Lucem
Ten Thousand Club
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Name:
Cyrus Grayson
Age
15
Gender
Male
Appearance Notes
Eyes: Cyan
Hair: A darker shade of blue with noticeable gray areas.
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 115 lbs
Personality
His abilities a perfect fit, Cyrus is a cold person that is not keen on making nice with those around him. He is generally indifferent to all that approach him and has no intention of forming any sort of relationship, whether they be positive or negative. He has an overall lack of interest in any people or events that are not associated with his goals. However, anything that is involved with the objectives he has his sight set upon can cause him to change at the flip of a switch.
The person that is usually consumed by apathy is an entirely different person when he becomes focused on his mission. The young man becomes extremely driven and will not rest until whatever he has set out to do has been accomplished. Even when not directly on the field, his determination remains.
If presented with the opportunity to gain information or anything else of use to him, Cyrus retains his indestructible will. He refuses to let anything get in his way, no matter what it may be. If it is a physical injury or weakness, he will force himself to push past his limits and move forward. If the obstacle is in the form of a person, Cyrus will not hesitate to eliminate them to prevent interference. All obstructions will be dealt with, regardless of what they may be.
While Cyrus is usually calm and collected, he is not incapable of feeling annoyance. If someone constantly gets in his way, he will become increasingly aggravated to the point where he will become more aggressive in both his fighting style and speech. However, this does not compare to when he experiences true rage.
It is not easy for Cyrus to become angered, contrasting from simple annoyance. In this situation, the youth loses all control over his actions and gives into the feelings of hate and anger. He will not hold anything back and will become consumed by bloodlust. Murder is the prime objective and nothing will change that. Given this destructive nature, it is for the best that it is a very rare occasion. The trigger for this state are his memories before the mutation and words that disrespect the people he once knew.
While he may not give much thought to his actions when under the influence of his emotions, Cyrus is a naturally intuitive and highly intelligent individual. Coupled with his usual calm and collected personality, the boy is a quick thinker and uses the vast knowledge at his fingertips to his advantage. He normally calculates a detailed plan of action before diving into the thick of things, but is not handicapped if caught off-guard. If suddenly thrust into battle, his thought process will not be hampered by the rush of adrenaline.
Despite how he acts, Cyrus is a master of deception. While it may not be hard to believe the teen is gifted with a silver tongue, the disbelief comes from his ability to act like a completely different person. In order to further his goals, Cyrus is not afraid to feign innocence or take on any other persona to get what he wants. The element of surprise is essential for what he does and there is always a method of escape needed if ever pursued.
Every bit of Cyrus' personality ties in with his plans for the future, leaving a question as to what they are. As intelligent as he may be, Cyrus has become blind in regards to his own obsession. As a result of previous events, he has foolishly allowed himself to become consumed by revenge.
To obtain revenge, he will stop at nothing. Nothing is beneath him for the sake of accomplishing his goals, including murder. In fact, the act of killing is a main aspect of this vengeance. He sets out to kill and has no qualms about taking the lives of those that deserve it. Everything is for the sake of his revenge and to be more specific, two people.
In the end, Cyrus is simply a cold youth that has become consumed by his refusal to let go of the past. Everything about him is kept hidden, never divulging even the smallest of secrets. Antisocial, he is loyal to no one, but will use everyone.
Background
Cold. Ever since Cyrus could remember, that was the one feeling that always managed to stick with him. No matter where he was or what he was doing, the familiar chill would take over his entire being. Whether it was in a literal sense or referring to any sort of emotional feeling, there was always a lack of warmth.
From birth, Cyrus was set on a path where normalcy was foreign. He would never act like a normal person or be treated like one. Everything in life was abnormal, whether he realized it or not. The start of it came in the form of his own parents.
Two esteemed researchers in their respective scientific fields, the Graysons were intellectuals that both thought and acted outside of the norm. Common habits or mannerisms of the public were not shared by the couple. While they may have shared the flesh and bone of their own kind, the two acted like nothing but machines, even down to their monotone voices. Of course, they possessed the same emotional capacity of a metallic entity, never showing the signs of being under the influence of something as simple as compassion or concern.
As to why these two would come together as a man and woman is a mystery, but any possible attraction would be described as intellectual. Performing experiments and testing theories as a pair, work became more efficient and less taxing, allowing greater possibilities. One day, a particular experiment would begin after a simple thought. 'What would happen if two highly intelligent people had an offspring?' This offspring, soon to be known as Cyrus Grayson, would be doomed from the start. His entire life was nothing more than an experiment.
