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FourtyTwo
SpookySquid
BunniesOfDoom
Expendable
Ohm
IAmTheIsland
Agunimon
Azure Bubbles
Fetzen
"Can we skip the part where you complain about the damages and I direct you to SDN's complaint line?"
Age: 33
Appearance: Even among the staff at the Claremont office, Riley's skin looks pale. In addition to long hours at his workplace computer, Riley can often be found in Claremont's basement R&D lab working on some new device or gizmo. Constantly wearing a helmet in his previous job didn't really help him either. Stubble is usually present on Riley's face in some form or fashion; signs of a hasty shave job done hours before he has to come into the office. His brown eyes are sharp, analytical, and more than a few co-workers have felt as though he's "evaluating" them with his gaze.
Moving down, his SDN uniform is meticulously maintained, although this is usually due to a cleaning system he'd designed in his apartment. The sleeves are usually rolled up to the elbows in case Riley needs to get his hands dirty on a project. His body is fairly well-built and muscular. This is due to him carrying many of his tools and supplies on his person when he used to be a hero. When he was starting out, it wasn't unusual for Riley to carry fifty pounds or more of supplies into the field. Lastly, his body is marred by several different burn marks and electrical scars where his gadgets didn't "work right" during testing.
Role at SDN: Chief Dispatcher/Ex-Hero
Background: Have you ever had a dream that never quite panned out? That's Riley. From a young age, he knew he wanted to be a hero and help people in need. When his Technopathic abilities first began to emerge, this only further solidified his resolve. He'd spend entire weekends in his family's garage taking apart household appliances and transforming them into "gadgets" he'd eventually wield when he became a hero.
What could go wrong? Well... a lot of things actually.
What Riley hadn't counted on was the fact that people really don't like technopaths. The fact that most pop culture vilified technology didn't endear him to most adults, and that would eventually trickle down to his classmates.
Yes. Riley was the "Weird Kid".
The poor guy would eventually lose friends as their parents pulled them away or his early gadgets malfunctioned, leading to public embarrassment. Despite the setbacks, Riley kept pushing on towards his goal. He planned to officially register as a hero after high school and work to change the public's opinion about technopaths!
The final nail in the coffin came during his first year as a hero: The Brave Brigade Incident. When Shroud killed the pilot of Mecha Man Astral, the public decided once and for all that anyone with powers like Shroud's weren't to be trusted. For the next several years, Riley would struggle to find work, and he would even get accosted by civilians while in the middle of a job! (One time, he was mistaken for Shroud while on a job, and heroes had to be called to save HIM)
After several years, Riley decided it was time to change course. Thanks to a connection from a friend, he managed to land a desk job at the Superhero Dispatch Network. Originally, he applied for an R&D position, but suspicion about his powers kept him from the role. He settled for work as a dispatcher. After a year at the dumpster fire that was SDN Burbank, he transferred to the Claremont branch.
Since joining Claremont five years ago, Riley has made a name for himself as a dispatcher. He's built a solid circle of friends and co-workers. The guys down in R&D even let him come down to work on projects from time to time. He's convinced himself that dispatching his where he belongs, but deep down he wonders if he might get a chance to be the hero again...
(Arbitrary Code Execution)
Appearance: In his past life as A.C.E., Riley had constructed a specialized armor that could channel his techopathic abilities. The gauntlets on his arms could sync with and interface with any machine in his vicinity. The armor was made of a special alloy he developed after getting hit one too many times by his inventions backfiring. His boots came with small thrusters to allow for limited flight or a speed boost. Lastly, the helmet had a direct interface that allowed him to manage the "nanobots" that he built near the end of his hero career.
Powers: Riley is a technopath. This grants him the ability to control and manipulate machines with only his mind. He can simply control machines, take them apart, repair them, or break them down to components and make something entirely new! When he was just starting out, Riley would carry a backpack filled with scrap material so he could build tools on the fly. He quickly learned this was a bad idea and began learning how to utilize his surroundings for maximum benefit. As his skills grew, Riley developed more permanent tools to aid him in his hero work. His crowning achievement were the nanobots. A small armada of microscopic robots that he could openly command to build structures for transport, defense, or even to form new weapons!
Likes:
- Black Coffee (Stronger the better)
- Working in the lab
- Drafting Blueprints
- Heroes who follow orders
- Brainbook
Dislikes:
- Shroud. FUCK SHROUD.
- Being judged
- Disobeying orders
- Low-budget tech
- SDN Burbank (Screw Mr. Mephisto)
Quirks:
- Riley has several "Not SDN approved" modifications installed on his workplace computer to improve performance. Most of them are his design, but one or two he's procured through villain contacts.
- Riley currently holds the Claremont office record for "fastest hack time" on a call at 10.6 seconds. He's held this record for nearly three years an no one's come close to beating it.
- Because his time as A.C.E. was a series of controversies, it always gives Riley a thrill when he overhears a co-worker mention him positively. A.C.E. never quite made it to the big leagues, but at least he HAD a reputation in the Southlands.
- Riley has a small crush on the DTLA hero Brainbook. It's a goal of his to meet her one day and compare notes on building schematics.
- One of Riley's biggest secrets is that he's got a massive playlist of folk music on file at home. He likes to tune it out while doing paperwork, payroll, or when building new gadgets.
- If no one's looking, Riley will use his powers to install and play Galaga on his work computer during slow workdays.