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[u][b]Ultimate One Universe: Season Two Application[/b][/u]

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[h2][color=7ea7d8]The Unflinching Traitor to Mankind...Blue Beetle![/color][/h2][i][color=7ea7d8]"Great. Just great. My psychotic Jiminy Cricket comes with an error message. Terrific."[/color][/i]
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[color=7ea7d8][b]Full Name[/b][/color][hr] 
Jaime Reyes

[color=7ea7d8][b]Alias[/b][/color][hr] 
Blue Beetle

[color=7ea7d8][b]Powers/Abilities[/b][/color][hr] 
[b]Synaptic Symbiosis Interface:[/b] The Scarab Parasite has embedded itself within the genetic code of the human being known as Jaime Reyes. It's fused together with his internal structure seamlessly, altering his physiology on a molecular level to make Jaime a more perfect host body for the Scarab unit. These changes make Reyes far more robust, even in his 'ordinary' form, and his energy consumption has been made two hundred times more efficient for added endurance at less of a cost. Most importantly, however, it is what allows the Scarab to communicate with Jaime telepathically.

[b]Technological and Biological Assimilation:[/b] There is no singular race in the entire universe that can be described as perfect. Each has flaws- gaps in it's knowledge that can be exploited. The Scarab was designed to circumvent this flaw. It's body is the perfect blend of technology and biology, forged with the express purpose of assimilating and absorbing any and all tech it encounters deemed to be useful in the pursuit of perfection. Thus far, the Scarab has encountered nothing it cannot absorb within itself and make use of. Assimilated parts are typically 'upgraded' using other bits of technology already installed in the Scarab.

[hider=Absorbed Tech/Powers]
Season One:
Standard Scarab Technology Array, MK VI
Jaime Reyes - Human Host
Handcuffs
Glock 17
SHIELD Rifle
Johnny's Cellphone
FBI Radio
F-22 Raptor Engine

Season Two:
Jaime's L-Phone
Standard Taser
Police Scanner
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[color=7ea7d8][b]Season One Recap[/b][/color][hr]
Jaime Reyes's life was turned on it's head when he encountered a piece of alien technology in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History that, when activated, crawled down his throat and took control of his body, using him to slaughter nearly twenty innocent people. He was captured by the international organization known as SHIELD and interrogated by one Jasper Sitwell. The interrogation went south, ending in the deaths of several SHIELD agents and Jaime fleeing from the scene with the dubious assistance of the alien squatting inside of his body. He returned to Washington, D.C, intent on discovering the truth when he found himself assailed by an unknown force.

He was kidnapped and brought to a facility owned by Doctor Niles Caulder, a paraplegic telepath with one of the greatest minds the world had ever seen, squandered by ambition and cruelty. The good doctor had spent his life chasing after ancient aliens and unearthly artifacts, bleeding himself and everyone around him dry in his attempt to change the world with his discoveries. He lost his legs in his chase for knowledge, though he gained much more: he and two of his colleagues were granted power beyond their own understanding, and it was with these powers that they pursued Jaime and the Scarab. Niles revealed that he was the one responsible for the Scarab attack; his attempt to communicate with the alien had apparently sent it into a blind rage.

For all of the doctor's attempts to coerce, persuade and force Jaime to give up the Scarab, Niles was unsuccessful in his operation. He had his lackey cast Reyes away, vowing that he would return to take the alien from him when the time was right.

A ragged, wounded and tired Jaime was then dragged into the world-spanning test of the Silver Surfer. Despite his sour state, the boy's conviction carried him to New York City, where he attempted to do battle for a world that had turned it's back on him. He did little in the grand scheme of things, but it gave him a taste for heroism, let him make critical connections with fellow metahumans, and even gave him his new alias...

The Blue Beetle.

Three months have passed since. Jaime lives out of the back of a van with his close friends and allies, Paco and Brenda. They've been dodging SHIELD and working to find the supposed second Beetle that Niles spoke of. Thus far, they've had little luck in the matter; most days the trio is too occupied keeping out of the law's watchful eye to continue pursuing their only lead. 

It's far from a glamorous existence. The only money they have for food and gas come from care packages sent in by Brenda's aunt, and even then it often isn't enough to get them through the week. Local police tend to hound them for 'squatting,' and Jaime only attracts more negative attention when he 'suits up' to do nightly patrols. Both Paco and Brenda tell him it's moronic, but he doesn't care. The exhaustion he feels when he comes back helps him sleep.

