Kinetic
Rani Rao (a.k.a. Kinetic)
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Rani is a devoted Parkour enthusiast and a student of Sunkido kickboxing. As such, she is extremely strong and athletic.
Special abilities
Rani was born with an elevated level of control over her autonomic nervous system, as well as an increased percentage of fast-twitch muscle, as compared to average humans. This has resulted in enhanced, strength, agility, and toughness. Additionally, she is able to absorb various forms of energy with her body and use it to temporarily enhance her abilities.
Apparel & Accessories
Rani does not have much money, but knows how to work a thrift shop. She does all of her own alterations. She is sharply stylish, but works with what she has got.
Her costume is self-made. Most of it is sleek, form-fitting, and midnight black. The fabric was chosen for maximum flexibility and durability. Up top, she wears a balaclava and hood made from a shimmery, copper-colored fabric. A pair of sleek goggles complete the look. On the back of her catsuit, she has emblazoned her logo in metallic copper fabric paint: a pair of crossed lightning bolts.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Rani began seeing differences between herself and other kids from an early age. She consistently ticked off physical milestones months before the others, and developed a strong confidence in her physicality and a willingness to take risks. It wasn't until she was a teenager, and the harsh realities of growing up on gang turf set in, that Rani truly realized the power of her gifts. She began to step up and defend her friends and neighbors when things got physical, but she quickly realized that this drew a lot of unwanted attention. It was then that Kinetic was born.
On patrol one night, she came upon a group of thugs trashing a local gym. The owner came out and started brawling with them - he clearly knew what he was doing, but seemed in over his head. Rani jumped in and routed the group, but not without sustaining some damage herself. The gym owner took her inside and tended to her wounds.
This was the night she met Rang 'Rat-a-tat' Jae-Sun, and the night everything changed. He saw her innate talents, but also how green and undisciplined she was as a fighter. He could also see that this was a path she had already set her mind to, and that she would not be dissuaded from facing danger. Rang began working with her to hone her fighting skills, keeping her secret identity closely guarded.
Rani now fights as Kinetic to take back her neighborhood from the lawless gangs and corrupt cops.
Gender Identity
Female
Sexuality
Fluid
Education
Rani is a sophomore at Kwanchai Q. Degrassi Secondary School. She's smart, organized, and capable, but the other obligations in her life keep her from attaining a straight-A status.
Employment
She is employed as a Courier at Triple-J Express Services.
Mental Trauma
Her mother was killed during a robbery when she was 10. Her father is a disabled veteran who suffers from PTSD, and she is his primary caregiver.
Intellectual Characteristics
Rani is smart, organized, and practical. That is, of course, when she's not wearing the mask.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
In her normal life, Rani is very much on top of everything. Her job, her school work, caring for her father, kickboxing practice. She has to keep on top of everything - there are a lot of people depending on her.
As Kinetic, the story changes. Her one obligation is taking down the gangs that run the city. She has unique abilities that allow her to face threats, and she is not afraid to use them.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Devendra 'Dev' Rao - father. He is a veteran of The Anarcho-Republican Wars. Due to injuries sustained by exposure to an ion-accelerator grenade, he is paralyzed from the waist down and wheelchair bound. He is able to work low-level tech jobs from home, but has difficulty holding down regular work due to ongoing struggles with PTSD.
Rang 'Rat-a-tat' Jae-Sun: Rani's mentor and kickboxing instructor. A former semi-pro MMA champ and founder of Sunkido martial arts, Rang was forced to retire after a spinal injury. He is aware of Rani's double life, and trains her because he knows he can't dissuade her from her path.
Colton (Yeti Boy) knew Rani from her civilian life first.
Rani refused to tell Wendy (Disruptr) about her secret identity when she asked.
Relationships
History
Kinetic and Vendetta crossed paths several times while protecting the streets of The Lowlands. Sharing several victories, it wasn't hard for them to solidify the team of the Vandals. Kinetic keeps many secrets from her teammate in order to protect her loved ones. Vendetta doesn't really understand this, she feels it gets in the way of the mission, but she tries to respect her friends privacy.
Shared Acquaintances
By day - a type-A girl who appears to have everything together. A devoted daughter, a fierce courier, a solid B+ student. By night - an ass-kicking, gang-busting force to be reckoned with.
Current Location
The Canyons - Edge City
Age
16
Birthplace
The Canyons
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Current Residence
The Canyons
Gender
Female
Eyes
Brown
Hair
Black
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Bronze
Height
5 ft 5 inches
Weight
120-ish
Aligned Organization
...
She's gone...they're both gone.
What do we do now? What do I do?
I'm sorry Vendetta...I'm so sorry...
What went down last night
Holy shit...we took them out.
I was confident we would be able to rescue Bret and get what we needed, but we may have ended the Panthers. One of the most lethal gangs in the city down, because of us. Sure, there's a power vacuum now, and lots of other lowlife orgs out there who will rise up and take their place, but for now, the Vandals have won.
