Three of the five clones who were meant to be part of a psychic Weapon XIV, but then developed personalities and rejected their engineered fate. Celestis, Phoebus, and Irmus have grown very close while Sophus and Esmond have gone their own way. Retired models, equestrian ranchers, and superheroes, the three brothers live a luxurious and adventurous life.
Personality
Originally the five clones had the same rather mechanical personality. However the longer the five were actively pursuing their mission, the more each brother started to differentiate until Five-In-One was a collection of distinct individuals. Gone was the gestalt of five living weapons and in its place a gestalt of five distinct brothers, and all the better for it.
Background
Weapon Plus harvested the genetic material of a powerful psychic mutant and engineered thousands of identical clones. With the intention of creating a powerful weapon of combined telepathic power, Weapon XIV was born. The clones, incubating in special, individual tanks, were in the process of accellerated aging when the decision was made to activate five of them, then at a teenage level of development, to infiltrate Sky High as students. Though initially informed of their fake background to use as cover, as the brothers spent more time among their peers, they began to develop their own personalities and started to internalize the false history and unconsciously alter it until the five had a whole life detailed from early childhood to their present. Even though they are aware of the background's false nature, it feels real to them now. Which is why they rebelled against their Weapon Plus-directed mission and became actual heroes in training in their own right. Their chosen name was Five-In-One due to their psychic link, though staff had started to call them the Stepford Cuckoos due to their resemblence to the Midwich Cuckoo children and the Stepford Wives vibe the siblings had initially before their personalities developed individually. Of course, students overheard this name and it soon spread throughout the school and evolved from an insult into an affectionate nickname for them. With their collective power level so high, Five-In-One was courted by many leaders, but the Five were in conflict as only Sophus wanted to be a superhero, though Esmond was willing to go along with it. This first major schism of the gestalt mind would later fracture the brothers after graduation as Sophus and Esmond went their own way. Phoebus had aspirations of becoming a model while Irmus and Celestis were convinced to go along and found the three of them enjoyed their time. The modeling business is a capricious one though, and the "triplet" models soon found themselves retiring, comfortably with their savings and investments.
The three founded an equestrian ranch, though soon found themselves wanting more. After an incident requiring them to resort to superheroics to protect the ranch and the surrounding environs, they decided to become superheroes.
SIGNATURE ABILITY
Thousand-In-One
If the brothers in the mindlink ever collectively become utterly hopeless, the gestalt subconscious may rise up and take over, calling forth an echo of every other clone and pulling Three-In-One to their utmost limits. While active, Thousand-In-One increases all abilities to Supreme level, blocks all ability for foreign minds to overcome the gestalt (closing any active mindlinks forced from an outside source), and the gestalt becomes very utilitarian and singular in personality. As this vast power is fueled by desperation, Thousand-In-One typically only exists briefly to perform its task then the echos and the singular interwoven mind fall back to the subconscious when results banish the desperation.
SKILLS
ABILITIES
ADVANTAGES
Archery - Competent Level
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Phoebus has a competent level of skill in modern archery. As his brothers are unskilled, there is no compounded effect within the gestalt.
Cooking - Competent Level
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Irmus has a competent level of skill in cooking, especially baking pastries. As his brothers are unskilled, there is no compounded effect within the gestalt.
Equestrianism - Expert Level
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All three brothers have skill in all aspects of keeping, riding, and utilizing horses. Individually each brother can be considered Competent. If two or more are connected to the link, the gestalt would be considered Expert.
Each of the brothers is skilled in the use of handguns, though mostly as a backup weapon in case they're locked out of their powers. Individually each brother can be considered Competent, though Phoebus is also also Competent with rifles and Irmus has become Competent with shotguns. If two or more are connected to the link, the gestalt would be considered Expert in the use of handguns.
Medical - Competent Level
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Celestis has a competent level of skill in general medical practice, though it's mostly theoretical. As his brothers are unskilled, there is no compounded effect within the gestalt.
Each of the brothers is skilled in melee combat, both unarmed and with most forms of melee weaponry. Individually each brother can be considered Competent, though Phoebus is Expert with the Gladius and similar swords, Irmus is Expert with dual parrying knives like the Sai, and Celestis is Expert with various staffs. If two or more are connected to the link, the gestalt would be considered Expert in melee combat.
Modelling - Competent Level
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All three brothers have competent skill in modelling. Combining their experiences doesn't have a great compounded effect.
WEAKNESSES
Psychic: Astral Projection - Enhanced Level
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Each of the brothers, on his own, is capable of projecting astrally, travelling astrally, communicating with others astrally, and dreamwalking via the astral plane.
