Name: Nian Zhen
Age: 28
Nationality: Chinese
Appearance:


Biography: Her father was an accountant and her mother was a date entry manager in a large corporation in Hong Kong. Adrenaline was not a common factor in her family. She had two sisters, and a healthy competition was inspired amongst them. While her sisters went on to become a lawyer and a doctor, Nian Zhen was struck with a wanderlust and patriotic duty. Terrorist attacks from strange groups had begun to sprout up around the world, and in China. She felt it her responsibility to do something to protect the world and her homeland. So, the excitable Nian Zhen acquired a medical liscence during army training. She became a field medic in the Chinse People's Liberation Army, joining the Ground Force branch. It soon became clear she had a talent for protecting others and herself on the field of battle.

The rumors of alien contact were hard to avoid. Interested in perhaps humanity's greatest threat, Nian Zhen was more than willing to join XCOM, the world's true first and last line of defense against extraterrestial invaders.

Base of Operations: Oceania
Squad: (Will be assigned)

Class: Medic

Rank: Squaddie

Personality: Nian Zhen is naturally optimistic. She believes in humanity and the future of XCOM, as well as the innate goodness in all human beings. Kind, compassionate, if naive at times. Intelligence is one of her strengths, she knows her craft and the technical aspects of other professions well.

Other: Being from China, she has several cultural traits that are unique to most western cultures.
Strengths: Medical knowledge and appliance of that skill under pressure.

Weaknesses: While more skilled with a gun that the average soldier, compared to her squad mates she is not a good shot.
Psionic-Potential: No
Mech Soldier Candidate: No

Minimum effort, maximum result.
Name: Hiroya 'Black Lightning' Mochizuki (望月広也「黒い稲妻」)
Age: 29
Nationality: Japanese (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
Appearance:

Biography: Born and raised on the streets of Shinjuku, Hiroya learned that the world wasn't fair early on. Strapped for money to support himself as a young adult, and his younger sister Miyuki's school tuition, he was caught in a desperate situation, culminating in low-life jobs for the Inagawa Group, one of Japan's largest Yakuza gangs. Eventually, a confrontation with a bosozoku gang led to them kidnapping his sister. Enraged, Hiroya stole an MP7 and HK417 from the Inagawa stronghold, sneaking into the bosozoku base and killing the gangsters who had held Miyuki hostage. Rather than offer a stern reprimand, his superiors saw his potential, promoting him to a clandestine assassin's role. After some years of performing covert operations for Inagawa, Hiroya (codenamed 'Black Lightning', or '黒い稲妻') was noticed by XCOM's recruitment divison. Come 2015, an alien attack pod had landed in Tokyo, with Miyuki presumed dead. Not soon after, an XCOM mole, serving as an Inagawa director, ordered Hiroya to perform a counter-assault on Thin Men, posing as Yakuza members assassinating Prime Minister Abe in Tokyo, and linking up with the remaining alien elements. The alien spies were easily outmatched by the vengeant Hiroya, who knew the streets like the back of his hand and wished to avenge his fallen sister. With minimal time wasted or public notified, the Thin Men fell one-by-one, and in moments, Hiroya had done the job, as usual. Before he could tell his superior of his most recent victims' odd blood and patterns, he had been spilled the beans: the Council liked his audition.
Base of Operations: Asia
Squad:
Class: Scout
Rank: Squaddie
Personality: While Hiroya is able to take orders and cooperate if necessary, he is very much a 'lone wolf'- give him an objective, directions, and supplies, and he can produce an effective result all on his own. Still struck by grief over the apparent loss of his sister, he tends not to open up about his past, especially given his most recent occupation.
Other: Theme
Strengths: Stealth, recon, quick & short encounters
Weaknesses: Drawn-out battle, being flanked
Psionic-Potential: Y
Mech Soldier Candidate: N