Colt really stepped up when I needed him last night - I might not be alive if it weren't for him. I'm not some damsel in distress, and I can manage my own shit, but it meant a lot when he hurled himself in the way of literal gunfire for me. The whole team was amazing actually. We really came together and did something big, and it makes me think there's hope for the Canyons after all. Now we just have to figure out how to get Marko off our asses.
I should check in with Charity soon. Running things is usually her deal, and it must not have been easy to hand me the reins like she did, but it meant a lot for her to trust me like that. Honestly, she scared me a little when she talked about killing Mother Superior (Disruptr did too, for that matter). I know she's been through a lot in her life, but I hope she can see that we'd be going down a pretty dark path if we accepted that choice.
I'll have those conversations later though - I'm still too high on adrenaline to think straight. Fuck the Panthers. Long live the Vandals.
Outside my comfort zone
Last night got crazy real quick. I need to get a handle on this situation with Jay (what the hell was he doing at Orchard Mist?), before he gets himself into something I can't save him from. Maybe Colt can help me get closer to those dealers from the Panthers, though it seems like he may be spreading himself a bit thin lately. I don't know who those weirdos were, but the tall one was getting a little handsy.
I'm really grateful for my team right now. If I had just charged off alone like I initially intended to, I might not have made it back. They ran headfirst into that clusterfuck with me, no questions asked. After that, how could I not reveal who I was to Charity? I am starting to feel like I've let things slip a little too much, though. I need to remember what's at stake, and who could be hurt if I'm discovered by the wrong people.
Right now, I need some ibuprofen and some sleep. Charity did a good job with my jaw - she really knows her way around an osteografting laser - but this thing is going to be sore as hell. I'll figure out how I'm going to cover up the bruising and swelling tomorrow. Maybe just a little Headspace time before I go to sleep...
Caught in the Web
I guess it's true what they say about the Spiderweb - pretty easy to get tangled up, and much quicker than I thought. There is so much going on all around us it's hard to keep track of it all. When we started all of this, it felt like we could handle it and carve out a little place for ourselves as a positive force in the city. Now it just seems like that little place is a snag in the web, and the spiders are closing in from all sides.
I'm slowly coming to realize that we can't do this alone. We need allies, other people and groups we can lean on. Maybe I can follow up with Tragic Alice, leverage the influence of Kill Icons somehow. Maybe Disruptr can forge this new bond with Binary - they seem like a valuable friend to have. We're going to need all the friends we can get if we're going to avoid a painful death at the hands of the Panthers, or the Nightstalkers for that matter.
At least I know who they are now. That chick Amara always gave me bad vibes, but it's clear now that she's also a straight-up psychopath. I want to believe that Terrance and Hayoon are different, that they are somehow being manipulated or coerced into this, but they're complicit in everything. Maybe I need to feel out those connections, but I've got to tread carefully. They may already know who I am too.
And then there's the other half of my life. My dad is probably somewhere between livid and depressed at me skipping out. I still haven't gotten any closer to those skanks who got Jay hooked on Ket. And Colt? I don't even know where he is right now. I have faith that he's probably OK, but I don't know.
That's all I can say right now. Gotta get a few minutes of sleep before my dad lights into me. Maybe this double life is too much.
A web of my own
If only there were a word or stream of emojis that could adequately convey what a hot-headed, shit-for-brains, selfish, self-righteous, stubborn, RRRRRRAARRGHHHH.
Joni.
I get it. I want safety and security for the Canyons too. More than anything. But taking on the gangs? The police, the Corps? Does she think she can just smash her goddamn wolf-fist through all of them at once?! Unbelievable.
The worst part is that she's going to smash Colt's dreams along with everything else. I know why she's concerned. His dad is a Steel Panther - they basically want our heads on pikes in the middle of the market. She can't see it though - he has to be able to do this himself. He has to figure out who he is and where he comes from on his own terms. I hope I didn't take things too far tonight. I don't know what I'm feeling right now. There's so much going on - I have to take things slow, have to protect the people I care about, can't let anyone get hurt...
I almost revealed myself to Charity. I thought I could go through with it, but I lost my nerve at the last minute. She seemed so vulnerable, and she doesn't even realize how strong she is, how much we look up to her. Am I protecting the people I care about, or deceiving my friends? Are these things mutually exclusive?
Going forward, it's time to knuckle down. People out there need us. We have to be here for them. To Hell with Joni - we'll fight for the Canyons even if she wants to tear everything apart in the process. We're the goddamn Vandals, and our enemies are in for a rude awakening.
Into the Web
That was way too close. I was so scared they were going to do something to Colt. Those goddamn fascists can do whatever the hell they want in this neighborhood, and now they think I'm mixed up with Kill Icons? This is not good. I know I suggested it to Vendetta to take the heat off of Dutch, but maybe that was the wrong move. Something is happening here, something bigger than the Vandals. I just have to make sure I stay on top of it. I can keep everyone safe, I just need a little more time, and a little more intel. Who can I turn to?
