<div class="floatleft">(https://31.media.tumblr.com/52825ec5c365a807e5f8674d55679b28/tumblr_n0qk1kFbg21soodhio1_500.jpg)(https://31.media.tumblr.com/4cba31a06e31941b4853ce73406acdbb/tumblr_mp9wbmXwNZ1rcwo0zo1_500.jpg)</div><strong>Character Name:</strong>Chester Meeks aka 'The Headless Horseman'<br/><br/><strong>Age:</strong>27<br/><br/><strong>General Description:</strong>Chester is a quiet guy who tends to let his presence speak for itself. He's perfectly content to fade into the background but at 6'7” with a lean, yet strong and flexible build that is covered in various tattoos his ability to hide in plain sight is more of a skill than a natural occurrence. He keeps his dark hair short on the sides and in back but longer on top to compliment his youthful appearance and sometimes sports a light layer of stubble after a long online session. His green eyes often seem to sparkle with mirth or quiet laughter as though he's in on some private joke though he doesn't often feel inclined to share. Generally he's always got his earbuds in his ear and<span class="bbc_u">always</span>has some sort of tech/gadget or other on his person. He's fond of long coats and speaks with a rather crisp and precise English accent.<br/><br/>Chester's costume is made of fitted Kevlar body armor, styled to make him look like a sort of steam-punk/Victorian rider (it includes a cloak though he does not always wear it). He wears a black hood that covers his head, casting a deep shadow over his a dark face mask with lenses that function as a monitor for many of his gadgets and glow red outwardly. Should his hood be pulled off, his face mask looks like a rather creepy skull. Black knee boots make up the rest of his outfit. The armor is by no means impenetrable and the steam-punk look is often enhanced by the gadgets he caries on his person but in terms of actual offensive weapons he does not carry much. His preferred mode of transportation is a suped up motorcycle that he jokingly calls his trusty steed.<br/><br/><strong>Personality:</strong>Chester is sometimes a little odd as he doesn't seem to always process things the same way "normal" people do. There was a time when he wished for nothing more than to be normal so perhaps he wouldn't be so lonely so he did his best to hide his intellect and focused rather pointedly on being like other more normal children. However, it seemed the more he did so, the more he worked at crafting the facade of a 'normal' person, the more of an outsider he felt like and finally Chester gave up the pretense, retreating to the world of computers and technology instead to fill his time.<br/><br/>Chester doesn't wear glasses, doesn't typically fill his sentences with endless techno-babble, and enjoys getting out and about (though he tends to people watch more than interact). After lengthy sessions online, he can be a bit withdrawn but usually he balances out with some sort of sensory stimuli. It also should be noted that with his ability to compartmentalize his life (and thoughts) and push negative things to the background on a whim (effectively NOT dealing with them), Chester does not always process emotion fully--something that rarely turns out well in the end. He has remarkable focus and tenacity but the downside is, the man can become focused on a project to the point of obsession, even forgetting to eat or take breaks.<br/><br/><strong>Brief History:</strong>Coming from a well to do family in the public eye, Chester grew up with every facet of his life seemingly under a microscope. He had to be perfect at everything and never do a single thing to draw unwanted attention or suspicion to their family but it seemed fate or whatever was immediately against him. No matter what he did he never seemed to quite manage to earn his family's approval and then when he was 8 his parents and older sister were killed in a freak accident that left him an orphan. At first his destination seemed to be the foster care system but after a couple years of being shuffled from place to place an aunt living in California came forward to claim custody of him and the young boy was shipped from England to America to live with the odd and wholly secretive woman.<br/><br/>It turned out that while his aunt was okay with claiming him for the sake of maintaining the family name or something she had no use for him beyond that and was possibly more demanding than Chester's parent's had been. The only plus was that the woman did in fact pick up on the boy's gift for mechanics and computers and was content to allow him access to all the toys and gadgets a boy could ever dream of. It didn't hurt that she seemed to be an inventor/scientist of some sort herself--though Chester wouldn't know her for the villain she was until quite some time later.<br/><br/>It wasn't until his teens that Chester was pegged as a hacker of some renown, and once his aunt was apprehended for her efforts to thwart several superheroes it was only a matter of time until his activities as one of the 4 Horsemen was noticed. He was then 'recruited' to work for a covert group through the war attempting to aide the disappearing superheroes but ultimately their mission failed. The group was dissolved and Chester found himself back in the public sector using his abilities to pass the time in his family's mansion. That was until boredom and a mysteriously untraceable message planted new ideas in his head...