[color=7ea7d8][b]Where Do You Plan To Take The Character This Season?:[/b][/color][hr]
Season One was about laying out the groundwork for Jaime as a character, and teasing the rest of the story I wanted to tell. Now that we're in Season Two, though, I can really kick it into full gear. Whereas before I was working in a vacuum to build up the mythos and tell Blue Beetle's Origin, this time around I'm looking to introduce him to the rest of the world and hopefully leave an impact on it by the end.

[i]To[/i] that end, I've crafted a villain with a very specific motive that'll drag Jaime across the country and beat him to his knees worse than last season's villain ever could. This'll be the biggest threat that Reyes faces, and there's no chance he's going to be able to do it alone. His growth as a hero and as a person are both vital to learning to triumph over what lies ahead, and that includes learning that he can't handle everything on his own.

Many of the threads left unfinished from last season will find conclusions as well. In particular there'll be a focus on the guilt that Jaime has wrestled with, and revealing the ugly ways he's been attempting to absolve himself of it. If I could nail down the themes for this seasons, they'd definitely be redemption and triumph despite (or through) suffering.

[color=7ea7d8][b]Supporting Cast[/b][/color][hr]
[b]Paco Tejas:[/b] Jaime and Paco have stuck together through thick and thin. They met all the way back in Kindergarten, and haven't spent more than a week apart from one another since. Paco's one of many middle children in a family of eight. He loves his family to death, but by [i]God[/i] if he can't stand how crowded his tiny house is.

Despite his great size, Paco is generally a timid person. He has no room for violence in his heart, and could even by described as somewhat cowardly on his worst days. Still, he's proven himself to be invaluable his companions over the last three months with his technical skill and knowledge of all things mechanical. He wants to be supportive of Jaime's endeavors, but he can't help the feeling that something terrible is going to happen to him if he keeps it up; that armor of his doesn't make him invincible, after all.

[b]Brenda Del Vecchio:[/b] The coolest person willing to associate with Jaime, Brenda's been part of the gang since seventh grade. Both her best friends were made aware of her...less than ideal home life a long time ago, and they've done their best to support her through her personal struggles.

Brenda's always had a fire in her that few could tame, but the recent months on the run have only seemed to fan those flames. Hunger and exhaustion has made her temperamental, and the constant need for vigilance against SHIELD has only exasperated her more. She often finds herself forced to keep the leash on Jaime and Paco, who don't seem to understand the danger they've put themselves in. To make matters worse, her aunt grows less and less supportive of her 'road trip' with each passing week, insisting that Brenda return home to El Paso where she can be safe. She's held steadfast thus far, but as the months drag on and their attempts continue to bear no fruit, Brenda's beginning to believe they'll never find this 'alien' Jaime insists they chase.

[b]Ted Kord:[/b] Ted Kord is the owner and CEO of Kord Industries. Based out of Metropolis, the tech company is best known for it's advances in nanotechnology- it's one of a handful that's managed to avoid being devoured in the ever-growing titan that is lexCorp. Ted has always fashioned himself as a self made man, and he'll be damned if he sells his soul to anyone.

[b]The Brotherhood of Evil:[/b] Led by Dr. Caulder, AKA The Brain, the Brotherhood is a group of metahumans and hired goons meant to assist Caulder in his attempts to capture and study Jaime Reyes. Though they haven't made an attempt on the boy since they dropped him off in Warpath, Caulder continues to keep a watchful eye on his activities, all the while mustering the strength needed to take what rightfully belongs to him.

The current members of the Brotherhood include The Brain, Warp and the deceased(?) Plasmus.

[b]Baran Flinders:[/b] A mutant born with an incredible capacity for growth, Baran was an easy target for bullying as a child; he was far too tall for a boy his age, and due to his X-gene, he was often overweight. The cruelty continued as he grew older, seemingly only getting worse as the abuse turned physical. Driven to the edge of his sanity, Baran retreated into himself and began on a path toward self-improvement. He took advantage of his mutant abilities and packed on pounds upon pounds of muscle, cutting down his diet and transforming himself from an awkwardly shaped loser to a paragon of strength. His former bullies treated him quite differently afterward, and that only empowered Baran to exact his revenge against them. He began his own form of torment that escalated in cruelty and violence until he found himself behind bars.

Now, after twenty years, he's returned from prison, though felony assault charges have made life...difficult for him, to say the least.

[b]La Dama:[/b] A faceless crimelord and the queen of Texas's underground. Real name unknown. Influences stretch all the way down to various Cartels in Latin and South America. After the Punisher tore his way from her territory and over to Los Angeles, she's grown paranoid and defensive over her holdings, fearing that New York City's Reaper would return to deal out his brand of lead-based justice. She's invested heavily in arming her gangsters for what she perceives as the coming storm.