Power: Diamond Form - Enhanced Level
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Each brother of Three-In-One is capable of transforming his body into an organic diamond-like structure. This form is as flexible as flesh for movement but hard as diamond. This ability's activation status persists even if unconscious. This power disables the senses of touch, smell, and taste while active. This power shuts down all psychic abilities while active and extended use dulls one's emotional capability until sufficiently rested. Which usually requires sleep.
Psychic Immunity: Total immunity to mental manipulation and psionic attack. Does not negate telekinetic or other physically manifested psychic abilities.
Superhuman Physiology: In diamond form, completely impervious to physical harm. Also able to deadlift 100 tons, bench press 85 tons. Able to sustain peak physical exertion for a day before breaking a sweat. Metaphorically speaking.
Lack of Biological Functions: While transformed there is no need to eat, drink, or breathe. Also no need for excretory activities.
Partial Transformation: The ability to convert body parts without convertng the whole body. This may make certain advantages decrease in efficacy or negate some entirely depending on the logic of the situation.
Emotional Disconnect: While in diamond form, emotions are dampened and continue to feel duller and duller for twenty-four hours until one feels nothing. Even after deactivation there is a sense of emotional dissociation that fades gradually after a lenth of time equal to the amount of time spent in diamond form over twenty-four hours.
Psychic Aspect: Mind Transfer - Enhanced Level
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This ability allows the gestalt to trick a mind into moving from one body to another and keep either body in a sort of stasis until the transfer is complete. The receptive body must be capable of handling the complexity of the mind transferred or the transfer will fail. Willing minds are almost guaranteed to transfer successfully, while unwilling minds may resist and cause the procedure to fail depending on strength of will or extenuating circumstances. If a corpse is relatively undamaged, the gestalt can bring the body back to life and make it suitable as a target for implantation of a mind. Alternatively, a mind crystal can be used to store a mind or move a mind from a crystal to a body.
Power: Psychic Gestalt - Supreme Level
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The three brothers are able to link themselves together into a comingled mind that is virtually impossible to dismantle under most circumstances. If there's a dominant mind, those currently connected to the link think mostly in unison though they are still separate personalities and it's possible for one or more to rebel. If no one dominates they operate as a mental consensus. In either case, the gestalt mind is greater than the sum of its parts, smarter and more powerfully psychic. Individual skills can be utilized by any other mind in the link, and if more than one has experience in a skill, the gestalt skill is greater.
Psychic Aspect: Psychic Illusion - Enhanced Level
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Three-In-One can create illusions in the minds of others. On their own, each brother can create a believable illusory reality in the minds of dozens of people within a line of sight. Three-In-One can reach out to a hundred thousand minds at best and is able to reach about a hundred miles range at the farthest.
Three-In-One can bring a more grounded reality to the illusions by expending more power. Aside from a more realistic and less ephemeral reception of the illusory events, these hardened illusions also allow inanimate objects to perceive the psychic constructs.
Psychic Aspect: Psychic Surgery - Supreme Level
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Alone each brother is able to heal anyone's minor wound instantly, quickly regenerate their moderate wounds over several minutes, and with concentration he can weave severe wounds together in an hour or four. Three-In-One can heal all but the most major wounds in minutes, regenerate major wounds in under an hour, and can bring a relatively intact corpse back to life, though cannot restore the body's mind if it's gone. Three-In-One can alter someone's DNA to change superficial characteristics like skin color, eye color, or hair color. More involved characteristics like height and weight, or someone's genetic sex, requires all three members of the gestalt to be linked. In addition to physical ailments, this power may heal purely psychological conditions. Three-In-One claims to require consent for major changes in DNA or mental health.
Psychic Aspect: Psychometry - Enhanced Level
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Each brother has the ability to read residual emotional or psychic impressions on objects or areas. This allows him to see a bit of the past in terms of emotional states or individuals present. Each mind in the link allows another perspective to be read.
This ability also allows each brother to track a mind, though simpler minds aren't unique enough for him to track and extremely complex minds may be too much for him to grasp. Each mind in the link allows for another perspective to read from and thereby triangulate better.
Psychic Aspect: Telekinesis - Supreme Level
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Each brother on his own can telekinetically move objects at an Enhanced level. For finer control, he can handle a dozen or two small or moderately sized objects, a handful of larger objects or one super big object like a truck or a chunk of falling building. For distraction he can send an entire room into chaotic disarray. Three-In-One has a range of a large multi-story building or a street spanning a couple city blocks and able to lift a dozen trucks or an entire three or four story building.