No time for self pity
Alright. That's done.
Enough feeling sorry for myself. Enough of feeling I'm not good enough. I'm a part of this team, and that means recognizing where I can contribute. I may not be able to smash everything in my way like YB and Big Sis. I may not be able to go undetected and make things happen before everyone realizes like Disruptr. I may not be able to rally everyone and lead the team like Vendetta. But I can do what I need to with my abilities, and I can help the people of the Canyons, as well as my friends. Time to stop wallowing in self pity and step up.
I hope that Vendetta knows how much her words mean to me. I hope that YB knows how much his friendship means, and how much I want to see him reconnect with his dad in a meaningful way. I hope Joni knows how much I care about her and her brother, and that I'm not a threat to her. And I hope Disruptr knows how much we see her as a hero, and not a villain. Maybe it's time I show my team a measure of my trust, and reveal my identity.
I don't know. I'm in awe of Vendetta's display, but I don't know if I can reciprocate. There's so much at stake.
...
What am I even doing here?
I just want to make a difference in the Canyons. I want to help people crawl out from under the thumb of these gangs. I want to be a force for justice, to right wrongs. I thought I had the ability to do it, to make a difference. Maybe I was wrong.
I stand by and watch as my team succeeds. The twins crush everything they see. Disruptr sneaks in at just the right moment. Vendetta coordinates and leads us to victory. I fuck everything right up. I almost get myself killed. There was a fleeting second tonight when I just wished that bitch would have pulled the trigger. Maybe the Vandals would be better off without me.
I'm fucking up at school. My dad's pissed at me. I'll probably catch Hell at work for the delivery ruse. I get my ass kicked at the gym. What am I doing?
Burning both ends
I don't even know where to begin.
I always thought that I had all of this handled. I know my abilities, and I know what I can do. When those orphanage brats showed up at the gym, I thought I had it handled. That kick should have ended everything right there - any Lowlands chooch in that gym would have been laid out flat. That kid barely flinched. Even after that, I felt like I could still pull it out, but he got one up on me. Maybe he was better than me. Maybe I got distracted, let myself get cocky, just like Rang cautioned me not to do.
I feel like I don't know where to go from here. YB advised me to embrace my abilities, to think of myself as part of the whole rather than trying to fly solo so much. Maybe he's right, but then again, my abilities didn't get me out of that arm bar. Maybe I need the team more than I thought I did. Between today's fight and the display at the club the other night, maybe it's time to accept that our abilities can't outmatch the big guns out there, that we have to get more coordinated and work together more effectively.
This is all getting to be too much - I feel like I'm headed for a tipping point. I've got to get it together. Too many people are counting on me.
Too many little fires
I can't help but feel like I'm in over my head. It wasn't my call to go to that fucking party, but I feel like I should have been able to make more of a difference, instead of just getting blown up. Goddamn gangbangers and their high-end tech.
I'm really trying to forgive Disruptr, but it's hard. What was she thinking? There was literally no reason to go there, and now we may have made the enemies list for two more gangs, the most powerful in the city. It all feels like so much right now, like it detracts from the purpose of this group.
Maybe I'm not as ready as I thought I was. Maybe I need more training, more work. Maybe this whole thing is too much to take on - wait, scratch that. I don't care if it is. I'm going to recommit to my training this week. Going to hit the gym, make Rang proud. I'm not going to get in over my head like that again.
I hope I wasn't being naive in trusting Colt's dad, if that was even him. It has to be - I looked into his eyes, and I saw it. There is no mistaking that kind of guilt and regret. I'm going to tell him, but I'll be watching to make sure he's OK.
It's all under control. I'll show them. Everything is going to be fine.
What a night
10/26/32
What a rush!
I feel like this team is really starting to gel. I don't know what the wonder twins got up to, but it looks like they took a beating, and sounds like they dished out more than they got. I know that Vendetta can seem overbearing at times, like she's in her own world and expects everyone to come and join her, but she really stepped up. I feel pretty confident following her into battle - maybe Dutch was right about her after all. I feel like Disruptr and I worked really well together - the communication seemed really natural, and she was always there when I needed her. Maybe someday I can share more with them - I wonder if this is what I've been looking for.
I have to set a reminder to check if Dad left anything for me to do with the drones in the morning. It felt truly shitty leaving him on his own tonight, but I don't know sometimes. It starts to feel like he's leaning on me so much. He was a kid at some point, right? I shouldn't be thinking about this. I'll check on him in the morning.
Oh, and who the hell was that girl who woke me up when I fell asleep in AP world history? She didn't look like any of the girls in my class. Maybe the sleep deprivation is making me imagine things.
Death of natural causes seems to be the outlier in this world :)
I know, right? Bleak.