Glowstar

[Raveled]

Introduction

Who are you? Sum yourself up in one sentence.

I'm the son of two villains, trying to make a name for myself as a hero.

Do you have any nicknames, street names, titles, or nom de plume?

I'm trying to go by Glowstar. I mean, a hero has gotta have a name, right?

What is your full birth name?

Brian Wallace Harris.

Where do you live?

Right now, I'm going to Claremont.

How old are you? What year were you born (if applicable)?

I'm 17. I was born in early '94.

Physical Traits

What is your gender? If not applicable, please explain.

I'm a guy.

How would you describe your heritage?

My father was Northern European. My mother was born in sub-Saharan Africa.

How tall are you?

An inch or two under six feet tall.

What is your body type?

I guess I'm kinda broad-shouldered? I dunno, never really thought about it.

Do you have any particular weaknesses, such as allergies or physical disabilities?

Not really. I've always been pretty healthy.

How do you carry yourself? Are you graceful, or heavy on your feet? Can you be stealthy, do you walk with confidence?

I guess I'm pretty graceful. I play a lot of sports, so that helps.

Describe your skin, eye, and hair color.

My skin and hair used to be pretty fair-blond, but they've darkened pretty quickly now that my powers have, uh, kicked in. My eyes used to be just brown, but now the whites have turned red and my pupils have turned red. It's really creepy, to be honest.

How do you wear your hair, if applicable? Do you have facial hair?

I don't really pay attention to my hair. I kinda just brush it back. I'm shaving now, but only once a week or so.

Do you consider yourself attractive? Do others?

Um, attractive? Wouldn't that be narcissistic? I had a girlfriend at my last school, but we never really did anything more serious than making out.

Do you have any scars, tattoos, piercings, or birthmarks?

No, not really.

Do you resemble anyone famous?

I don't know of anyone famous with red eyes.

Do you have a dominant hand?

I guess I'm right-handed, but sports have made me pretty evenly-handed.

What kind of clothing do you wear?

Just... clothes. Normal stuff. Jeans and tee-shirts and whatnot.

Do you wear makeup?

Oh, god no. Men wearing makeup just look weird.

History

Where do you come from?

Little Rock, AK, USA.

Have you made any major moves, or do you live in your hometown?

Well, I moved across the country to Freedom City, so yeah.

Do you feel loyal to your country of citizenship? Do you consider yourself patriotic? How do you feel about the government of your country?

I've never really thought about patriotism or my country or anything like that. I don't like that the government sent folks after my parents, but I can understand why it happened.

How do you feel about the place you come from?

Little Rock's an okay place.

Where is your home town? What was/is it like?

Small for a big city I suppose. Less than a million people in the city. I've never lived anywhere else, so I don't really have anything to compare it to.

Growing up, were most of the people you knew similar to you, or were you somehow a minority? How did that affect you?

Most folks were white, I suppose -- middle of Arkansas and all that. I can't really say how it affected me. I'm not the introspective type.

Is there something you've always been really good at or really bad at? How has that affected your life?

I've always been good as sports -- strong and agile, able to run for miles. My mom raised me that way. I was always on sports teams in school, using to being part of the in-crowd. It's gonna be weird being an outsider.

Briefly describe a defining moment in your childhood and how it influenced your life.

I started kindergarten when I was six. There was a bully there. I was pretty small, even for a six-year-old, and on the playground he managed to push me down and sit on me, until the teacher came by and made him stop. She called my house and my mom. That was a Thursday; I skipped Friday and Mom started teaching me self-defense -- not like, judo or anything, mostly how to get away from a fight at that point, but she stopped teaching me.

What stupid things did you do when you were younger?

Do you want the full list of stupid thing? We'll be here awhile. I guess the big, defining stupid thing was blasting an AEGIS guy and a couple of cops when they came to arrest my folks.

Where did you go to school? How much school did you have, and did you enjoy it?

Went to Little Rock Central High School -- yes, that one. I know because they showed up that CBS movie every MLK Day.

Do you have any mementos of your childhood? What are they, and why did you keep them? If you have none, why not?

Brought a couple of sports trophies along -- Little League, but they were my first so they're special to me -- and a box of family photos. Government guys, AEGIS I think, took everything that I wanted to bring but they gave it all back after a couple days. Doin' CSI stuff, I guess.

