- "Next stop: out of here!"
- — Hotwire
Hotwire is an Elite Agent in the Dino Attack Team.
Biography[]
Early life[]
David O'Neal was born in LEGO City in 1986. When he was two, his family -- consisting of his parents, his older sister Sarah, and himself -- moved to a smaller town several counties to the north.
From an early age, Dave was fascinated by electricity. His spare time was spent with batteries and magnets and lemons and coils of copper wire. When, at the age of twelve, he began experimenting with the circuitry of the house itself, his parents decided to enroll him in a local vocational/technical school, in the hope that this would pave the way for further studies of practical applications for electricity. Sarah, two years Dave's senior, was already studying at a boarding school in a LEGO City suburb.
When Dave began his classes at the tech school two years later, he quickly befriended another student by the name of Ben Shiller. They soon bonded over the practice of causing mischief; on one occasion, Dave wired the school's intercom to a CD player hidden in a janitor's closet and played elevator music on repeat at low volume.
One area in which they could not find common ground, however, was in the concept of romance. While Ben had a seemingly unending string of short-lived relationships, Dave never experienced anything that could be described as "romantic attraction." When his classmates -- including Ben -- demanded to know whether he was gay or straight, he replied that he wasn't anything at all. This only made the other students more curious and more prone to starting rumours. Ben, on the other hand, simply said that although he himself was still skeptical, Dave ought to just go ahead and do whatever he felt like doing and to MegaBlokLand with the opinions of others.
In 2003, letters and telephone calls from Sarah abruptly stopped without explanation. Dave's parents attempted to find out from her school what had happened. The boarding school officials assured them that no harm had befallen their daughter, but refused to say more. Within a few weeks, the O'Neals received a government form letter informing them that Sarah had been selected for important work of an undisclosable nature, and that for her safety as well as their own, they should "forget they ever knew Sarah O'Neal." A pall fell over the family and they resolved to tell no one of this enigma.
The same year, Ben Shiller graduated and later left town. Between the disappearance of his sister and the absence of his friend, Dave lost his enthusiasm for practical joking and instead threw himself into his studies. His grades, already above average, rose to excellent, and he began applying to various engineering schools, eventually selecting a mid-sized university in the midwest. He also acquired a rattling old scrap-heap of a car and fixed it up in his spare time.
Further education and other exploits[]
Late in the night after O'Neal's graduation ceremony, Ben Shiller showed up at his door, having washed out of basic training and at his wits' end. The two made up a plan on the spot to help Shiller bounce back, and in the first hours of the new day, Dave packed a bag, grabbed most of the money he'd received in graduation presents, left a short explanatory note for his parents, and topped up the fuel in his old car with gasoline from the lawnmower. Three hours before dawn, O'Neal and Shiller set out, intending to drive wherever the road took them.
After a few weeks of traveling, they were interrupted when Evil Ogel attempted to freeze the planet. However, since the primary battlegrounds between Ogel's forces and Alpha Team were the poles and the deserts, O'Neal and Shiller simply bought coats at a thrift store, put snow chains on the tires of the car, and continued on their way.
Early in the fall, they reached the west coast of LEGOLAND, where the car broke down. Because the necessary repairs would have cost more than the price of another vehicle, they sold the car for scrap and used the money to buy train tickets back across the country. O'Neal disembarked in the midwestern city where he had enrolled in engineering school, as his first semester was about to begin anyway. His parents were still more than a little irritated when they drove out with the rest of his belongings, but when he explained the situation in greater detail they were somewhat mollified.
The university atmosphere, at least amongst the undergraduates, was even more focused on romantic relationships (and...casual variations thereupon) than tech school had been, and as a result O'Neal often had trouble relating to his peers; although he had a nunmber of friendly acquaintances, he had few genuine friends.
In 2009, O'Neal graduated with a major in electrical engineering, and decided to take a year off to try and regain some footing financially before enrolling in the university's post-graduate program.