When Cyrus was born, there was nothing but white. The color was constant throughout his life, transitioning from the emergency room to the one within his own home. White walls and white floors, all color was absent. A decision made by his mother and father, all filth could be spotted from a mile away, defiling the pure home that was nothing more than a large lab. As for their subject, the child was the rat kept in a large cage.
As a child, Cyrus lived out a routine that had been formed to maximize the results that the elder Graysons sought. His day and night cycles were strict, never oversleeping or yearning for more rest. Meals were few, yet enough to supply sufficient nutrients to his growing body. Interaction was nonexistent. The subject could not be allowed to be contaminated by outside interference.
Unlike most children, there was no love that the young boy received. He was not tucked in at night or assured that everything would be alright by soothing voices. Even playmates were unavailable due to the conditions that were set. In his life, his only companions were books. He was bred to become a specimen that would be seen as worthy of two geniuses, forced to comply with study regimens designed for that purpose. Cyrus did not disappoint.
His entire life geared toward his rise in intellect, Cyrus yielded the results that the man and woman sought. He was gifted in academics and his intelligence rose exponentially until he was at a far greater level than a anyone his age or older. The boy was especially knowledgable in the field of science, something that his overseers had planned for. Everything was going according to plan and their subject was performing as expected. However, he was just that. He was not their son, but merely part of the experiment, his own thoughts and feelings never once considered.
While he obeyed every order and performed as instructed, Cyrus never once desired anything that his mother and father did. Their interests did not coincide and in reality, were just the opposite. He didn't want any of this.
Even at a young age, Cyrus was bored with life and found every aspect of it mundane. He wanted something that didn't have to do with the pages of text that he was required to read or the checkups that were performed to check his progress. He wanted a life that was beyond the white walls that confined him. He simply wanted to live.
While he truly desired these things, he was not yet capable of knowing that he wanted them. His entire existence had been based in his own prison, never experiencing the world outside. This life was all that he knew. However, he was not incapable of going beyond his "programming".
Required to learn about the theoretical world, Cyrus was also imbedded with the knowledge of how things worked on the outside. Many of the learning materials that pertained to these subjects contained pictures, something that always fascinated him. This led to him discovering a talent, something that was seen as irrelevant by the ones who mapped out his life. Regardless, he found it, starting with the pencil that he held in his hands.
Mimicking the pictures he saw in the books he was provided with, Cyrus began to recreate them without any real purpose. He continued to do so, a simple activity that he managed to find enjoyment in, a feeling that confused him and he wasn't able to quite understand. However, he liked this feeling and continued to draw, his mother and father unaware.
As time went by, Cyrus became a talented artist, his work hard to distinguish between fantasy and reality. However, they were to never be seen, kept to himself and nobody else. While he was still able to find enjoyment in this hobby of his, he still wanted something greater.
While the Graysons kept watch over their child, they were never truly with him. Always absent from the building that served as Cyrus' place of living, they were constantly attending meetings or conducting other experiments back at their laboratory of sorts. In truth, Cyrus was always alone, meeting with his elders on occasion to check on his progress.
With nobody to monitor him, Cyrus would one day do something that would change his entire life. The road he had been walking would come to a fork, switching over to a new path entirely. The overseers would soon lose control as the rat made a new path to escape the maze. Absentmindedly, Cyrus ventured out into the real world.
There was an open door. It had always been there, but Cyrus had been instructed to never leave the house he had grown up in. He had obeyed this rule, always having followed the laws set for him as was the norm for what he called life. However, the white rectangle was much more than a simple door. It represented an entire world he had never seen, but most of all, it represented the freedom he unknowingly craved so much. Eventually, he would give in to temptation and leave the only place he had ever known.
When he left the house that day, Cyrus would never be the same. The world he had been presented with was nothing he did not already known about, having already learned everything there was to know. However, experiencing it personally was indescribable. There was so much he had never seen with his own two eyes and everything captivated him. There was no going back.
During his ventures into the outside world, Cyrus would come across something that he found to be the most interesting and most beautiful thing he had ever witnessed. What he stood in front of was nothing more than an ordinary wall, nothing remotely fascinating about it. However, what the wall hosted was what had caught the boy's eyes.
In varying colors, a spray of sorts was engraved onto the wall, forming an elaborate design of what appeared to be the city. Amongst the buildings were birds of all sizes and every person from any social class imaginable. There was a great amount of symbolism behind the mural, but it was lost on the youth. The design itself was more than enough to put gleams of admiration into his eyes.
As he looked at the public art for what seemed like hours, he was soon approached by a rough-looking man, coat tied at his waist and the sleeveless shirt covered in the same colors that were plastered on the wall. Contrary to the man's appearance, he was very friendly, asking him if he liked the artwork he saw. Nodding yes in response, the man grew a smile on his face, seeming prideful. Revealing himself to be the artist behind the spray, the man taught Cyrus a few things out of appreciation.
