out that he'd already held his own before, then offered him the chance to become a Metahuman if he felt he couldn't keep up. Hesitant, Reed made his decision - taking on and safeguarding the abilities that once belonged to Luis, leader of the Changelings.

Finally they buried their uncle together - before Reed looked towards the future with optimism.

Post-Verthaven

In the immediate aftermath of NEST's dissolution, Reed was one of the first agents to join up with DOVE - one of its two successor agencies that would deal with the social and legal aspects of the metahuman community. Transferred to Baybridge, Reed pushed on through his training and within a few years was an agent out on the streets, carrying out field work.

In many ways, it had been a lot like his days on the beat and as an investigator - except now he was dealing with metahumans and situations which could often be just as complex, if not moreso than those that he'd seen back in Verthaven. But he stuck with it, gained a knack for it and before long came to love and take pride in his work just as much, if not even more than he had during his days as a cop.

Things would always stir up, however, and the emergence of another destructive metahuman in Prague would serve only to kick the hornet's nest that was the malcontents of the Pure, the Allegiance and countless others who'd serve only to cause trouble in Baybridge, which now held the highest concentration of metahumans on the West Coast in the wake of the Verthaven Disaster. Most alarming, Reed found, was the presence of what seemed to be a serial killer in their midst.

Yet there wasn't all bad in this. Word travelled quick that his brother was being reassigned to Baybridge and Reed was more than happy to accomodate a reunion.

Relationships

Family:

Hider

Helena Taylor (Deceased) - Mother

Still a teenager when she gave birth to her firstborn, Helena Taylor was a sad tale to speak of. Years of poverty and deadbeat boyfriends (one of which fathered another child with her) led to the alcoholism which would go on to kill her, leaving behind two sons. Whilst his brother regards her fondly, Reed barely remembers her.

Quentin Taylor - Half-brother

One of RAVEN's founding agents, and Reed's elder brother. The history between them is a long and storied one, not entirely pleasant either, but since the loss of their uncle they've been on closer terms than ever before.

Cassius Taylor (Deceased) - Maternal Uncle

A father figure to his nephews, Cass was a detective with the VPD who wound up taking in both of his sister's sons when she died and raising them like his own. Of the two, Reed followed in his uncle's footsteps whilst Quentin went on his own troubled path in life and it was through Cass' example that Reed went on to become a detective himself. Sadly, Cass was murdered in the final hours of the Verthaven disaster by Heartbreaker, one of the Changeling Unit. However, unlike his brother, Reed has found himself able to mourn his death and move on in life.

Dynamics:

Hider

| Quentin Taylor |

| Good | Half-brother | "I know he's got his issues, but he's my brother - only family I've got. Just wish he'd let go." |

Reed's older brother and one who helped raise him with their mother was incapable of doing so, the two grew somewhat distant as they became older - particularly when Reed joined up with the VPD whilst Quentin went down his own troubled path and got hooked up with the wrong kind of crowd. It was only as a consequence of the events leading up to and during the Verthaven Disaster that the two reconciled, a close relationship reformed and cemented by the death of their uncle. They still keep in touch as often as one might expect, though casework between them sometimes acts as a barrier to that.

| Lihua Zhao |

| Respected | Associate | "Sharp woman." |

Whilst they first met in Verthaven and didn't exactly speak much about it at the time, Lihua has since become an oft-visited acquaintance of Reed due to her place as a teacher in Academy 61. More often than not, it's usually about some casework, but more recently they've been speaking about Lihua's young daughter, Lijuan, who's started undergoing development of her metahuman abilities.

| Cindy Keagan |

| Good | Colleague | "She's a good agent, one of the only ones who knows what we went through in Verthaven." |

Like Reed, Cindy was one of the volunteers for for Task Force RAVEN back during the Verthaven Disaster and like Reed, she survived in one piece - if somewhat scarred by her experience. Since then, she's gone on to enlist in DOVE - and the two have had a decent working relationship as a consequence of their shared experience.

| Meifeng Zhao |

| Good | Friend | "Hope she's taking care of Quentin for me." |

Again, Meifeng is one of the few people that Reed personally knew during the Verthaven Disaster - and one who saved both his, his brother and his uncle's lives on quite a few occasions. This, combined with their shared sense of loss and survival, has left him with a degree of respect.