When did you decide to become a hero? Why? Did anyone influence you one way or another in the decision?

Duncan Summers, the headmaster and Claremont Academy, gave me the idea. The gist of it was that if I wanted folks to believe that I wasn't going to be a villain, the best way to do that is to become a hero. Besides, what else am I supposed to do when I can fly and bounce bullets off my chest, become an accountant?

Is the reason you give people for becoming a hero different than your real reason? If so, why?

I haven't really thought about being a hero all that closely. I guess all my reasons for being a hero do kinda come from outside of me.

Do you have any deep, dark secrets in the past that may come back to haunt you?

Besides the whole 'parents were supervillains' thing, can't think of any.

Do you represent yourself as being different from who you really are? Why?

I'm not used to being on the outside. I guess I can worry too much about being accepted and that can change how I act around some people.

If you do have these secrets, what do you fear would happen if the truth became known?

I'm afraid that people would judge me based on what my parents did decades ago. Worse case scenario, I suppose they might throw me into Blackstone.

Do you have any sort of criminal record? If so, is it public knowledge?

Well, I guess I did kinda assault some federal agents, but the AEGIS guys said that they wouldn't press charges.

Family

What are your biological parents' names?

My father was born Lawrence Patterson. Apparently no one knows what name my mother was born under, but she lived under Camille while we were all together, so let's call her that.

Were you raised by them? If not, please explain and describe who raised you.

Yep! Until the government took 'em away, anyway.

What was their standing in the community? What did/do they do for a living?

Dad taught high-level math and physics at the local college, and tutored high school students in the summer. Mom mostly stayed home and kept the house, but she taught self-defense classes at the local community college three times a week.

Where are your parents now?

Dad's in a white collar prison upstate, largely because he cut a deal with the government. Mom's still on the run.

Did your family stay in one area or move around a lot?

We took trips to the Grand Canyon and Disneyland, but yeah, I was born and raised in the same house.

How did you get along with their parents? How do you get along with them now (if applicable).

That's a complicated question. Mom taught me to defend myself and we spent a lot of time together, but I think I was always closer to my dad. We both tended to leap before we looked, acting with our hearts instead of our heads. My mother was much more patient, will to pick her time and pick her battles.

As for how things are now... Well, I guess there's a time in everyone's life when heir parents go from being perfect god-figures to being just people, when it stops being a parent-child relationship and starts being one between equals. My relationship with my parents changed pretty much overnight, when Dad was arrested and Mom went on the lamb, so it's still kinda weird.

How do your parents view you now, or how would they?

Dad says that he's proud that I'm putting my gift to good use. I don't know what my mother thanks of me, but I hope she's proud of me.

Do you have any siblings? If so how many and what are their names? Describe your relationship with them.

No siblings.

Do you love or hate one member of the family in particular?

Sometimes I hate my parents for what they did, the lives they chose to lead before I was born. But I can't stay mad a tthem for very long.

Is any member of the family special to you in any way (perhaps, as a confidant, mentor, or arch-rival)?

Mom tutored me in self-defense, taught me how to fight and motivated me to stay in shape.

Are there any black (or white) sheep in the family (including you)? If so, please explain.

Just my parents.

Do you have a notorious or celebrated ancestor? If so, please explain, including how it has affected your life.

Not as far as I know. Then again, I never knew my extended family -- with good reason, as it turned out.

Do you have a partner and children currently? If so, please describe them.

Not really. There's a girl at the place I work, but that's nothing serious yet.

If you do not have a partner or children, do you want them someday? How firm are you in your opinion on this, and what might change your mind?

I don't know anymore. I used to think I would want the whole thing, white picket fence and all, but I'm not so sure anymore. Can a superhero even have a normal family life.

Relationships

Do you have any close friends? If so, please describe them, and how you came to be close to them.

I've barely been in the city a month. I haven't had time to make any really close friends.

Do you have a best friend? If so, how did they become your best friend? How close are you to your best friend?

See above.

If you were to go missing, who would worry about you?

Dad would -- I visit him a couple times a month, and if I disappeared he'd want to know what happened. I also think that AEGIS and the folks at Claremont would wonder what happened to me.

Have you lost any loves? If so, how did it happen, and what did you do?