Alternatively, this ability can be used to gather together a psychic push, number and size limitations of one brother pushing a single person or several smaller objects or Three-In-One pushing the equivalent of several large vehicles at an intersection away from the center in a single telekinetic event.
Psychic Aspect: Telekinetic Flight - Enhanced Level
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Each of the brothers can utilize their own telekinesis to effectively fly or hover.
Psychic Aspect: Telepathy - Supreme Level
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All three of the brothers have basic telepathic ability, both projective and receptive, on their own. Separately, they are moderately powerful telepaths with the ability to read minds, send thoughts, and protect themselves from psychic attacks at Enhanced power level. Each additional mind in the link increases the ability to the point that Three-In-One can read minds equal to a city or two in scope and can block a single powerful psychic intrusion with little effort. A handful of moderately skilled psychic intruders, or dozens if not hundreds of untrained psychics or those with weak ability, can be held off similarly.
The gestalt is capable of tunneling into someone's unconscious mind and making alterations to perceptions and memories. This can make someone like someone they hated before or vice versa. Or it can change details in a memory such as the model of a car involved in a wreck or the color of a childhood dog. It's much, much easier to perform this ability when the subject is sleeping or otherwise not conscious. This ability requires precision, so all three are required and all three must be concentrating on the task at hand.
Whether it's in combat or in socializing or in pretty much any activity, the brothers know each other well enough that they don't need the gestalt to act as a single unit. Body language, mutual knowledge, familiarity with each other, all add up to a non-psychic yet uncanny gestalt when they're working together toward a single goal.
Underneath their ranch, the brothers discovered a diamond-like crystal with a natural pentagonal rod shape, though often cut with a pointed terminus on each end. These crystals can house a sapient mind. These crystals are clear when empty but glow with a dim light when inhabited, the color aligning with the mind's current emotional state according to the emotional spectrum. While a mind is inhabiting the crystal, the mind is effectively asleep and if in the crystal long enough will be rested upon restoration. A mind can remain intact in a crystal indefinitely as long as the crystal remains undamaged. Even when uncut and uninhabited, the crystals resonate with a faint psychic vibe.
The brothers jointly own an expanse of land they've called the Ranch-In-One. It's largely equestrian in nature with a large ranch house in the middle where all three live. The house includes several guest suites for friends who might want to visit for a day or three... or longer. There's also dedicated suites for Sophus and Esmond. Recently, several basement rooms were sealed off to create a hidden base of operations for their superheroics.
Even though they were successful and popular models for only a few years, they dealt with their wealth responsibly enough and with skilled investment assistance that the brothers can likely live the rest of their lives at their current semi-luxurious lifestyle.
Sophus and Esmond have gone their own ways. Three-In-One is happy to let their siblings have their space, though their absences from the gestalt restrict Three-In-One's power level to three minds most of the time.
The brothers that currently form the gestalt are the three who were the least dominant mind, last to form distinct personalities, and are more psychologically reliant on their brothers. They don't like to be separated from each other for long and almost always have their minds linked. Isolating one and preventing him from linking to the gestalt will likely cause anxiety and maybe even panic. There's a reason they still live together despite being wealthy enough to have separate residences.
None of the brothers like the dull (or absent) emotions of their diamond form, and typically will refuse to use it unless necessary and then only as long as needed. Relations towards those who (intentionally and especially maliciously) necessitate taking diamond form tend to sour fast after their emotions are restored.
The farther the brothers are from each other, the more strain the gestalt takes and may even weaken the strength of the link. Each mind acts as a sort of repeater, though.
Immediate range (300 yards): Everything should be at peak here.
Short range: (20 miles): Most moderate usage of power should be fine, though harder exertion may require rest.
Moderate range (1000 miles): This is where distance may hinder the link. Beefing up the strength of a power may be taxing and may possibly fail if used too much or for too long. A full night's rest will likely be needed afterward.
Long range (3000 miles): At this range using the link for anything more than communication is extremely taxing and may fail after mere minutes to an hour, depending on power. Rest will almost certainly be needed, most likely a full night's worth of sleep if not more.
Extreme range (10,000 miles): Communication starts to become unreliable. Sharing power is unlikely.
The thing about sapient 'weapons' or 'science projects' is that they can think for themselves. As part of the Weapon XIV project they were supposed to infiltrate super schools, Sky High first on the list, but they went off mission and became superheroes themselves, if briefly. Weapon Plus wants its assets back, namely Weapon XIV Unit 1 aka Sophus, Unit 2 aka Phoebus, Unit 3 aka Irmus, Unit 4 aka Celestis, and Unit 5 aka Esmond.
