Aether Jack

Aether Jack is a freelance bounty hunter, rated a Class A bounty hunter by the Bounty Hunter Leaderboards, despite not being part of the union. He is self-modified android, using spare parts from the discontinued Wackamus Beta project, and powered by a fragment of an Aether Core. Currently, he has a contract against Captain Juulian Ranthar.

## Origin

Originally John Arterwick, a professional sasquatch hunter with a background in combat technology development, Jack became a bounty hunter after his tendency to augment himself with stolen technology was noticed by the Underground 10 - the criminal syndicate network that was conspiring to infiltrate Dr. Prometheus's lab and the Wackamus Beta project. These droids were meant to have twice the stamina than the previous Wackamus Alpha line of droids, and the Underground 10 wanted to know how such a leap in technology was possible. Jack was sent on a solo scout mission for intel only, but he was compromised and resigned to a dangerous escape. In the crossfire between the security of Dr. Prometheus and Jack, a shot set off an unstable Aether Core and destroyed most of the Wackamus Beta project wing. Jack survived, however, due to a previously installed augment that allowed him to control his metabolic rate. After being retrieved by a goon from the Underground 10, Jack recovered and found that a technological chest piece he had installed onto himself had now incorporated a shard of the exploded Aether Core.

This Aether Core fragment was able to provide a steady source of power for Jack, but the effects of Aether Cores on living material began to appear soon after the accident. While he could have removed the shard, Jack decided to instead replace the majority of his biological self in order to further take advantage of the Aether Core fragment. After his transformation into a full android, he gained his title as Aether Jack and began to work full time as a bounty hunter affiliated with the underground 10.

After the Crunch and the emergence of the Alphasquatches, he has returned to work partially as a sasquatch hunter, as the threat of the Alphasquatch has the elite of the Underground 10 worried.

## Powers and Abilities

Aether Jack has a variety of mechanical and technological augments that give him super-human strength, speed, and durability. Furthermore, he has been shown to have several utility protocols installed across his body. From signal-jamming devices to lock picking, Aether Jack is fitted to be the perfect solo bounty hunter.

His main weapon is his blaster, a modified D8-100 model that has been augmented to have a power intake directly from his Aether Core, making it a formidable force that could be considered equal to many high-grade sniper blasters. This also makes the blaster unusable without the power of an Aether Core. Aether Jack has also discovered the ability to manipulate his Aether Core fragment, allowing to absorb and copy a surrounding Element that is near the fragment. This property is shared among many Aether Cores, but Jack has been able to channel this ability to make his weapon capable of firing several types of Elemental shots.

His special move, Aether Grenade, is one that he has yet to use, but he keeps it handy in case of an emergency. Removing the Aether Core, surrounding it in a reactive substance, and waiting. The explosion of an Aether Core could be comparable to a Level 4 vortex, and could easily kill someone if they are in the radius of the blast. This would obviously kill Aether Jack, but in case there's a situation, it's ready.