Well, I was kinda seeing this cheerleader when I left Little Rock, but it wasn't anything really serious.

Do you have any bitter enemies? If so, please describe them and their history with you.

Again, a couple of bullies from school, but nothing else. I guess I might've inherited some of my parents' enemies... or their allies.

What is the worst thing someone has done to you?

That would be AEGIS, arresting my parents. Somewhere up there would be my parents, for lying to me for my entire life.

Where do your loyalties lie? In what order?

If I had to choose something concrete, I'd probably pick my family, but I'd put doing good and upholding justice over that.

Who or what do you trust the most? Why?

I kind of have trust issues still. Trying to get over them, though.

Who or what do you despise? Why?

Despise is a strong word. I don't know -- bullies? Folks who use what they have just to get more, not for some greater good?

What qualities do you admire most in other people? Are these qualities you possess?

Loyalty? A quick wit? The ability to take a lickin' and keep on tickin'?

Do you have a secret identity? If so, who knows it? Do you hide it from people who are close to you? Why?

Would be kind of hard to have a secret identity. My name and face were splashed all over most the papers in St. Louis when my parents were arrested. It's no everyday a major supervillain gets arrested there, after all.

Do you work well on teams and in groups? Are you a leader or a follower?

I was on a couple of sports teams before I came to Claremont, so I know how to work with others, value of teamwork, et cetera. I like ti best when I can do my own little part of the plan and then hand things off to someone else.

Are you on a super team? If so, how do you get along with your comrades? Do you trust them, or do you have secrets from them?

Nope.

Are you a member of any church, fraternal organization, club, committee, political party, or other group? How much time do you spend on that?

I was (guess I still am, technically) a Boy Scout. Never made it up to Eagle, and I probably never will.

Personality & Beliefs

Who are your heroes?

Growing up, my parents wee my heroes. Now, I really look up to Duncan Summers. When I was in a real dark place he gave me some good advice and set me on the right path.

More recently, I read about these two heroes who ere on the original Liberty League, back in World War II. White Rose and White Thorn were Germans working with the allies against the Nazis. Everyone expected them to betray the Allies, but they never did. They fought against their homeland because of their principals. I can really get behind that.

Did you ever become disillusioned with former heroes or idols? If so, why and what were the circumstances?

My parents, I guess. It's hard to have your entire life ripped away from you basically overnight. I still kind of hate them for it.

Do you like being a hero? If so, what is the most rewarding part? If not, what makes you keep doing it?

Who wouldn't like being a hero? Beating up the bad guys, rescuing the girl, saving the day -- it's a head rush.

Is there anything that would make you give up hero work, or even switch sides?

I hope not. Maybe, maybe if my parents were in danger. As for giving up, maybe when I get older I'll ease off on it -- but I don't think so.

What are your short term goals (what would you like to be doing within a year)?

A year? I wouldn't mind getting on an official team. Next-Gen graduated, what, two years ago? And Young Freedom graduated this year, so there's plenty of spots open.

What are your long term goals (what would you like to be doing twenty years from now)?

Heh. Graduate Claremont? Get a job, a career? Get a place in the city, either with Crow or on my own? Maybe even join the Freedom League.

What is your greatest fear? Why? What do you do when something triggers this fear?

Fear? I guess it would have to be being imprisoned, like being thrown in Blackstone. I haven't really had to face that fear yet, except in general terms.

Is there anything you would give you life for?

I don't think I can honestly answer that. I'm only 17, for God's sake.

How do you feel about money and material wealth? Do you desire it or disdain it? Are you miserly with what you have, or do you like to share? Is it a mark of success, or a means to an end?

Money's nice, I guess, but I think folks who live just for making money are kind of missing the point.

How do you generally treat others?

Golden rule: treat others as you want to be treated. So, respect them and give them the benefit of the doubt.

Are you a trusting person? Has your trust ever been abused?

I try to trust others, but it can be hard at times, the life I've lived.

Are you introverted (shy and withdrawn) or extroverted (outgoing)? Do you have a lot of self-confidence?

I'm definitely an extrovert. Of course I'm confident of myself -- I'm young, invincible and I've got my whole life ahead of me!

How do you act around attractive, available members of your preferred sex?

I can be really stupid around girls I like. Usually I'll end up trying some stupid stunt to get their attention.

