► L A R I S S A ► S O M E R S E Tmai 2016 - Une nuit après l'explosion
Vers 21h59, environ 3 minutes après la fermeture de la chambre d'Evelyn Prince, l'administrateur de l'hôpital général du New Hampshire, Gloria Akalitus, a reçu un appel particulièrement troublant. La raison pour laquelle l'appel lui était même venu en premier lieu était au-delà d'elle - comme elle mettait des heures supplémentaires pour le prochain projet de budget - mais la surprise de l'appel a fait que beaucoup plus d'ennuis.
« Une nuit solitaire, c'est tout ce que je demande pour faire sortir cette putain de proposition », murmura-t-elle alors qu'elle traquait dans la salle où était détenu Eveyln Prince, « Est-ce vraiment tellement demander? Ou je suppose qu'ils aiment avoir leurs gommages dans la section irrégulière d'un magasin de surplus médical mexicain! » Elle a failli cracher ces derniers mots alors qu'elle utilisait sa carte-clé pour passer outre le verrou à la salle, ne pas y penser.
"C'est quoi ce bordel, Zoey?" Mme Akalitus s'est prononcée devant l'infirmière qui dirige la barricade. "Pourquoi au nom de Dieu est-ce que je reçois un appel à..." elle a vérifié sa montre "10'o horloge la nuit avec un agent fédéral à la fin aboitant sur le statut actuel de son patient de transfert?"
Akalitus était épuisé. Le financement de cet hôpital basé sur la recherche a connu un léger déclin depuis leurs récents scandales. Ils comptaient beaucoup sur les contrats du gouvernement comme il était et ne pouvaient pas commencer à énerver les connexions en raison de l'incompétence. Elle a fait un autre pas plus près de l'infirmière Zoey, complètement sans tenir compte de la pièce autour d'elle. Plus tôt elle sortira d'ici, plus tôt elle finira ce budget.
« Écoutez, je ne peux pas et ne prendrai pas un autre scandale ou dérapage de la part de ce personnel infirmier », a dit Akalitus à l'infirmière. "D'abord Jackie avec les pilules et ensuite l'infirmière temporaire Willam avec son cas de harcèlement sexuel! Pas un autre. Slip-up." Elle a tenu la main pour calmer toutes les plaintes qu'elle pouvait ressentir de la part de l'infirmière. "Hub-bup-bup-bup. Pas un mot. C'est au-dessus de notre salaire. Faites-la stabiliser, mettez-la dans le véhicule de transport. Tout de suite."
► L A R I S S A ► S O U T H B E A C Hmai 2016 - Une nuit après l'explosion
Trente minutes d'avance...
Le sommeil était une tâche fugace pour Joseph Thoreau, du moins c'est ce qu'il ressentait la plupart du temps alors que le son de son téléphone amenait l'homme de sa sieste de puissance. Des lumières des rues en bas, filtrées à travers ses stores tandis que Joseph s'asseyait avec un gémissement, étirant son dos fatigué et se creusant le cou avec un "POP" satisfaisant avant de répondre au téléphone cellulaire sur sa table de chevet.
"'Ello." Il bâillait comme la voix de l'autre bout bâillait.
"À eux Joey Boy, l'équipe a un transfert de patient pour nous. Nous devons descendre à Somerset et prendre une lass du New Hampshire General." La voix n'appartenait à personne d'autre que Travis Young, le partenaire de service de Joseph.
-- Encore là? Joseph gémit. « C'est le cinquième de cette semaine, ils n'ont pas assez de mains pour s'occuper de leur admission. C'est Somerset pour l'amour de Dieu."
"Je pense que le problème est trop de mains." C'est à l'autre bout que Travis a répondu. "D'ici là, en bas dans cinq minutes, je viendrai te chercher."
Alors que le clic dans son oreille signalait la fin de la conversation, Joseph s'assit et se dirigea vers la salle de bains. Écrasant un peu d'eau froide sur son visage, il courut une main le long de son menton, le chaume rugueux griffant contre sa paume lisse. Courant une main à travers ses cheveux, Joseph s'est donné une punaise dans le miroir comme il a décidé que c'était assez bon.
La tête de lit est chaude en ce moment, n'est-ce pas?
Avec un sourire souriant dans le miroir, Joseph saisit la veste bleu marine d'une chaise voisine et s'en alla de son condo. Une vibration de sa poche l'a alerté d'un texto alors qu'il tirait le téléphone en attendant une remarque intelligente du cul de Travis à propos de se dépêcher.
- Tu viens après le boulot? Je m'ennuie.
En tâtant une réponse rapide, Joseph a frappé envoyer sur son téléphone à l'arrivée de l'ascenseur.
- Ça va être tard, tu peux rester debout?
- Je ne travaille pas demain ;)
Avec un chanfrein doux, Joseph est sorti de l'ascenseur et a marché vers la porte en envoyant Brynne un autre texte.
- Je te le dirai quand j'aurai fini Belle.
- J'attends.
- Dans ça.
Les yeux de Joseph s'élargissaient à l'écran alors qu'il montait dans le siège passager de l'ambulance. Penchant sur Travis a essayé de regarder à l'écran avant que Joseph empoche rapidement le téléphone et a donné à l'autre homme un schowl moquette.
"Si tu baises plus tard, tu conduis." Travis a dit avec une limace à l'épaule de Joseph.
"Alors nous changeons de siège, nous nous déplaçons." Joseph s'est rétorqué avec un rire quand les deux hommes ont échangé des points. Allumant l'allumage, Joseph a tiré l'ambulance sur la route. Se rendant à l'aise, Travis a mis ses pieds sur le tableau de bord alors que Joseph lâchait un soupir lourd.
"Je suppose que nous allons à Somerset alors."
► L A R I S S A ► S O M E R S E Tmai 2016 - Une nuit après l'explosion
Maintenant...
S'assurant que le patient était en sécurité, Joseph et Travis sont retournés à l'avant de l'ambulance. Pour le moment la patiente, une Jane Doe était inconsciente dans le dos et très franchement Joseph préférait cela. Dans une ville comme Larissa, la dernière chose dont tu as eu besoin, c'était d'un lunatique qui se battait contre leurs contraintes pendant qu'ils traversaient la ville.