<br/><br/><strong>Social Ties:</strong><ul class="bbc_list"><li type="disc"><span class="bbc_u"><em>MI6</em></span> - Position with them is classified. At most he'll simply say he was a 'voluntary' (read: coerced) civilian consultant, though it's clear he holds the highest level of security clearance.<br/></li><li type="disc"><span class="bbc_u"><em>The 4 Horsemen</em></span> - A group of hackers who originally began as a subversive group dedicated to the total freedom of information... and various illegal activities. Chester, then dubbed 'Death' technically left when he was apprehended and pressed into more official service but he still maintains ties to a few other former members as the group has since disbanded.</li></ul><strong>Abilities and Items:</strong><ul class="bbc_list"><li type="disc">Genius level Intellect - particularly in the areas of math and science, though he is also rather artistically inclined</li><li type="disc">Eidetic Memory - his memory is near perfect and his ability to recall is often tied to specific sensory input</li><li type="disc">Artistically inclined - he is a talented artist. His ability to draw and paint among other things has come in handy a number of times especially when used in conjunction with his memory</li><li type="disc">Computers - Pretty much capable of operating or programming anything that runs off a computer. Chester's skill at hacking is world class and his online handle, <em>Headless Horseman</em>, garners a certain amount of respect in certain circles.<br/></li><li type="disc">Mechanics - If it can be broken down into pieces, chances are Chester has taken it apart, put it back together, made modifications, or even designed his own version. Sometimes he does this just for fun to pass the time. He is something of an inventor though generally his inventions are geared toward hacking, reprogramming, or surveillance but he has toyed with designs for more offensive implements.</li><li type="disc">Video Games - Okay so most would say this doesn't have much in the way of real world application but you'd be surprised what skills you can pick up in a game. For example - remote controlled toys are a particular treat to get a hold of.</li><li type="disc">Physical condition - he's not the strongest or the fastest but he's decent in most physical categories... a requirement for the role he filled in MI6, not to mention he's 6'7" and in generally good shape. His stamina and general durability (he was bullied as a kid) are probably more remarkable than his speed or pound for pound strength. He's also a very strong swimmer.</li><li type="disc">Compartmentalized Mind - Chester has learned to compartmentalize to the point that he can function much like a computer. He can in fact tune things out to a large degree which gives him exceptional focus and allows him to stay cool, calm, and collected in otherwise stressful situations</li><li type="disc">State of the Art lab and equipment - in his aunt's mansion he has access to top of the line equipment and nextgen tech to toy with, though most often he's seen on his old, hand built laptop and other hand-made instruments.</li></ul><strong>Weaknesses:</strong><br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li type="disc">Mortal - He can take a lot of damage from an average foe but he can still be injured or killed</li><li type="disc">Susceptible to sensory overload in uncontrolled situations</li><li type="disc">Eidetic Memory - Chester's brain tends to filter in a lot of information, even subconsciously. Though he can ignore it at times it comes at a price, as he's an insomniac and occasionally becomes intensely focused on something to the point of exclusion and will forget to eat.</li><li type="disc">Hates the sight of blood - a little bit will make him nauseous, a lot might just make him faint. He can't always tune the sight or smell of it out despite his ability to do so at almost any other time.</li><li type="disc">Not much of a fighter - he's had some training and has taken to Tai Chi but he hates engaging and he's more likely to just run or hide if he has the option.</li><li type="disc">Morally Grey - While Chester definitely likes being on the side of the good guys and fighting the good fight, he is often more than willing to use shady methods to get results in the name of science or freedom. He doesn't want to hurt anyone of course, but he doesn't always fully think out the possible repercussions of his actions.</li><li type="disc">Chester is utterly confused and helpless in the face of his own emotions and those of any he might come to care for.</li><li type="disc">Can't resist a challenge to his intellect/skills, or a puzzle in need of solving. It is one of the surest ways of distracting him.</li><li type="disc">Chester can blend into a crowd but on the whole he's not terribly stealthy</li></ul>