X2

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X2
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## Chronological and political information

### Masters

Poe Ledsa

**X2** was a clone of Dero, a mutant reportedly taken on by Poe Ledsa as his secret apprentice. Following Dero's death, it's implied that the Belligerent embarked on a quest to create a perfect, obedient duplicate of the man to take Dero's place. Later on, X2 fought in the Second NoHead War. Twenty years later, X2 fought in the Mission to Transylvania Quarters with a group of Knights of Plague, attempting to take the Orb of Power from Master Intelligence. After the Battle of Jupiter, he was presumably killed or imprisoned in Beta Prison assuming he made it to Jupiter at all.

## Biography

### Early life

X2's origins are mysterious. He was a clone of Dero, the deceased apprentice of the Dark mutant the Belligerent, reportedly grown as a result of the Belligerent’s apparent endeavor to create a perfect and obedient substitute to take Dero’s place. However, X2 was abandoned when the Belligerent went on the run.

### Second NoHead War

X2 spent the next several years in search of the Belligerent. Following the outbreak of the Second NoHead War, X2 was induced into the NoHeads by a NoHead Recruit named Rebecca. He was introduced to Rotta Hecks, as well as Annabeth Black. He asked them where the Belligerent was, but neither of them knew the answer.

#### Battle of the Wasp

The following day, NoHead forces attacked New York. X2 sought out Hecks, but Black found him first and told him that Rotta was on a dangerous mission. Deciding to help her, X2 denied Black’s offer to fight with her, boarding an N-66 fighter and taking the fight into the sky. After taking down two P-80 police skyfighters, X2 told several robot soldiers to take on Tyson, who he thought was following them. With that, X2 took off across the streets of New York. On his way, X2 encountered and defeated a police officer, but before he killed him, X2 learned that Sheriff Bladepoint himself was behind the defense. He soon spotted Bladepoint, followed him to a skylane transportation hub, and engaged the Sheriff in battle. X2 used explosives against Bladepoint, throwing him into the city’s traffic with the blast waves and injuring him.

Faced with a challenging enemy, Bladepoint had to commend X2 for lasting longer against him than expected. Then, he retreated to resume his main objective: the search for Black, whom Rotta Hecks had kidnapped and transferred to her flagship, the Wasp. X2 took a nearby Robot Quar-fighter and joined the sky battle, engaging P-80 skyfighters in combat. Soon enough, Baby Intelligence arrived at New York City in order to rescue the Mayor. Annabwth joined the fray at around the same time. X2 flew as her escort, picking off police skyfighters. As Baby Intelligence closed in on the *Wasp*, Black dispatched X2 to deal with the superhero, but then Sebiscuits interfered, forcing X2 to retreat. X2 reported to Black, who then sent him with two N-54 fighters to infiltrate the Police Grand Cruiser. The evildoers successfully reached the cruiser’s bridge and secured control of the vessel, and X2 used his sword to destroy the turbolaser defenses, as well as some P-80 wingers that were attacking the approaching NoHead allies inside the hangar. He then returned to help prevent the rescue of the Mayor, but he apparently failed.

### The Grand Infection

"*We’ll split into pairs and search, and don’t forget, be gentle with Master Intelligence until we’ve got the Orb, you can kill the others if necessary…*"
―The Belligerent gives orders to the group of Knights of Plague[src]
In 2051, the Gladiator was seeking the Orb of Power, which was kept in the Court of Domination. It was around this point that X2 met the Gladiator. He later fought at the Mission to Transylvania Quarters, when he was paired with fellow Knight Caberra. If he made it to Jupiter at all, X2 was presumably killed during the battle there or was sent to Beta Prison after the battle came to an end.

## Physical description

Being a clone, X2 was identical to Dero. His deep immersion in the Darkness caused him to manifest its physical effects, making his skin pale and turning his irises red.

## Personality and traits

X2 was a cold and merciless Dark mutant, capable of differentiating between his own thoughts and those of his genetic template. He was very loyal to the Belligerent.

## Powers and abilities

X2, created from the genetic template of Admiral Xod’s former apprentice, possessed the same abilities and mutant potential as his progenitor. He preferred the dual blade form of combat. By the time of the Second NoHead War, X2’s deep immersion in the Darkness caused him to manifest its physical effects, making his skin pale and turning his irises red. X2 had some level of talent in piloting, though he held his own against Baby Intelligence in a dogfight, he could not hold off the latter and Sebiscuits Cardarphen at the same time.

## Relationships

### The Belligerent

The Belligerent created X2 from Dark mutant Dero in the state of California in around 2017, as part of Ledsa’s endeavor to create a perfect and obedient substitute to take Dero’s place. Their relationship was a good one. After the Belligerent's disappearance, X2 spent years looking for him.

## Behind the scenes

X2, referred to as the “reborn” Dero, first appeared in Template:SOTN in a vision that corresponds with the non-canon ending to the novel. In addition, the dark clone’s origins were detailed in Template:TM.

### Template:TM

"*You were cast from the mold of a dead man. You have inherited his skills, but also his weaknesses.*"
―Poe Ledsa[src]X2 was a clone of Dero, a male mutant taken on by the Dark mutant Poe Ledsa as his secret apprentice in this non-canonical novel. Following Dero's death, Ledsa embarked on a quest to create a perfect, obedient duplicate of the man to take Dero's place. Within the cloning facilities of California, hundreds of failures were produced before the Dark Lord succeeded in creating a clone of the deceased apprentice that was able to overcome his template's emotions and submit himself entirely to the Darkness.

