Kohl: former member of the Metropolitan Guard

Kohl Killborn is a hellion and a former member of the Metropolitan Guard. He served with Locksley as her team's demolition expert during the Hyperion Insurrection, and he numbers among her most trusted soldiers. In his human form, he's 6'2," with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Like the majority of his species, he has chartreuse colored eyes.

Locksley loves him like brother, but he only has one actual sibling. His sister, Bragha Killborn, is a detective with the Murder & Mayhem division of the Metropolitan Guard. His mother is Donateia Killborn, the commander of the entire Murder & Mayhem Division, and there is bad blood between them.

Kohl was dishonorably discharged from the Guard after he was blamed for the deaths of several civilians. He was the best explosive ordinance disposal technician with the Anti-Anarchy Division. When his commander introduced an untested new automaton built for bomb disposal, Kohl loudly objected. Bomb makers often add and/or change parts to make neutralization efforts more hazardous, and automatons aren't generally known for their ability to improvise.

His concerns proved accurate when the machine made a mistake while attempting to defuse a bomb, and several civilians died in the resulting explosion. Kohl's commander told everyone it was Kohl who had made a mistake, not the automaton, which had been conveniently destroyed in the blast.

Kohl had a reputation for insubordination, but he never took risks when it came to the safety of others. In order to clear his name, Kohl challenged his commander to a hellion duel, an ancient tradition the majority of hellions out-side the netherworld consider uncivilized. But the commander accepted his challenge, and fought dirty. He soaked his talons in a toxin before the fight. After just a few swipes, Kohl's vision blurred and his muscles were weakened. He lost the fight and was disgraced for challenging his superior. He was dishonorably discharged from the Metropolitan Guard and ex-communicated from his pride.

To add insult to injury, Kohl was brought up on formal charges. He asked his mother to bribe the judge to throw out his case. But Donateia refused. She had gotten him out of trouble before and decided it was high time he took responsibility for his actions. Unfortunately for Kohl, it was the one time he really wasn't responsible.

Kohl was found guilty. He was given the choice between hard labor in the ore mines or joining the militia to fight the invading Hyperionites. Kohl chose the militia, despite the fact it was a death sentence for most criminals, and he wound up assigned to Locksley's unit. He became a highly valued member of the team, serving as their demolition expert.

While saving one of his teammate's from a booby trap, he lost his hearing when it exploded before he could get clear. He's learned to read lips over the years, though, and uses that skill to "eavesdrop" from afar. He can also understand hand signals, which he learned from Locksley and the Kitano sisters. Like all of Auntie Cora's wards, the three girls learned the little old witch's unique sign language in order to signal and communicate with each other across crowded streets.

Despite the prevalence of mechanical innovations in all of their daily lives, Kohl is not a fan of technology. He and Chenzi are equally suspicious of the other's opinion regarding anything mechanical. He is, however, a huge fan of alcohol. He spends a fair amount of time in the clan's distillery, napping on the floor in his hellion form. The clan's house spirit, Ratchet, spends a fair amount of time in there as well, and he occasionally sleeps on Kohl's head.

Kohl is also a talented astrologist, and he believes in fate and destiny. His celestial charts are eerily accurate, and many of the Leviathan Street clan members consult him when considering important decisions. Locksley, who sneers at fate, is one of the few members who refuses to have Kohl read her stars.