EQUINOX-612

**EQUINOX-612**, formerly *PROJECT TIMEWATCHER*, is a well-known defection from the oppressive megacorporation. A fabled genius who can easily control and manipulate time while maintaining a reputation as an infamous hacker with unrivalled skill, making him one of the most respected members of the G/NEX. This enables him to turn the tide in the blink of an eye if they find themselves on the losing end of various battles throughout the war.

Sadly, unlike the others, his death was disregarded; after the resistance failed to reclaim his body, the megacorporation discovered it first and left it to rot. However, his fate was eventually retconned when he was reborn in the new era.

## Biography

### Background

Benjamin, a prodigy from the cruel nation of Ruj, manipulates time to his advantage in any situation. He learned this primarily from his mentor, Radon Geddes, who possesses uncontrollable time powers that he managed to perfectly contain using advanced devices and gadgets. He investigates the branching possibilities of time by creating the perfect moment with his own invention, the Time Drive, based from his legacy. Despite the fact that he enjoys his freedom, if his friends are in danger, he will go to any lengths to protect them. Outsiders see Benjamin as a prodigy of someone, presumably one of Ruj's brightest minds to ever exist, who does the impossible every time.

### Life Amidst the Chaos

When the Riots of 2999 erupted, Benjamin formed his own rebel group, the Time Watchers. He also reconnected with Violet, a childhood friend who was battling the global riots alongside her wife. His group's goal was straightforward: free Ruj from the Aryaine Kingdom's long-standing oppression and repel a new threat, a megacorporation.

They didn't, however, last long. Despite their best efforts, he and his rebels were apprehended by PROJECT soldiers during a hit-and-run operation that resulted in a massacre. Benjamin was able to flee on his hoverboard, collecting souvenirs from his colleagues as a memento, but he flees quickly as he is pursued by PROJECT drones. An aerial combat has occurred. When Benjamin was shot and fell off his hoverboard, he rewinded time and flew to a safe location, demonstrating his ability to manipulate time. He throws a few TIME WINDER grenades at the pursuing drones, but they have no effect. However, he is shot by a cloaked drone and crashes as a result.

As his death draws near, Benjamin prepares his T-DRIVE to reverse time, but it is rendered inoperable due to a unique EMP. He is only saved because Violet spotted a chance and saved him from impending death. The events of global riots have traumatised everyone, including Benjamin. To survive, he lives with his childhood friend Violet. They were able to reconcile, hang out, and look out for one another. He also claims to see a tiny, malnourished female wearing PROJECT armour and carrying two guns, to which Violet comments that she could be her sister, Purnell.

### A Call to Arms

Muldoon Lundgren had personally kidnapped Benjamin during A Call to Arms, considering his temporal manipulation powers extremely invaluable to PROJECT corporation. Initially known as **PROJECT TIMEWATCHER**, he has a short stint by hacking the planet's servers to turn it into an advantage to PROJECT corporation. However, knowing that they are evil, Benjamin was able to escape the clutches of being a cyborg, and proceeds to revoke his codename of *PROJECT EQUINOX*. As a result, when Lundgren discovered his betrayal, he ordered his forces to capture him, seize his technology, and then kill him to prevent him from escaping, or joining a resistance. Due to refusing cybernetics, he was given a highly advanced suit of armour instead.

When the opulent ASHE-159 came across PROJECT's most skilled hacker in her base, she quickly realised what was going on. The meeting took place in an Aristotle, on the top of a skyscraper, where she persuaded him to join her resistance group in order to redeem himself, which he readily accepted. PROJECT drones pursued them, forcing him2 to use his hoverboard and let her ride it, all while flying away from the pursuers, with She demonstrating her archery skills by taking out the drones with perfect accuracy. He felt at ease approaching the G/NEX headquarters in the Panamoan Republic after seeing how capable the leader is. Because of his time manipulation and hacking abilities, ASHE-159 has accepted him as a member.

### PROJECT-G/NEX War

After was picked up by ASHE-159 after defecting from PROJECT corporation, by letting her ride his hoverboard after his recruitment, fleeing from aerial pursuers, he became a full time member. It didn't take long for him to be persuaded to assist her in taking down megacorporation. EQUINOX-612 always finds a way to the code using a strong key Decrypter and a mind designed for disruption.