"Je parie que quelqu'un là-dedans s'est mis en main avec elle." Travis a déclaré qu'il avait attaché sa ceinture de sécurité. "Cet hôpital a un représentant pour les médecins pervers."
-- Honnêtement, plutôt que de s'y attarder, répondit Joseph au moment où il a commencé à conduire le véhicule. "La ville est assez mauvaise comme elle est, la dernière chose dont nous avons besoin sont des hôpitaux corrompus."
"Toujours si prêchant homme, vous avez besoin d'éclaircir. Vivez chaque jour comme ils viennent." Travis a répondu que le véhicule s'était fusionné sur l'autoroute.
"Vous penseriez qu'après avoir été dans notre métier, vous auriez réalisé que maintenant la vie est fragile." Joseph répondit alors qu'il se concentrait sur la route.
"Et vous pensiez que vous auriez réalisé que nous ne savons pas combien de temps nous avons. N'ayez pas peur de vous amuser, de tomber amoureux, de faire quelque chose de stupide." Travis s'est disputé alors qu'il avait ouvert un soda. En prenant une perruque profonde, il a frappé ses lèvres avec satisfaction avant d'essuyer le liquide sucré résiduel avec le dos de ses mains.
Un silence tendu est tombé sur les deux pendant quelques instants, interrompu seulement par le fonctionnement du véhicule EMT. Il a été brusquement brisé par le crack de la radio. "Répondez. L'appel de détresse est arrivé du district de l'Olympe. Zone de blocage financier. Rapports d'un accident potentiellement mortel. La mère attendue pense qu'elle est impliquée. C'est fini.
Joseph a pris le récepteur, donnant à Travis un regard de légère confusion. "Unité de réponse. Nous sommes proches, mais en route pour un transfert de patient. À vous."
"Ce soir, c'est dur de se faire frapper. Vous êtes le plus proche répondant d'urgence que nous ayons. À vous." Il y avait un autre clic et Joseph savait que c'était la fin de la conversation. Vraiment rien à faire à ce sujet, et leur transfert était stable. Il a donné une puanteur à Travis.
« J'espère que cela ne donnera pas le ton de la nuit », a dit Joseph à Travis, prenant la prochaine sortie. Le quartier financier était juste autour de la Larissa City Bank.
"Faisons-le, Mang. Ramène cette mère et cet enfant à la maison en toute sécurité!" Travis a dit, applaudir Joey sur le dos tandis que Joseph a tourné le véhicule sur la bonne rue. Couvert d'une sombre obscurité, il semblait que l'indignation de pouvoir avait encore une emprise ici. En dehors de la trajectoire directe des hautes poutres de l'ambulance, rien ne pouvait être vu. "Voudriez-vous regarder ce Joey, pas de lumières de rue ici."
Les yeux de Joseph s'élargissaient alors qu'il voyait un brillant rayon de lumière se déchirer soudainement dans l'obscurité du velours. Un bruit de frisson et d'explosif suivit et aussitôt plus tard, provoquant Joseph à claquer sur les freins. Le véhicule a lâché et tiré comme il a été tiré dans un virage aigu par l'arrêt soudain en mouvement. Travis s'est effondré la tête du tableau de bord et a sombré dans son siège alors que Joseph s'est accouché contre le volant jusqu'à ce que le véhicule s'arrête complètement.
La radio est revenue à la vie, et sur l'instinct Joe a regardé l'appareil. "Utiliserez-vous le potentiel de vous, exposerez-vous l'obscurité cachée dans la lumière blanche?" La voix féminine à la radio a dit. "Veux-tu marcher sur le chemin, te soulever toi-même et les nouveaux amis dans le remorquage?" Une courte pause a été suivie de bruit blanc à la radio et rien de plus.
"Quoi. Les. C'est pas vrai."Evelyn PrinceLe dos d'une ambulance, Somerset
La nuit après l'explosion...
Quelque chose s'est glissé dans la paume d'Evelyn, puis est mort avant de frissonner une fois de plus, bourdonnant tout le temps. Bzz. C'est quoi, ça? Bzz. C'est quoi, ça? Bzz. C'est quoi, ça? Elle gémit en soumission alors que sa conscience la frappait comme un mur de briques, et elle fut jetée dans une collision avec la surcharge sensorielle qui était "réalité". Sa main se déplaça instantanément vers son crâne, qui se sentait comme si une hache était logée dans chaque temple, et ses yeux lugubres se courbaient au fur et à mesure qu'ils s'ajustaient au monde autour d'elle.
Il faisait nuit. Et ça bougeait. Il n'a pas fallu un génie pour identifier le cadre comme l'arrière d'un véhicule, et même dans son état délicat Evelyn était pleinement au courant de deux hommes parlant dans la cabine du conducteur. Elle était également au courant d'un bruit irritant, venant de l'appareil qu'elle avait laissé glisser de son emprise au fur et à mesure qu'elle devenait alerte.
Bzz. C'est quoi, ça? Bzz. C'est quoi, ça? Bzz. C'est quoi, ça?
Elle pouvait voir la faible lumière de l'interface éclairant avec chaque vibration, une chaîne de nombres non identifiable qui tapissait l'écran d'identification de l'appelant. Elle a évalué la situation, avant de prendre le téléphone et de répondre à l'appel.
« J'ai besoin d'aide », murmura-t-elle, sa voix craque par manque d'usage. "J'ai été enfant--"
« C'est votre esprit et votre esprit qui peuvent apporter le changement. » a répondu à une femme de l'autre côté de la ligne.
-- Quoi? Elle a demandé, à la fois confus et irrité par la réponse cryptique. "Vous ne..."
Elle a été coupée par la voix encore une fois, et a réalisé que c'était automatisé. « Parfois, tout ce dont vous avez besoin, c'est d'un peu de confiance et d'une bouffée d'inspiration. Prenez le risque, suivez le chemin. Ça ne te laissera pas s'égarer." L'enregistrement a conclu son récital par une tonalité singulière et prolongée, avant que la ligne ne s'éteigne.
C'est pas vrai. Elle pensait à elle-même. Qu'est-ce que c'est que ces conneries de Riddler? Ève soupçonnait que celui qui la charcutait actuellement vers un territoire inconnu était également responsable de la plantation du message de téléphone cellulaire effrayant. Inquiétantement, elle a couru une main sur l'appareil, se concentrant autant qu'elle pouvait à travers sa migraine et essayant de s'aligner sur tous les restes psychiques de qui pourrait être derrière cela.