| Shizuka Takashiro |

| Good | Colleague | "We don't see each other much, but he's come a long way. " |

Both of them having saved one another at one point during the Verthaven Disaster, Reed regards Shizuka as a colleague who's come a long way from the abrasive kid he was back in Verthaven. They're on good terms, it's just they haven't seen each other in a while.

| Haruka Takashiro |

| Good | Associate | "Shizuka's mentioned him a couple times, but I haven't seen him in a while." |

Whilst they haven't seen each other in years since Verthaven, Reed shares a similar sentiment for this twin as he does the other.

Abilities

Power Class:

Super System

Powers:

Hemokinesis.

A power which once belonged to Luis of the Changeling Unit, Reed was given the ability by his brother as a means of safeguarding him, in addition to ensuring that it would remain in trusted hands. Like Luis, Reed is capable of manipulating blood when he comes into physical contact with it, able to move it around, clot it or otherwise absorb it into his body through his skin. In fact, Reed can be empowered by absorbing blood, which bolsters his stamina and strength when he does so as well as speeding up his regenerative process.

Super-Regenerative System.

Much alike the man who once held them, Reed's regenerative abilities allow him to survive wounds that would kill any other man and even recover from them entirely. Broken bones knit back together at an advanced rate, gunshot wounds and lacerations quickly stop bleeding and seal up before any major damage can be done and toxins which would cause havok within a normal person's body are filtered out. Not just that, but it seems that this ability has effectively put the brakes on Reed's aging process as it did for Luis, leaving him with the physical appearance and fitness of a man in his late twenties.

Limits:

Luis possessed the single, strongest regenerative factor among all Metahumans, Reed, unfortunately, only has a fraction of that strength as a consequence of it being transferred to him by his brother. Where the Spaniard could have survived and even functioned when most of his body was subjected to severe trauma, Reed does not have this liberty. Destructive injuries can and will render him unconscious and unlike Luis, who had over two centuries' worth of experience and pain tolerance built up, Reed has had at most under a decade of holding this ability. Expecting him to perform the same feats as the man would be a fool's errand.

Weaknesses/Drawbacks:

Ashing out is one big weakness of this ability, as demonstrated by its original holder. Being subjected to incredible physiological strain and numerous mortal injuries at the same time will put Reed at serious risk of ashing out, especially if he doesn't give himself an opportunity to rest or otherwise replenish himself. Reed is also extra susceptible to poisons, diseases, and chemicals that are transmitted by blood. Taking in a little bit of this toxic blood can definitely stun Reed.

Other:

Baybridge: Old Ghosts [COMPLETED]

Used that placeholder post.

Baybridge: Old Ghosts [COMPLETED]

Oh shit, forgot to post here first:

Quentin Taylor

Basic Information

Name:

Quentin Taylor

Nickname/Alias/Etc:

Counterpoint

Gender:

Male

Age:

37

Height:

5'11ft

Weight:

192lbs

Home District:

RAVEN/DOVE West Coast Joint Headquarters for the time being, though he'll probably wind up sharing an apartment with his brother.

Appearance

Hair Color:

Black

Eye Color:

Brown

Ethnicity:

African-American

Physical Appearance:

Now his late thirties, Quentin's face has aged a little since his time in Verthaven, yet he's still retained those sharp eyes of his and has kept the short, neatly trimmed beard to match his equally short-cropped hair. From a glance, it's clear he's still in good health and fitness, standing at 5'11 and carrying an imposing figure, which has only been helped since his service RAVEN has improved his health (though it could be argued that the regenerative factor he's picked up has also done him some good).

Attire:

Whilst on-duty, Quentin generally tends towards wearing RAVEN's standard issue battle armor, a black mesh with kevlar along with the tactical load carrying gear. As expected, it's designed to hold up against attack from rogue metahumans alongside being able to withstand a couple of rounds. Alongside this is a helmet, with the opportunity to mount a set of goggles or a gas mask against it - though he's sometimes inclined towards leaving it off if things aren't entirely dire. Off-duty, he'll generally stick to casual clothing - a jacket, shirt and cargo pants or something similar.

