PROFILE - RUSH LANSING

 

 

 

"Group hugs are technically off

limits, you know."

 

 

Nicknames: None

Status: Prodigy

Skill: Atomic Vision

 

Age: 30

Birthplace: London Core

Raised in: Ringsport Division

Accent: British, casual

 

Physical Characteristics: muscular, 6-foot-1, long black dreadlocks, brown eyes

 

Personality: friendly, helpful, hardworking, honest and dedicated, takes his job seriously

 

 

 

SWEEPER

 

Watching the dockers load ships for transport is one of Rush's favorite pastimes. He did it often as a youth, stealing away from his ramshackle apartment in the Ringsport division to sit on the edge of the river and observe. Sometimes his twin brother, Wyse, went with him. There was little else to occupy them. Having lost their parents in a clinic bombing, they were raised by their granny—an anxious and rather superstitious woman with a kind heart, but little income.

 

Rush never minded being poor. He was good at finding ways to spend his time, like using his atomic vision skill to track down thieves and vagabonds for local law enforcement. The Surge left both him and Wyse with the ability to detect human DNA signatures. He could hold up to twelve at a time, which was more than most opticals with the same skill, and he convinced his brother to enroll with him in a security program and train for job placement. Upon graduating, Wyse went to work for the House of Tiernam.

 

But Rush, always independent, hired on at the Roanoke Center. In spite of the ongoing war between the Houses, he maintained a good relationship with his twin and focused his efforts on being a loyal security guard and sweeper. Tracking and patrol duty took precedence until the Roanokes asked him to perform regular DNA sweeps in the penthouse. His diligence made him a vital asset to Fenn and Morry, and he'd hoped to secure a position as Morrigan's personal sweeper following her Surge.

 

That hope changes in Gambit when Rush finds out about the switch. It leaves him feeling at a loss, wondering about his career, until word reaches him that the true heiress survived. She's a second-phaser with a complex genetic code that will make her valuable to the Core—and a target for Mercer's rebel army. He's immediately assigned to monitor and sweep her DNA, and while he's excited about his new position, following Willow around proves to be somewhat of a challenge. She certainly has a knack for getting into trouble.

 

And he has no choice but to help get her out of it.

 

 

DEFENDER

 

Mimic opens with Rush fully healed and out of his wheelchair. The incident at Chesapeake has hospital staff on high alert, and he has his hands full trying to keep Willow from touching every surface she sees in the Critical Care Unit. Then he has to protect her from Tiernam security. And when a new commander appears on the scene—one who doesn't hesitate to use brutal force with the little heiress Rush is starting to like—he finds himself stepping up to defend her.

 

He has to warn her about metamorphs, too, after she falls prey to one working for Roanoke security. He knows firsthand how alluring they can be, as well as the damage they can cause. She doesn't know enough to keep herself safe. Between the enemies she's making and a secret role he takes on to watch over her, his hands are fuller than ever. He's more than just her sweeper now. He's become her ally, and when she bursts from the Council pod in tears, he's the first one to offer assistance. Something, he knows by the look on her face, has gone terribly wrong.

 

She just can't stay out of trouble. But he'll do his best to see her through it safely. 

 

 

FRIEND

 

Rush's role in Gambit is mostly professional. As Willow's sweeper and part of her security detail, he focuses the majority of his attention on his duties. In Mimic, he becomes more of a protector and friend. He's grown fond of her, and, because of her obvious vulnerability, tries to warn her away from the danger she has a funny way of attracting.

 

But her genetic code bothers him. He's been storing DNA signatures for years, and he's never seen anything like the one she carries. It's different, and he doesn't know why. He only knows that she's a target—and as long as he's assigned to protect her, so is he.

 

 

 

Image Credit: Blue Sky Design