Shiftlock

FBSA MISSION DOSSIER
HERO NAME: ETHAN KNIGHT CALLSIGN: SHIFTLOCK CLEARANCE LEVEL: OMEGA — EYES ONLY OPERATIONAL STATUS: ACTIVE AFFILIATION: VANGUARD KNOWN ALIASES: The Crimson Gear The Burnout		Background Shiftlock is part of a failed Arachnos experiment. Ethan Knight was just an engineer from Steel Canyon who made a modest living repairing damaged armor and support gear for heroes who couldn’t afford corporate-grade maintenance. He wanted to make a difference, but life had other plans. He didn’t have powers or connections through the Hero Development Initiative, a program that promised to turn regular people into heroes. From repulsor gauntlets to kinetic dampeners, Ethan could fix anything. He admired the heroes he worked for, but deep down, he wished he could stand beside them. That dream took a dark turn when a research group approached him with an irresistible offer: to join a classified initiative called the Hero Development Program, a supposed partnership between the government and private industry to “empower the powerless.” They promised that his technical skills and physiology made him the perfect candidate to pilot a new type of powered armor the Sentinel Powered Exosuit for Combat and Tactics, or S.P.E.C.T. The “initiative” was a front for Arachnos, operating deep within the Rogue Isles. Ethan wasn't alone. Hundreds volunteered. Fathers, mothers, veterans, and dreamers, people who just wanted to do good. Ordinary citizens who believed they were answering a call to serve, to protect, to finally make a difference in a world full of superhumans. Little did they know that the project wasn’t about creating heroes, it was about building a new line of Supersoldiers. The S.P.E.C.T. armor’s core was no ordinary reactor; miniaturized nuclear vortex engine, a volatile reactor built to burn hotter than jet fuel and channel its heat into raw kinetic power. The armor could reshape battlefields but no human could survive piloting it as the heat alone would incinerate the pilot from the inside out. By the time Ethan’s turn came, Arachnos had modified the system after hundreds of failures, dozens of melted suits, and countless dead test subjects. His batch was the first that lived long enough to move. Just as synchronization began, a Council strike team raided the facility to steal the prototype. The strike turned into a massacre. Test subjects, scientists, and guards were caught in the crossfire. Ethan’s fellow volunteers, the last of the program fought to buy him time. He was eventually found and extracted by a Freedom Corps rapid response team, who intercepted Arachnos signals tracing the disaster. When they returned to the facility, nothing was left but the scorched ruins and the remains of those who had stood beside him. Mission History Completed Operation Redline — Elimination of rogue Arachnos Sentinel Program cell units “Ignis Tempest.” Infiltrated Rogue Island. “MERCY CORE” via orbital drop. Extracted FBSA operatives during Project Flashpoint with zero collateral damage. Abilities The Core: Designed by Arachnos engineers to create an infinitely sustainable power cell small enough to fit in an exosuit, but strong enough to rival a reactor. Gear Levels: The Gears are actually regulator stages of the Vortex Engine. Each gear increases the reactor’s plasma flow to different systems in the suit Gear 1–3: Normal operation. Boosted speed, agility, and power. Ideal for combat and mobility. Gear 4–6: The armor glows red-orange; the reactor heats up. His strikes create explosive shockwaves and plasma arcs. Gear 7–9: Temperature skyrockets; the armor becomes a walking furnace. Punches can melt steel, and thrusters can blast through tanks. Gear 10 (Overdrive): Maximum release. The suit channels nearly all reactor output but risks meltdown. The heat alone can scorch the ground, and one hit could level a building. Evasive Manuever: The S.P.E.C.T. armor’s flight system, powered by its thermonuclear vortex engine, allows Shiftlock to achieve extreme aerial mobility, this mode redirects reactor heat through precision thrusters across his armor’s back, boots, and gauntlets. It grants him rapid three-dimensional movement, instant directional shifts, and high-G dodges. His flight trail burns like a jet flare. Weaknesses Thermal overload Prolonged use can take a heavy toll in his body. The immense heat after passing gear 7 could burn his body and goes on a dangerous level. Gear 10 sets the system on critical which could be life threatening for him. ⚠️ Access Logged — Encryption Seal Level: OMEGA ⚠️