It was here that Cyrus switched to a much larger canvas, transitioning from mere paper to the city itself. Provided with various cans, he was taught the underappreciated art form that was graffiti. From the first time his finger pressed down to realease the spray of bright colors, he was hooked.
Under the tutelage of the man who referred to himself as "G", Cyrus learned all he could from the street artist. In a short amount of time, he proved to be just as talented with a can as he was a pencil, creating great works of art. While the act was technically vandalism, he continued to create and learn from G.
A common issue Cyrus faced were the fumes that emitted from the cans and the residue they would leave on his person. This would prove an issue for when the time for observations came and the boy needed a way to resolve this issue. Seeing his protégé's dilemma, G offered his assistance.
Letting him in on the fact that most artists used a form of face protection, G allowed Cyrus to borrow his own set of headwear. The object was a gas mask that would keep the fumes at bay, making the situation much easier to deal with. However, the mask was merely a loan and he would soon need to find his own piece.
For months, his nightly activities continued, his mother and father remaining unaware. During this time, Cyrus and G made many works across the city, something the boy found great joy in. However, things would change when the older male suddenly announced his departure from the city for a job offer he had received at an art studio.
When G left, he gave the youngster two gifts. The first of the two gifts came in the form of knowledge. While Cyrus was a gifted artist, he always felt that his work never compared to that of G. While they were equal when it came to being aesthetically pleasing, there was an unknown factor that made the elder's work more captivating and unique. Noticing this, the said elder's advise addressed this.
When G created a new piece, he never simply created something. While there wasn't anything particularly wrong with this, true art was much deeper. Whenever he picked up a can, G didn't simply make artwork, he conveyed a message. Everything he made had a meaning behind it, whether it was obvious or not. There was a motivation that drove him to create in the first place, giving it a factor that had to be understood. Cyrus lacked this.
Cyrus needed to find something to motivate him and allow it to be shown in his art. He had the skill, but not the meaning. Despite his current lack of any real direction, G knew that the boy would eventually find it.
Aside from information, the second gift was physical. Tossed into Cyrus' hands in a crudely wrapped box, he was presented with the gas mask G had always used. The mask that was once a simple loan now belonged to him. More than a mere mask, it would be a way that connected them and would always help Cyrus remember the times they had shared together.
Months after G had left the city, Cyrus continued his activities, but had still yet to find the motivation his mentor had spoken of. Despite this, he continued to make his mark anywhere he could find, making his own stamp on the world he had been isolated from not too long ago. Unbeknownst to him, the skill he had gained from one relationship would lead to another.
Just like what had happened with him and G in the past, an older Cyrus found himself in the same position as before. However, rather than confronting the observer, it was just the opposite. Once again, someone had reached to to him as he remained isiolated, but simply in a bigger cage.
After finishing the final piece of work for that night, Cyrus had intended to return home, but encountered an obstacle. Standing in his path was a girl that appeared to be around his age, her appearance signaling that she was nervous. For what seemed like an eternity, she merely stared at him without moving an inch. Assuming that the statue-like woman would remain affixed to the ground, he attempted to move past her. However, the previously silent girl chose this time to make her move and called out to him.
At first, her voice came out in awkward mumbles, but he became able to understand shortly afterwards. Pointing to another spray he had made previously, she questioned if he was the person who had made it. Removing the mask, Cyrus reluctantly confirmed his identity as the artist. At his response, the girl's personality completely changed, shifting into a more cheery attitude with uncontainable amounts of energy.
As it would turn out, se had been observing his style for quite some time and had desired to meet the man behind the art. After observing the spots where he had remained active for the most time, she managed to finally track him down. After working up the courage to confront him, she dragged Cyrus into the situation he was in now.
Intending to leave when she had finally simmered down, Cyrus had been stopped once more. However, rather than a question like before, the girl now voiced a request. She proposed an offer for friendship. Caught of guard, he was unsure of how to respond.
In all his life, Cyrus had never participated in this social act known as friendship. His relationship with G had been somewhat different and he had always been alone before that. Now, here was some stranger that wanted to be friends with him. Despite all the knowledge he had, this confused him to no end and made him unsure.
In the end, Cyrus had never given a real answer, yet they had formed a relationship that could only be described as friendship. They would meet on occassion and talk about things that had no real meaning. While Cyrus hardly spoke at all, she did enough speaking for the both of them, proving to be a person that was hard to control. She was tactless and held no shame in her actions or words, doing whatever she felt like. However, this was what probably had drawn Cyrus to her. Before he knew it, he had been sucked into the life of this girl. Emily Leas had taken him in against his will.
