NameNero
AgeUnknown
GenderMale
RaceRylokian
(Other races call them the Dark Elves due to their appearance)
AppearanceAn enigmatic figure, shrouded in mystery - Nero wears a dark colored elite model RIT armor. Unlike most models, Nero's is worn over a full-body jumpsuit, black in color and has no plates for his shoulders or thighs so as to offer maximum mobility. The other unique aspect of Nero's armor is the helmet... completely covering his head and fully masking his face. This is for a good reason, apparently, since Nero's face is horribly scarred to the point of disfigurement. It looks like he suffered severe burns on one side while being cut apart on the other. Even his right ear looks as if it had a chunk of it bitten off by something. Otherwise, Nero has dark bluish-gray skin and golden-amber eyes... though the left one appears glazed over as if blinded by something. His ears are oblong and pointed, and because of this particular feature other races usually call him a Dark Elf, even though he really isn't an elf of any kind. Nero stands at an average 5' 10'' and weighs around 180 pounds. He's isn't particularly muscular or imposing, preferring a sleeker build almost designed for speed and agility over raw power. His hair, reduced to a minimalistic mohawk, is mostly silver.
PersonalityNero is - quite literally - a man of few words. If he does speak, it's always brief, blunt, and to the point. With his voice sounding like some kind of disfigured chain smoker, it's entirely possible that speaking is physically painful for his throat. Nero has been oft described as a "robot of a man", due mostly to his unique battle armor and tendency to quietly follow orders like a cold-hearted machine. But could there have once been a different person underneath the helmet and scars? Maybe even someone who was once brave and heroic?
EquipmentApart from his battle armor, Nero's helmet apparently has a scouter built into it. Other than that, he is not overly reliant on gear and equipment.
Home PlanetRylark
Aura/Ki ColorCrimson Red
Special Attacks/Techniques- Nova Flare: The user's Ki is concentrated into a bright light that is then unleashed as a blinding flash all around them. This has the effect of temporarily blinding and/or stunning those unfortunate enough for the light to shine in their eyes. It shares similarities with Tien Shinhan's Solar Flare technique, but has notable differences. Namely, it can effect multiple targets around the user as opposed to only one target. The blinding flash is also centered on the user's body rather than relying on an existing source of sunlight.
- Ki Blades: Nero rarely uses his Ki for projectile attacks. Instead he specializes in shaping his Ki energy into a pair of energy blades. These blades share the same red color as his aura, and can apparently deflect smaller Ki blasts. They are also supposedly able to cut a larger energy beam in two. There is a precedent for slicing beams, but it requires that the blades be channeled with a higher power level than that of the attack they are cutting into.
- Nova Slicer: A flurry of high-speed strikes utilizing the Ki Blades, and Nero's signature technique. The power of the attack is not from any single strike, as Nero's attacks for this technique are weak individually. The true damaging power from the technique comes from the attacks not only being blindingly fast, but quite numerous as well. Once the technique gets going, it's nearly impossible for it to lose steam or be stopped. However, this also means that the technique must ideally be used against an enemy that has already been stunned, otherwise the technique is far less effective.
HistoryEverything before Frieza is a massive blur. He's not not even sure if Nero is his actual name or one Frieza's scientists simply gave him. Sometimes he can recall bits and pieces, but something in his brain inflicts a great of deal of pain to his head until he tunes it out. Nero is almost a textbook definition of a brainwashed soldier, part of an experiment performed by Frieza's scientific officers.
The truth starts several years ago, on the Planet Rylark. It's elf-like inhabitants, with their slender frames and sharp intellects, favored engineering and politics over fighting and making war. Many of these people were known to be devious schemers, not above making back-alley deals or backstabbing their would-be allies to further their own interests. The elf-like Rylokians were not all like this, but Rylark was by and large ruled those sort of minds. Little wonder then, that the Planet Trade Organization had minimal trouble in conquering vast portions of the planet. Some say one of the Rylokians sold out his own people in the hopes of being spared from death or enslavement, or even promised a hefty payment not unlike Judas of biblical infamy.
When the Planet Trade Organization was on the verge of taking the Rylokian capital city, their progress was suddenly slowed... almost halted. An unexpected resistance force seemingly sprung out from nowhere and made war against their would-be conquerors, led by one named Nero. Nero was born in the lower class, and so his life was a struggle from the very beginning. Unlike those of higher status, a lowborn like Nero had to fight and claw his way through life just to survive, much less make a name for himself. He managed to enlist in the Rylokian Police Force, even advancing as far as joining their elite squad. Unknown to the ruling class, the years of corruption and backstabbing was causing a underground resistance movement to begin stirring. Nero himself was part of it, and his position in the Force as well as his cunning tactical mind earned him leadership of the movement. Truth be told, they were planning a coup in order to purge Rylark of its current corrupt government. They might have even succeeded, but were forced to come out of hiding in order to deal with the unexpected invasion force.
The Rylokians, though outnumbered and outgunned by the PTO, managed to keep them at bay an impressively long time, thanks in large part to Nero's leadership. Soon though, Frieza became impatient and frustrated that this planet of supposed conniving cowards were not only lasting this long, but making his own men look like fools, which of course reflected on him as well. The reputably petty Frieza decided that if these so-called freedom fighters wanted to die for their planet so much, then they would die
with it. Frieza personally blew up the planet himself, his overwhelming power level was more than enough to do so. However, Frieza felt that wasn't quite enough. Before destroying, he wanted whoever was leading this planet's resistance captured alive in order to prolong their punishment. Taking no chances he sent an elite squad of warriors of his own to do the job: The Ginyu Force. They - of course - accomplished their task with relative ease, though not from a lack of trying on Nero's part. He tried his damnedest to put up a fight, but after the Ginyu's wiped out his men with ease, they were simply too powerful for him to handle alone.
Captured, and with his planet now destroyed, the injured Nero was brought before Frieza. He expected to be executed, made an example of, but Frieza simply smiled. Why simply kill the rebel? Frieza reasoned that simply killing him would be far too merciful. No, he wanted the Dark Elf to remain alive... to suffer. He gave his new prisoner to his scientific division, telling them that their next assignment was to use whatever means they could devise to torture Nero, break him until he was little more than a living tool for his use. Nero lost track of how long he'd been captured sometime after the tortures started. They were horrific, brutal, and downright hellish. He would be sliced open, practically dissected while still alive, or burned or torn apart. Instead of dying, the scientists just threw him into a rejuvenation chamber. Not enough to heal him, but enough to keep him from dying so that the "experiments" could continue.
The thing about torture, was that sometimes - after enduring it long enough - a person could develop a sort of tolerance for it. Nero stopped screaming altogether after a certain point, the pain having become second nature to him. In response to this, the scientists decided to test him. They asked him where his loyalty lied... and he responded with a cold and broken, "Frieza." The experiment was a success. What was once a soldier and tactician was now a cold, broken, downright soulless shell of himself. He just followed commands... no questions nor any form of hesitation or defiance. Frieza had gotten exactly what he wanted. The tortures left him with rather startling tolerance for physical pain and... his power level had somehow also been increased from the experience, perhaps from the sheer amount of endurance and stamina that would have been built up through it.
So he was given battle armor, and a customized helmet with a built-in scouter in order to mask his horribly scarred face. After that, Frieza simply had him assigned to Nux team. Not for any particular reason other than it was perhaps the first place that popped into his head.
