Ascot Rider

Ascot Rider is a freshman attending Prefeton High and one of the teenagers who have developed 'Special Powers'.

## Strengths and Weaknesses

### Skills

Ascot is a bit of a nerd as regards history, literature, and the occasional comic book and that gives him a knowledge of the potential scenarios that the existence of superpowers brings into the spotlight. Aside from that, he is also great at track and field, a decent boxer and wrestler (for a kid), and he regularly hunts with his parents, thus giving him knowledge of how to use a hunting rifle and knives. He is also a decent cook.

### Weaknesses

Ascot is prematurely cynical and self-absorbed, believing that 1.) everything revolves around him, and 2.) that every failure he makes is a calamity for himself and the world. He is unable to deal with failing and finds it hard to grasp the notion that he can learn from his mistakes, although it is not impossible for him. He also believes that his knowledge of tropes makes him most fit to give advice on what the other kids with powers should do.

### Phase One Power

Entropic Touch (Level 1) - Ascot can cause non-living organic matter in his hands to rot, metal to rust, and small toys (toy cars and such) to break down when he touches them. It does not affect living beings. Note that not all non-living organic matter rots at the same rate, but given time and enough energy (two hours at most), Ascot can rot even plastic.

### Phase Two Powers

Remote Entropy (Level 2) - Ascot can cause non-living organic matter within sight range, up to a distance of ten meters to rot, metal to rust, and complex weapons like guns to break down and turn useless. This power still does not affect living beings.

Phantasm of Death (Level 1) - Ascot manifests mental powers for the first time - If anyone makes a final decision to attack him, he or she causes an illusion of a target’s worst fear to appear before them for five seconds.

### Phase Three Powers

Entropic Torrent (Level 3) - Ascot can generate waves of black entropic energy from his hands which decays all nonliving objects they touch to dust. The range of this attack is up to fifteen meters in length and cannot be blocked by physical objects for obvious reasons. Barriers of energy formed by other powers can also resist this, but even they eventually rot and decay unless it's another Level 3 power defending...

Flight (Level 3) - Ascot can fly at 50 meters per hour, and in shorter distances, can fight while flying.

## Background

### Personality

Ascot believes that his powers are to be used to ‘Defend Earth’, whatever it meant, and that he and the others were chosen for that very same purpose. At the same time, he does not know what it means to protect the planet or what it should be defended from, something that frustrates him to no end. The realization that he has powers has amplified an innate self-centeredness, but his knowledge of the darker scenarios involving powers has also made him more cynical about how others will treat him and his friends when said powers are revealed to the wider world. Furthermore, he isn’t blind - He is suspicious of where said powers come from and what leads can he get on that...

### Backstory

Ascot was Preferton born-and-bred, with his family being there as long as anyone can remember. His parents ran a small restaurant and bar which drew tourists and locals alike. He was moderately-talented in whatever he put his mind to, and regularly read what fiction he can. There were even rumors he might be sent to advanced classes on the Mainland, but nothing came of those.

But as he grew up, something nagged at him - What was his purpose in life? He delved towards religion, but there were few and contradictory answers. He turned towards romance with both girls and boys - That held few answers either. So the nagging feeling followed, turning into despair.

One day, as he held an apple for a quick snack, he felt it, a surge of power. On instinct, he channeled said surge into the apple, only to find it rotting in his hand. And it was then that he saw his purpose or what be believed to be his purpose - To find and rally others like him, if there were any, and guide them to coexistence and harmony with normal humans, or at least continued secrecy.

The fact that he didn’t know exactly how to do that didn’t matter. What mattered was that someone had to step up, even if it was someone inadequate. That someone had to step in and help create a world where those with powers and those without can live in peace. But part of him asked, was it really so simple?

## Relationships

### Jack Brekker

Ascot proposed a boyfriend - boyfriend relationship with Jack Brekker in order to gain additional prominence in classroom politics, and the two got along well despite Jack's increasing absence. After a period of drifting apart, Jack wound up breaking up with Ascot, partly due to the latter's increasing arrogance.

### Nikolai and Nikita

Ascot was originally skeptical of Nikolai and Nikita due to differences in opinion, but due to the events of the Harvest Ball, the three (well, mostly Nikolai and Ascot) have formed an odd friendship and close bond, with Nikolai and Nikita being the closest thing Ascot has to 'battle brothers'...

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