[b]Jasper Sitwell:[/b] The agent assigned to interrogate Jaime after the Smithsonian Incident, Jasper has suffered setback after setback in his search for the boy. More often than not, his own team has been responsible for the escalation of conflict with Jaime; no part of Sitwell enjoys leading a manhunt against a teenager, but the power Jaime wields is far too much to be left in the hands of someone that young. The massacre committed by his hands (whether accidental or not) proves that.

[color=7ea7d8][b]Issue #1[/b][/color][hr]
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[right][h2][color=7ea7d8]The Blue Beetle stars in...The Runaway: Issue #1[/color][/h2][/right]
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[b]Unknown[/b]

Molasses dripped from his bones as Jaime Reyes found himself confronted by his own awakening. It was like a slow-mo punch to the lip- Jaime could feel his face crumpling under the knuckles, but everything was moving so slowly that he felt no inclination to stop it.

His eyes flickered open lazily, like it was a particularly quiet summer Sunday. Every inch of his body had a dull, obnoxious ache lingering in it. Reyes didn't know why. Had he, for God knows what reason, decided to join the Football team last night? Wandered his way into El Paso High's quarterback position and found himself on the business end of a three hundred pound seventeen year old?

Jaime went to rub the sleepiness from his eyes, yet found his hands uncooperative.

[color=7ea7d8]"Huh?"[/color] The boy murmured, tugging at them again. Something caught on both wrists. Something cold and unforgiving against his weak pulls.

That was when he finally noticed where he was. He was sitting in front of a stainless steel table in room caked in shadow. Judging by the coolness under his tush, Reyes could guess the chair was of a similar make to the table. 

He noticed, too, that he was not alone.

"Jaime Reyes. Sixteen. Resident of El Paso, visiting Washington, D.C for...recreational purposes." 

Seated on the opposite side of the table was a man that could be described as part high school physics teacher and part serial murderer. Straw-colored hair had been slicked back with thick slabs of hair gel, and a pair of even thicker-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his hawkish nose. What caught Jaime's eye, however, was the symbol on his shoulder.

The eagle of SHIELD.

It hit him like a semi-truck barreling down the highway. The haze he'd woken up with was lifting. Yesterday...He hadn't played Football yesterday. No, Jaime could remember there being way, [i]way[/i] too much blood for that. [color=7ea7d8]"Ohhh no, no...ahh shit! Fuck! [i]Hostia[/i]-"[/color]

"Son," The agent's voice rose above Jaime's, the laugh lines on his face loosening at the sight of the kid's panic. "I need you to stay calm for me, alright? I know you've..." There was a pause, his expression shifting as he searched for the proper word. There wasn't a word for something like this. Not one that would help.

"You've been through a lot, son, but I'm here to help you. My name is Jasper. Jasper Sitwell. I'm an agent of SHIELD. You know what SHIELD is, right?"

Reyes snapped his eyes shut, letting the darkness choke out the light. His nose flared and air shot into his nostrils. He had to remember more. All he had were bits and pieces, but try as he might it felt like a fog had fallen over his mind. Like his thoughts were being hidden from  him. It made his chest tighten. [color=7ea7d8]"Why can't...why can't I remember?"[/color]

With a sigh, Sitwell brought a manila folder into view. He must've had it open in his lap. "Well, I can walk you through what happened. You're not going to like it, but it's better we pull the band-aid off now. No use in trying to hide it."

He flipped the file open, revealing the printed report tucked away inside. It was titled 'Incident Report #4217 - Smithsonian.' 

Jasper began to read in a slow, deliberate drawl. His voice was clinical and detached. "At approximately twelve thirty in the afternoon, Jaime Reyes entered the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. At one forty five he entered the Bialya exhibit, where Special Interest Object number four-two-one-seven was being displayed. The object activated when Jaime entered within approximately eight meters..."

As the words flowed from the man's baritone cords, Jaime let himself go back there. He allowed his mind to slip back into memories locked away. He was standing in the museum, right behind Brenda and Paco. They were nerding out over some old piece of armor, talking about Caesar salads or something. Reyes could feel himself growing anxious and bored when he finally decided to tell them he was 'going to the bathroom.' His excuse for running off to find something better to do.

He...remember the banner over the Bialya exhibit catching his eye. He had heard about Bialya being a war torn hellhole in Civics class. It sounded kinda entertaining, at least. That brought Reyes coasting inside, not chasing anything in particular.

