âHow much?â
âNameâ
Mica Joyland
âAgeâ
Visual Age: 22
Factual Age: 25
âAppearanceâ
Hair: Buzzed, dark brown.
Facial Hair: Sculpted and coppery.
Eyes: Golden.
Build: Wiry.
Skin Tone: Olive.
Height: 6ft3.
Weight: 170lbs.
Voice: Surprisingly low.
Handed: Right.
Body Markings: A birth mark shaped like an oval behind his left ear.
Scar Tissue: None.
Unique Body Features: Strangely long legs which strike one immediately as out of proportion.
[His appearance is very tidy. From his hair to his nails, both of which are carefully shaped into practical shortness. His clothing is similar; perfectly tailored, pristinely pressed and without a mark. Mainly his wardrobe consists of dark suits for daywear, though a section is allocated to less-conspicuous, more casual outfits for his night work.
Micaâs features could be described as more on the feminine side, with long lashes and high cheekbones â something which he was teased about. When he was younger he used to keep his hair long which only fuelled the taunting further and gained him a reputation as a âpretty boyâ. Now, he keeps his head shaven, and has done so for so long that the skin of his scalp is no longer paler than that on his face.
Often he comes across as quite intimidating. Heâs taller than most, but other than that he isnât physically imposing with his average build and slightly narrow shoulders. Itâs the air in which he moves, the confidence in his step and the arrogant tilt to his jaw which can discourage many.]
âSexualityâ
Bisexual
âPersonalityâ
Motivation:Money.
Fears:People finding out his secret.
Goals:To find stability for his family and to make something of himself, although he hasnât decided on whose side yet.
Positive Traits: Stealthy in the physical, not being noticed sense + Dark humour + A way with negotiation
Negative Traits: Often bad at hiding things â Prone to losing his temper and being petty - Unreliable
[Mica was once a very shy and weak-willed adolescent. Slowly, that vulnerability turned to stone as each year which passed grew more difficult. He was surrounded by bigger, bolder and quite frankly crueller people who were quick to exploit his weaknesses. And so he adapted to his environment. He wouldâve been described as withdrawn and uncooperative.
However, after removing himself from the causes he began to emerge and return to his more natural behaviour. Being self-autonomous gave back his humour and joking light-heartedness. He found his passion for reading again, mainly on the topic of political philosophy.
Heâs quite impulsive and tends not to think things through as well as needed. He relies heavily on his power, expecting the biggest threats to come from those who are powered. Yet heâs as vulnerable to ordinary bullets as is any man.
Over recent years his ego has seen a growth spurt and heâs arguably become unbearable to be around. The more money he gains; the higher his reputation climbs; the more egotistical he becomes. Before, his motivation was to support his family. But the situation has now gotten out of hand and the criminal underworld has once again corrupted him. Only this time, heâs not the timid teenager he was before, but a sly, slithery man who is driven by his own greed.]
âRelationshipsâ
All of Micaâs friendships are founded in a mutual appreciation of sarcasm and his associates in the belief that they have something he can use to better himself. He has never had a very close friend since childhood, as he cut himself off, leaving him now somewhat emotionally stunted. Heâs had sexual relations with various men and women but was never able to make an emotional connection. Perhaps his relationships could be developed over time, but heâs too indulged in himself - too far gone to care.
The only people he truly cares about are his family members - being; his mother, father, grandparents and younger sister (although her whereabouts is currently unknown to him).They are all financially dependent on him.
âPowerâ
Micaâs power is the ability to detect other peopleâs power and judge their proximity â like radar (hence the name). Able to cover a miles radius and tell the closeness of a powered-person by the intensity of the sensation; his power extremely useful. However, it has its limitations: it canât tell what the power is, or how strong it is, or whether the force is friendly or enemy; it simply tells him that someoneâs near.
Itâs difficult to describe how it feels. The representation of the area around him is not a visual one, but more like an extra empirical sense which comes naturally to him. Itâs something heâs constantly aware of, whether on duty, completing criminal work, or simply walking through the street; heâll be able to tell who has a power and who does not. This is the main reason for his employment both in the police force and the criminal underworld. Mica detects threats from potentially extraordinary threats and his warning is valuable.
âEquipmentâ
Mica keeps only a handgun on him at all times. He also has a pair of hi-tech audio communicators used to feed information when heâs working and a modern mobile phone. As a member of the police force he has access to their weaponries.
âStrengthsâ
Directions and general geography
Mathematics
Rhetoric and manipulation
Enterprising
Pretending to care
âWeaknessesâ
Lack of general compassion, and the ability to truly understand other peopleâs opinions
Impulsiveness
Arrogance
Close combat; general lack of physical strength and training
Bad eyesight
âHomeâ
Having saved up a large amount of money, which is still growing, Mica currently owns three properties. One is a large house on the outskirts of the city where his family live. Another is his own apartment, which is located in central Las Flores. The rent is extortionate. Finally, he owns an abandoned warehouse in the west of the city which currently he uses for meetings on criminal business. Mice often rents out hotel rooms, though, as he is sometimes paranoid that he is being watched by someone he cannot detect through his power.