What are your most annoying habits?

I don't know if you'd call it a habit, but for the life of me I can't sit still and wait. I'm always moving or fidgeting or something.

Do you feel contempt for any general category of people? Who are they, and why?

I don't like bullies, people who have to push other people around just to feel big.

What is your favorite food? Do you prefer any particular type of food? Do you take the time to enjoy your food, or do you eat as fast as you can?

I like spicy food, like Mexican and pretty much anything with 'Cajun' in the name. Food is... food is for eating, you know? So you can go and do other things.

What is your favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)?

My house was a Pepsi house, but I've adapted to drinking Coke at Claremont.

What is your favorite treat (dessert)?

My dad used to make zuchinni bread in the summer.

Are there any specific foodstuffs that you find disgusting or refuse to eat?

Not really. I'll try anything once.

What is your favorite color? Are there any colors you dislike?

I like bright colors, like red and yellow. It's good that I don't hate red, huhn?

What sort of music do you like? Is there any that you hate?

My roomie, Morgan, plays a lot of Dropkick Murpheys. They're okay, I guess. Mainly I go by stuff that fits my mood.

If you have a favorite scent, what is it?

This is gonna sound kinda weird, but wet clay. My mom did a lot of throwing pottery, so when I was a kid and hanging around in her 'art room' I got used to the smell of that and baking pottery.

What is your most treasured possession? Why?

One of the things I took out of my house when I transferred to Claremont was a photo album. It's got everything from my parents' wedding to, well, a couple months before they were arrested. It's pretty much the only record I have of my life before Claremont.

Do you enjoy "roughing it", or do you prefer your creature comforts?

I'm pretty indifference either way. Yeah, it's nice to sleep on a comfy bed under a nice, warm quilt, but it's cool to sleep out doors, too.

Is there a job or a task you would absolutely refuse to do?

Heh. Trashman? I'm really sensitive to weird smells, so that would really suck.

Do you consider yourself a spiritual person?

I'm really not. I've just never focused that much on God and the afterlife and all that.

Was your faith influenced or molded by anyone special?

I guess you could say my lack of faith was influenced by my dad. He always pushed me to look for logical, reasonable answers to questions.

Could you kill? Have you killed?

I've never killed anyone. I don't know if I could kill someone. I mean, I probably could, I can throw around a lot of powers, but I don't know if I could conscience it.

How would you react to watching someone kill another person? Would your reaction be different if the killer was a friend or an enemy of yours?

I think I'd try to stop the killer. If they were a friend, I'd probably try to talk them down first. If they were an enemy, I think I'd skip straight to blasting.

How would you react if something important was stolen from you?

I'd try and get it back.

How would you react to public humiliation?

Not well. I can get kind of stupidly competitive, and when someone shows me up, especially in public, I'm not prone to being a graceful loser.

How would you react if a good friend or relative were purposely or accidentally killed? Has it happened to you?

I think I might go a little crazy. As for has it already happened, well, I don't know where my mom is. I hope that she's still alive, but the fact is that I just don't know.

If your life were to end in 24 hours, what five things would you do in those remaining hours?

Heh. Toss a load of golf balls through the windows of the local AEGIS office, take Gwen out to the carnival, have a last sparring match with Morgan, take the Irregulars out for pizza, and spend time with my dad.

Career & Training

Do you have any special training in your hero skills? If so, where and how did you get it?

In my powers, you mean? Well, Mr. Archer's been training my in using those. Once Headmaster Summers realized I was serious about being a hero,

Who taught you the most about your heroing abilities? What was your relationship with that person?

Do you have any particularly unusual skills? How did you acquire them?

Do you do something besides hero work for a living? Have you ever done anything else, or do you plan to?

What is your preferred combat style?

Have you ever received any awards or honours?

What skill areas would you like most to improve in? Is there anything you can't do that you wish desperately you could?

How do you act around people who are more skilled than you in areas you'd like to improve? Are you jealous, or do you try and learn?

Lifestyle & Hobbies

What is a normal day for you? How do you feel when something interrupts this routine?

Do you have any hobbies, or interests outside hero work? What are they, and where did you pick them up?

What do you do for fun?

Do you have a costume? What does it look like?

How do you normally dress when not in costume?

What do you wear to bed most nights?

Do you wear any special jewelry? What is it, and what does it look like?

