Slash

Slash is an operative in the NOVA Corps, lifelong companion to NOVA Captain Ranger and former military comrade of Stronghold agent Talon. He is a master of multiple Japanese martial arts including *kenjutsu* (swordsmanship), *judo* and *kiai* (fighting spirit), and came from a Parisian background, thus earning him the moniker of "*French Ninja*".

## **Status**

Slash is a Tier 1 NOVA operator and the only one in his ranks to exclusively specialize in Japanese martial arts. Due to his elusive yet volatile nature, his assignments mainly dealt with reconnaissance, sabotage and assassination. In many of these assignments, Slash was paired up with Captain Ranger owing to their unmatched chemistry and cohesion as a combat unit.

## **Personality**

Slash may appear cold and cunning at first, but deep down he has a softer, more nurturing side. Of course, he only reserves this for his closest comrades and Corpus authority. He follows all commands and protocols unlike Ranger, which makes him the ideal NOVA operative in Vulture's eyes.

He longs to be a mentor but has never had the courage to do so.

## **Appearance**

Slash is of a canine species, although the specific breed remains unknown. His figure resembles that of the fittest adult wolves, with rippling muscles and hardened tendons presumably decorating his entire body. Although nobody had witnessed even an inch of his fur, everybody who knew of the French ninja had seen his red eyes gazing murderously at them.

This secrecy is because Slash is always covered head to paw in his signature body armor. Bone white kyanite plates are contoured to his frame, and joined together by a flexible, black, gel-like material. On his left and right shoulders are ruby busts of the Corpus flag and NOVA Corps insignia respectively. His head is perpetually covered in a white kyanite assassin helmet modeled after a wolf's skull. His lower jaw, completely metallic, hides rows of serrated kyanite teeth that were more akin to razors. His paws are tucked away in clawed boots that could unsheathe a trio of ionized blades without a moment's notice. Around his waist is a utility belt containing about dozen SMART grenades and tactical sensors. A combat pack strapped his back holds three neural-controlled cybernetic arms that wields his katanas and shuriken launcher.

Slash's body armor is not only incredibly fearsome; it is also nigh invincible. Every body plate and the helmet were constructed from a 19-layer composite of various lightweight kyanite alloys. This fabrication method brought out the alien metal's renowned resiliency to the highest degree, and thus is highly impervious to a multitude of damage types. This includes bullets, blades, electricity, toxins, blunt trauma and the elements, and man-portable lasers and plasma to an unmeasured extent. Furthermore, it is immune to NBC (Nuclear Biological Chemical) warfare attacks and completely waterproof, flameproof and airtight. Apart from its toughness, Slash's body armor is also capable of active camouflage.

His skull helmet is crammed to the brim with the latest Corpus technologies. A thin quartz lens covers each eye opening and projected a joint HUD displaying vital combat information. To assist Slash in covert ops, a brainwave simulator allows his brain to visualize detailed 4D imageries of his environment, targets and any object/individual in question.

*More coming soon!*

## Reaper Stats

### Stamina

8

Having been diagnosed with Reaper's Syndrome from the SAI Initiative, Slash was gifted with superhuman strength, power, speed, agility and stamina. Additionally, he possessed above average IQ and critical thinking. However as with most other sufferers of the supernatural disease, Slash had lower compassion and empathy.

Slash was a master of multiple Japanese martial arts, notably *kenjutsu* (swordsmanship), *judo* and *kiai* (fighting spirit). His proficiency with his signature katanas is unfathomable, being able to overpower groups of trained enemies with firearms at close- to mid-range engagements easily.

## **Weapons**

Slash's signature weapons since his French military days had always been a pair of katanas and shurikens. They were constantly being upgraded as technology advanced at a breakneck pace during his tenure with Reaper's Brigade and Corpus.

As a NOVA operator, Slash's katanas and shurikens were diamond-reinforced and further weaponized by a highly-ionized gaseous halo surrounding the blades. The gaseous halo, glowing a faint reddish-orange, burns at 2500 degrees Celsius and can pierce any known material. Wounds suffered by them are instantly cauterized, and the victim subsequently suffers immediately multiple organ failure and a painful death. The blades can also deflect energy bolts and lightsaber strikes, which is why Slash had been so effective against the Trussians.

Slash's other prized weapon is a shuriken launcher that fires them at an efficient rate from a considerable distance. Like his katana, his shurikens are ionized and melts through almost anything it touches. The launcher is autonomous, although Slash sometimes neurally controls it to fire at his own will.