Personality

Innate & Outward Personality:

The events in Verthaven and the years that have passed since then have left Quentin, in many ways, a different man. Nobler in some ways, others less so.

To strangers, he might come across as outwardly calm or collected - keeping a level head in tight situations where others might snap or otherwise lose their cool. It's not entirely an image - Quentin has learned from the years with RAVEN to keep it steady under pressure, yet those who know him well enough or even spend some time around him get to realise there's more than that to him.

Service with RAVEN has given him a certain commanding tone in his voice, or at least a sense of authority when the situation calls for it. Sarcasm and snappy remarks are still a coping mechanism for him, a means of defusing or otherwise mitigating shitty situations and likewise he'll crack a joke with people if it's appropriate, but he also knows when to buckle down, shut up and go about getting things done - which others might mistake for him being cool when in fact he just knows from experience that people who crack jokes at the wrong time don't tend to last.

Knowing that he was partially responsible for the horrific experiments perpetrated by the Hands of Science in Verthaven have left him with a degree of guilt that he's been unable to shake off and left him with an overall disgust towards those who experiment on or otherwise abuse Metahumans or their powers and in turn, given him a lot of motivation when conducting ops against them for RAVEN.

And likewise he's loyal to those he considers friends or family, especially those who've done the same for him and is more than willing to throw himself into the breach if it means backing them up. Earning this trust can be a little difficult at first, but once it's earned it's generally there to stay. In fact, it's a point of regret and frustration that he wasn't able to prevent the deaths of Sonya Mayfield and his uncle and it shows in his overall disdain for the matter when the topic is brought up.

This in turn means that his overall hatred for the Hands of Science and anything associated with them has remained a solid facet of his personality over the years. It's given him something to vent his frustrations on - and not in the healthiest way, either - where others have toned things down. Whilst it's helped keep him going, it's also something which has threatened to consume him at times - and it's not as if this point hasn't been brought up with him before. Being stubborn doesn't help.

His temper is usually cool and likewise, it can take a lot to cause him to blow up in anger - Quentin's fury is typically a patient, collected form and when it's anything but that, it's a point that something has really pissed him off.

He also still holds a disdain for narcotics and alcohol abuse, courtesy of his childhood years, but has a degree of sympathy for those affected by it.

Hobbies/Interests:

In the years since Verthaven, Quentin's picked up more of a fondness for firearms and has since taken up sports shooting as a hobby. When he's not busy he'll sometimes sit down and watch TV, maybe kill some time with video games, but otherwise he's more interested in heading out for a ride.

Skills/Talents:

Quentin’s experiences on the streets have left him with a degree of wisdom, wit and pragmatism that once well to assist him in his self-made ‘business’. On the same streets and during his time working with the unsavoury elements of Verthaven, he picked up a degree experience in the use of small arms that he'd continue develop after joining NEST and RAVEN.

Goals/Motivation

Ensuring that anyone with the same kind of mindset as the Hands of Science of the Changelings is put down, Quentin's personal vendetta has never entirely settled down. Unlike others, he's found himself unable to let go and finds motivation in preventing what happened in Verthaven from reoccurring.

History/Bio:

Verthaven

Born in the early ‘80s on Eagle-Rock Row, Quentin and his little brother Reed were yet another story of kids born into crime and poverty to a single parent, surrounded by drugs, violence and the social tensions of the time. From early childhood, their mother quickly relied on a string of deadbeat boyfriends, minimum wage jobs and alcohol to pull the three of them through life and it took its toll on her from an early stage, often forcing her elder brother to step in to assist.
By the time he was ten years old, Quentin found himself involved with the local gangs and wound up working on street corners as another peddler for some smalltime dealer in hopes of earning a little cash for his family. It was through this, incidentally, that he wound up discovering his powers - what would’ve normally be an exchange of packages with a metahuman enforcer for the gang led to him unintentionally removing the man’s ability to generate and manipulate fire and setting alight the money moments later. As it happens, it was through this that he found himself another source of income for the family; exchanging and selling powers and getting a cut from the gang for his involvement.

