Seraph Darkfire
King of the Underworld
[ Alexander Alfaise | 18 | Chaotic Good]
Alexander Alfaise (Alias(es))
Personality
Alex is generally fairly easy to get along with due to a fairly relaxed, amiable attitude. He normally can resolve conflicts with a few jokes instead of throwing fists, but he isn't opposed to watching a brawl when one breaks out. One might call Alex a thrill-seeker. He often does things--going as far as breaking the law--just for fun. Some might call his attitude immature, but he generally shrugs it off as busy-bodies that only get a spine when they're given instructions. In fact, Alex is often considered a liability even by other thugs in his gang.
While he may not start a fight or get people stabbed, his impulsive nature has led to a handful of heists and robberies for things such as the newest game or a jacket he just really wanted right then. Even in a fight, he treats it more like a game. His youthful stamina and spatial awareness keep him out of harm's way for the most part. The only time he considers a fight really dangerous is when he's pissed off someone he knows full and well could bring him down. That said, there are plenty of people like that and growing up with his attitude, he's learned to keep people at a good distance.
While he may be the life of a party, he has very few people he truly relies on and considers even most of his fellow thugs working under the same guys to be a potential knife in the back. Trust is earned with Alex, and that is normally something one can only achieve by enduring through his impish nature.
Alex is an artistic soul. The only time he does become serious or draws the line and is ready to start a fight is over his creations: graffiti, sketches, paintings, tattoos, even. He is good with his hands and even better at taking his sometimes fanciful ideas and making them a reality. Often, he is the one tagging walls and at times his tags are creative enough to be considered murals. His father began using him to 'brand' members of their gang with tattoos due to the high quality of them, meaning Alex has virtually seen the faces of everyone in his nearby group.
This ties into his other unique skillset of reading people. Alex is a very empathetic soul. In fact, he often alters tattoos to fit the person he is putting them on only for them to be astounded by the change. Time and time again, people have told him "do you, bro" and loved the results--and, that is in part because of how well Alex got to know them in their brief exchange. One might call it a 'cold read', Alex just calls it a normal day.
This same skill has made Alex notorious for picking up shallow girls or impressing streetwise con artists. His friends know when he is bullshitting people, but to most, it comes too naturally to tell. In part, it's this part of his attitude that has probably kept him from getting left in a ditch up to this point. His father has taken up using this in conjunction with the fact he tattoos almost all of his men to get a good feel for who is trustworthy and just who is trash.
Alex has successfully picked out snitches and rats in the past on gut instinct, although it's not exactly impossible for him to be wrong. Nonetheless, Alex at core is a man of art, empathy and just a little too much impulse.
History
Parent(s): Kalem Alfaise, Alicia Alfaise (formerly Talen)
Kalem Alfaise was once a minor thug of the criminal organization Oblivion Front, before it was taken down by the Hero Gunfire. After Oblivion Front was taken down, Kalem moved to Star City where he began to take work as a thug for hire. Basically, he would take on money for various organizations without actually being a part of them. He actually worked up a small organization of his own with old friends from Oblivion. After a few years in Star City, he'd become well known and eventually fell in love with bar owner Alicia Talen.Their romance was quick to bloom, but slow to wither. After some time, Alicia became pregnant and this led to them getting married, though with some reluctance from Kalem. When Alexander was born, life became more difficult for Kalem, he now had to take care of three people instead of himself. He somehow was able to work through it and, as Alexander grew older, he found a use for his son.
Alex became a runner, carrying drugs, weapons, tools, whatever was needed from his father. Alex met new people on a daily basis. He quickly found that people liked an upbeat, interesting person more than a tired child. He began to smile more and crack jokes, quickly becoming on friendly terms with the clients.
When he wasn't working, he found a pastime in observing the artwork splayed across the city. It began with graffiti, but he quickly noticed that even people had artwork on their bodies, even his parents. As his father's own gang grew, so did his interest with art. He was taught to use a tattoo machine by his mother and practiced his designs on anyone who would accept it.
The adults around him would often let down their guard when speaking to him, letting him figure out their personalities quickly. When he was thirteen, he found that if you knew what someone was thinking, it was easy to manipulate them. It was this skill that got him and his friends into clubs and warned him when someone wasn't going to pay for their delivery.
With this skill, he was able to grow in importance in his father's gang, a confidant to many and a danger to snitches and would be traitors.
Alex's ability chose to reveal itself one day when he was tattooing his father. His hand moved of it's own accord and drew a symbol that looked very much like the letter Y. It was unusual but Kalem had long grown used to his son's whims and had thought nothing of it.
A few months later Kalem, and a few members of the gang were caught by ambush and gunned down. Kalem later recalled that flashes of light appeared and when it was over, he was perfectly fine.
When he later returned home he informed his wife of the events and despite insistence that he was fine, she demanded to check his body for unnoticed wounds. When she was done she pointed out that, while he was fine, he was missing a tattoo.
Kalem was naturally confused and spoke with Alex, ensuring that this was indeed the same spot he'd tattooed before. Out of curiosity, Kalem requested that Alex reapply the previous tattoo.
The result was more than expected. Shortly after finishing, Alex began writhing in pain. Examining his body revealed that he now possessed the same tattoo as his father.