Tout ce qu'elle entendait, c'était la voix de cette même femme: "Ne laisse aucune trace. Nous n'existons pas."
Elle avait à peine une seconde pour considérer le message avant que sa vision ne s'évanouisse, et elle vit deux hommes. Conduite. Panicked, pas sûr de quoi. Qu'est-ce qu'il y a? Rétrogradé, percuté. Impact. Impact des roues à freiner. Impact de la tête sur le volant. Noir.
Eve a eu un moment de difficulté à différencier la douleur de l'homme dans sa vision de son propre traumatisme crânien, mais comme une commotion a éclaté de la cabine du conducteur et Eve a senti l'effritement du caoutchouc sous elle, elle a réalisé que son épreuve n'était pas encore terminée. Tandis que la fourgonnette commandait un virage cruel, Ève s'est retrouvée s'écraser dans les portes doubles de l'arrière, qui s'est ouverte et a renversé son corps sur le béton.
N E M E S I S"Mother had a saying, something about how sometimes a favourable outcome requires a few ill-advised actions."
 O S E P H E D W A R D T H O R E A U ◼ 0 2 / 0 8 / 1 9 9 4 ( 2 2 ) ◼ M A L E ◼ H E T E R O S E X U A L
▼ A P P E A R A N C E:"Yeah I know, I don't look like a Thoreau."//STATS:
◼ HEIGHT | 5'-10"
◼ WEIGHT | 164 lbs
◼ BUILD | Athletic
◼ EYE COLOUR | Deep blue outer iris with an inner ice blue iris
◼ HAIR COLOUR | Dark brown with hints of ruddy auburn
◼ ETHNICITY | Caucasian

//DESCRIPTION:
Joseph has a slender frame that is covered in compacted muscle built up from years of exercising and toning his body. His torso and legs are built like someone who regularly competes in marathons and free running competitions while his arms and shoulders are built more like that of a boxer mixed with a martial artist. Joseph prides himself on being more balanced in his physique and as such has kept his flexibility and somewhat slender frame despite his well chiseled biceps and abdominal. Joseph is especially known for his keen piercing blue eyes. Deep blue with flecks of icy blue strewn throughout, Joseph's eyes are known for being able to look right through someone as though he is staring into their soul. Joseph has deep brown hair with strands of gold and auburn acting as natural highlights, these are most visible in bright light where as in dim and barely lit places, Joseph's hair can seem to be almost black. He keeps his hair anywhere from a short to medium length, often grooming it into various ways.
Joseph's general attire ranges from long sleeve mock tees to hoodies usually. Always paired with straight leg or boot-cut, dark-wash jeans. In collaboration with these, Joseph prefers to wear semi loose fitting tops in an effort to hide his more chiseled physique so as not to draw too much attention to himself. To that end he often will wear a t-shirt paired with a hoodie and jacket, or a long-sleeved shirt adorned with a hood and a jacket. Depending on the weather though Joseph may wear just a t-shirt, or a rolled up long sleeved mock tee. His outfit is almost always complimented with a leather jacket.​
▼ B I O G R A P H Y:"Words don't define us, actions do."

During the height of the Mavericks' career Joseph's grandfather, Forrest Emerson Thoreau was a officer with the Larissa Lilith Police Department, often providing support to the Mavericks themselves. Proud to call himself an ally to the Mavericks, Forrest often told a young Joseph tales of the daring heroics the vigilantes had once brought to Larissa and its surrounding areas. However, Joseph's father, Silas Edward Thoreau didn't see eye to eye with his own father and while Forrest had been aiding the Mavericks, Silas had been away at Harvard earning his law degree and developing a deep rooted seed of hatred against those who took the law into their own hands. Upon Silas' return to Larissa, the ambitious young lawyer set his eyes on the gross abuse of the law he considered the Mavericks to be. Appealing to the local district attorney, it was Silas who instigated the city's zero tolerance policy towards vigilantes and ultimately caused the Mavericks to vanish from history. Due in part to his contribution to the city's new anti-vigilante stance, Silas became a valued asset with numerous law firms trying to recruit the young hotshot. Having his pick of the crop, Silas settled in with Campbell and Reid quickly rising to partner over three short years. Eyed by the District Attorney's office, Silas was scouted to take over the position of state prosecutor. Settling into his new career with ease, Silas eventually met and impregnated a young woman by the name of Samantha Russells. Desperate to keep the bastard child out of public headlines, Silas married Samantha in a private civil ceremony. Nine months later, Joseph Edward Thoreau was born to his loving mother and career driven father.
Growing up distant from his father, Joseph spent most of his time with his mother and grandfather. His mother provided the love and care every growing boy needed while Forrest filled the void left by Silas and taught Joseph many numerous life skills. Drawing upon his years of experience as a former police officer, Forrest taught Joseph to listen to the beat of the city, to hear its voice and learn its rhythms. Due to the teachings of his grandfather, Joseph grew to a strong set of street-smarts, taught to remain constantly aware of his surroundings and how to read those within them.
But Joseph found he had trouble connecting to the city, especially on its crowded streets. Constantly overwhelmed, he found the only time he could clearly hear the rhythm of the city was from high above the street. Looking down on the world, Joseph learned how to pick apart the details and eventually found his groove. The city became his playground and Joseph would sneak out of the house to play among the roof tops. It was from this height that the corruption growing in Larissa first became clear to Joseph, he could see the city was sick and that the illness was only spreading. It was here that the idea to follow in his grandfather's footsteps was laid in Joseph's head, within him a fire had lit and the flames of passion ignited a need to help the people of Larissa, a need he wouldn't act on until quite a few years later.
Originally traversing them by climbing fire escape after fire escape before eventually growing bold enough to jump from roof to roof. From there Joseph's skills only continued to expand as Joseph learned to move more efficiently from place to place, learning the city from a whole new angle. At least he would have until his mother, Samantha caught Joseph sneaking in through a window one dark Larissa night. Never before had the boy seen his mother so scared as she checked him over for any sign of injury, acting as though he had been out re-enacting the stories of the Mavericks. Making him swear to never use the roof tops again, Joseph was literally grounded from that point on. But he learned to adapt, find new ways to hear the city as he moved through the crowded streets and eventually behind the wheel as his grandfather taught him how to drive and he succeeded in gaining his driver's license.