In the beginning, Cyrus had no real desire to be around Emily, the girl abducting him in a way whenever she desired his company. However, as they spent more time together, he couldn't help but deny her and eventually found himself watching her every move. The way she lived her life was unlike anything he had ever seen. If Cyrus could be described as the night sky that held nothing, then Emily was the star that shined bright and lit the path he would soon follow.
As their odd relationship continued, the reluctance he held slowly began to dissipate, holding less reservations about becoming involved with her. It wasn't long before their roles reversed and he began to seek her out. Eventually, she would notice the loneliness he dealt with and took it upon herself to alleviate it by bringing him to a location she loved dearly. For the first time in his life, Cyrus attended school.
The environment he found himself in was strange. The way he had always learned was by simply reading in an isolated room, left to his own devices with designated materials. However, this place was rowdy and several of these students were crammed together as a large group. Rather than working on their own, instructors would personally teach them the material. What was considered normal was foreign to Cyrus, presented with yet another world.
At first, Cyrus was uncomfortable with visiting this place during his outings. If not for Emily's insistence, he would never have gone back every day. The environment simply did not suit him. However, as he continued to return, the setting grew on him, but more so the people within it. To be more specific, it was only one person. Emily's brother, an older sibling known as Rey, managed to make an impact on him.
Rather than the positive relationship Cyrus and Emily shared, the same could not be said for when the two males interacted. Rather than Emily's bubbly and energetic personality, Rey held a certain venom in his voice and did not approve of the younger boy spending so much time with his sister, especially when she told her brother about what he did in his spare time. With the older male's hostile attitude toward Cyrus, a new side of him was unlocked. While he found himself exasperated with his friend's antics on occassion, he would experience true annoyance for the first time upon meeting her brother.
Whenever the two friends would meet, Rey would make it a point to accompany his sister and keep an eye on the boy he found to be a bad influence. It was no secret that Cyrus shared the negative sentiment and the two constantly butted heads, leaving Emily to break up any arguments that formed. Without needing much explanation, the girl had a lot to deal with.
As more time passed, there was hardly ever a moment that Cyrus wasn't with the siblings. From the pointless conversations with Emily to the heated battles with Rey, the boy was always left exhausted and irritated. However, there was never a dull moment. Despite how they interacted with each other and their contrasting personalities, they were all friends and nothing could ever change that.
One night, Cyrus had found himself staring at a blank canvas that was in the form of one of the untouched walls in the city. Like every night, he had come to make his mark on the world. However, tonight was different. Since the day G had left, years had passed that left Cyrus to discover what the man had talked about. Now, as he stood with a fresh can in hand, fingers covered in paint, he beloved he had finally figured out what his mentor tried to tell him. He had found his meaning.
Later that night, Cyrus stared at his finished piece, not a clean spot left on the boy's body. It had been the most work he had ever put into something and he was left thoroughly exhausted. However, as he looked at the completed spray, he could say that it was worth it.
Unlike the designs he had made previously, the wall was adorned with the two figures that had become a permanent fixture in the young man's life. Both Emily and Rey had made a large impact on his life and helped him grow from the person he used to be. He wanted to convey this through the way he had been taught, finally producing something that had meaning to it.
While he would've been fine with simply making the artwork, another part of Cyrus wanted those that had inspired him to see it. Caught between both sides, he had ultimately given in to his own desires. Walking to one of the nearby payphones, Cyrus used the number Emily had provided whenever he wished to call the siblings. When the familiar voice of his friend had answered after a few rings, he had requested both of them to come to the location he stood at, wishing for them to see what he had made.
After waiting with enough excitement to power the city, Cyrus managed to see the two siblings in the distance. As he looked from their approaching forms to the mural nearby, the young man could feel himself starting to become overwhelmed by something. Since meeting Emily and Rey, he had experienced many things for the first time. As he watched them get closer with each passing second, he was having another one of those moments. This time, he was now experienced something that had alluded him his entire life. He had once felt nothing but cold, trapped in the white cage that was nothing more than a place to test the experiment conducted by his mother and father, but the chill was becoming replaced by something else. For the first time, he was feeling warmth. However, the chill would return shortly after when the sky above was overcome by a resounding burst.
It was all his fault. If he hadn't called the two of them out that day, this would've never happened. All three of the teens became a statistic in the pandemic that now threatened everyone after the explosion that occurred during the thunderstorm. If not for him, they would've been safe.
