XM Radio
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Sonic Blast
Electric Mastery
Rhode Island
Vieux Nhạc (Older Brother)
[Others under confidential status]
(With - Without Suit)
Large diagonal scar across his back.
Usually wears corrective glasses.
IMI Desert Eagle Mark XIX
"It used to be about the music.
I mean, with a name like 'XM Radio,' had to be, right? Honestly, if I knew I was going to still be active, I would've put more thought into it, but well...things surprise you.
Like how a few words strung together could change someone's heart. Or how one song could bring people together (or apart.) Or how a certain frequency could topple something meant to stand the test of time. It was amazing.
With that thought, I changed my way of thinking, my mantra, like an upgrade to the suit.
My suit and I may not be the best, coolest, or the most advanced thing out there in this world or the next...
But I know at the right frequency, the right time...there will be nothing like it.
Xeno Nhạc at your service. I hope to help you someday."
Xeno has two different personalities, depending on whether he's in his suit or plainclothes. Each has its benefits and faults, but he freely switches between the two depending on the situation. Long years of working solo and losing friends to death, disappearances, or retirement has forged Xeno to be ever-protective...whether it's himself or his friends. Commonly, he's extremely modest and will try not to take credit for anything he doesn't feel he deserves. He rarely gets angry and is usually very patient and generous to people. Lastly, he enjoys taking challenges to improve himself and is usually out working to find it.
Suited - With his suit, Xeno can be precise and calculating; this is due to the fact that his suit is constantly feeding him information, whether it be statistics, music, or vital information to the situation on hand. Being faceless behind his helmet, it is usually difficult for Xeno to convey his emotions to everyone nearby; therefore, he relies on his voice inflection or hand gestures to interpret his thoughts. In times of difficulty, however, being faceless gives him the benefit to hide his real emotions, especially when the situation calls for his team to continue forward.
Suitless/Casual - Without his suit, Xeno is polite to everyone, regardless of who they are. Usually when met with negativity, he'll continue to be polite...though, he will note to avoid the person next time. One to crack a joke or humorous observation, he is kind enough to talk to strangers willing to listen to him, if only to accomplish making them smile.
Abandonment - In a city where one person could be alive and well one day to being lost in another dimension or full of lead in an instant, Xeno holds his friends in high regard. With his past experiences of losing friends, he has the fear of abandonment; this caused him to hide his true-self from others at one point, until a dear friend coaxed him out. During times of argument between friends, he has difficulty choosing sides as well due to the same reason.
Limited - Xeno did not come from a prestigious background, freak accident, or extraordinary event. He does not have the intellect of the likes of Positron, but still enough to recognize and use technology. He has no meta-human worthy abilities; in fact, he has impaired vision. He is just a normal human being in a world of supermen and women. In his suit, he can mimic being one of many defenders of Paragon, but until the time his suit becomes obsolete...
Take away all his gadgets and you are left with a very ordinary human. Of course, a human who has seen his share of intergalactic battles, natural disasters, and various sinful acts, but a normal everyday guy. He is usually hesitant to call himself a hero since, compared to any other meta-human, the suit is his only mode of fighting good fight. In spite of this, he has continued to upgrade and improve his suit as well as train himself in ways without it should the worst-case scenario become reality.
Running cross-country for most of his life has helped Xeno keep a fit body, maintaining stamina and endurance longer than others. Since his mode of travel is either running or teleporting, he usually prefers the former to both conserve power as well as exercise on the field. His habit of running actually sparked interest in parkour, finding efficient escape routes on foot during skirmishes.
Xeno has an expanded knowledge of machinery, partly from his experiences on the field as well as from academia, combining both to obtain a Masters Degree in Cybernetic Engineering. This allows him to quickly analyze and repair/invent gadgets on the fly, depending on the need. Another benefit is knowing where a robot or cyborg's weakness is due to his familiarity of basic cybernetics.
Out of his suit, Xeno has trained himself with Vanguard operatives in modern warfare, becoming semi-proficient with firearms. Since he can only hold a limited amount of items inside his suit, he has fully trained himself in light arms marksmanship and scavenging until he can find a way to power his suit to an optimal level.