Despite never being the brightest in his class, Joseph never struggled through school. Maintaining above average grades and achieving honors upon graduation, Joseph had a wide selection of post-secondary institutions to choose from along with several sizable scholarships. However money had never been a concern for the Thoreau's thanks to Joseph's distant father. Deciding to take inspiration from his grandfather, Joseph turned his back on the numerous high brow institutions that had sent him accepted letters before deciding to pursue his education at the local community college. Enrolling for EMT certification, Joseph completed course after course until finding a career with the Larissa General Hospital as a paramedic. Never had Joseph felt so much pride as the day his grandfather shook his hand to congratulate the young man upon his first assignment. Silas however was disgusted with Joseph's career choices, his attitude towards Joseph causing friction between both Joseph and himself as well as Samantha and he. Combined with his constant distant behavior, Silas' negative attitude towards Joseph was the straw that broke the camel's back and Samantha and Silas divorced.
Having moved out during his time at college, the split did little to upset Joseph's living arrangements. His mother however relocated from the Olympus district to a country home in the more rural district of Mount Nysa. Making time to visit his mother over the weeks that followed, Joseph was rather confused by how little the divorce seemed to bother her. Silas on the other hand was working hard to keep the divorce out of his public image least it reflect poorly upon him.
On the night of the blackout, Joseph was awoken from his slumber in order to respond to an evacuation order at the Michaels' Nuclear Facility. Arriving at the scene just as the explosion rocked the area, Joseph's ambulance was rendered completely powerless. Nonetheless, Joseph wasn't deterred as he rushed the scene helping the wounded to safety until other first responders arrived. Working to clear the scene, Joseph worked into overtime, eventually being relieved after nearly eighteen long hours.
▼ A B I L I T I E S / S K I L L S:"Time to level the playing field."

▼ ABILITY AUGMENTATION
◼ STAGE 01 | Joseph possesses the ability to enhance the abilities of other gifted individuals. By laying his hands on another who possesses extraordinary abilities, Joseph can increase the potency of their abilities beyond what they are currently capable of. This increase only lasts as long as Joseph remains in contact with the ability's host and its effects almost immediately dissipate as soon as Joseph lets go. At this stage, Joseph can only boost the abilities of another in one aspect meaning if he increased the range of an attack, he could not increase its potency.
◼ STAGE 02 | As Joseph's powers continue to grow, his abilities are further able to increase those of another. The next growth in his powers allows Joseph to amplify all aspects of another's abilities. This means he increases the range, potency, duration and any other necessary aspects of the ability in question. Furthermore Joseph no longer requires physical contact with those he's familiar with. Joseph is able to form empathetic links with those who he's close to allowing him to amplify their abilities while they're nearby. However as with his early abilities, the effects are only temporary, wearing off an hour or so after Joseph terminates the link.
◼ STAGE 03 | At Joseph's peak, he is able to evolve the abilities of others to their fullest potential. This could lead to any number of outcomes and may even hurt the host as their powers become too unstable to control or contain. This effect can last for upwards of a day depending on Joseph's bond with the host, those he has an empathetic connection with will find themselves empowered longer than another gifted individual who Joseph has just encountered. That said, Joseph's ability no longer requires physical contact and can operate solely on a field of effect although he can choose his targets. Physically touching another increases the duration of the evolution and its potency. While the field of effect can amplify abilities and with sustained effect can evolve the host, physical touch from Joseph accelerates the process, making evolution almost instant.
◼ ABILITY NEGATION
◼ STAGE 01 | Joseph's secondary ability is the ability to negate the abilities of another gifted individual. When in physical contact with another, Joseph can choose whether to enhance or negate their abilities. Instinctively his body will always go with negate out of self preservation meaning that if Joseph were touched or assaulted while asleep or unconscious, his body will negate the abilities of his assailant. The negation of the host abilities only is sustained so long as the host is in physical contact with Joseph. Once physical contact is terminated, their abilities are returned within seconds.
◼ STAGE 02 | As Joseph's ability grows, he'll be able to emit a small blast which can temporarily stun and negate the abilities of another. This blast will only negate abilities for several minutes, acting like a small taser blast. Repeated blasts will build up the duration of the negation but only to the extent of three hours. After this the host will recover unless Joseph incurs another attack upon them. Physical contact with Joseph has increased potency now, immediately rendering a gifted individual powerless for several hours.
◼ STAGE 03 | Near Joseph's peak potency, his ability will be able to be projected in a field of effect, capable of rendering all gifted individuals in a set radius powerless. Furthermore, his offensive abilities will increase from a simple blast, to a prolonged beam or a wider-spread attack capable of targeting multiple foes. At this stage he is able to render most gifted individuals powerless for several days and may even be capable of stripping another of their abilities completely if prolonged physical contact is held.
◼ STAGE 04 | With his final evolution, Joseph gains the ability to enhance his own body. These enhancements are only temporary and can only enhance one aspect of Joseph's body at a time. These enhancements can only be added to one existing aspect of Joseph's body such as accelerating his healing factor or boosting his physical condition. Joseph is able to keep his enhancements active for a period of twenty four hours after which his body will be weakened and unable to undergo another enhancement until fully recovered.
//SKILLS:
◼ MEDICAL TRAINING | As an EMT, Joseph is able to treat numerous injuries and ailment in the field. In addition to this, Joseph can sustain the life of a person, postponing death in the events of life threatening injuries until they can reach proper treatment. Notably, Joseph's skills are hinged on having the proper supplies although he can be pragmatic and use whatever is at hand when necessary.
◼ PARKOUR | Although rusty, Joseph taught himself how to parkour during his youth before being stopped by his mother. His body still remembers the movements and he has since stayed in good physical condition both for personal interest and due to his chosen career.
◼ DRIVING | Although Joseph isn't by any means a stunt driver, he is capable of driving most vehicles, including large vehicles such as ambulances. Even with such a large vehicle, Joseph is able to steer it an a manner that would be considered agile, capable of weaving in and out of traffic nearly as efficiently as the average motorcycle driver.
◼ SELF DEFENSE | In a city as dangerous as Larissa, one knows better than to work on the streets without some sort of defense training. While attending college, Joseph attended several self defense classes in anticipation of picking up patients in Larrissa's seedier areas.