Do you have a special place where you keep your valuables?

What's your preferred means of local travel? How about long distance?

Miscellaneous

Have you ever made a will, or tried to make arrangements for your death? What provisions did you make?

If your features were to be destroyed beyond recognition, is there any other way of identifying your body?

What would you like to be remembered for after your death?

Do you believe you pose a threat to the public? Why or why not?

What do you perceive as your greatest strength?

What do you perceive as your greatest weakness?

As a player, if you could, what advice would you give your character? Speak as if he/she were sitting right here in front of you. Use proper tone so they might heed your advice...

[Raveled]

From the journal of Brian Harris.

"January 15, 2011. My very first outing as a superhero and I kinda messed up. No, wait -- I really messed up. See, I was checking the want ads because I wanted to grab a part-time job, so I'd have some spending money or whatever. This restaurant in the Southside, Bamboo Wok, that was hiring part-time, so I wrote up a resume and went to hand it in. But I saw these two guys hanging out in an alley, scoping the place out, so I walked over and did the whole 'intimidating hero' bit. Bad move on my part; turns out these guys were heroes too, Volcano and Jello-Man (I swear to god). They were watching the place because apparently there was supposed to be some big underworld meet-'n'-greet there or something, so I stuck by them.

So before long we were joined by this guy King of All Suits, and while we were still talking this big guy all in Viking get-up gets thrown through the wall of the restaurant. Volcano and Jelly-Baby went after the big guy while King and myself went into the restaurant. There were a bunch of flunkies and some big scary-lookin' dudes in there, but I took them down pretty quick. Problem is, I also took out most of the building. Whoops. Anyway, Volcano and Jelly took care of the Viking about the time the cops showed up. They talked to us all and I was told not to worry about the building -- apparently stuff like that is pretty common around here and Doc Metropolis takes care of it in his free time. Which is cool because I landed my job, with this hot little chick named Nina. Note to self: first paycheck goes to taking her to the movies or something."

[Raveled]

March 30. Morgan invited me to a sparring match at one of his dad's old haunts, on the Boardwalk. I like to think I'm a pretty good fighter (Momma didn't raise no coward!) but Morgan took me apart in pretty short order. After that we worked out for a bit on the machines, talked about parents and life and all that -- then we had a pretty rude visitor. Turns out that win fae I rescued and took on a date, has a boyfriend. A troll boyfriend. A very well-spoken who nevertheless tried to bury me in a bank of lockers. I hit back at him, using some kind of weird energy-shovel. I'm not sure where it came from, and I can't seem to make it happen again. It's really kinda scaring me, actually. I don't know where my powers come from, so when they do something I didn't know I could do, it makes me wonder if I can actually control them or not.

[Raveled]

April 15. Big day. Still feel tired from it, actually, but here it all is.

'Bout a week ago, I ran into someone Mom knew back in the day. He thought I'd want in on a weapon auction to be held out in Wharton. It made me mad, of course, and I thought about dropping him in a dumpster or at the police station, but then I figured, I'm a hero! I can use this guy and stop some badness!

So this guy gave me a time and a place, and at the time I flew out to the place. Now the guy who found me a sleazeball, but the guys who were waiting there were in suits. They had some kind of accent -- Russian, maybe. Definitely Eastern European. In any case, the whole thing turned out messy when this other guy with a Russian accent started shooting the bad guys. I blasted one, then Wisp and another lady with really long, blonde hair showed up and got stuck in.

Between us we cleaned up the smugglers pretty easily, but they turned out to be the appetizer. A woman burst out of one the planes (did I mention there were planes? Well, they came in planes) and blasted me. That hurt, and knocked me up to a pretty good height, too. I was out of the ring for the rest of the fight, but it was probably for the best since I was feeling pretty loopy by then. The gun man introduced himself as Falconer, and the lady with the long hair said her name was Gossamer. I stayed until the cops showed up and took my statement. Then I headed back to Claremont to crash.

April 18. Vicky caught me between classes. Apparently the Falconer wants to run a hands-on training session, teach up super-kids how to handle guns. Don't know how useful it'll be for me, but why turn down free training?