Then he saw it. Jaime could remember what it looked like as if he were standing right in front of it at that moment. A piece of art, made of some...odd metal that had lost it's sheen a long time ago. It was shaped like some kind of bug. The long, almost knife-like legs gave Reyes the creeps. He could've sworn he remembered seeing those legs twitching.

[color=7ea7d8]"[i]Dios mío[/i]..."[/color] The boy rasped, his voice barely above a frozen whisper. The room had grown colder. He swore he felt a chill rushing along his bare arms, eliciting goosebumps to rise along his tan flesh.

"...Four-two-one-seven entered a liquid state and broke the glass around it's display. It crossed the ground, passing by a number of other people as it made it's way directly toward Reyes. The Object crawled up the side of his leg and around his body, making it's way up until it reached the mouth. It entered into Reyes's body..."

Jaime could feel it, then. He could feel something cold tingling at the back of his throat. It was wet and sticky, like milk that'd been left out on the counter too long. That thing...it was too fast for Jaime. It moved up under his clothes, making a sound like nails in a blender played over a little girl's scream. Jaime could feel it moving. he could feel it inside of him.

Reyes wrapped his fingers around the handcuffs that kept him tied to the table. He pulled at them fiercely, air coming into his lungs in short, sharp bursts. Why was he locked up? Wasn't he the victim here? Why wasn't he in the hospital after that [i]thing[/i] attacked him?

Agent Sitwell only glanced up at the rapidly unfurling teenager for a second. He had to continue reading: this was the part that really mattered, after all. "Once inside, the Object appeared to fuse with the subject. The liquid state metal that had entered his body came back out of his pores, encasing Reyes's body. Reyes then began to scream in an unidentified language, and..."

Jaime kicked the table hard enough for it to bounce in place. He kicked it again, and again, and again. A rumbling, anguished scream turned his throat raw as the fog finally lifted and the full extent of his actions was revealed.[color=7ea7d8] "STOP!"[/color] Reyes pleaded, tears stinging in the corners of his eyes. He shook his head with vicious conviction, fighting against his restraints like a man possessed. [color=7ea7d8]"Please- shut...shut up! Shut the fuck up! [b]PLEASE.[/b]"[/color]

He wanted it to stop. It needed to stop. He couldn't...this didn't happen. He couldn't have done this.

"Reyes's arms transformed into unidentified energy weapons of potentially extraterrestrial origin, likely as a result of his fusion with four-two-one-seven. Reyes opened fire into the crowd of panicked, fleeing people-"

Reyes threw his body backward. The chair he was in tipped, letting him tumble backward. The table was dragged along with Jaime during the fall with a screech of it's legs against the floor. He wasn't screaming anymore. His throat was too raw, and he could no longer find his voice. He couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. All he could see was the blood. The blood and the people trying to run away from him.

Sitwell stopped. He set the file down on the table with an utter, complete calm. Rising up from his own seat, the gangling agent took a step around the table and toward Jaime. "I know. I know." Jasper tried to comfort him, his voice low and fatherly as he bent down toward the crying boy. "I'm sorry-"

The sound of chains snapping caused Jasper's eyes widening. Before he could draw his sidearm, a fist coated in black and blue armor grabbed him by the collar. "Jaime, don't-"

With strength unknown to his arms, Reyes felt himself toss Sitwell across the interrogation room. The agent let out a cry as his back slammed against the harsh steel and he went tumbling down to the ground. The door was thrown open, several men in identical uniforms rushing inside with pistols drawn.

[color=7ea7d8]"I- I didn't mean to-"[/color] Jaime rasped, finding his voice overtaken by another, far stronger one.

[i][color=0072bc]'Jaime Reyes, I am Khaji Da. You are in mortal danger- let me help you.'[/color][/i]
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[color=7ea7d8][b]The Blue Beetle Series:[/b][/color][hr]
[hider=The Runaway]
Issue #1 (scroll up ya dummy)
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4717380]Issue #2
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[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4719334]Issue #3[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4721578]Issue #4[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4724620]Issue #5[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4726090]Issue #6[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4730776]Issue #7[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4732837]Issue #8[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4734410]Issue #9[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4736853]Issue #10[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4747007]Issue #11[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4748648]Issue #12[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4751530]Issue #13[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4754187]Issue #14[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4755024]Issues #15 & #16[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4755647]Issue #17[/url]
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[hider=Cowboys And Aliens]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4756609]Issue #1[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4758318]Issue #2[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4759445]Issue #3[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4760432]Issue #4[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4762354]Issue #5[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4762621]Issue #6[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4763166]Issue #7[/url]
[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4763929]Issue #8[/url]

[url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4765185]Season One Epilogue[/url]
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