Volt
Volt
Icon.jpg
Portrayed by
Statistics
Full Name Drake Riley
Age 18
Height 5'10"
Build Trim
Eyes Green
Hair Black
Skin Caucasian
Factions X-Men

Quoted!

"I'm guessing you guys aren't the fashion police. Don't get me wrong, you're like a Westside Story version of the Village People, but who the Hell carries around a chain all day?"
-Drake confronting muggers

Reputation

Drake isn't famous. He's just a guy. Bright personality, glib demeanor, spirited and humored are often impressions he leaves with people. As Volt, he's an electrically-charged young X-Man who thoroughly enjoys what he does; accessible, if irreverent.

Biography

The Rileys had a decent life; it wasn't flush with riches and excitement, it wasn't marked in poverty and misfortune. It was decent. When Frank finally married Sandra, he had only just graduated police academy. He insisted she could pursue her dreams as an artist without worrying about work, and he would take care of them both. And before the year was out, they were expecting. Their decent life continued after Drake was born.

They raised him to be conscientious and kind. They wanted him to be a good person. And for a while, he was their angel. And then Drake became a teenager and something went wrong.

The life of a cop had taken its toll on Frank's nerves. He gradually distanced himself from the family. On the other hand, Sandra's art had started to flourish. Both parents were heavily engrossed in their own developing situations, which left Drake in the lurch for guidance or connection. He began to rebel, and neither parent had the inclination to correct course. He began to spend more and more time with a rougher, more delinquent crowd. And where he had been an honor student, his grades took a gradual decline. By age sixteen, Drake was barely passing classes and continued to grow rebellious all the tune of crickets from his parents.

In truth, Drake felt abandoned, isolated, and unimportant. The friends he made were few, but of a similar vein - those who felt kicked to the curb. Though they numbered only five altogether, they considered their group a gang and engaged in criminal mischief; petty theft, vandalism, and eventually breaking and entering. Though they'd get into fights, they never muggings and murders were never a part of their M.O., and escaping irate police and property owners was becoming second nature. The passive parenting he'd been receiving would escalate into yelling matches in the family, if not trying to determine who was to blame, it was anger at Drake for embarrassing the family.

Things took a turn for the worst that same year. He and his hoodlum friends had wandered into the territory of an actual street gang and had the audacity to spray their own tag on a wall. The actual, much larger, much more dangerous criminals decided that was the line and took off after them. Drake got separated from his group and had the bad luck of running into a dead-ending alley. Cornered and facing down a thug with a knife he had no logical chance of beating, Drake threw out his hands to ward back his attacker. Much to his surprise, a torrent of electricity arced from his hands onto the thug, blasting him down and rendering him motionless. Horrified and confused, he fled the scene.

Mutants were a known thing to him, as they were with most of America by this point. Drake was quite certain at this point that he was one. Moreover, he was also dealing with the idea that he had likely just killed someone. He kept it hidden and became a recluse for a short while, struggling with this new information and dread. But thanks to the imagery of superheroics in the media, he began to warm up to the idea of his abilities and started to experiment with them, testing their potential. Learning to control the power output was his top priority; finer control and variants came after.

Drake spent the better part of the year honing his ability on his own in seclusion. His grades remained at the bare minimum, his parents continued to ignore him, and he began giving his friends vague excuses to duck them.

One night, however, things seemed to change. Frank's nerves had finally gotten the better of him, and he began seeing the precinct counselor. The ultimate result saw Frank entering Drake's room and actually talking to him about how things had been, and how things should be. He gave a promise that things would change, and that he wasn't going to give up on the family. That marked an upswing in their relationship.

It was doomed for failure. The family relationship was on the mend, Drake rebelled less, and they were more open with each other. Despite the pride he'd begun taking in the development of his powers, it took some time for him to finally confide in his father about them. It didn't go the way he'd hoped. After the demonstration, Frank was silent for several seconds before saying firmly that Drake was never to do it again, and that they were going to find a way to fix him. Later that night, Drake decided to sneak out and get some air. On his way out the door, Frank made his presence known simply by saying, "Don't come back."

Heartbroken, Drake did the only thing he could think of: pretended to accept his father's wishes. He never spoke of his mutation again, and resumed hiding his powers. All the while, resentment built within him. He was living a lie. In secret, he continued to refine his powers, yearning to let it truly be a part of him.