[Raveled]

May 14. Very long day that started very early. Morgan woke me up early and told me that some fairies (Morgan's looking over my shoulder and telling me is f-a-e-i-r-i-e, not f-a-i-r-y, but I don't care. You punch them and they fall down, right?) came and grabbed Vicky because he, Morgan, had some history with them. He wanted to go off half-cocked, but I forced him to calm down long enough to pick up John.

Morgan took us to this big old building he called Parkhurst. I guess it was haunted,but by the good kind of ghosts, because Morgan said they would help us? Whatever, I didn't see any ghosts while we were there. I did get to see Morgan stare into a pool for awhile, which exploded in his face and made him mad. Magic, whatever. Him and me went off to Parkhurst's library and I used the opportunity to talk some more sense into him.

We finally went after Vicky, into some place Morgan called Avalon. I fought some woman with a sword that wanted us to leave right away and Morgan took down her back-up. He and John went off to save Vicky while I stood guard over the portal home. And then... well, the tell the truth I got sucker-punched by this fairy witch who froze me into a black of ice. I could see Morgan, John, and Vicky came back, but I couldn't warn them. Thankfully, I didn't really need to. Morgan and Vicky took down the witch in the time it took John to cut me free.

We missed a couple of classes at Claremont, but what the hell? We saved the day and got to be heroes. Go us!

May 17. Oh god, Summers wants to talk to us. Oh god, we're gonna die. Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god.

[Raveled]

Excerpt from AEGIS interview attached to investigation of SAUCER LORD; CURARE. Subject HARRIS, BRIAN W.

Dr. HARLEN QUINN and Maj JONAS STONE in attendance.

STONE: State your name for the record.

HARRIS: [Expletive deleted] you. You know my name.

S: Jut say it for the recorder.

H: Brian Harris. Brain William Harris.

S: Mr. Harris. What can you tell me about Lawrence Patterson?

H: I don't know anyone by that name.

S: Of course you do, he's your father.

H: My father's name is William Harris! That's who I'm named after, my dad!

S: Your father's name is Lawrence Patterson! He was a supervillain who went by Saucer Lord!

H: You're an ass.

QUINN: Please, gentlemen. Brian, how long have you lived in Little Rock?

H: All my life.

Q: What do your parents do for a living?

H: My dad teaches math at the university. My mom teaches pottery and self-defense at the Y.

Q: But they go to a lot of conventions, right?

H: Dad does. Mom goes to art shows and sells her stuff.

Q: And were do you go to school, Brian?

H: Little Rock Central.

Q: What's your favorite subject in school?

H: [Pause] I don't have one.

Q: Oh, c'mon. Everyone has a favorite subject. [Pause.] Nothing? You didn't like anything about school?

H: Sports, I guess. I'm pretty good at sports.

Q: Were you on any tams?

H: Baseball, and football.

Q: You don't seem like the football type. Usually those are huge guys.

H: I was a wide receiver. Had to be able to run fast and catch the ball.

Q: Brian, can you explain what you did to Agent Brooks when we arrested your family?

H: That's the one I, um...

Q: Blasted, I think the term is.

H: I don't really know how I did. I wanted to punch him, but he was too far away. So I just kinda... pushed.

Q: A lot of heroes with powers like that talk about having to gather energy in before they do anything. Was that what it was like with you?

H: No. It was more like... Like I was tensing a muscle and wasn't aware of it before. I had to work to relax it, but once I did... Boom.

Q: Do you think you could do some other things?

H: What other things?

Q: Things like flying, putting up a force field, make bright lights.

H: I don't know. I haven't really tried. Haven't had time.

Q: Of course. Tell me, Brian, what were your plans after high school?

H: I figured I'd get a sports scholarship, maybe go pro.

Q: Those are some pretty big ambitions.

H: Not really. I'm not too good at school, so sports is really my only option.

S: Where's your mother?

H: You don't know?

S: She took down seven police officers and stole three cars. We lost her sometime after that.

H: My... my mother doesn't know how to do stuff like that.

S: No. She'd just another suburban housewife who can defeat two highly-trained federal agents in hand-to-hand combat.

Q: Have you every met any of your parents' family?

H: They're only children. Like me.

Q: Never met any childhood friends? Old colleagues? Distant relatives? Anything like that?

H: No.

S: That didn't strike you as odd?

H: No! They were just my parents!

Q: Brian, where is your mother now?

H: I... I have no idea.