CONDUCT OF iHERO & GATE(H)Keepers
There is a code of conduct all iHero and GATEKeeper employees must follow. Confidentiality is key to keep everyone smiling. All identities of current and past heroes (and villains) will not be made public by any means. No Evo within iHero is allowed to disclose their involvement in the program to anyone. Only an Evo's assigned emergency contact is the only one allowed to know said disclosed information. All family members will not be disclosed of a relative's involvement. All Evos involved in iHero are given decoy and dummy careers to hide suspicion from the outside public.
Heroism from both parties must be conducted while on shift and in uniform. There are repercussions in heroism off the clock including: a fine, suspension, certain liberties being revoked, and a pay cut. All citizens, Evo or otherwise, have the right to refuse help from an iHero hero. Killing within iHero takes on several forms with punishment to fit the situation. There are warrants in which GATE and the pertaining country is no match for the Evo in question. An instant death penalty can be applied in those situations. "Dead or alive" also applies to similar warrants but is heavily preferred that the Evo in question is detained instead of terminated. Outside of that, death is not tolerated. An investigation is launched if it occurs to assess and take action properly.
If it pertains to the death of an iHero hero or villain, there are several ways the situation can be handled. Depending on what is discovered, it can be concluded as an accident, an act of self defense (if they have shown that they went rogue), manslaughter, or first degree murder. If a real criminal/villain and vigilante is involved, a warrant is issued for their arrest. If another iHero employee is involved, they pay severe penalties and could face termination in their career, jail time, and/or execution. If an unwarranted death occurs with a vigilante hero or real villain/criminal, similar punishments occur with termination of career being the most severe. The case is quickly handled and swept under the rug due to the parties involved.
While the iHero hero/villain is in character (i.e their alter ego), they are required to either be in full costume or a mask to conceal their identity. It is common for heroes of iHero to receive endorsement deals from other companies, model for products, and make guest appearances in all sorts of media outlets. They are on par with celebrities and must retain their real identities as much as possible. Heroes must be on their best behavior. Any act they commit reflects on GATEKeeper and iHero. Supervillains of iHero must be discreet. Majority of the time, they are tasked with undercover work and recon. They have a secondary mask that is different from their normal attire, making it easy for them to conduct in certain situations. They may not get the same treatment as superheroes but have the luxury of staying out of the limelight when things don't go their way.
iHERO PLAYERS: HEROES & VILLAINS
The players of iHero have captivated the public for over a decade. Many famous and obscure heroes have come together to inspire hope and justice. However, iHero isn't just a group of heroes but a corporation built to supply the demand of the "hero craze" to the general public. From selling merchandise with the heroes' images and to putting them in all sorts of advertisements, the idea of a hero has become a monopolized business. Some have grown a distaste for the idea of commercializing heroes, believing that the true intentions have long since been tainted. A few have compared this idea to selling out and becoming the "comic book superheroes" that the Evos have fought hard to combat since the Superman Reformation Act. If it wasn't for iHero, however, many countries' economic problems wouldn't be fixed.
A hero's main job is to protect the public. From assisting the country's authority and to stopping crimes in progress, the work of a hero seems endless. But, where's the entertainment? The pazaz to attract an audience? That's where the "criminals" that refer themselves as villains step in the picture. Whatever caused them to take on a life of crime is vast… in the public eye. The truth about these villains is something far more simple. They were hired by iHero. The biggest secret about iHero is that a lot of the famous fights between heroes and villains is, in fact, staged. They merel cause collateral damage in these battles to stir up new jobs, settle claims, and sell merchandise. All of the employees of iHero and GATE(H)Keeper is in the know about this information. So far, attempts to keep this information away from the public has been widely successful.
Heroes are on par with famous stars in terms of celebrity status. They are regularly talked about in entertainment news and seen at many events worldwide. It's common for the paparazzi to stake out different workplaces and areas that known heroes frequent. Gossip is the common norm for, both, heroes and villains to endure. There are information, however, that's created by the people of iHero themselves. One of the most important departments in iHero is none other than the Script Department. Along with creating fight scenarios for the heroes and villains, they pick and pull what kind of information to leak and build on for the public to follow. It's commonplace for sponsors to push the players in using some pieces outside of their iHero persona in the Script Department such as wedding announcements (with misleading information, vague remarks, or creating a rumor) and "gossip" (such as the activities of a player being stretched and pulled until the truth comes out).
Both heroes and villains have roles to play in commercial businesses. Heroes regularly advertise their sponsored company. Their uniforms usually have the sponsor's logo in plain sight. It's common to see their image in advertisements and in fashion spreads. Interviews on talk shows and conferences is the regular norm for heroes. Heroes even receive "swag" from the different companies they end up working for such as free clothing and food. Villains, on the other hand, hide in plain sight. They put on additional roles as models and actors, taking on jobs like the heroes to advertise, model, and appear in all sorts of media outlets. However, they don't use their "iHero Persona" and use these jobs as a cover for their main occupation.
The biggest skill of an iHero hero and villain ISN'T their powers but their acting skills. If they can "sell" their iHero Persona, their careers will last a long time. Many of the players differ from their iHero Persona. Players that play villain typically aren't bad people, and players that play heroes aren't all that "heroic." On top of that, the clash of rivalry can be an act. Heroes and villains that may despise one another on tv can easily be friends outside of their iHero Persona.
iHERO FACILITY
The North Eastern main GATE(H)Keeper facility and North Eastern region of iHero is located in Lower Manhattan's Financial District. With major reconstruction of the area after 9/11, the original headquarters was quaint and tucked in between the buildings of giant moguls. Most would miss the headquarters entirely with how small their sign was. The majority of their facility was used for office space. Anything that was needed outside of bureaucracy happened offsite. The attempts in maintaining the tiny government agency was difficult thanks to the scandals and funding cuts. When iHero was created, however, there was a complete turnover. Within five years, just about the entire block GATEKeeper HQ was surrounded by was bought and decimated in order to create the ultimate symbol of Evos.
In 2016, the massive skyscraper of the new GATEKeeper building opened to the general public. iHero made its home within the structure, slowly assimilating into one of the agency's branch government along with other areas such as:
- registration and processing of new Evos
- regulating and enforcing GATE and the the laws country they resides in
- universal health to all registered Evos and their families
- training and education of powers for registered Evos and their families
- job placement, scholastic programs, and vocational training of all GATEKeeper and iHero employees
- counter terrorism programs
- funding to research facilities that pertain to the subject of Evos
- bureaucracy of human/super relationships
The lobby, west wing, and the second floor is open to the general public. The second floor is created as a museum dedicated to the history of supers along with showcasing famous superheroes and infamous villains of the past. In the west wing are several massive auditoriums and soundproofed rooms where media outlets are allowed to broadcast and report information given by Evos and official figures of GATEKeeper. Elevators in the lobby are restricted to the public and can only be accessed by employees of GATEKEEPER and iHero only. A keycard grants access to the elevator and a fingerprint grants access to all the floors of the building (by pressing a floor button on the elevator; it's both a button and a fingerprint scanner).