The Dino Attack begins[]
When mutant dinosaurs began appearing across the globe in the Dino Attack, O'Neal was evacuated to Antarctica with most of the population, but volunteered for the newly-formed Dino Attack Team at his earliest opportunity, joining under the codename "Hotwire." On his first day back in LEGO City, he met Rex, who was a Standard agent at the time but was already being considered for promotion to Elite status.
Hotwire was quickly selected by Elite Agent Swerve as part of a squad for an assignment monitoring the movements of dinosaurs up in the mountain range just inland of the city. It was then that Hotwire discovered that the reason for Sarah's disappearance was that she had been recruited by Alpha Team.
The squad, consisting of Swerve, Talon (Sarah O'Neal), Hotwire, and a Standard agent called Spectrum, departed for the mountains in Swerve's Iron Predator, hauling along a pair of Steel Sprinters. Their radio link to Dino Attack Headquarters went dead after a day. Hotwire attempted to repair it, but was unable to get it to work for more than a few minutes at a time. (It was later discovered that the signal failure was the work of Loop) During one of these brief windows, they were able to establish contact with HQ, and were ordered to continue their mission.
On the eighth day, they spotted hordes of mutant dinos heading for the town of Mt. Bricklake. Swerve ordered Talon and Hotwire to stay at the camp and try to get word through to headquarters, while he and Spectrum set off to warn the town on the Steel Sprinters, as some of the mountain passes were too narrow for the IP.
Just less than an hour later, Spectrum returned to the camp alone, explaining that a rockfall had separated him from Swerve, and that Swerve had ordered them to return to headquarters to try to get help. The three of them boarded the Iron Predator and sped down the mountain. Unfortunately, they were noticed by several packs of dinosaurs, who broke off from the main army and gave chase. A Mutant Lizard was able to leap aboard, mauling Talon and pulling her overboard. Hotwire tried to get Spectrum to stop and go back, but the latter insisted that Talon was beyond aid. After being cornered by a pack of raptors, from which they barely escaped, they finally made it back.
They returned to the city in the aftermath of Agent Kotua's acts of Maelstrom-fueled insanity. Because of the destruction of the original DAHQ, records had been compromise and thus both Hotwire and Spectrum were unaware of recent events. Hotwire was promoted from Rookie Agent to Standard Agent, and Spectrum from Standard to Elite.
Fighting against ShadowTech[]
One of the first things Hotwire did upon his return was add repulsorlift turbines, provided to DA by Alpha Team but largely unused, to the underside of his newly-issued Fire Hammer, and -- in light of his recent experience with Mutant Raptors -- a concealed Cosmotronic Ray next to one of the headlights.
Soon after leaving HQ on patrol, he was attacked by a group of dinos, and received aid from Kotua, who had recently returned to his senses. While making their escape, they were also pursued by a black Fire Hammer.
Kotua told Hotwire to "convince DA" -- meaning, of course, convince Dino Attack that he was no longer evil -- but Hotwire, not knowing what he meant, thought Kotua was referring to the black vehicles somehow. Kotua was quickly captured by the people in black before he could explain himself, and Hotwire tried to find him, briefly encountering a street gang which idolized mutant raptors. He caught up with Kotua, who had escaped, and then they were both captured. Kotua discovered that the people in black were known as ShadowTech, while Hotwire was imprisoned in a maze in which Kotua had previously been held. Wandering through the maze, he encountered a mysterious woman calling herself Kat. Though they'd only just met -- and despite the fact that, as it turned out, she'd worked for ShadowTech -- something about her seemed trustworthy, and they joined forces in order to escape from the maze. Her previous employment proved irrelevant, as she was very clearly committed to the same cause as the DA team
The two found Hotwire's own Fire Hammer in the ShadowTech garage, where it had been painted black. They left, and saved a new DA agent, Blade, from a pack of raptors. Hotwire and Kat remained at a DA outpost removing the black paint from the Fire Hammer, while Blade left and joined Kotua and Databoard. Later, while tracking them, Hotwire was captured by ShadowTech once again. He was rescued by Databoard and Kat, in Data's T-1 Typhoon.
