Publicschoolprivateschoolnoschoolatall Hellion

Playbook: The Protege Hero Name: Hellion Real Name: Simon Burke Look: Man, White, Athletic Body, Casual Clothes, Protective Wear Shared Ability: Power Mimicry Your Own Ability: Impossible Fighting Skills Your Mentor's Ability: Hacking

Mentor: Leonard "Root" Starling, renegade AEGIS operative Embodies: Savior Denies: Mundane

Labels: Danger: 0 Freak: 0 Savior: +1 Superior: +2 Mundane: 0

Protege Moves:

Venting Frustration: When you directly engage while you are Angry, you can roll + the Label your mentor denies and clear Angry.

Captain: When you enter battle as a team, add an extra Team to the pool and carry +1 forward if you are the leader.

Be Mindful of Your Surroundings: When you assess the situation before entering into a fight, you may ask one additional question, even on a miss.

Mentor's Resources: False Identities, Communicators, Surveillance Equipment

Moment of Truth: The moment that you show who you really are: your mentor, or something different. You can do whatever your mentor could do and more. You can do the incredible, even the things they always failed to accomplish. Of course, they’re not going to see you the same way, no matter which path you choose…

Team Moves:

When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if you’ve been a good leader or effective teammate. If they say yes, your mentor loses Influence over you and you mark potential. If they say no, your mentor gains Influence over you, and you take +1 forward on using the Label your mentor embodies.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, tell them a secret about your mentor (including your feelings towards them). Give them Influence over you and add 1 Team to the pool.

Backstory:

How did you first meet your mentor?

Root was my music teacher. Not even kidding you. In retrospect, it was probably a cover story for the secret agent thing. And he still does give me musical pointers when he's not teaching me magic. Officially, he's only helping me with the piano.

When and why did you choose to train with them?

There's no one else around to teach me how to use my powers. My dad doesn't think I'm old enough (and he's leery of the supernatural in general), and contrary to what you see on TV, wizards don't actually advertise.

Now, to tell you that story, I have to tell you this one. During one of our lessons, a guy in body armor bursts through the window, armed to the teeth. Before I could even react, Leonard draws a gun of his own and puts a bullet in him. Normally, I would have freaked out at that point...well, I still did. But it wasn't over. The guy jumped to his feet and, for lack for a better word, exploded out of his armor. He wasn't human, at least not anymore. More like the living dead. Also, ten feet tall. If Root had been in his prime, he probably still could have handled the zombie supersoldier thing with ease.

But his prime was a long time and many emergency surgeries ago. Which brings me to another reason I decided to stick with Leonard. He knows computers. He knows music, and he knows spy stuff. Taking care of himself beyond the basics? Not so much. He's a stubborn idiot, but no one deserves to be alone with his kind of pain. Anyway, about that fight. I really didn't help that much. I mostly distracted the zombie by throwing little fireballs while Leonard shot out its glowing weak point.

Why did they agree to train you?

Apparently to him, that qualified as "good under pressure". Root thinks I have a gift. The power to make a difference. And to hear him tell it, he'd give any budding magic user some pointers to help them avoid blowing too much stuff up. There's gotta be more than that, but I can never read the guy. (Leonard is grappling with his actions as an AEGIS operative. He wants desperately to prove to himself that he is capable of doing some genuine good for someone. Leonard hopes that Simon can put the knowledge and skills he passes on to better use than he ever did. Moreover, he has lost all contact with his family and friends, and sometimes he can't help but think of his apprentices as the children he never had.)

Who else, outside of the team, knows about your training?

Root had one other apprentice. No, she did not turn to evil. Matter of fact, I don't completely blame her for leaving.

I hadn't seen my twin since our parents broke up. Imagine my surprise when Melanie showed up for magic lessons. I wish she'd stuck around. Honestly, both of us had issues his belief that you couldn't be a hero and a human being at the same time. But the idea repulsed her in a really personal way. In her eyes, you couldn't help people without being a part of the world they live in. Moreover, heroes were supposed to be symbols of hope, not lurking vigilantes. Mel went independent after she and Root had their falling out (though I've made it clear I'll come running if she ever needs my help). She's doing pretty well as a hero, if the livestreams are any indication.

Why do you care about the team?

I mean, there's the obvious stuff. When I need to save the day, I can trust them to have my back. But it's more than that. I feel like I can be me around them. They...support me instead of pushing me to be someone I'm not.

Potential: 2

Conditions: Guilty, Angry