For a while, things seemed to go well, all things considered. The cut he earned from the gang, whilst nowhere near the amount kicked up to his bosses, allowed him to pay off the family bills yet there was no mistake that he may as well have been their property and not the other way around. A few times he found himself at risk as a result of the people he worked for and by his teenage years he’d learned how to use a gun. In fact, if tragedy hadn’t struck Quentin’s life sooner then circumstances might not have turned out as well.

One day returning home, Quentin found his mother passed out on the couch with yet another empty bottle of liquor nearby. Attempts to rouse her with words failed, so instead he left her alone, only to find her in the same state when he woke up in the same morning, albeit this time she’d turned pale and felt cold to the touch. The coroner’s report indicated that she’d died of alcohol poisoning, something of little surprise given the fact she’d been unable to kick the habit for a long time.

Lacking any other family, Quentin and his little brother wound up living in the care of their Uncle Cassius, a detective in the Verthaven Police Department and a good man who’d often done as best as he could to keep his sister on track. Under his uncle’s care, Quentin was able to cut off ties to his old gang (who, by this point had become increasingly demanding) with the aid of this uncle’s connections to the VPD and opted to push on through school so he didn’t end up like his mother. That said, the experience had taught him a couple things.

While his brother opted to one day become a cop like their uncle, Quentin had something else in mind. Perhaps it was the idea of avoiding the same poverty that had cost him his childhood, or perhaps it was the concept of having control over his life for once. Whatever the case, he wound up going on his own path in life - becoming involved with quite a few rather unsavoury characters. Whilst by no means a hustler or a gangbanger, he spent a couple of years working 'security' for a few characters in Verthaven's criminal underworld, running the front door at nightclubs and other businesses. Eventually, it grew into something else - actually working in the security sector, and then Quentin soon realised that there was a demand for someone willing to trade and sell powers, creating metahumans for big money.

With time, Quentin built up his little side-business via the aid of a contact from his early security days and before long, had a nice sum of cash saved away. Soon, he was able to afford life in relative comfort, moving into a decent condo over in the upper-class Knightdale Rows district, with enough income to keep himself afloat. Relations with his family, however, were another story - particularly between him and his younger brother, Reed.

Topping it off, he eventually wound up falling afoul of the Hands of Science, who kidnapped him and forced him to participate in their experiments using his family as leverage. The experience deeply affected him, leaving him traumatised and scarred by his inability to forget what he'd been forced to do for the Hands - and it was only with the assistance of one Meifeng Zhao and NEST that he finally escaped during a raid on the lab.

Of course, this exposed him as a metahuman - though Quentin was able to keep his criminal past concealed. Given the choice by Lihua Zhao of either joining up with NEST or facing a far less desirable alternative, Quentin took the former option - joining their ranks as an agent. Initially the prospect of becoming one of 'those' types was daunting, yet as time passed Quentin slowly warmed to the role and grew to regret his past, gaining a genuine interest in doing some good with NEST beyond enacting vengeance against the Hands of Science. Before long, he wound up reconciling with his brother and warming back up to his uncle, yet events transpired against them.

For one, the Changeling Unit came to town, led by the likes of Luis and Heartbreaker, the latter of which Quentin already despised as a result of her involvement in kidnapping him. Like the Hands of Science, Quentin fought them with a certain fury that was only rivalled by Lihua - who had her own personal reasons for hating them. And then, came an even greater foe.

The Devil of Verthaven was a metahuman greater than anything that NEST had ever faced, matched only by the resources of the Hands of Science and the ferocity of the Changeling Unit. She was a godlike metahuman, one that devastated the city in her wake and it was only through the combined might of NEST (along with several other unsavoury alliances) that she was finally brought down, at great cost. Quentin's family was not left unscathed, as his brother was injured (though later volunteering in the fight against her) and, in the confusion following her defeat, his Uncle Cass (along with a good friend) were killed by the Changelings in the confusion.

In the battle that followed, Quentin finally avenged their deaths - yet it marked the start of a new chapter in his life as the experience permanently hardened him. With Verthaven considered a ruin and NEST facing its end, Quentin set aside the thousands he'd accumulated through his past selfishness and passed the money onto the comrades who'd fought alongside him, before stepping out to face the future head-on.