//LIMITATIONS:
Joseph can not use both of his abilities at the same, Joseph has to choose whether to enhance or negate constantly, he can't lay a hand on an ally to enhance while firing a negation blast at a foe. Furthermore, the effects of his abilities are not permanent, except in an extreme case when regarding his negation ability.
Range of effect is also a major limitation, as even at his fullest potential, Joseph only has a maximum area effect of a twenty five foot radius. His abilities are most effective with physical contact which combined with his lack of physical enhancement requires Joseph to constantly be pragmatic enough to get close to a foe.
In regards to Joseph's self enhancements, he can't just add any superhuman ability to himself. Joseph can only enhance his pre-existing physique. Once the enhancement wears off after twenty four hours, Joseph is left in a weakened state for upwards of twelve hours, requiring significant rest and nutrients in order to recover as he body deals with the 'devolution'. If Joseph tried to enhance himself within his rest period, he could potentially harm himself on a genetic level permanently corrupting his DNA and leaving it unstable.
//WEAKNESSES:
Joseph has no physical enhancements of his own, meaning he's vulnerable to every conventional form of harm. His abilities can be interrupted by a strike to his nervous system such as electrical shock from a tazer. A sustained electrical field, even at a harmless voltage would interrupt Joseph's abilities enough to render them useless.
While enhanced by his own abilities, Joseph can be reduced back to a base human forcibly through extreme voltages which will render his abilities null and void, potentially even temporarily blocking them. Energy based attacks, particularly electrical ones are extremely dangerous to Joseph due to the way his abilities operate through bio-electricity.
▼ M O T I V A T I O N / O B J E C T I V E:"The city is hurting, it's time someone helped her."

Ever since he was young, Joseph has felt a desire to help others. This need was only further honed by his grandfather who was a retired member of the Larissa-Lilith Police Department. As an officer who had served during the Golden Age of the Mavericks, Forrest believed in heroes and Joseph inherited this belief but Larissa was long past the age of heroes and crime was beginning to resurface without any opposition. Taking to the streets as a member of Larissa's paramedics, Joseph decided to help in the best way he could by tending to those hurt in the rapidly growing crime wave.
▼ N O T E S:"It's the people waiting for me at home that keep me going each and every day."

//SUPPORTING CAST:
▼ ALLIES
◼ BERGERON, MILES | TBD
◼ PLATEADO, ARTURO | TBD
◼ PRINCE, EVELYN | TBD
◼ WILLIAMS, ANDREW | TBD
▼ FRIENDS

◼ CALLAHAN, BRYNNE | Joseph's on again and off again girlfriend, they have a casual relationship.

◼ CASPIAN, WINTER | A childhood friend of Joseph's and his first girlfriend before a nasty break up put a wedge between them. Winter works for Larissa's Channel 42 News as a field reporter.

◼ THOREAU, SILAS | Joseph's father and Larissa's current District Attorney.

◼ THOREAU, FORREST | Joseph's grandfather and father figure. Forrest and Joseph have a bond that Silas is incredibly jealous of both due to his distance from his father and the attention stolen from his son.

◼ THOREAU, SAMANTHA (neé RUSSELLS) | Joseph's mother and one time lover to the billionaire Charles Micheals. Samantha had previously been involved in a whirlwind romance with the billionaire before being scorned and sent into the arms of Silas Thoreau. Finding herself with child, Samantha and Thoreau married giving birth to their son Joseph.

◼ YOUNG, TRAVIS | Travis Young is Joseph's paramedic partner, the two have been friends since the first year of college and have been nearly inseparable since.
▼ ENEMIES
◼ N/A | TBD
//STOMPING GROUNDS
◼ SOUTH BEACH | Owning a condominium in the South Beach District of Larissa, Joseph spends most of his off time on the beach, catching a few waves and mingling among the night time parties.
//PARAPHERNALIA
◼ N/A | TBD
| | ~ Ɲ ǀ Ɠ H Ƭ S O Ɲ Ɠ ~ | |

"You know I make you wanna scream, You know I make you wanna run from me baby"
| ᑎ ᗩ ᗰ ᕮ ( ᔕ ) : |
■ Ellara Sofia Castell
| ᑎ I ᑕ K ᑎ ᗩ ᗰ ᕮ ( ᔕ ) : |
■ El/Elle
■ Ella
■ Ellie
■ Lara
| ᗩ ᒪ I ᗩ ᔕ ( ᕮ ᔕ ): |
■ Nightsong
■ 'Mouthpiece'
■ 'Scream Queen'
| ᗪ . O . ᗷ . : |
■ 03/25/1995
| ᗩ G ᕮ : |
■ 21
| ᔕ ᕮ ᙭ : |
■ Female
| ᔕ ᕮ ᙭ ᑌ ᗩ ᒪ I T Y : |
■ Heterosexual
| ᗩ ᑭ ᑭ ᕮ ᗩ ᖇ ᗩ ᑎ ᑕ ᕮ : |
"Her lips are devil red and her skin's the color mocha."

//ᔕTᗩTᔕ:
■ HEIGHT | 5'-8"
■ WEIGHT | 118 lbs
■ MEASUREMENTS | 34-24-34
■ BRA SIZE | 32B
■ HAIR COLOUR | Black
■ EYE COLOUR | Green
//ᗪᕮᔕᑕᖇIᑭTIOᑎ:
Standing at roughly five feet and eight inches tall (5'-8"), Ellara is a woman slightly above average height for her sex. That said, she doesn't cut an overly intimidating figure unless she locks eyes with you. It's Ellara's eyes which cause many would be suitors to second guess approaching the otherwise stunning woman. Her fierce green eyes give away the fact there's something wild and untamed behind them. Piercing and keen, it's almost as though her eyes can't stop moving as they swish from side to side, taking in their surroundings constantly. A side effect from the traumatic scaring of her childhood.
Ellara has a scar above her collarbone on her right shoulder from where Strider held a knife to her. Her skin is naturally tanned, having a soft 'mocha' like tone to it due to the mixed heritage of her parents. Having roots in Catalan, Navajo and Mesoamerican cultures, Ellara's bloodline has a rich history within it. During the summer months, her skin tends to darken due to the sun's rays but even in the winter it retains its tan complexion. Preferring to keep her hair just past shoulder length, Ellara rarely ties her raven haired locks back in day to day activities but will tie it into a tight bun on the back of her head during vigilante activities.