Having reobtained his Fire Hammer, the next big problem Hotwire was forced to help confront was a monstrous mech known as the AD Machine, controlled by ShadowTech. The battle was won with the help of the DA airships Voltage and Iron Hammer, but then the Agents Defense Organization joined the fight - against Dino Attack. Hotwire, speeding off for reinforcements, hit a pothole and crashed.
The Agents found him and, as a way of spiting the Dino Attack Team -- and, by extension, Alpha Team -- sent him to the refugee facilities in Atarctica. Once he had recovered from the injuries he'd sustained in the crash, Hotwire attempted to leave and rejoin the DA Team. However, due to the continuing state of emergency, it took over a month to finally get through the mess of bureaucracy and gain clearance.
At last Hotwire was returned to Dino Attack, where his Fire Hammer had been recovered, and he was sent on a new mission: to help stabilize the Goo Caverns.
Mission to the Goo Caverns[]
Hotwire upon his return from Antarctica
On a ferry en route to the Goo Caverns, Hotwire was attacked by an amphibious breed of mutant lizards. He and the barge pilot, Bart "Helmie" Helmutson, were rescued by Rex and Greybeard, who were also on their way to the Caverns in a T-1. They stopped again to save a half-drowned Zyra, who had been adrift for hours. When they reached Ogel's Island in search of the Trouble Train, they were joined by three more DA agents: David Norman, Alpha, and Zenna. They found Kat in the jungles, having been stranded there by Agent Cane, and on their way up the volcano to Ogel's HQ, Agents Reptile and Tail joined them as well after their T-1 was shot down.
Soon after arrival in the Goo Caverns, Hotwire discovered a cave full of mutant dino eggs, following the discovery by agent Sauro-Hunter that some mutant dinos could reproduce. He worked in a squad with Sauro, Aravis, and Alpha. Later, along with Reptile and Shark, he helped save Helmie, Greybeard, Tail, Zyra, Zorikk, and Epsilon from a cave-in.
After the battle in Quadrant 14, he escaped with the others via the Trouble Sub.
The Search for Kat[]
Upon returning to HQ, Hotwire acquired a T-1 of his own, which he customized, and christened the Talon in memory of his sister. He left, assisted by B and Crooks, to search for Kat, who had been captured by Cane.
With some aid from AT Agent Mort, they tracked Cane to LEGO City Airport, where they lost the trail. Mort left, and the three DA agents departed for Lego Island, as Hotwire had promised Specs. However, they discovered that Cane had planted a homing device on B's shirt collar, and Hotwire was able to reverse the signal, allowing them to learn Cane's location.
As the traveled toward the island, they found themselves racing against a horde of Dr. Wolf's hybrids, which reached the island just before them, and attacked. From their vantage point in the Talon, they spotted Kat in a courtyard, and rescued her using the winch. They then left for LEGO Island.
LEGO Island[]
Upon arrival, Kat disembarked, and the Talon arrived at the Radio Station just in time to help Rex, Reptile, and several others, who had found the Constructopedia, but were trapped inside. Hotwire stayed in the area to hold off mutant Pteranadons while the agents in the Radio Station set off for Space Mountain. Soon after, he reunited with Kat, who had been with Sauro, Aravis, Spino, and their tamed dinosaurs , and brought her on board the Talon. They next encountered Agent X, and were captured by a pair of Skr-Ok Vikings. X freed them, and they left to join the battle at Space Mountain.
When Kat spotted one of the Inferno henchmen who had framed her for murder, she and Hotwire left the battle to track him down. He managed to get on board after the Brickspider Bot deconstructed LEGO Island itself, and knocked Hotwire out, but not before introducing himself to the DA agent as Loop. When Hotwire awoke, Loop was gone, but had shot Kat dead before he left.
