Maverick

Charming and charismatic, Maverick is very much a 'people person'. He's almost always seen with a grin on his face, seeming to never take anything too seriously. Even if it's inappropriate, he's usually quick to drop a joke or a smart-ass remark. Confidence is something he has in spades; he's very good at most everything he does, and he knows it. He's nowhere close to being above being smug about it at every turn, and he loves to taunt and provoke enemies or rivals. It would be easy for one to assume that he's arrogant, but he's not above realizing when he's overstepped boundaries or made a mistake, and is (mostly) willing to listen to others, rather than being dismissive and insisting he's right all the time. Of course, there are also certainly times where his thick skull wins out and he conveniently 'forgets' advice or instructions.

Maverick tends to live up to his name, being independent and free-willed, never quite matching others' expectations of him--for better and for worse. He does what he pleases, not letting much of anything hold him back. While he wouldn't exactly be described as impulsive, rarely does he stop to really think about what he's doing; he prides himself on his ability to adapt and think quick on his feet. He also loves to show off and be the center of attention, and will often choose the more dangerous route to his objective if it means he can make a scene about it.

Despite both his charm, and the fact that he's something of a chronic flirt, Maverick keeps very little in the way of close contacts or friends. He'll say it's half because nobody can keep up with him, and half that making personal connections in his line of work is dangerous. There's a fair amount of truth to that, but it's also worth noting that two of his most notable relations are his estranged older sister, and a tenuous, mostly strictly-business 'friendship' with an ex he mistreated in his youth. A poor track record (much of it being his own fault) pushes him away from seeking much in the way of close relationships, and he'll insist it suits him just fine. That's mostly true, but it certainly does sting from time to time.

Underneath his whole 'smarmy, self-absorbed, dramatic show-off' routine, Maverick is genuinely very kind-hearted and selfless. He'll go out of his way and put his life on the line to use his skills to help people in need, even if there's no promise of him getting paid for it. Despite not always knowing what the correct thing to say is, he also tries to be a good listener and help people with their problems that can't be solved with a bullet. Helping others is, in a way, his way of both coping with and atoning for his past. He realizes that he took out a lot of his personal problems and insecurities on others in his youth, and while he can't take what he has said and done back, he tries to focus instead on moving forward with kindness.

This courtesy is very rarely extended to himself, however. His own emotions get swept under the rug, bottled up until they're fit to burst. When it gets to that point, he tends to simply disappear for upwards of a few days, offering little explanation besides having needed to 'loosen up'. He consistently, stubbornly refuses to talk about it to anyone, no matter how intent they are on prying into it.

• Maverick has a very large amount of cybernetic implants and enhancements, even more than what might be considered normal or average on Novus. Much of his body has been entirely, or at least very visibly, altered; his arms and legs are entirely synthetic, his torso also features extensive reconstruction, particularly around his chest, shoulders and upper back. Other augmentations are subdermal--improvements to things like his heart and lungs for increased endurance and stamina. Cerebral implants enhance many combat-oriented abilities like balance and agility. Most notably, perhaps, is his eye--in conjunction with a simple logic VI running in his implant, it allows him to see and understand much more about his environment than what a normal person, or even a computer or simple robot, might be able to see. This could include identifying air composition, reading a person's vtial status, seeing through walls, identifying structural weaknesses despite no visible damage, etc.
• Maverick owns 5 pet cats.
• Among some of his most prized posession are his sniper rifle--custom engineered just for him--and, above all, his motorcycle. He takes very diligent care of both, and is reluctant to let anybody touch them; the motorcycle especially.
• Very much a stickler for proper exercise and diet, much to the dismay to most of his friends. Loves to cook.

Never one to follow rules or stay inside the lines, it's little wonder that Maverick turned out to be rebellious and stubborn, even as a youth. Rather than staying inside and focusing on education and other 'responsible' pursuits, Maverick was constantly possessed of the desire to be out in the world, walking the streets, living the way he wanted and doing whatever he saw fit. As a young adult, such an attitude found him eking out a living on his own in the Underground--a rough-and-tumble place where laws and morality are somehow even more skewed than they are topside. Though it was tough going at times, his wits and tenacity kept his head above water as he got by doing odd jobs.

Eventually, his reputation for getting the job done reached the ears of an old bot named Lazarus, an information broker and smuggler with more ties across Novus than anyone could count. He was always in need of reliable help, and the pay was good; despite his initial misgivings, Maverick eventually came around and agreed to work for him. He ran jobs for Lazarus for years, doing anything from theft to reconnaissance to running interference and, eventually, assassination. Maverick's skills improved with every job completed.

Ultimately, a job gone wrong would terminate their working relationship, as Lazarus withheld vital information on what he was walking into from him that very nearly got him killed. Between smuggling dangerous, volatile cargo and being set up against foes that far outclassed him, it's a small miracle that he came out the other side alive--though not in one piece. Despite Lazarus insisting he only did it because he knew that Maverick was much too resourceful to die in such a situation, he wouldn't hear it, and quit soon after. The ordeal left him critically injured and missing an arm; this would serve as his introduction to cybernetic enhancements, and in the coming years he would only get more and more augments.

In the time since, Maverick has taken a step back and assessed where he is in his life and what he wants to do with it. He realized he was not the most amicable person in his youth, and now strives to use his particular, specialized skillset to improve lives, rather than just for personal gain. Some might call him a vigilante, but he's never been much of a fan of the term; he'd say it gives him too much credit, and that he's just doing what he can and what's right.