Prior to rescuing Alexis, Ellara's appearance was much more homely. Her grandmother kept her modest, not wanting to encourage the wandering male eye should it upset Ellara. She was never shown how to apply make up and would often practice in the mirror. Moving in with Alexis did miracles for Ellara as Alexis overhauled Ellara's wardrobe and taught her how to dress.
​
| ᗩ ᗷ I ᒪ I T I ᕮ ᔕ / ᔕ K I ᒪ ᒪ ᔕ : |
"Scream! When the pressure breaks me, When it's too hard to see."
//ᗩᗷIᒪITIᕮᔕ:
■ SONIC MANIPULATION | Ellara possesses the ability to manipulate, shape or create soundwaves. She has control over both soundwaves she creates and soundwaves from another source. Soundwaves are a periodic disturbance of the medium (air, ground, water, etc) that radiates outward in straight lines in the form of a pressure wave. The effect these waves produce upon the ear is perceived as sound. From the point of view of physics, sound is considered to be the waves of vibratory motion themselves, whether or not they are heard by the human ear.
Ellara can mimic, intensify, hush, and distort, as well warp, strengthen, echo, speed up, and slow down sound. She is able to use it as a powerful physical force and even for high-speed movement. At low frequencies, sound is potentially fatal to living beings by causing internal damage, while high frequencies cannot be heard by normal humans but can be used for sonar-like effects. Since sound vibrations can travel through the air, ground, water and any form of medium, defense by using physical barriers is difficult.
In order for Ellara's body to be able to handle her abilities, she possesses super-humanly powerful lungs, throat, and vocal cords that can produce a sonic scream. She also has selective hearing, enabling her to focus upon, enhance, or totally block out any given sound in his environment; this shields Ellara from the deafening sound of her own sonic attacks, and makes her a super-humanly acute eavesdropper in surveillance situations.​
■ OMNI-TONE | Ellara always speaks in perfect pitch. This ability allows Ellara a very broad range of vocal manipulation leading to her ability to mimic other people's voices and create sonic waves with frequencies well above and below the human range. Due to Ellara's abilities she's able to mimic any voice she has heard. That said, the more she's heard a person speak the more she's able to mimic their voice and verbal tics. A conversation at length with a person will lead to an almost infallible impression but a fleeting sentence here and there will lead to simply a good impression. Ellara is able to project her voice over a distance much further than even the best town criers and manipulate her voice to sound like more than one person is speaking leading to a rather haunting effect.
■ ADVANCED VOICE MANIPULATION | Tapping into her Omni-Tone, Ellara is able to make her voice have a persuasive effect over those he speaks to. She could also even hypnotize an open mind with her voice or lull them into a state of slumber. Further more she can empower her sonic scream with numerous effects such as causing fear, vertigo, or even to kill. Ellara can direct her sonic scream into a beacon sending out over an incredibly wide range to rally allies or attract enemies to her location.UNDEVELOPED
■ ENHANCED HEARING | Ellara has hearing well above and beyond the human range both in terms of physical distance and frequencies. Currently her hearing isn't refined but once she has trained her ears she'll be able to do even more simply by listening. Ellara's ears are immune not only to her own sonic manipulation but also to any external sonic manipulation. Her body is especially adapted to completely resist sonic attacks and to to allow her to fully maximize her own abilities.
■ ADVANCED ENHANCED HEARING | Ellara can refine her ability to listen in order to use her hearing in combination with her voice for the effects of echolocation or sonar. Furthermore Ellara can listen close enough to a person's heartbeat and detect if they're lying.​UNDEVELOPED
■ CREATE/MANIPULATE SOUNDWAVES | Ellara can create soundwaves using her vocal chords or by slapping her body against a hard surface. Clapping will create soundwaves just not with the same starting volume as her vocal chords could produce. Ellara can manipulate the loudness, pitch, tone and overall shape of the soundwave. Ellara can manipulate any soundwave generated from another source whether this is an instrument or a car crash. Ellara can do everything to an externally generated soundwave as he can do to one of his own.UNDEVELOPED
■ SOUND AMPLIFICATION/ABSORPTION | Ellara can increase or decrease the volume of any soundwave. Furthermore she can make sounds completely inaudible including herself. Ellara can throw out soundwaves that can counteract unanticipated sounds by muting or nullifying the sounds. Ellara can manipulate soundwaves into a direct attack shaping them into a concussive blast or keeping them wide to affect a radius around her. Using her enhanced vocal chords, Ellara can produce a sonic scream or overwhelm opponents with deafening or disorienting noise. Low frequency sonic blast can stun opponents temporarily.UNDEVELOPED
■ BOOST/LEVITATION/FLIGHT | Ellara will eventually be able to learn to manipulate soundwaves in such a way that she will be able to ride on them and channel them around her body to boost forward or slow her descent towards the ground. Further building upon this ability, Ellara in combination with a wing suit or glider or some kind will be able to fly through the air using a series of sonic boosts to propel her and keep her sustained. At her absolute best, Ellara will be able to propel herself at the speed of sound through the air creating a sonic boom as she reaches Mach speed.UNDEVELOPED
■ VIBRATION EMISSION | Manipulating soundwaves in the correct way, Ellara can create vibrations which could topple whole buildings if she had the proper supply of soundwaves. These vibrations can be used to counter other movement and potentially deflect projectiles or shrapnel. If timed correctly these 'Counter Vibrations' could at the least minimize the kinetic energy in an attack and at best completely neutralize it.UNDEVELOPED
//ᒪIᗰITᗩTIOᑎᔕ:
■ ABUSE | Ellara is limited by her own physical condition as while she does have immunity to her abilities she can over-strain his system and temporarily cut off her own powers. She can also damage her throat or vocal chords from over-abusing them.
■ ADDICTION | ​Ellara suffers from an addiction to sleeping pills, as well as predispostion towards alcohol. Often mixing the two depsite warnings from her roommate. In some instances she needs a drink to accompany a meal, often refusing to relax until she has one in her hand. Whether this is a placebo effect, addiction or both isn't yet determined. She can't sleep without sleeping pills, whether its an afternoon nap or a full night's rest. Ellara believes she needs the pills or her nightmares will come.
