Sere
<infobox>
<title source="name"><default>
</default></title> <image source="Image"></image> <image source="image"></image> <group> <header>Basic information</header> <label>Civilian name</label> <label>Alias(es)</label> <label>Gender</label> <label>Worm start</label><default>Unknown</default> <label>Post-timeskip</label> <label>Ward start</label> </group> <group> <header>Personal Status</header> <label>Status</label> <label>General location</label> <label>Family</label> <label>Relationships</label> <label>Occupation</label> </group> <group> <header>Parahuman Status</header> <label>Legal status</label> <label>Team(s)</label> <label>Previous team(s)</label> <label>Power</label> <label>Known classifications</label> </group> <group> <header>Media</header> <label>First appearance</label> </group> </infobox>Sere is a member of Protectorate.
Personality & Reputation
Sere was only somewhat known in Brockton Bay.<ref>There were capes present. Ones I only barely recognized. Adamant and Sere. - Excerpt from Chrysalis 20.2</ref> Taylor had once seen a cell-phone video of him brutally taking down a number of criminals using his power.<ref>Sere, I did know about, but only because I'd once come across a cell phone video of him brutally taking down a number of thugs, posted online somewhere, months ago. - Excerpt from Chrysalis 20.2</ref>
Appearance
Sere's costume consists of white desert-tribal style robes with fine patterning on them. His mask was a featureless plate with light blue lenses over the eyes. He is surrounded by a pale nimbus of mist that he draws out with his power.<ref name="20.2">He wore a kind of nomadic, desert-tribe style of robe, all in pristine white with a fine pattern embroidered onto it. His mask was more stylistic than representing anything, a solid white plate with light blue lenses for the eyes and no opening for his nose or mouth. What made him stand out was the moisture that flowed from the gaps in his handwraps and from around his mask. It swirled around him like a breath outdoors in winter, pale. - Excerpt from Chrysalis 20.2</ref>
Abilities and Powers
Sere has the ability to violently draw in moisture from his environment,<ref name="20.2 e6">Some capes shot fire from their hands. Sere was the opposite – he could draw moisture to himself with surprising speed and violence. It didn't matter if a foe was armored or behind a forcefield, he could dehydrate them in a flash. - Excerpt from Chrysalis 20.2</ref> allowing him to stun<ref>I was dimly aware of Sere striking down one of the decoys. The moisture in the air zipped to his hand, and nearly half of the decoy was ruined, the bugs dazed or unable to move. - Excerpt from Chrysalis 20.2</ref> or kill his targets.<ref name=":1">The bugs were being sucked dry of moisture as they got too close to Sere; I wouldn't be able to disable him with just my swarm. He drew more water from a cloud of bugs, desiccating and killing hundreds.
The number that died was indicative of something, though. As devastating as the attack was, the effect didn't cover a massive area. It was a roughly cone-shaped area, with a long reach, but narrow breadth. - Excerpt from Chrysalis 20.2</ref> This ability ignored forcefields and armor.<ref name="20.2 e6" /> This limited hydrokinesis, which is conversely not Manton-limited, was effectively targeted dehydration. It was highly dangerous to Skitter's swarm,<ref name="20.4">Sere was a long ranged cape, probably capable of killing my swarm with little difficulty. - Excerpt from Chrysalis 20.4</ref> which he was meant to be a counter to.
Sere can use his power in a long tight cone-shaped "blast"<ref name=":1" /> or in a tight field around him.<ref>Getting too close to Sere was killing my bugs just as easily as his long ranged absorption attack. - Excerpt from Chrysalis 20.2</ref> The moisture he extracts remains floating around him.<ref name=":2">Chrysalis 20.2</ref>
History
Story Start
Sere was one of the free-floating capes in the area around Brockton Bay.<ref name="R?">It would be free-floating capes in the vicinity of the city, and since we know that Dovetail, Adamant and Sere were available not too long after, we can assume that these guys bolster the Brockton Bay Protectorate. - What if (Wildbow, Reddit.com, 2016-03-17)</ref>
Post-Echidna
Sere was specifically recruited to Brockton bay as a counter for Skitter's abilities.<ref name="20.5"> “Your swarm shouldn’t be able to get near him,” Defiant said. - Excerpt from Chrysalis 20.5</ref> He guarded Arcadia High alongside Adamant when students were going there to get early admission and instruction. He was caught and wrapped up by Skitter when Director Tagg ordered Dragon and Defiant to capture the teenage villain. He had some initial success but the teenage villain rapidly adapted to his abilities.<ref name=":2" />
He was incapacitated by Skitter again when she made a retaliatory strike on the PRT. This time he was caught before he could get out and engage the villain personally.<ref name="21.1e1">Sere was indoors, along with Triumph. Binding Sere had been a first priority, and I’d achieved it in much the same way. He’d done what he could to target the bugs managing the threads, and to disentangle himself, but time spent on that was time he wasn’t moving outdoors and shooting me or one of the dogs. - Excerpt from Imago 21.1</ref>
He was there when Skitter surrendered, and helped Kid Win make drones adapted to use his abilities.<ref name="22.1 e1">"See to it. Where do things stand with the defense system against the bugs?"
"Not done, but I could wrap it up soonish with Sere's help, maybe."
"Sere? You'll cooperate?"
"Yes," Sere replied. "Of course." - Excerpt from Cell 22.1</ref><ref name="22.1 e2">They emulated Sere’s power on a low enough level to kill bugs in the area without doing undue harm to any people, then became laser turrets. - Excerpt from Cell 22.1</ref> He went out on patrol with Dovetail to make sure everything was calm after Skitter surrendered,<ref>Cell 22.3</ref> and watched the announcement of Alexandria's demise along with Dovetail.<ref>Cell 22.6</ref>
Trivia
- Sere is an Old English word for dry or withered. It is a homonym for sear, which it shares a meaning with. It has no relation to the word serenity.
References
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