After Alcatraz
When the events of Alcatraz occurred, many criminals were excited at the failure of the League. Alex's father took the opportunity to quickly begin expanding his gang, using Alex's gifts to his advantage. Alex had never considered the fact they would be harming people.
Sometimes Alex was on site to renew tattoos that had been used up, meaning that he was around when those he'd grown up with, did things he'd never seen them do before. He quickly came to the realization that his friends, allies, and even his own father, were not good people.
He was able to rationalize at first, bad people killing bad people was alright. But innocent bystanders were soon involved. It wasn't just adults either, Alex saw children die.
Alex felt crushed by the weight of his own responsibility, struggling to keep his sanity. He couldn't get a grasp of right or wrong, good and bad. Then he made a decision. He was aware that he was capable of creating more dangerous tattoos and chose not to share that information with his father.
He did his best to help those who needed it, using his tattoos to protect those he saw as innocent. His father wasn't happy about it, but as he wasn't directly harming the gang, Alex was allowed to do as he pleased.
It wasn't enough, Alex knew this. No matter the number of people he helped, his father was just going to continue using his abilities to cause more harm.
With the sudden increase of super powered gang members, the new League took an interest in Kalem and when they found him, they also found the reason for the super powers. Alex was initially detained and Waller made a judgement call. Alex could either take this chance to walk a better path or he could serve out a life sentence in prison as an accomplice to murder.
Abilities
Alexander can use magic in a very interesting way. He himself doesn't know how he gained these powers, or whether he had them all along, but he does know how to use them and he knows their individual effects.
Runic Tattoos: Using any Tattoo machine, Alexander is capable of inscribing a particular magic rune onto himself or others. He is currently capable of inscribing five runes, each bestowing a magical gift upon the recipient. The process of receiving these tattoos is painful, the degree of pain decided by how detailed he makes the tattoo, to a certain limit. The pain, as described by others, ranges from "I pricked my finger" to "Child Birth"
Runes can be activated through the user's will. Focusing one's will on the tattoo will activate the ability. May require mental training to activate the rune quickly when needed.
- Rune of Uruz: This rune gifts the recipient with increased strength and durability. One with this rune can hit harder and receive more damage before being taken down.
- Rune of Sowelu: This rune is primarily a healing one. Depending on how well it is placed, it is even capable of healing nearly fatal wounds. When activated, the rune will continue to work until it has been deactivated or the wounds are healed. It cannot heal scars or already healed wounds. Missing limbs can be healed if the wound is fresh and reattached.
- Rune of Ehwaz: This rune bestows a large boost in physical speed, as well as an increased stamina to match. One with this rune can dominate the combat area in speed alone and rarely run out of energy to keep moving.
- Rune of Algiz: This rune bestows upon it's recipient protection in the form of a thin, invisible shield that covers the entirety of their person. It is not extended to things not part of a person's body. This shield will defend against a wide variety of damage, both magical and physical. The larger the damage received, the less time the rune remains.
- Rune of Gebo: This rune must be placed on two people to work. When placed, the rune will connect the two on a spiritual level. Over time, the two people will be able to share thoughts and senses. When mastered, two will be able to fight as one. Mirror Runic Drawing is overridden when the second recipient isn't Alex.
Mirror Runic Drawing: Any rune placed by Alex is also equally placed on himself. Doing this, Alex also receives an equal amount of pain as his recipient after the rune is finished. If a rune were to cover up a pre-existing rune, the Runic Mirroring will fail.
Runic Synergy: A quantitative power, one where the more Tattoos Alex possesses on his body, the more formidable he becomes as each rune gains more magical power from the runes before it.
Weaknesses
Runic Weakening: The Runes do not use the strength of the recipient. They are only temporary. Every use weakens the rune, causing it to slowly fade over time. The effect never weakens, but it is possible for it to simply vanish in the middle of an event.
Burnout: Alex is placing the runes using his own magic, constant application will eventually cause him to Burnout, preventing him from using any magic for a time.
Anti-Magic: Anything possessing the capability of canceling out magic can disable the effects of the runes, though the tattoos won't disappear unless directly affected. Some beings may be adversely affected by magic if they are allergic to it.
One Rune Limitation: While capable of inscribing all runes on himself easily, Alex is incapable of providing multiple runes to others. One rune per person. If he attempts to add multiple runes, only the last rune applied remains.
Runic Fallacy: Alex is incapable of directly placing runes on himself. Even if he attempts to do so, he receives no benefit. Only by placing runes on others and using his Mirror Runic Drawing can he receive the same benefit as others.
Equipment
Portable Tattoo machine: Alex carries around a metal briefcase in which he has all of his tattoo equipment. While time may not allow for Alex to place a tattoo in the middle of battle, the freedom of access it gives him enables him to place a tattoo in non-critical moments.
Miscellaneous
Bench Press, max weight: 183 lbs
Weighted Squat, max weight: 176 lbs
Sit-Ups, per minute: 35
Push-Ups, per minute: 26
Pull-Ups, per minute: 9
Punches to bag, per minute: 75
100-meter dash, timed: 11:53
1-Mile run, timed: 8:22
Jab, total force: 55 lbs of force/pressure
Side kick, total force: 121 lbs of force
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