Notably, no one in the megacorporation were able to halt his hacking and decrypting efforts, except from GRIMM.

#### Rampancy: Hacking in Chaos

EQUINOX-612 was seeking to take advantage of the megacorporation by hacking into various PROJECT servers all across the terrene. His access was quickly terminated after PROJECT GRIMM identified irregularities on the megacorporation's servers; as a result, he decides to join the rebels' next operation, which is to deploy in Technovolk and study the present situation. If they are successful, they will be able to take advantage of the megacorporation. He was one of few who could observe the ruins of Technovolk via the hijacked security cameras dispersed throughout the city. Not to mention that he evaded a rocket shot by JINX-362 while performing his hacking stunts.

He quickly demonstrated his skills in hacking, as he prevented any PROJECT patrol to invade the entire group's moving location. Upon destroying a few stray bots, After that they all stumble upon the behemoth, OBELISK. They all engaged the massive Titan-class mecha, but are unsuccessful no matter their efforts. He suggests using CONTINUUM BREAK to fix things by reversing time, but ASHE-159 disagrees, stating that it has no point on a situation like that. As a result, he finds BRONZAMITE-625 and JINX-362 joining their resistance group, which he also had disagreements with JINX-362, whom was VI-516's younger sister.

As they extracted from the base and returned safely, he was ecstatic on meeting TRISTANNA-651, likely inferring that he admires her skill to use levitating blades.

#### The COALESCENCE: Hacker's Continuum

He was present alongside the resistance in The COALESCENCE, primarily to learn what happened to his childhood friend, Violet, who mysteriously vanished. After a brief investigation, they discovered her location in the country of Rutherland. As a result, he decided to participate in the operation with the entire resistance group. They deduced upon arrival that VI-516 had been collaborating with someone and not informing the rebels, earning the order from ASHE-159 to split and intervene in a chase, which they humiliatingly failed to do after a nearly perfect executed plan, as PROJECT GRANDIOSE scattered them from their positions by blind firing, as he was able to deduce the fact that they are positioned to interfere on her whereabouts.

EQUINOX-612 was able to see VI-516 and PSYLOCKE-832 together when the heist was impeded by JINX-362. As a result, he gives the idea that COALESCENCE's elite assassin is a reliable person. As they all moved in to confront her, they praised her for being courageous, but she shrugs, having demonstrated *more* than enough acts of heroism, and even going so far to offering them some advice. He even received some very helpful counsel from her regarding his exploitation of the megacorporation. After the hubbub has subsided, ASHE-159 instructs him to keep an eye on her, even if he does not pursue her position, because she may do something that her security firm does not permit.

As expected, he managed to plant a tracker on her suit, and it will allow him to receive any information regarding her whereabouts.

#### Going All Out: Hacker's Demonstration

In Going All Out, He was in charge of disseminating information to spread their agenda in the fight against PROJECT. As a result, he spends more time at the base, hacking the megacorporation's server and managing their anti-PROJECT information, which is widely distributed every day. EQUINOX's potential to communicate with Gucci Intermittent, however, have been halted because he has been ordered to travel to Obrinia. The G/NEX rebels took a long time to enter the city's walls due to being were ordered not to interfere until things got out of hand. When the time has come, He deploys quickly alongside the entire group, dispatching all Command Line forces in their path.

Afterwards, he guides the three-man team sent to Valenthia to liberate it. Notably, he deduces that there is a zombie outbreak in there and informs them, much to their chagrin, of zombified combatants. After a few weeks, he becomes concerned about SHIRO-113's indiscriminate rampage on Roji and concludes that surrendering would be the best option for containing his violence against the criminal underworld. After all of the events in this aspect of the war, he proceeds to share all of his secret information regarding PROJECT, despite the commotion that slightly tarnished the rebellion's reputation.

As a result, he gained global respect as was deemed as the "G/NEX's eyes and ears", likely referring to his penchant to expose the truth against the megacorporation.