Post-Verthaven

It was in the aftermath of the Verthaven Disaster that Quentin assisted in founding one of the successor organisations to NEST, known as RAVEN - named aptly after the Task Force that he'd once fought alongside. With the Hands of Science still out there, scattered in pockets, Quentin volunteered himself for participating against them, holding them responsible for the actions of the Changelings and the Devil of Verthaven. Unlike his brother, who had since joined DOVE (having been recommended), Quentin sought some form of retribution against them as he found himself unable to forget the experiments he'd been forced to assist in as well as the deaths of those he cared about.

Within the space of two years, a friend and the daughter of a former colleague, Meifeng Zhao had finished her training and was now a member of RAVEN, capable of standing by herself as a force to be reckoned with. Their shared experience in Verthaven allowed the two to maintain a close bond and unlike the others in RAVEN, Quentin said nothing to discourage Meifeng's relentless attitude towards the Hands, if anything sharing the same sentiments towards them as she did. It took time, but eventually this relentless attitude seemed to pay off - the Hands were all but broken and dissappeared from the face of the Earth. Yet this was not the end of things for them - other threats were out there, like the Pure, the Allegiance or other rogue metahumans.

In short, wherever RAVEN needed him, Quentin went. And sooner or later, he'd wind up in Prague.

Another rogue metahuman had emerged from the woodwork in the capital of the Czech Republic, one known as the Beast who, like the Devil, was set on mass destruction and had burned down whole districts whenever they'd shown up. Lacking in the resources and manpower to handle such a foe, the Czechs called in support from RAVEN, MISW and KMD to assist - Quentin was among the agents deployed against them.

It was a bloodbath, to say the least - despite careful planning and the best resources that the combined might of the three agencies had brought in, the Beast was a foe that refused to go down easily. Quentin himself went toe to toe and was nearly engulfed by flame half a dozen times, suffering severe burns in the process, but in the end the Beast was put down at the cost of injuring both himself and several of his colleagues.

Fortunately, the regenerative factor that Quentin had picked up years before, back in Verthaven, spared him from a potentially unpleasant fate - instead, he was given leave for a good while, before being returned to active service. And before long, just like Meifeng, he found himself being transferred back to Baybridge on official business.

Relationships

Family:

Hider

Helena Taylor (Deceased) - Mother

Still teenager when she gave birth to her firstborn, Helena Taylor was a sad tale to speak of. Years of poverty and deadbeat boyfriends (one of which fathered another child with her) led to the alcoholism which would go on to kill her, leaving behind two sons. Despite this, Quentin at least regards her fondly and seldom talks about her because of this.

Reed Taylor - Half-brother

An ex-cop, now working for DOVE, Quentin had a hand in helping to raise Reed during their mother's later years. As the two grew up, however, they grew somewhat distant and it wasn't until the events leading up to the disaster in Verthaven that they finally reconciled.

Cassius Taylor (Deceased) - Maternal Uncle

A father figure to his nephews, Cass was a detective with the VPD who wound up taking in both of his sister's sons when she died and raising them like his own. Of the two, Reed followed in his uncle's footsteps whilst Quentin went on his own troubled path in life. Nonetheless, he still cared deeply for his uncle and during the events of the disaster in Verthaven the two grew close once more. Sadly, Cass was murdered in the final hours of the disaster by Heartbreaker. Whilst Quentin avenged his death, it left him permanently hardened in his personal vendetta against the likes of the Hands of Science.