After contracting the disease, it didn't take long for his mother and father to discover all that he had been doing up until that date. In a similar situation, parents that had been disobeyed would've responded with anger or disappointment. However, with these two, there was nothing. They felt nothing towards him after discovering the truth. The reasoning behind this was simpler than what he could've expected. He wasn't their son, just a test subject. As of right now, he was nothing more than a failed experiment that had been contaminated by an unknown variable. They had no connection to him now, setting their sights upon the next.
While the three of them struggled to fight of the disease, Emily remained cheery through it all, still attempting to brighten the spirits of both her friend and her brother. Despite her best attempts, she still could not deny the horrible reality. Unlike her, both Cyrus and Rey were succumbing to the disease at a faster rate.
Cyrus' body was always cold, as if he was already a corpse. A nurse had to check on him several times a day just to make sure he hadn't died. He hardly moved and couldn't find the strength to do anything. It was highly unlikely that he would survive. However, none of that mattered. What mattered was the wellbeing of the siblings he had brought this plague upon. As long as they survived, nothing else mattered.
As more time went by, the two males continued to grow worse, but Emily remained strong. The girl would always come to them, attempting to tend to their needs when she was also afflicted. Seeing this brought Cyrus joy. He knew she would survive this, no signs pointing to her death. This disease would not bring her down. Days later, he would not be wrong, but the end result would not be as expected.
Seeing the body rolled out on the stretcher made Cyrus shiver. He couldn't understand it. Emily had been doing well throughout the entirety of their stay and it was almost guaranteed that she would be making it out of the hospital alive. There was no way the disease could've killed her. That night, Cyrus would overhear a conversation that assured him he was right, but also caused him to suffer a life-changing breakdown.
Cyrus was right about Emily not dying from the disease, but he had never considered outside interference. With the recent reports given by the media, the public had come to fear the people that survived the disease, developing strange abilities that caused them to be seen as a threat. Apparently, the fear had reached the point where even the medical staff feared for their lives and loved ones.
Overhearing a conversation in the dead of night, Cyrus learned that Emily had been killed by one of the hospital's own staff members, fearing another threat being put on the streets. Hearing this, he welled up with several feelings at once. He felt guilt, sadness, dispair, but most of all, he felt rage. If not for the people reacting to these beings, Emily would have survived.
The martial law was casing an increase in fear and an increase in the death toll, while the media made the issue worse. If only they weren't around, things could be set right. No, things could never be right. Emily had been killed and Rey had been confirmed as deceased the following morning. They were both dead and the wrong could never be corrected. However, he could make them pay. He could judge them for their deeds and get revenge for what they had done. He could rid their entire existence from the world.
With a drive for revenge in mind, Cyrus forced himself through the worst of the symptoms, refusing to suffer the same fate as his friends. If he didn't punish the ones responsible, nobody would. He had to live for their sake and he did.
Resisting the call of the grim reaper, Cyrus survived the ordeal and came out of it with newly developed abilities. However, he managed to fool the staff that had presumed the effects as they had with Emily. In their names, he would eliminate all of them. That night several member's of the hospital staff had turned up missing.
From then on, Cyrus began killing anyone involved with the military, including those in the media and corrupt medical staff. Rather than work in silence, he made his acts publicly known, striking fear into those he had his eyes set upon. Marking each scene with his own symbol, the graffi had became a calling card.
He would find a way to eliminate the presence of the military and allow the siblings to finally rest in peace. If he is to die in the process, then so be it. His body was a corpse already.
---
Ability
Cryokinesis
Limitations
-While Cyrus is highly resistant to that of cold temperatures, he can only handle a certain degree before suffering negative effects
-While he is capable of forming ice constructs at a distance, he lacks the ability to create them at a certain point
-Cyrus is able to do very little in areas with a lack of moisture, requiring an outside source of formation
Drawbacks
-Extended usage of his ability can cause stiffness in Cyrus' joints, making it difficult to move
-It is possible for Cyrus to freeze himself without being able to reverse the effect if he is unable to handle his ability
-He is forced to wear a mask on his face and clothing over areas that come into contact with other people to avoid any mishaps.
Mutation
Cyrus' body is permanently cold, heat hardly affecting his body. As a result, his skin is pale and his body responds in various ways to its temperature. For instance, his breath is constantly visible, making him easily distinguishable. For this, he uses his gas mask to provide a cover. If in a situation where the mask is unavailable, he must take very small breaths.
In addition, the cold has affected the coloring of his hair, causing patches of gray to appear.
Other
For when his abilities are unable to be used, Cyrus carries a blade within his jacket. In addition, a conduit for ice formation is brought along for emergency situations.
Pandora