#### Technological Lies: Back to the Brimstone

Following Technological Lies, he decides to return to his country and hometown, where he happens to come across JINX-362 in the same location in Ruj. His goal was to facilitate Ruj's liberation from PROJECT, knowing that the *Rising Falcons* never leave one country behind in their quest to free the corporate's iron fist. He met her again in Heliga after fending off the stragglers, and they have developed a relationship. JINX-362 admits that being a cyborg has been a relief so far, because her lack of physical strength is no longer a factor, and she feels more at ease with the rebels. After that, they went to the place where it all began, the Aryaine Kingdom. VI-516 joins them, as the three Rujians decided to take the matters on their own hands, which was to create a ruckus on the SUPREME headquarters, long enough for any allies to quickly deploy their forces in there some day.

BRONZAMITE-625 quickly joined the trio and decided to accompany them. They intend to keep the entire G/NEX resistance group in the dark about their plans to enter the SUPREME headquarters for a suicide mission. JINX-362 reminded her older sister that the man who murdered her wife was still alive, which surprised her and prompted her to demand more information about him. She quickly provided her with information about the killer. EQUINOX-612 confirms his status as a cybernetic soldier. She decides to destroy him if she ever finds him, intending to rip his head off and mercilessly beat him up.

When they arrive at the SUPREME headquarters in Brimstone, Freya, they immediately unleash chaos by destroying all of the garrison's "useless" patrol or security bots, and they did their best to destroy any PROJECT forces in their path. They were successful until the megacorporation heard about the disturbance and decided to activate their turrets to hunt them down. When the turrets couldn't find them, they quickly dispatched tanks and search parties to flush them out.

As they are spotted, the mecha BRONZAMITE-625 jumped in to defend them and destroy the enemy, resulting in the launch of OBELISK. OBELISK quickly burrows himself to the ground and leaps into the air before drilling him to the ground, effectively killing his rival, giving up his life to save his most trusted partner, JINX-362. She breaks loose from both of her friends and decides to confront him alone. She was only moderately effective, but she desired vengeance on the mecha that loved her so much that she allowed a volley of rockets to be fired at OBELISK himself, causing significant damage. However, it only irritates OBELISK, who pursues her, while he corrected their errors by activating the **CONTINUUM BREAK** ability, rewinding the combat to provide a better course of action. JINX-362, on the other hand, is left alone due the massive mecha has knocked him out by throwing him to a building, with seemingly minimal use of his strength.

OBELISK grabs her with one hand and his incredible strength prevents her from breaking free, despite her hidden grenades designed to blow his hand off. As a result, she intends to distract him, but it will be futile. A reanimated TAGGART, on the other hand, charges at him and pummels OBELISK. Taking advantage of the chaos, JINX-362 drops free and reads his data, revealing that OBELISK is a major successful weapon of PROJECT, and his acts of destruction were the reason the megacorporation was able to establish various military bases all over the planet. Recognising that the raging mecha is reanimated and on the verge of destruction, she fired her rocket launcher at both of them, eliminating them once and for all as she *perfectly* shot TAGGART's reactor. EQUINOX-612 wasn't able to interfere except on the act of destroying him.

He was able to witness CHROME FANG himself, and to his shock; It is the same beast who used to be their adoptive father. VI-516 kills him, knowing that anyone that joins the megacorporation are almost irredeemable, no matter the odds. If not for someone in the precognitive sequence later on. After that, he spends his time flying around the massive city of Freya to ensure their escape routes just in case PROJECT sends an army to contain them and defend their nerve centre, but he was quickly interrupted as the wall's garrison has sent an army, with INTERCEPTOR-409 taking the lead of his own battalion.

The cybernetic soldier locked his gaze on VI-516, the woman who had witnessed her wife's death as a result of his bullet. In front of the siblings, ASHE-159 takes a defensive step to protect the siblings. VI-516 tried to attack him, but she informs the latter that she is too injured to fight and that the enemy numbers were greater, forcing them to retreat. As a result, they are pursued; EQUINOX-612 quickly repaired her through his ability, and he asked them one thing, which is to leave safely; He ultimately decided to sacrifice himself to give them time, so that they can all escape, and fighting the overwhelming threat may seem like suicide, but it is for the better good, indicating that this will prove that he is a capable warrior, and not just the man who exposes the truth, against PROJECT.

### Death

Everyone else has survived, except him. INTERCEPTOR-409 has fatally killed EQUINOX-612 with a sniper rifle after disrupting his CONTINUUM BREAK ability to defeat endless enemies through the tactic of distancing himself within a mile, and precisely shot a bullet to his head while under the circumference, killing him and preventing the use of reversing time to correct his mistakes or reviving himself. Following that, he left but his armoured body was later found by Command Line forces, and were later heavily vandalised and later hanged as a result of the cybernetic sniper, who boasted about killing "the megacorporation's godly hacker and time manipulator." Muldoon Lundgren was highly impressed as a result.