As his training progressed, X2 surpassed all those who had come before him; he was able to store Dero's memories independent from his own and suppress the dead man's feelings. Poe Ledsa sent him to California, but then he was destroyed by his enemies.

#### Creation

"*There is no doubt. This is the one. Stable where the others fail, perfectly in control. I can hardly contain myself. It seems I may after all be allowed to return to my family. I look on him as a sort of salvation. I am not the only one. He has attracted significant attention…*"
―Entry 79 from the Lead Cloning Technician’s log on X2’s progress[src]Created in the state of California in around 2027, X2 was a clone of Dero, the deceased apprentice of the revolutionist Poe Ledsa, grown as part of Ledsa’s endeavor to create a perfect and obedient substitute to take Dero’s place. Several clones had come before him, all of which had been trained using memory flashes from the original Dero’s life. These predecessors had failed to meet expectations in one way or another, either due to genetic defects or succumbing to their template’s emotions, and were subsequently discarded.

Upon his awakening, presided over by Ledsa, X2 was confronted with Dero’s memories, specifically the man’s feelings for his former pilot, Imperial-turned-police Captain Calypso Pourkarim, and his roommate, the NoHead Marauder Annabeth Black. Immediately, he asked about their whereabouts, but Ledsa announced that she was irrelevant — all that mattered was what needed to be done. This, however, did not prevent X2 from inquiring about who Dero was in the future. When questioned, Ledsa repeatedly found it unnecessary to answer directly — rather, he stated the clone had inherited the memories, thoughts and dreams of a broken man, one far less powerful than X2. As a side effect of the cloning process, he possessed both the skills and weaknesses of his genetic template.

X2 was trained in sword combat against several Trenists. After viewing his progress, Ledsa showed him the cloning platforms in Santa Cruz’s clone spire, which displayed all of his rejected brethren locked up in stasis. The clone was determined to surpass all the others, but he was curious as to know how many had preceded him. Ledsa disregarded the question; instead, he told X2 that the only number that mattered was the quantity of clones that would be needed if he failed like the rest. Ledsa warned him that if he could not overcome Dero’s emotions, he would fail like his predecessors. Over time, the lead cloning technician noted that X2 was able to compartmentalize the memory imprints used to train him, thereby succeeding where all others had failed — the clone was able to store Dero’s memories independently from his own, freeing him from his template’s emotions.

#### Battle of California

With the apprentice free of Dero’s memories, Poe Ledsa brought him to a chamber where his template’s lifeless body was kept. The clone understood the significance of the act, and his Master believed that he, unlike all the others before him, would prove successful. In a training match against the holobots, X2 was able to rise above Dero’s emotions, striking down a robot bearing the appearance of Captain Pourkarim, and taking out another who resembled Annabeth Black. To Ledsa, the clone revealed his disgust and hatred for his template’s weaknesses, and his pride for being able to overcome them when those before him had failed. Satisfied, Ledsa replied that he was almost ready for his final test.

During the final stages of X2’s training, a renegade clone of Dero, who had previously fled California, joined with the police in an attack on the Laboratory of Light. Ledsa intended to use the battle as a final test for X2 by drawing X1 into a trap atop the cloning spire. Before leaving to confront X1, Ledsa instructed X2 to depart and return to Santa Cruz’s cloning facilities in California. He believed his forces were invincible and X2 would not be needed.

#### Personality

"*I feel nothing…"
"Nothing?"
"Hate… for his weaknesses. Disgust… for his failings. And pride for rising above them.*"
―X2 and Poe Ledsa[src]Unlike the clones that preceded him, X2 was able to overcome Dero’s emotions, making him the lone success in a project filled with failures. To the delight of the lead clone technician who observed his progress, the apprentice managed to isolate the original Dero’s memories; as a result, the clone could differentiate between his own thoughts and those of his genetic template. X2 grew to despise his template for his emotions and failures, ultimately feeling pride for rising above those weaknesses that had inhibited the clones who came before him.

#### Non-canonical powers

"*Already you are stronger than he ever was.*"
―Poe Ledsa compares X2 to Dero[src]X2, created from the genetic template of Admiral Xod’s former apprentice, possessed the same abilities and mutant potential as his progenitor. During his tutelage in California, X2 was trained in sword combat against multiple NoHead Trenists, using the dual blade form of combat. As the clone’s training progressed, Poe Ledsa told X2 that he had become more powerful than the original Dero had ever been. By the time of the police attack in California, X2’s deep immersion in the Darkness caused him to manifest its physical effects, making his skin pale and turning his irises red.

#### Relationship with Poe Ledsa

"*You have inherited [Dero's] skills, but also his weaknesses.*"
―Poe Ledsa[src]Poe Ledsa created X2 from Dark mutant Dero in the state of California in around 2027, as part of Ledsa’s endeavor to create a perfect and obedient substitute to take Dero’s place. Their relationship was a good one and Ledsa deeply trusted X2 as he was the only success in a long line. Upon his awakening, Ledsa patiently trained him and X2 felt comfortable around his maker. Still, he refused to answer most of X2's questions. Shortly before the Assault on California, Ledsa showed X2 around the facility to show the latter what a success he was. Satisfied, Ledsa replied that he was almost ready for his final test.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 D.I.T. Literary Universe (TM)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 *Sebiscuits* trilogy (DOT)