■ PTSD | ​Despite having been in and out of therapy over the past ten years, Ellara still suffers from symptoms of PTSD due to Strider's actions. Ellara is completely dependent on sleeping pills in order to get anything close to a semblance of rest each night. Often tossing and turning due to nightmares and the haunting visage of the man with a knife pressed against her. Even during the day if Ellara allows her thoughts to wander, she finds herself reliving the event, experiencing intense flashbacks. The smell of blood or the brand of cheap body spray that Strider wore can act as a trigger. News reports of sexual assaults or rapes can set Ellara's PTSD off as can hearing the song 'Escape' by Rupert Holmes.
For this reason, Ellara avoids playing music before bed since it was a tradition of her parents and one that lead to 'Escape' being played before their murders. Ellara also refuses to sleep with a window open or unlocked, and ensures every door has at least two locks on it. If Ellara tries to go to bed while anything in her apartment is similar to the night of the assault then she will end up avoiding sleep altogether.
Ellara has trouble forming relationships, and can be seen as very untrusting. She tends to view the world at its worst and sees it as a dangerous and untamed animal. As such, Ellara has never had a boyfriend or any sort of significant other never being able to get past a first date. She's constantly on alert, her eyes twitching back and forth constantly searching for any threats to herself. Often Ellara fidgets, tapping a foot or hand on whatever surface is nearby, often jittery especially in new environments. While Ellara is attempting to earn a degree at Grimm, she has a hard time concentrating especially combined with her lack of sleep. She's prone to mood swings, suddenly becoming angry or irritable without any notice. Ellara always checks her surroundings, especially in a new location, always sitting with her back to a wall and never a window, door or open space. Additionally Ellara doesn't take kindly to being snuck up on or surprised.
■ BERSERK BUTTON | At the age of eleven, Ellara was sexual assaulted and nearly raped by Marcus Strider. She also witnessed the death of her father while her mother's murderer was carted off and put in jail where he had a roof over his head and was provided three meals per day along with free education. While Ellara uses her memories to fuel her crusade against crime it is also a crutch to her. Victims of sexual assault often cause her to become unhinged and unfocused while guns can unnerve Ellara and she's especially vulnerable to seeing someone near death or dead in front of her. Unexpected displays of affection can also unnerve Ellara causing her to become hostile.​
■ HUMANITY | Even though Ellara has enhanced healing through sonokinetic stimulation, she's still essentially vulnerable to guns and knives. Ellara has no enhanced strength or durability and is currently untrained in using her abilities to boost her speed.​
//ᗯᕮᗩKᑎᕮᔕᔕᕮᔕ:
■ SOUND NULLIFICATION | Ellara's abilities can be negated by anything that can nullify sound. Materials which absorb sound can also limit if not downright block the desired effects.
■ NOISE | While Ellara manipulates sound, noise can greatly hinder her abilities causing her attacks to become unfocused or even render then completely null. Noise greatly reduces Ellara's ability to focus soundwaves and as such fighting around crowds or in busy public areas will diminish her efficiency.
■ MUTING/DEAFENING | Since the majority of Ellara's abilities rely on her mouth and ears, removing either of these sensory organs from the equation can greatly weaken her. Ellara can't perform her sonic scream while gagged and can't focus her abilities without her ears.
//ᔕKIᒪᒪᔕ:
■ ASL | Having spent nearly ten years without speaking, Ellara's speech therapist introduced her to and educated her in American Sign Language. Being a competent user of it, Ellara can communicate proficiently with most individuals who have an understanding of it. She herself can be overwhelmed by the speed at which life long users sign but this can often be overcome.
■ VENTRILOQUISM | Due to Ellara's abilities, she has a natural talent for voice manipulation. As such, she is able to throw her voice in a similar manner to a ventriloquist. Ellara can use this to distract or otherwise confuse both allies and foes alike. She's been known to pick up a puppet every now and then to entertain children too.
■ MARTIAL ARTS | On an invitation from Alexis, Ellara took up Tai Chi as both a meditation technique and a physical outlet just over a year ago. Taking as many courses as she could over the past year, she's become rather skilled in the martial art, capable of holding her own against most average opponents. Ellara is however by no means a medal winning athlete or combatant and instead relies more on surprise and her abilities than being able to take an opponent head on.
| ᗷ ᗩ ᑕ K ᔕ T O ᖇ Y : |
"Scream till there's silence, Scream while there's life left, vanishing"
A powerful set of lungs alerted the world of the birth of Ellara Sofia Castell as she was pulled from the womb screaming in the dead of one cold Larissa night. Born to doting parents, Alejandro and Liliana spoiled their little princess during her early childhood. However that all changed one hot summer when a notorious man by the name of Marcus Strider went on a crime spree throughout the city. This spree was isolated to the districts of Somerset, the Wharf, the Sound and Little Santiago. A sexual predator, rapist and family annihilator, Strider left a rather notable body count in his wake including both Alejandro and Liliana.
During the attack on their home, Ellara managed to call 911 although she was caught by Strider before having the chance to express the situation to the operator on the other side. Having already dispatched both of Ellara's parents, Strider believed himself free to have his way with the young girl and began to take his time, tormenting Ellara. Pressing a knife against Ellara's skin as he began to cut off her shirt, Ellara screamed in terror as Strider smiled wickedly at her. However this scream was not the simple scream of a terrified girl, but the powerful scream of a new super waking up. The combination of trauma and puberty awoke latent superhuman abilities in Ellara which manifested in a super sonic scream. As the scream left Ellara's mouth, the windows in the house shattered along with Strider's ear drums as he fell to the floor clutching his head. Cursing as he pulled himself to his feet, Strider scrambled for his knife and lunged at Ellara before being pulled back by Alejandro. Having underestimated Alejandro's constitution, Strider believed he had left the man for dead however Alejandro managed to fight through his wounds, coming to his daughter's aid. Struggling with the older man, Strider found his knife being turned on him as the house was flood with red and blue flashing lights. As the police entered the room, Alejandro let go, rolling off of Strider and finally succumbing to his wounds. Strider was taken into custody as police tried to console the now parent-less Ellara.
-From that point on, Ellara never spoke a word. Put in the care of her grandmother, Ellara was put into both speech and psychological therapy in order to help cope with what she had been through and witnessed. Still the girl refused to speak.
-Terrified of what her voice had done, Ellara had convinced herself that her scream had killed her father. This only furthered her vow of silence.