The megacorporation has plans to repurpose his technology to their own malicious use. However, something spectacular happened in the new era.

## Personality

Benjamin is known for his cunning, swagger, and cool demeanour. He is also respected for his ability to lead, and he is confident in himself and the people he loves.

## Abilities

A hacker prodigy that defected from PROJECT corporation, he was picked up by ASHE-159. It didn't take long for him to be convinced to help her take down PROJECT. Using a powerful key Decrypter and a mind tuned for disruption, EQUINOX-612 always finds a way to the code.

### Technological Capabilities

* **TM-DRIVE RESONANCE**: Every third attack grants him additional attack power, due to plasma inside his suit.

* **TIME WINDER**: He throws a disruptor grenade designed to destroy robotic units and disable mechas. It also affects time that is under the blast radius.

* **TIME CONVERGENCE**: His basic attacks deal bonus magic damage to low health enemies. He can cast Time Convergence to split the timeline, creating an anomaly after a few seconds that slows enemies caught inside. If EQUINOX-612 enters the anomaly, he gains shielding and quickly stuns enemies by suspending them in time.

* **PHASING TIME**: He rolls evasively while charging up his T-Drive. His next attack deals higher damage and efficiently warps reality, teleporting him to his target.

* **CONTINUUM BREAK**: EQUINOX-612 shatters his timeline, becoming invisible and rewinding to a more favourable point in time. He returns to whenever he was a few seconds ago, and heals for a percentage of the damage or injuries received in prior. Enemies near or caught in his arrival zone take massive damage, and it is guaranteed to cause instant kills or destroy armour.

* **Arsenal Mk. 15**: EQUINOX-612 is equipped with the most advanced arsenal. However, his style is limited so its true potential is undetermined.

* **Heads-Up Display**: His suit is equipped with an extremely advanced HUD paired with an AI known as Shurima.

### Skills

* **Master Hacker**: EQUINOX-612 is the most skilled hacker in the globe. He can effortlessly bypass firewalls and decode files from various countries such as the Panamoan Republic, the Aryaine Kingdom, and Ruj. Notably, he can access the most decrypted files; specifically, the files of PROJECT corporation. The only technology that he can't hack is those made by Michael Nexima.

* **Master Strategist**: His skill in tactics are also impressive. Notably, his strategies in combat are exceptional, employing quick and effective methods to defeat the opponent, and his ability to manipulate time allows him to correct any incorrect strategy that he pulled in a fight.

* **Skilled Combatant**: He also appears to be a very skilled fighter. His Hand-to-hand combat abilities are certainly good, and his use of a sword is quite remarkable. SHIRO-113 was even impressed, despite the fact that he does not use any proper technique in swords.

## Trivia

### General

* He was reincarnated as the thief turned hero Benjamin Timewatcher in the new era.
* Unknowingly, his revival of TRISTANNA-651, changed her looks and upgraded her suit, including her own weapons.
* EQUINOX-612 or Benjamin is said to be Nexonia Prime's best known hacker. At age 7, he was able to crack the *Octagon*'s firewall in a dare when he briefly studied in the Panamoan Republic.
* He has the ability to manipulate time to his own desires. Most notable examples include reversing time to turn the tide of a losing fight, or reviving people from the dead.
* Known to have a crush on JINX-362. Since childhood, and they later developed a full relationship in Technological Lies.
* His invention, Time Drive; Is roughly as comparable to Omega technology.
* VI-516 was one of her childhood friends, and he admires her protectiveness to the people she loves, making him an efficient individual by his own right, owing to her advices.
* His agility, speed and superhuman reflexes earns the respect of PROJECT MEDARDA, though this is not seen, it can be confirmed somewhere in *Going All Out*.

### Developmental Notes

* 612's death is later retconned in *Dawn of Era: An Uprising*
* His death was traumatising, but was retconned when he was revived in the sequel.
* His swords are custom made. PROJECT did not authorise his weapons.
* He loves hotdogs.
* He has a brief or somewhat long relationship with JINX-362.