âHistoryâ
Mica was born to a poverty-ridden family who resided in the inner-city. His mother worked part time as a cleaner whilst his father stayed at home due to an incident with a powered person which left him brain damaged and partially paralysed. Each day was a struggle, not only money-wise, but there were other complications involving Micaâs sibling who was eventually removed from the household by the authorities.
He was expected to start work as soon as possible. And unfortunately, he found employment of sorts easily in the criminal underworld with his power. By the age of 14 he was involved with the most notorious drug-trafficking organisation, working on the ground. He was his gangâs punching bag; unable to protect himself, yet valuable enough to usually only be battered verbally. Becoming withdrawn, he was reduced to not much more than a shadow.
Six years passed until something happened that changed his life.
It had been an especially rough day for Mica, now aged twenty. Heâd been assigned a new higher to report to. And the woman was younger than him. He was bitter, watching her swagger on in front with him in tow, stalking along the pavement like she owned the city. Her snatched authority made him feel like a failure. Darkness was trying its best, but the early evening was still reasonably light; only the streetlamps in the alleys were flickering to life. So he was feeling relatively relaxed. They were heading towards a deserted part of town, a part heâd visited before, where deals went down often. This happened to be a particularly big one. The whole process was routine, but this new girl had a spark of excitement about her. He couldnât remember ever being like that himself.
Continuing to mull over his dislike for her, they entered the flame-ruined neighbourhood where they were to meet some more team members before making their way to the specific building that had been pinpointed for the exchange. Burnt-out houses and flats loomed all around, headstones to this giant black cemetery where thousands upon thousands must have lived. The fire had roared for a full day before it was extinguished â and not by those who were paid to care, but these so-called vigilante, superhero types. Mica snorted as he recalled, earning a confused glare from his new âboss.â
They met their team: they joked, they smoked. Then they moved off to the agreed meeting point. He sank down onto a metal beam which would have once held up a huge construction to wait, alone, as their customers hadnât arrived yet. He observed his so-called âteam matesâ with an expression drenched in dislike.
For so long he had been treated as a means in everything. And he had gained nothing. He was an asset, a privilege to be had; yet he was treated like dirt. Like dirt on the bottom of their lowlife feet. Helping his family had always been his priority. Now, they had a house. But they had lost him. A grimace began to twist his mouth as his gaze lingered on the girl, his new higher. And then there were people like her. What had she been through? Had she been controlled and constrained so much, as he had? So much that he no longer resembled his old-self, but had been twisted into a tool? He watched her joking and flirting. He doubted it. It was unfair.
He boiled away, bubbling silently.
Then he sensed it. Someone, a powered someone, was approaching. His head jerked upwards from its original position of a defeated slump. And another. Another someone. Micaâs chest seemed to tighten in panic. His sudden change in demeanour passed unnoticed by the others who had been acting as though he didnât exist for the entire time. And another someone. Four. It was his job to say something. But his recent, sour musings had caused him to formulate another plan. And another someone.
Five people with powers were approaching. They came in from different angles, closing in on the group that mulled about outside the burnt out parking complex. They were moving quite fast. Probably running. Itâd only be a few minutes. It was a trap.
The girl who he hated without knowing finally became aware of his edgy behaviour.
âWhatâs wrong?â She asked, merely glancing over her shoulder, her tone was agitated rather than concerned.
He didnât meet her eyes, only shifted uncomfortably and tried to appear more relaxed.
âNothingâ he replied.
That night, Mica didnât do his job. Five vigilantes rushed the group of dealers who spent their lives working on intoxicating the city to their benefit. Two were killed, all were badly injured. The attack was planned, and specifically targeted on a team member who was a criminal in other senses too; a murderer, an assassin of the of the gangâs leader.
Mica escaped.
He then left the city for two years, scared for his own safety. He poured most of his savings into a fund for persuading anyone sent to hurt his family to not, and established guards and a spy of his own. The measures were defensive, not offensive. And they worked. Or have so far, heâs still paranoid of a future attack.
He spent those two years not doing much. Mostly he read, and travelled, and drank. On his return to Las Flores he had changed; physically and mentally. His hair was gone but more importantly, his mind was at ease. Mica began to pursue a career in the police force. Not because he believed in the cause, but he was running low on funds. Due to his power, he had an extremely easy time making it through âtrainingâ. However, it was not as he expected. The police were more corrupted than he could have imagined. And it was actually with the help of a colleague that he started his new enterprise: offering his power for hire.
Now, heâs involved in the criminal world again, but as his own higher. Heâs a changed man who is gathering momentum.