Drake graduated, albeit just barely. It's a turning point in the lives of most students, and he was no different. Only instead of rushing off for college or trade school, Drake uncorked his resentment, filled a duffelbag, and vanished from his home with only a note left for his parents. He wasn't completely sure where he'd be going or how he'd get by, but he was determined to find people who'd accept him; who'd be his people. Unfortunately, his ill-preparedness left him having to engage in theft. But there was always hope. ||

Character Details

True to his mutation, Drake is an energetic being. Though he may not be in constant motion and is good with chilling, he's an expressive, vibrant individual with a bright personality. His natural state is upbeat and optimistic.

The life of a criminal, small scale or otherwise, never quite suited him. He's too personable, too affable by nature. His shenanigans were born more from a need to belong to something, and a need to be noticed - if even in a negative light. A troubled home and the follies of youth aside, he actually has a reasonable sense of right and wrong, and lines he has an extremely hard time justifying crossing - particularly when it comes to murder. The idea that he had killed someone all but shut him down for a time, and it still haunts him to this day. It's for that reason that learning to control the power output of his electricity was his first priority.

Drake used to be weirded out by the idea of mutants, but he didn't give them much thought. He had enough going on in his own life to really engage in it. Since realizing he's most likely one of them, he's trying to figure out his place in the world. The idea that mutants are a higher being is appealing, but at the same time, it seems a philosophy prone to cruelty and oppression. Using it to help others as a sort of superhero would be his dream, but the general hatred towards mutants ensures he keeps the nature of his true identity under wraps. Even in his efforts to be noticed, he takes precautions to not leave any personally identifying evidence at any scene.

That said, Drake can be a bit of a risk-taker. He's daring, perhaps a little more than could be attributed to simple youth, but not at a suicidal level. He's also, in a word, sassy - quick with quips and remarks, teases and jabs, it's usually aimed to keep the mood light but is just as quickly turned into taunts and insults on an enemy. His gutsy attitude and taunts sometimes mix in ways that could make matters worse.

Drake is absolutely a people person. Life has dealt him a raw hand, and though his genetics may put him at odds with society in general, he cares about people. But it comes at the tradeoff of not liking being alone, and being very open with others. He has a preference for honesty, but is fortunately capable of keeping secrets. Confidence in others is a treasured thing.

Relationships

Image Name Relation Information
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Polaris Acquaintance? A spirited discussion on powers left Drake thinking she was really cool. There've been ups and downs since, and Drake isn't entirely sure where he stands with her. She's been through things, herself, and though they continue attempting to connect, they seem to keep missing each other somehow.
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Spoiler Girlfriend A random run-in with the bubbly blonde at a mall lead to their first date. Despite the stresses of their lives getting in the way, the two have had several since and grown quite close. He now knows that she's Spoiler the batling, just as she knows he's a mutant. And now that she's gotten a place in New York, hopefully those stresses should lessen!
a138c89a9dbd1c11e862b7e7fd455ca4-dc14wuv.jpg
Neon Mutefriend Drake met Neopolitan shortly after first arriving at the Institute and he thinks her powers are pretty darn cool. Despite her apparent inability to speak, the two have spent some time together bonding over troubled backgrounds. Drake considers her his best friend at the Xavier Institute.
juggy2.jpg
Juggernaut Frienemies? It's complicated. Drake originally saw Juggernaut the way most would: a supervillain. A bully. Someone out to get theirs at the cost of everyone else. But after encountering him as Volt, he observed there might be more to him than that. There may even be the chance the big red menace could turn things around.
sage.png
Sage Tutor When you want to learn how to forge a sword, you find Muramasa. When you want to learn to hack, you find Sage. Drake's desire to be the best he can be lead him to seek out Sage. In the process, he's come to develop a personal goal to help her reconnect with her human side.
Cyke.jpg
Cyclops Bawss Technically the first to invite Drake to the Xavier Institute, Drake was hesitant to trust. But he's glad he took up the offer, which eventually lead to his joining the X-Men. He admires Cyclops for his leadership role, but he hasn't really gotten to know him.

Current Status

At this time, Volt is engaging the demonic invasion in all necks of New York City. When not actively scouting or fighting, he's likely recuperating in Salem Center, or back to civvies at the Xavier Institute, studying.

RP Logs & Journals

January 08, 2019: Dinner and a Zombie Bash

At a smallish hotel a person stumbles into the place late at night. Getting into the elevator full of people, suddenly there's a lot of zombies and then a lot of violence killing them a second time.

(permalink: log:8335 | tags: hack language nyc violence volt waffle_house | posted: 09 Jan 2019 06:49)


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