The Hunt for Loop[]
Hotwire, deeply affected by the loss of the woman who'd quickly become his closest friend, swore he would track Loop down and avenge her death. With some help from ADO Corporal Yena, he and B tracked Loop to the remains of the ShadowTech island. He suddenly attacked the two Dino Attack agents, in a state of fury beyond anything imaginable. Hotwire and B, sensing that the fight was futile, retreated back toward the Talon. Loop managed to hit Hotwire with one of his lightning bolts, and Hotwire was plunged into unconsciousness.
Meanwhile, B attempted to start up the Talon to take Loop down, but it engaged on its own. Hotwire came to just in time to share in the discovery that Kat was in fact still alive, having preserved her consciousness in Hotwire's PDA, and now transferred to the Talon itself. They returned to LEGO City, only to be captured by several extreme realist Dino Attack agents in support of O'Cozy. Kat, using the Talon, broke through the wall to get them out. Hotwire escaped along with a realist rookie agent in over his head, while B found that another one of the realists was actually Zapper, and left in pursuit.
Hotwire and Tracer traveled to the newly-reconstructed LEGO Island, arriving just after the Hybrids turned. They landed on the roof of the hospital, where they brought Septimus, Amanda Claw, and a severely injured Rex on board for transport back to LEGO City.
Adventurers' Island Mission[]
Upon learning of his paralysis, Rex handed over the command of the coming mission to Hotwire and Reptile. They were to lead DA forces to Adventurers' Island in order to find and neutralize a temple which was the primary source of the Maelstrom on the planet, and was used extensively by XERRD, the organization behind the Dino Attack.
However, when an emergency landing in the island's jungles caused mechanical problems with the Talon, Hotwire was separated from the rest of the team. Rex, Amanda, Chompy, and Tracer, who had flown with him, departed on foot, with Rex riding on Chompy's back, to rejoin the others wile Hotwire stayed behind to make the necessary repairs.
When the repairs were finished, he reunited with the team as they were preparing to infiltrate and attack a XERRD fortress in the hope of learning which of the island's many temples was the one which contained the Maelstrom. They were able to narrow it down to the Temple of Imagination and the Temple of Pharaoh Hotep III. However, during the assault, a new recruit named Zachary was infected with the Maelstrom and transformed into a Stromling. Reptile went missing, and Hotwire proceeded to officially turn the command over to Semick, who had already become a de-facto leader of sorts.
Over the next week or so, the team attempted to move all their forces closer to the two temples in question, but were constantly harassed by Mutant Dinos and Stromling spies. Hotwire discovered that Loop had returned, apparently infected by the Maelstrom himself. The Inferno agent claimed that when he next appeared, Kat would join him.
During a planning meeting, an agent named Zelda was revealed to be a Stromling. In the fight that ensued between Zelda and the agents present, including Hotwire, Tracer, Dr. Cyborg, Nazareno, and Vinyaya, Tracer was fatally shot, and Hotwire received a cut to the shin that became infected with the Maelstrom. Before the infection could spread, he shot his leg with Vinyaya's blaster. The weapon all but severed his leg below the knee, so there was nothing the medics could do but remove it completely.
Since the incidents with Kat, Hotwire had put a great deal of thought into the line between humanity and machine, and so declined a mechanical replacement limb in favor of a simple metal prosthetic. At the same time, Loop snuck aboard the Talon, which departed.
It was determined that the Temple of Hotep III was the location of the Maelstrom, and the team began to move out. Once they had reached the temple and set up a perimeter, the Talon returned. It was revealed that "Kat" was simply an elaborate disguise for Katerina Schattenberg, the founder of ShadowTech, who had now returned along with an apparently subservient Loop and several other synthetic minifigs of similar appearance. Katerina claimed that the sythfigs would be an invaluable weapon against the Maelstrom.
During the battle that followed, Zachary was saved through the actions of Minerva and Andrew. ADO squads, led by Osprey and Thaddeus Brickhouse, and accompanied by DA Agent Helm, arrived as reinforcements, but several of the Agents turned out to be Stromling spies as well. Two of these Stromlings caused the Talon to crash. Hotwire and Helm narrowly escaped.
The squad who'd entered the temple discovered that it was a red herring; the true Maelstrom Temple was the Temple of Imagination. The team's forces raggedly regrouped at the Imagination Temple.