Minor talents include bartending, cooking, and playing the violin.
You can never forget your first. Ever since his induction as hero of Paragon City with the 'Outpost' Power Suit, he knew he would have to change and upgrade himself if he were to survive tomorrow's perils. The following lists the significant features to each suit:
Mark I - Consisted of a heavily modified helmet, had a weak manipulation of sonic powers, but enough to cause bruising and nausea. Body was protected through kevlar-laced leather.
Mark II - Stripped its predecessor of inefficient parts, making it lighter and more useful. Increased control over sonic powers. Body still protected through leather.
Mark III - Complete revamp. Now included a power suit similar to Crey and PPD technologies. Greater control over sonic powers, the suit was capable of teleportation and recall. Trench-coat created to appear less 'naked.'
Mark IV - Efficiency upgrade, was capable of withstanding more damage than previous versions. Installation of ionic charges. Experimental micro-fusion generator capable of supplying power for days or 'leeching' electricity in emergencies.
Mark V - Armor upgrade, replaced previous alloys with earned Vanguard equipment (Impervium weave). Replaced old parts with new, more efficient versions. Upgraded portal tech, now capable of creating localized dimensional rifts. Added on-board medical packs for quick healing and revival. Experimental 'hasten' device to increase reaction speed.
Mark VI - Parts upgrade, replaced with military-grade machinery to withstand intense combat situations and return in kind. Upgraded rift technology, can call in reinforcements from the 'armory' or divert rift energies into a concussive weapon. Emergency 'barrier' ability. Upgraded teleportation device to accommodate an 'offensive' teleport. New, intimidating helmet.
Helmet -
Suit -
A storage facility constructed and contained in a compacted dimensional space (dubbed 'Hammerspace'), most souvenirs, tools, and weapons Xeno has accumulated throughout his career is stored there. Should he need to use a specific item from the Armory, Xeno can quickly create a rift connected to there and physically grab the item; the opposite is true if he must store an item instead. Entry to the storage facility is near impossible as all items are stored and compacted together as closely as possible. Notable items stored in the facility include:
- Bumblebee - A repainted Vanguard HVAS, rewarded for his service to Vanguard.
- Rocketman - A miniature replica of the Longbow HVAS found in Recluse's Victory.
- Arachnid - A miniature replica of the Arachnos HVAS found in Recluse's Victory.
- Tactical Nukes - Obtained from Warburg, all three have been disarmed, but not dismantled
- Live, Love, Learn - Three offensive drones that are often called into action.
“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
-Sir Winston Churchill
My name is...was Xeno Nhạc, call-sign XM Radio. If you were around when that existed, yeah...it was a poor choice on my part as you'll soon hear.
I'll be honest with you, never really knew how to start these things. 'Once upon a time...' or 'In the beginning...' doesn't really fit. No one's life is very idyllic or story-book, not even mine for what it's worth. Before we start, I guess the first question is what are you listening to exactly? I wanted to leave a physical recording behind for those who never really knew my full history, especially my parents, my friends...everyone that cared about me. Depending on when you find and hear this, I may have just passed or been dead for a while. Whether that brings tears of sadness or joy to your eyes, I'll never know, but...
Either way? This is for you.
I was born in Los Angeles, California to two Vietnamese parents, refugees of the Vietnam War. I was the middle brother of three children, an older brother and younger sister. Our family would end up moving to Orlando, Florida to be together with the rest of my extended family there. Working hard at school would be the main focus, to grow up and be a doctor or lawyer of some kind, as stereotypical as my parents were. Life wasn't really bad, just boring, repetitive. Heroes rarely patrolled our area of the city and crime was nonexistent. Things would change, of course, but I didn't know that at the time.
Our eyes never really focused on Paragon City. We heard the stories of course, but no one expected to grow up to be heroes, just something you dream or pretended to be when you were a kid. Me? I wanted to be Iron-Man or Positron for some reason, tights were never really my thing. Nor was it my brother's. We actually got into fights about who would be who, now that I think about it...anyway, it became a surprise when my brother made his first suit. In retrospect, his suit was ugly as hell and the name...FM Stereo? Heh,we definitely did not have any imagination at the time. Suit manipulated sound and air waves, hence the name. Ah, but I didn't care, it was exciting! He was actually going to be a hero! My parents were...less than thrilled, of course. Dad was a war veteran and didn't want him to fight like he had to, but off he went, flying towards the birthplace of heroes...
