The Xero Squadron, or X Squad, is the first Terran outgrowth of the Old Laurian Guard and Excellators. Sole keepers of the free Corestones, the group specializes in self-defense and self-perseverance, especially against the Maloury Forces. Working closely with others groups such as the A.R.C.H.E.R.S. Association and T.A.R.R.G.E.T.T. Agency, the Xero Squadron has been nicknamed the first Elites and Defenders of Dover for their heroism and dedication to their cause.

Foundation

The skeleton of the Xero Squad formed long before the team had powers. High school friends Jacob Cato and Brian Drake set up an underground fight ring in their senior years and staged elaborate matches while learning legitimate martial arts. While Jacob’s brother Raymond stayed out of the business, mutual acquaintance Valkyrie Wylder participated in as far as placing frequent bets and even finessing some of the cash through a betting booth.

All four teens faced a brutal decision, however, after an alien space shuttle crashed nearby in the woods. Jacob was the first on the scene, eager to investigate and lend aid. The shuttle’s pilot, a Malain of the Laurian Guard named Valarico Gideon, emerged, wounded, and insisted the teens needed to hide his cargo, a collection of weapons known as the Corestones. The Corestones, as computing biomechanical enhancers, hid themselves by bonding with the teens, altering their individual physiology and connecting them to the depthless power of the Ether realm. Valarico also gifted them each a Laurian Vambrace before passing on, leaving the teens to figure out the situation for themselves.

In time, the antagonistic Maloury Faction descended on Earth in search of the Corestones. Jacob and the others honed their skills and used the Corestones and Laurian Vambraces to combat the Maloury, forcing them back and saving their city and themselves from annihilation in a battle that would later be dubbed the First Malourian Incursion. Since then, the team (now known as the Xero Squadron) has worked closely with the A.R.C.H.E.R.S. Association and .T.A.R.R.G.E.T.T. Agency to secure Earth’s borders and their personal powers against extraterrestrial threat.

Prominent Members

Visionary

Jacob Cato lost his father, Jordan, during his early adolescence. The trauma took its toll on him as Jacob began to lash out in his high school years, and later formed an underground fighting ring as a way to channel his anger and distress. While bright-minded and quick-witted, family and friends criticized his temper and violent activities, though few put any effort into swaying him from his path and some (like Brian) even encouraged him in his pursuits. After his meeting with Valarico, Jacob inherited the Corestone of Truesight, granting him enhanced eyesight and the ability to use power from the Ether realm in the form of laser and heat vision. He would later adopt the name Visionary and become self-appointed leader of the Xero Squad.

Elemental

Brian “Bear” Drake was always a kind if not occasionally misguided soul. Studying and working hard against his negative impulses and self-doubt, Brian took pride in his academic accomplishments and fair reputation. Always searching for new meaning, however, he eagerly accepted Jacob’s idea of an underground fight ring and even set up the location and specifications himself. Still, during his encounter with Valarico, Brian was hesitant to accept his Corestone, but did so anyway as a chance to learn about himself. Inheriting the Corestone of Assimilation, Brian gained the ability to morph molecular structures around his body and absorb matter and energy, earning him the nickname “Elemental.” He stayed by Jacob’s side as second-in-command of the Squadron.

Cybernet

Raymond Cato, Jacob’s adopted younger brother, always took a more cynical stance compared to his sibling. Born with diabetes and a compromised immune system, Raymond abstained from more demanding activities and instead buried himself in academics and extracurriculars, procuring a substantial resumé throughout his high school years. Inheriting Valarico Gideon’s personal Corestone of Intellect, Raymond found his mind connected directly to the power of the Ether realm, allowing him to gather knowledge and make observations most others were incapable of. The Corestone also cured Raymond’s physical ailments, which he quickly capitalized on through intense exercise and combat training with the others. Also the first of the team to exploit his vambrace to its greatest capabilities, Raymond began to experiment in biotechnological potentialities, resulting in his use of the nickname Cybernet.

Revive

Valkyrie Wylder held a reputation as a punk. Sporting multiple piercings and ever-dyed hair, she held a fascination of the abnormal and participated in hardly condoned activities such as Jacob’s fighting ring. Teaching herself martial arts and the art of hustling, Valkyrie was disappointed when her encounter with Valarico and the Corestone of Revivification left her with the ability to mend instead of destroy. Valkyrie eventually made peace with her circumstances, however, and learned how to control the healing factors of others’ bodies as well as her own. She even discovered the power to syphon and manipulate others’ energy, resulting in a dark twist in her previously positive enforcements. She adopted the title Revive as her callsign and grew closer to her teammates as they fended off the Maloury threat.

Event Participation

The First Malourian Incursion

The Xero Squadron’s notable debut came shortly after they inherited their powers, during an incursion from the alien splinter faction known as the Maloury. The First Division of the Maloury, led by the vicious Xiuhcoatl, launched two attacks against the Xero Squad; first a personal attack using drones, then a large-scale incursion which resulted in the revelation of extraterrestrial life on Earth. The Xero Squad succeeded in both battles and repelled the Maloury back to their colony ship.

After the First Malourian Incursion, the Xero Squad participated in many more battles in part, and Visionary even became a founding member of the Peacemakers. Organizations such as the A.R.C.H.E.R.S. Association and T.A.R.R.G.E.T.T. Agency reached out to the Xero Squadron for their help in understanding the Malourian threat and how to best defend Earth from them should they launch another strike.

Related Pages: The Maloury / The A.R.C.H.E.R.S. Association / T.A.R.R.G.E.T.T.