Name | Zahariel Angstrom
Alias | Murder Express
Age | 30
Gender | A Man
Appearance | Some might say Zahariel is a disaster man that does not sleep. Well, he does sleep, but it never seems to be enough. Despite his not-too-old age, he uses a cane to help himself get around.
Other than that, he's… mostly indistinct. At a glance, he's the last person you'd think to be capable of turning into a shadow demon of your deepest nightmares.
Notoriety | Indistinct
Danger Level/Variant Type | Class 2 Metamorphic/Architect
Abilities |Transformation: Zahariel has the ability to turn into a fifteen feet tall eldritch raven. In this transformed state, he has powers of flight and sharp talons. Strangely enough, he exudes a dark mist, which leaves a fleeting trail of shadow wherever he flies. He can intensify this mist to mask his escape.
Fortunately for everyone involved, this transformation doesn't destroy his clothes, unlike the entity known as Hulk.
Murder Assault: Summons a flock of spectral ravens from the mist that trails off his transformed state. These bite and tear at anyone he directs them to; it would feel like getting attacked by a swarm of flying, feathered piranhas.They seem to be fully integrated to this plane of existence, and can get damaged and destroyed by conventional weapons. Despite their spectral nature, they are unable to phase through solid objects.
The flock can also function as a makeshift bridge for a single person, though this would purely be for the benefit of others as he doesn't require any bridges to go anywhere.
[Gear]
Attire | Zahariel's attire is… variable. It could be said that he "changes clothes like a popular girl does with her dresses." Whatever the case, though, he always carries himself well. In casual settings, you can expect him to be wearing a shirt with a jacket over it, which are usually in the darker tones. In more official things, he'll be using something that's perfect for the occasion, but never overly opulent or luxurious; it's always "just right". The stuff he wears always seem to be well maintained and ironed, resulting in an orderly vibe about him.
Armament/Equipment |As a necessity of his… special situation, Zahariel always has a box of supplement pills in his bag. These help maintain his health when he's out of his Metamorphic form, as he'll otherwise start manifesting cardiovascular and respiratory issues.
Other than that, he always carries a smartphone, a taser, a wallet filled with cards and a spare dollar, a load of cash stashed in his boots (yes, he keeps most of his pocket money down there), and the keys to his house.
[Temperament & Lifestyle]
Affiliation | Pariah Underground
Personality/Habits | Despite the intimidating and almost eldritch vibe of his Variant powers, Zahariel is a friendly, swell dude. It's always been said that he's an exemplar of good behavior back then. Well, except for that one little incident back home, but we don't talk about that.
That doesn't mean he's above violence, though; if a mysterious character were to approach and try to squeeze from him the location of a Pariah Underground safehouse, a swarm of angry birds won't be too far behind. That is, if he doesn't just transform at the spot and bite off your head. He may be nice, but he'll do whatever it takes.
Occupation/Trade | Professional gardener that makes a living by selling pots and plants. Formerly a botanist in the Martian colony in Mariner Valley.
Secretly, he's a ferry for the Pariah Underground. With his transformation, he can evacuate one Variant at a time to safety. Or more, if they're small.
Skills/Talents | Salesmanship
Gardening/Botany
Power-based combat
Near perfect recall
Family |Johan Angstrom (father)
Sylvia Angstrom (mother)
Imrahil Sabat (brother, deceased)
Background |The Murder Express is an oddity in NOVA's files. Supposedly, it's a Variant that stalks the night, interrupting agents in the middle of sting operations. A swarm of spectral ravens attack, disrupting them for a few precious minutes.
Each time, the Murder Express is seen flying off with the operation's target on its back, disappearing into the darkness as a black mist covers its escape. The true, human identity of this Metamorphic had never been confirmed so far, and many agents favor pursuing easier projects than trying to know who the hell this is.
The Variant that would go on to become the Murder Express (named so because a group of ravens is called a murder and it summons just that each time it is encountered, not because it murdered anyone) was born not on Earth, but on Mars. There, the first fruits of humanity's first forays beyond the homeworld have begun to bear fruit. Domed and underground settlements lie within suitable locations such as Mariner Valley and Olympus Mons. Thousands of people now call the Red Planet home, and one of them was Zahariel Angstrom.
His family was part of the later waves of colonization; wealthy tycoons and industrialists that came after the scientists and engineers made their first marks on the world. The Angstroms owned a Swedish defense contractor: the aptly named Angstrom Defense Corporation. And so, at first, Zahariel had it pretty easy, if we're talking about material possessions. While he got all the money that the second world could offer, he only had maids, pets, and robots as company. His parents, ever the obsessive masters of an industrial military complex, were as hands off as they could ever be. They didn't bother to check if their son was getting into gambling and
… more gambling.
It was during a heated argument and fight in a casino that the 19 year old Zahariel first manifested his Variant Powers. After being engaged in a lengthy fist fight, he suddenly transformed into a great raven and tore off the other man's arm.
Of course, while neglectful, his parents were quick to cover up the incident. They accomplished this with the trusty method of applying more and more money into the problem until it stopped being a problem. In short order, all records were destroyed and all witnesses suffering seemingly convenient accidents, such as 'falling through a window'. In exchange, though, Zahariel was given a massive stash of supplements, a boatload of cash, and a one way trip to Earth. Make no more trouble, they said. And don't ever come back.
The problem, of course, was obvious. While he did have his own professional skills, he was Martian, and would always have health problems while on Earth. The situation forced him to finally wise up. Within the decade, got a quaint little plant shop and a decent enough house.
At the same time, Zahariel experimented with his Variant powers. He found that transforming into the great raven nullified his problems with the different gravity, but he can't stay that way forever. So, he usually slept while transformed, and never invited any friend over.
Well, that was until his brother knocked on the door.
Turns out, when Zahariel was five, his older brother "died". That much wasn't true, as Imrahil was a Metamorphic Variant, though he turns into a tentacle monster, apparently. The approach of their parents to apply money to problems and then kick those out was a recurring theme, it seems.
As part of their reunion, Imrahil told Zahariel of the Pariah Underground; the network of Variants with abilities that made them unsuited to living with regular society. Imrahil often talked about how they're despised by everyone else for being strange and different when they had no control over their situation. He never said it directly, but Zahariel felt that his involvement would be appreciated.
That was an unspoken offer that he sat on, unfortunately. After a few months, Zahariel wouldn't see Imrahil again. He wondered what had happened for another month, until other members of the Pariah Underground came over, regretfully informing him that Imrahil was killed by the Syndicate.
Understandably, Zahariel was utterly pissed, and also regretful. He aligned, albeit secretly, with the Pariah Underground.
And so the mystery of the Murder Express began.
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