Flying! Boy, was I jealous. I wanted to go with him, but obviously I didn't have a suit, training, or super powers. Didn't mean I didn't have the heart for it, as my mother would always tell me. But neither of my parents wanted me to go, just study and get a job, support the family. So, I took my time, planned to become an engineer. However, at the cusp of graduation...the skies went black and green.
Nothing really could prepare us for the First Rikti Invasion. Sure, we've played lots of violent games and the like, but what good would that do when an alien lands in front of you? Burned your home, killed your friends? All you could do was watch and pray you weren't next on their list, that they wouldn't have any interest and move on elsewhere. But...they stayed long enough to leave their mark of death and destruction.
I was actually on my way home when it happened, hadn't even turned the ignition as the Rikti dropped into the school parking lot. There was a moment of silence before the shots rang out, both sides coming into contact for the first time. Of course, we fell like flies. Sub-standard police department and a non-existent hero presence? No chance for us teachers and students. I hid in my truck as it happened, watched the student body make a beeline back into the building. I'm sure most of us knew no one was coming to rescue us, but it was a chance worth taking. Squads and squads kept pouring in, had a couple of my friends cornered. Friends I grew up with.
You could say this was my first act of heroism, actually. Don't know what came into me...it was suicidal. Between me and my friends were Rikti, lots of Rikti. A truck versus tons of alien technology. I was VERY lucky to have come out of that alive...wounded, but alive. Started up the truck and plowed right through 'til their squad chief sliced it open with their gun-sword. I went flying across the field until I collided with the tree. I thought I was going to die there as I started bleeding out, losing consciousness. Last I saw were my friends sprinting to safety...
Apparently it was a while before I woke up in the field hospital, a week I believe I was told. Back was badly burned, constantly told I was 'lucky' that I wasn't dead or worse. Paramedics scooped me up after the Rikti left the area pretty quick. No one knew why, but damned if we cared at the time. Maybe because Paragon City was proving more of a valuable asset than anywhere else, I think I heard. My family would visit me a few days later once they got the call and everything was over. Our neighborhood was luckily left untouched. Didn't hear from my brother though, which worried us. Couldn't dare call as he could have been fighting Rikti at the time.
War raged for several months before Omega team did the unthinkable and stopped the invasion. World rejoiced, but my family didn't. No word about my brother came throughout those months. Was a depressing time, still bed-ridden. Energy-lash from the Rikti sword bruised my spinal cord severely, doctors weren't sure I'd be able to walk. To my luck, however, a heroine with empathy powers came by during my physical therapy sessions, fixed me up like new right there. The scars, however, she couldn't fix, 'Beyond my ability,' she said. I didn't mind, really. 'Chicks dig scars,' I think I said. She laughed, patted me on the head, and went on her way. Never saw her again after that, even to this day. Can't thank her enough, though.
My brother finally came home a month after the war ended, was extremely busy fighting pockets of Rikti hidden in the hills of Paragon after the invasion stopped. 'Not over by a long-shot...' he said, '...but much more manageable now.' We spent some family time together, Christmas. Lost my chance at college that semester due to being wounded and the invasion. However in the Spring, my brother would suggest the strangest thing...
'Why don't you come to Paragon with me?' he said.
To be continued.
- The yellow used to be light blue (as shown here) which emulated the Sirius colors on coincidence.
- XM Radio is a semi-interpretation of the Player in real-life.
- When XM Radio complains on his helmet, whether slowing down or burning out, it's actually a signal that the PC has problems or the Player was whisked away from real-life problems.
- He is mistaken as a robot often in his suit.
- When he talks in his suit, his voice may vary between muffled to vocally enhanced.
- Actually likes a fair fight which is quite the opposite of a defender class. Though he acknowledges his (countless) losses, it doesn't mean he won't give you a run for your money.
- Themesong: Daft Punk - Around the World/Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
