Name: Albert "Al" Phelps
Age: 22
Species: Alligator
Appearance: *See photo* 6'4, 230lbs. Peak physical conditioning.
Personality: Al has a complex personality. On the surface he works well enough with others but doesnt truly let anyone know him on a personal level. He is generally cautious and reserved, until the situation escalates, in which case he has been known to show a somewhat blind anger and disreguard for protocol, opting to play the judge and the jury for criminals on the spot. He sees his work relationships merely as tools to get his job done. He tends to hold his opinions and thoughts to himself until he must make decisions for the sake of progress and efficiency. He has a clever and dry humor around those that dont annoy him. Any amount of charisma he may show in a conversation is likely just a facade and a means to an end. From an outside perspective he is often deemed cold, calculating, and intimidating while working and prefers to keep it that way. His hobbies include working out, swimming, and mixed martial arts.
Background: Al was an orphan growing up. His mother had conceived him via one night stand and later died during child birth. He was placed into the city's orphanage where he led the typical life of a lonesome young gator. Folks werent exactly pouring into the orphanage to adopt a big scaly reptile for a child. The costs to feed him alone made most folks shy away, not to mention his loner attitude that quickly developed considering his situation. He reluctantly accepted his place as a child of the system and focused on making a new life for himself without the help of judgmental social workers. Throughout his school years the other children generally stayed away from him. There was no doubt that he would have been the victim of bullying had it not been for his size and strength that developed at such a young age. He was an intelligent student but never truly applied himself, skirting by with average marks most of his school career. He instead busied himself with sports, a place that he could release his pent up anger and frustration in a constructive outlet. He eventually found himself on the high school swim team where, naturally, he was a multi-event state champion for consecutive years. It was around this time that all of the kids he knew from the orphanage had either been adopted or found themselves in with the wrong people, turning to a life of crime. He defiantly resisted, knowing full well that the path of a criminal would lead into the same kind of lifestyle that his mother and father likely lived. At the end of his high school career all he had to show was average marks in his studies and an above average sports resume. It was then that the orphanage informed him of a privately funded program available to him that would pay for his training and schooling if he were to choose a life of police work. To Al it was a perfect fit. He would be able to continue to be competitive and physically engaged in his work all the while helping to make the city a better place. Al is relatively new to the Force, having only been an agent for a couple years, but has shown much promise and shaping up to be a leading member of his team.
Special Skills: Al prides himself on his physical prowess. He is in peak physical conditioning and relies heavily on it. He is specifically dangerous in closed quarters fighting, using his size, strength, and technique to fight his way out of any situation. Al is equally, if not more dangerous, in the water. He is an accomplished swimmer and shows grace that few can mimic when in the water. Additionally, he is lucky enough to have a tail that he can use as an extra limb and extension of himself, as well as a rather vicious maw that he can use to chomp with if the need arises.
Miscellaneous: Al is not dumb by any stretch of the imagination but often doesnt bother applying himself when it comes to investigative work. He relies heavily on combat rather than tedious detective work and often finds himself fighting his way out of predicaments that could have been avoided. He values efficiency and effectiveness and doesnt hide it when others arent working up to his standards, ultimately making him a poor candidate for a partner. Lastly, having no real close relatives or friends in his life, he often can come across as heartless when working a case. He has trouble empathizing with emotional people and the normal feelings one would have dont always register in his mind as he works.