After a dispute with a newly-arrived mercenary known as Trigger, Hotwire collapsed due to the strain on his body over the course of the day, following the loss of his leg. Osprey administered first aid, and soon after, Hotwire, feeling better, entered the temple along with Hertz and Helm.
In the main chamber, the Darkitect revealed himself and attempted to attack agents with their worst fears; Hotwire was confronted by an illusion of Swerve and Talon, berating him for his failures on their reconnaissance mission. However, when Pterisa distracted the Darkitect for a moment, the illusion faltered and Hotwire was able to break free.
After the temple was cleansed, thanks to the brave actions of Frank Einstein and Kate Bishop, Hotwire returned to LEGO City on a T-1 with Helm and Septimus.
The hunt for the mole[]
Upon his return to DAHQ, he was shocked and overjoyed to find the Shiller had joined the team as well, along with his romantic partner Wright. They caught up on old times, but they were interrupted by the announcement that a mole planted ion the team by XERRD was killing agents in the base. Hotwire's suspicions were raised when Trigger and the mercenary's friend Snake slipped out of the mess hall. He followed the two men, along with Wright and Shiller, and caught them in the act of trying to kill Amanda Claw. He then ordered Shiller and Wright to shadow Trigger until the debacle was over.
Soon after, he found himself among a group of agents attempting to subdue Agents Pyro and Demoman, who had set a room on fire and rigged a room with explosives, respectively.
Hotwire was then approached by Katerina, who informed him that Loop had infiltrated the base as well. He helped her find the rogue synthfig, but Loop turned against her completely and erased her mind using electricity. He also revealed to Hotwire that Septimus was in fact Swerve; Loop had mutated him using a Mind-Control Orb that he stole while fighting in Ogel's Army in 2008.
Swerve, fortunately, was able to break away from Loop's control and shot the synthfig dead before carrying Hotwire and Katerina to the medical wing.
As it turned out, Kat's mind was still intact, so she was able to return to consciousness. At the same time, the mole was captured and killed, and Dr. Rex's attack plan for the following day was revealed.
Hotwire, Kat, Shiller, and Wright took this as possibly their last opportunity to relax, and spent a couple of hours in the Rec Room before gearing up for the coming battle. Wright questioned Hotwire about his apparent lack of romantic attraction, but fortunately accepted his explanation.
Shortly thereafter, Hotwire's old Fire Hammer, which had been salvaged by the Aqua Raiders, was returned to HQ. Hotwire spent the rest of the night with Kat, fixing it up. They gave the repaired vehicle to Helm, who christened it Tracer's Vindication.
The final battle[]
Hotwire and Kat themselves manned a T-1 piloted by Agent Larson, which, for the sake of morale, they named the Talon II. As it turned out, Katerina's consciousness still existed within Kat's mind, and Katerina suddenly took over. She jumped out of the T-1 to confron Dr. Rex, which unfortunately only made matters worse.
Per Specs's orders, Hotwire joined the other Elite Agents inside DAHQ to try to repair the Einstein Device.
Abilities and traits[]
Hotwire thinks almost exclusively in the present; past events do not enter his mind unless they are directly connected to current events. He also has some difficulty thinking ahead, making him a rather poor strategist. He is very skilled with electronics, specifically hardware. He also has a working knowledge of mechanical engineering. Experiences over the course of the war have honed his reflexes considerably.
Hotwire is good-natured and agreeable, but his fierce loyalty to friends and comrades often leads to contempt and outright hostility toward even allies whom he feels have wronged or slighted said friends.
Trivia[]
- Hotwire is Jackson Lake's primary character in Dino Attack RPG.
- Hotwire is an aromantic asexual.
- Hotwire's birthday is 19 August. This is Jackson Lake's half-birthday.
- Hotwire was promoted to the rank of Elite Agent during the Goo Caverns mission; specifically, after BZPower.com's "Time Slip," in which six months' worth of posts were lost due to a database crash.