Dynamics:

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| Reed Taylor |

| Good | Half-brother | "Haven't seen each other in a while, it'll be good to see him." |

Quentin's younger brother and an ex-cop turned DOVE Agent, the two were once distant whilst living in Verthaven but the events and the tragedy that unfolded led to them growing closer once more, culminating in him entrusting his brother with the ability of a powerful metahuman to ensure it was in safe hands, as well as safeguarding him. The two haven't seen each other in a while, but they're on good terms.

| Lihua Zhao |

| Respected | Former Colleague | "I'm glad things worked out for her, she earned a shot at retirement." |

Under different circumstances, Lihua's first meeting with Quentin might've seen her arresting him. Instead she offered him a job, the alternative better left unsaid, but soon enough Quentin gained a respect for the woman who was NEST's top agent at the time, developing a good working relationship which blossomed throughout the Verthaven Disaster and continued on after her retirement.

| Meifeng Zhao |

| Respected | Close Friend/Protégé | "Shit, we've been through so much of the same shit that she's probably one of the few that understands me." |

Meifeng and Quentin met in the Hands of Science lab way back in Verthaven, where he'd been held captive and forced to assist in their experiments. The two helped each other as Meifeng broke Quentin out of the lab and Quentin helped Meifeng fight her way out of it, which built up a mutually deep level of respect and admiration for one another. After she joined RAVEN, Quentin did what he could to act as a mentor for her and came to see her as a protégé. As of now, Meifeng is one of the few people that Quentin trusts enough to know of his past.

| Cindy Keegan|

| Respected | DOVE Agent/Associate | "Haven't seen her in a long time, but Reed's said enough good things about her that I know she's done well since Verthaven." |

Yet another old face from Verthaven, Quentin hasn't seen Cindy in a long time but the fact they went through the disaster in one piece together has left him with a large degree of respect.

| Shizuka Takashiro |

| Respected | DOVE Agent/Associate | "Reed's had nothing but good things to say about him on the few occasions they've spoke, and I know what he did back in Verthaven." |

Despite never having spoken much with him back in Verthaven, Quentin developed a certain respect for Shizuka during the Verthaven disaster when he drove a knife into the back of Luis' head and pulled him to safety. They haven't seen each other in years, but Quentin hasn't forgotten.

| Haruka Takashiro |

| Good | Associate | "It's been a hell of a long time, but I wonder how he's doing." |

There was hardly any interaction between Haruka and Quentin back in Verthaven but, again, the shared experience left him on good terms with the quiter half of the Takashiro Twins. But, again, they haven't spoken in years.

Abilities

Power Class:

Power: Charger & Replicator

Power: Essence

Power Transfer

Quentin is capable of transferring powers between other metahumans and himself, and vice versa, allowing use of said powers for his own intentions or keeping them in ‘storage’, so to speak. In effect, he’s a literal walking bank of powers. Quentin's power transfer ability stems from a subconscious ability to manipulate the Metahuman energy. He can absorb a bit of the Metahuman energy within himself (In other words, their power), then transfer the energy to a different person. Potentially empowering humans who would otherwise never would have manisfested a power.

Limits:

First and foremost, Quentin can only transfer powers through direct physical contact with others. It's possible for him to permanently strip someone of their powers, though the process is somewhat more taxing and requires either a severely weakened or otherwise willing subject.

Secondly, Quentin’s skill in utilising powers obtained from other metahumans can vary. Relatively simple actions such as channeling an electrical current come rather easily, whereas more complex actions such as healing a fatally wounded patient are rather difficult to perform and can often require a great deal of practice. In addition to this, extensive use of such powers can be quite taxing on a physical and mental level - particularly if he lacks skill in the use of a particular power. And, unlike one who directly holds the ability, he'll never be fully skilled in its use without years of experience.

Thirdly, he can only store and utilise a limited amount of abilities at any time - no more than say, five or six at once and that'd be pushing it.

Weaknesses/Drawbacks:

Incidentally, Quentin's ability to utilise stored abilities can be affected by just how fatigued he is. Like anyone, if he overburdens himself he'll be at risk of passing out or, at worst, losing consciousness.

Other:

Abilities currently held by Quentin

• Regenerative System - One of the oldest powers that Quentin's held, it was drawn from the Nemesis during his escape from the Hands of Science's lab in Verthaven. Whilst it doesn't render him immortal, it does allow him to recover from injuries that would kill or otherwise permanently incapacitate other men. As a plus, it's also slowed down his aging a little - though not to the extent of others.
• Superhuman Strength - Again, a power that Quentin's held for quite a while, it was also stolen from the Nemesis. Whilst it's given Quentin a heightened level of durability and strength, that doesn't mean he can lift cars or punch through plate steel like butter.

Sorry bout that.