-Her grandmother was a devout Catholic and took Ellara to church for both confirmation and mass on a weekly basis. Unknown to both Ellara's grandmother and therapists, Ellara actually spoke to Father Juan in confessional.
-At the age of nineteen, Ellara was on her way home from work. Caught in the rain, she turned down an alley to shield herself from the downpour when she came upon a man assulting a woman. Overcome with rage, Ellara found her voice again as she unleashed her sonic scream for the second time in her life.
-Following up with Alexis, Ellara and the girl bonded with Alexis helping Ellara out of her shell and creating a newfound confidence within the girl. Eventually moving in with the single mother and her son, Ellara began to find both her voice and independence.
-Taking Tai-Chi to both learn self defense and as a therapeutic response to her assualt, Alexis decided to invite Ellara out who immediately took a liking to the martial art.
-With the fire lit inside her chest, Ellara took to the streets at night, hunting down crime. Naturally she had heard of the Mavericks, everyone in Larissa knew of the vigilantes. But she had become a vigilante by coincidence, not because of inspiration. Her life seemed fated to go this way.
| ᗰ O T I ᐯ ᗩ T I O ᑎ / O ᗷ ᒍ ᕮ ᑕ T I ᐯ ᕮ : |
When Ellara stopped Alexis' assault, something ignited within her. A desire to break her silence and use her abilities to help others who can't stand up for themselves. Fueled by her own helplessness during her youth and the death of her parents, Ellara strives to keep the few she cares about safe and ensure no one has to suffer what she did ever again.
| ᔕ ᑌ ᑭ ᑭ O ᖇ T I ᑎ G ᑕ ᗩ ᔕ T : |
■ CASTELL, ALEJANDRO | Ellara's late father. Alejandro used to regal his daughter with tales of Larissa's legendary heroes the Mavericks. In truth, Alejandro knew the Mavericks better than most having been on the receiving end of IllAdvised's fist more than once in his youth. Growing up, Alejandro had been pressured into gang life, ending up running with the Harbour Kings. However due to the interference of the Mavericks, the gang was eventually shut down and Alejandro was able to attend Grimm University, taking a degree in Power Engineering. Before his death he had been working at the Michaels' Power Plant. Charles Michaels himself personally ensured that Ellara would receive Alejandro's full pension on the day of her eighteenth birthday.
■ CASTELL (neé DELGADO), LILIANA | Ellara's late mother. Named by her parents after the 'Lilly of the Valley' found outside of New Lilith, Liliana met and married Alejandro in their early twenties. She stayed at home during the first seven years of Ellara's life, eventually returning to work the year Ellara entered into the second grade. Working as a paralegal, Liliana made a decent wage and upon her death, the 'Reid and Reid' Lawfirm ensured Ellara was put into the care of her grandmother instead of into the system.
■ DELGADO, ADALIND | Ellara's grandmother and caretaker for most of her life. A very religious and superstitious woman, Adalind was initially hesitant to take Ellara into her home. However, she was unable to say no to her own granddaughter and eventually the two bonding, Adalind learning sign language along with Ellara. In fact, sign language was a greater gift than Adalind could have anticipated as it allowed her to communicate with other elderly members of her church that had begun to lose their hearing. Seeing Ellara as a blessing in her life, Adalind made sure to thank God every time she prayed for showing her his plan for bringing Ellara into her life.
■ DEL CARO, JUAN | Father or Padre Juan is the Priest which resides over St. Hillan's Cathedral. For most of Ellara's early teens he acted as a father figure to the young girl and still acts as her confident today. Padre Juan is aware of Ellara's nighttime activities but as part of his oath does not utter a word from confessional. While he tells Ellara that God does not appreciate violence, a small part of the local priest can't help but feel pride to see a new potential hero rising up in Larissa. Having grown up in Little Santiago, the Mavericks did a lot to bring prosperity into the poorer regions of Larissa and while most of the city turned on the heroes when challengers began to come to the city, Juan and his family stood by their heroes.
■ FITZROY, EUGENE | Ellara's psychological therapist.
■ JAMES, ALEXIS | Ellara met Alexis just over two years ago when she rescued the young woman from being assaulted. A waitress at the Silver Knot, Alexis had been on her way home after a long shift when Ellara rescued her. After the police took Alexis' statement, Ellara followed up herself, checking in with Alexis seeing a kindred soul in the woman. The two began meeting for coffee on a weekly basis before eventually becoming very close friends. When Alexis found out that Ellara was looking to move out of her grandmother's house in Little Santiago, she invited Ellara to come live with her and her son in the Sound. While Alexis is suspicious of Ellara's night time activities, she prefers not to voice her concerns as she knows Ellara finds a cathartic release in beating the snot out of Larissa's scum.
■ JAMES, HARLEY | Alexis' son.
■ STRIDER, MARCUS | When Marcus was seventeen his father divorced his mother leaving the pair nearly penniless. This planted the seeds of rage within Marcus who held both his parents accountable for the split and eventually leading to him murdering his mother and then hunting down his father. However, unbeknownst to Marcus, his father had left Larissa leading o him seeking our surrogates. Marcus went on a twelve day rapdily devolving killing spree that was ended when he invaded the Castell family home. Having taken Alejandro Castell by surprise, Marcus took his time assualting and tormenting Liliana before killing her and coming after their eleven year old daughter Ellara. Underestimating Alejandro, Marcus was prevented from raping the child as Alejandro re-engaged him. The fight was brought to an end when the police arrived and shot Alejandro to prevent him from killing Marcus. Marcus was then apprehended and sentenced to lifetime without chance of bail in Cliffside Penitentiary. After the explosion at the Michaels Power Plant, he has been reported missing, his cell having been compromised during the incident.
| ᖇ ᕮ ᖴ ᕮ ᖇ ᕮ ᑎ ᑕ ᕮ ᑭ O ᔕ T ( ᔕ ) : |
■ Mavericks: Valiant Heroics | 'Another School Year'
■ New Lilith: Shadows of Darkness | 'A Late Winter'
■ VIGILANCE: Rise of the Mavericks | 'IllAdvised Tracking'
| ᑎ O T ᕮ ᔕ : |
■ Ellara drives a black 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge convertible.
■ Ellara is primarily of Catalan, Mesoamerican and Navajo descent.