| The first time he was baptized was in an old country church in Dun na nGall, by a priest who spoke more Gaelic than Latin. They used holy water then, and named him John Michael Banahan. The second time he was baptized was fourteen years later, on the floor of a pub, by his father who had more scars than teeth. They used blood and whiskey and fire then; beating him, setting him alight, and dousing him with seawater. Happy Birthday Johnny. He was a man after that, although being a Catholic man in Northern Ireland it took him four more years to find a job. He was crap at school, but a hard worker when it counted, and it never counted more than behind the Elkhorn Tavern every Friday. His friends named him Tuppence Divine, since he had a habit of winning small bets for them. Fight for them, Johnny. He learned to love Ireland, to fear God, and to never hold back. I killed his father, a hideous bastard if ever there was one, when he was seventeen, but not before I proudly watched his son win nearly every fight that found him. I took him when his mother died two years later, (which I had no part in,) and beat the ever loving crap out of him every day for six years. Learn by doing, Johnny. When he turned twenty five, I left him my fortune. Diminished though it may be these late years, it was still more money than he had ever dreamed of seeing. So what is a young millionaire to do? We do what we know. So Johnny fights. He doesn't know it, but he fights for me now. | Personality: WARRIOR SPIRIT- Have you ever seen a horse fight for its life? They bite. All that power and muscle in their legs, iron shoes nailed to their feet, and they bite with dull, flat teeth. They're deadly effective, too, in part because you don't expect it. That is exactly how Johnny fights. All improvisation and spontaneity, style without form, precision without predictability. Live in the moment, Johnny. Die in the future, but live in the moment. |
| Strength: | Superior The pinnacle of human strength. Can bench press 1000 pounds. | Agility: | Superior This fighter can dodge, weave and move with the grace of an Olympic gymnast. | Body: | Superior Hardy. Takes punishment like a heavyweight fighter or wrester. | Mind: | Standard Normal human mental resources. |
| Iron Will |
What does a man need to survive? Food, of course, warmth and liquor and a purpose in life. But more than that he needs failure. We are not spurred on to victory by our past successes, rather we are motivated by the memory of our failures. One hundred thousand triumphs is meaningless without one defeat. That is what makes Johnny so great. He is the perpetual underdog: always at the short end of the stick, but always gripping that stick tighter than anyone else.
| Iron Will |
When a man assaults a white hot piece of metal with a hammer for long periods of time it is called forging. To say Johnny was forged is ridiculous and insulting. Johnny wasn't forged, he crystallized like a diamond under constant, unrelenting pressure. The great kings of this world have used diamonds as symbols of their wealth and power. So it is that Johnny is the diamond in my crown, although he certainly has far more practical applications than a shiny stone.
| Iron Will |
I've seen him take insane amounts of punishment and stay standing. This isn't a credit to the fine people of county Donegal, nor is it a testament to my teaching methods. Johnny's victories are his own, and while they serve my purpose, I won't rob him of what is rightfully his. There is a law of physics that says you can't hit something any harder than it can hit back. I never hit anyone as hard as I hit Johnny.
| Kinetic Absorption |
Of course, the boy had help, I later found out. Still, the centuries of dilution of Celtic blood meant that the legendary strength of the Red Branch Knights which was supposed to provide invulnerability to those of its line was little more than a holdover nucleotide sequence spelling out a long forgotten name for the sun. That means Johnny still feels every blow, but the closer he gets to being beaten, the harder he is to hurt.
| Berserker |
- Power: Berserker
- Level:Superior
- Seeker This attack hunts and follows its target.
Anger is an emotion. Rage is a religion. Those who know it, know well the pitfalls and perils of blind animalistic fury. I've seen as many men get taken down by their own poor tactical decisions as those whose strength failed them. It is not enough to be strong. Power, without control, is more dangerous than useful. Especially in Johnny's case, where a long forgotten Druidic incantation lends his muscles strength without stability. Use it wisely, Johnny boy, or you'll hurt yourself. Not that you'd notice.
| Martial Arts |
It isn't training, per se. Rather it is a memory of those hundred thousand successes and failures. Some things work, some things don't. Those of vaunted martial skill know each and every move they memorize was attempted and failed countless times before someone discovered the precise motion necessary to be effective. Johnny's still learning, but he had a good tutor, and I set him on the right path. The key is understanding the intention behind every action.
| Lucky |
- Power: Lucky
- Level:Superior
One of the drawbacks to going full-on intangible is that now, everything costs money. Nobody warns you about that kind of crap when you begin your ascendancy. Still, I have to protect my investment. I'm watching out for this kid every step of the way, and while I can't be there to fight his battles for him, I can keep an eye on everyone around him and help "influence" things in his favor. Nothing major, mind you, it would be as inhuman to rob him of his earned failures as to rob him of his earned successes, but for once in his life, I think Johnny deserves an edge.
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