Damien Cruz

"This one's for them!" ~ Damien CruzDamien Cruz, (Callsign Nemean-2) nicknamed "Soothsayer" or "Sooth" by his teammates is an Ark Pilot of Joint Strike Force Nemean. He is the designated sniper of The Pride. Like the rest of his team, he is classified as a Hyper Lethal Vector. His Ark is referred to as "X-Ray".
== Appearance (Pilot/Ark) ==
Damien Cruz is an athletic and nimble young man of below average height with brown swept back hair and green eyes. Due to having grown up in the Ambrosan isles, he has tanned brown skin. He has a scar across the right side of his head from when he was hit from returned sniper fire during a battle in one of Drunia's cities. Like most JFSN members, he has The Pride's symbol tattooed on his body. His tattoo is positioned on the left side of his neck, and slightly carries over to his chin/cheek.
His combat uniform consists of lightweight battle armor usually painted to fit in well into the environment he's dropping into. If rain is present, he will bring a poncho with him. His helmet is specially crafted by his own hand, and is equipped with several cameras that provide for long range over watch without binoculars.
X-Ray stands at around sixteen feet and is considerably lanky compared to other Arks. His chassis paint can vary, and usually does in relation to the environment he's being deployed in. He is distinguishable for his hunched stance and the many photo receptors that allow him his great sense of vision. He has a list of names of the fallen engraved into his left shoulder, with the words "FOR THEM!" written above it.
== Personality (Pilot/Ark) ==
=== Pilot ===
Cruz is notably one of the most relaxed task force members on the field, and is described as being extremely cool headed, even when under direct fire. His unique sense of humor, only shared by his Ark X-Ray, can make extremely tense moments lose their intensity and he is known to do so often. In fact, he is unique in that he can dismantle most social dilemmas that arise. As a result, when fights break out in the strike force (which is not uncommon), other members are not surprised when he is one of the first to intervene. 
Damien's generally calm yet humorous attitude is only apparent to his comrades within Nemean. "Outsiders", such as basic infantry and other Ark Pilots, are met with coldness and Damien will go out of his way to avoid conversation with them. 
=== Ark ===
X-Ray is similar to Cruz in that he is also rather relaxed and humorous. X-Ray tends to himself when stationed back in the carrier and does not talk to many other Arks other than Sandstorm, who he has found friendship with. 
=== Relationships with Nemean ===
Julius Cruz - Overwhelmingly Positive: Brother and fellow survivor of a dark and tragic event that took place in both of their lives.
Jaxon Reynolds - Positive: Damien holds a great amount of respect for Jaxon, and is his best friend within Nemean. 
Thatcher McMillan - Positive: Thatcher is someone Damien often goes to for counsel, and heeds Thatcher's advice with great respect. 
Kaiden Bellig - Neutral: Tolerant of deviant behavior. Tends to act as an insulator rather than a conductor.
Akira Saito - Positive: Finds extremely attractive. Respects her as a fellow engineer and valued team member.
Mia Walker - Neutral: True to Damien's nature in regards to "outsiders", he is wary of Mia and will not go out of his way to speak with her.
Evangeline Bautista - Neutral: Same as Mia, he is wary of Evan.
== Psychological Profile ==
===== The following excerpt of a report was written by Dr. Josef Yularen. =====
"Cruz seems to exhibit an abnormal amount of apathy for an individual who personally sees to the deaths of hundreds of individuals every week. It's strongly advised we keep watch for any personality changes. He has also grown a strong attachment to his Ark, X-Ray. It would be best to be wary when X-Ray is inevitably destroyed."
===== The following is a psychological report by Dr. Mest Kölleg =====
"It would not shock me to learn that Cruz, somewhere, had a stash of cannabis hidden away in a vent in the Argo. Cruz's relaxed attitude is bluntly disarming, as well as his sense of humor. In the few times we've talked I found myself more and more speaking to him as a fellow crew member than as a patient. If Cruz is hiding something, I certainly can't find it.
His placement into JSF Nemean was a passing good sense of judgement unheard of among those egg heads at high command, given the much less wise choices in the unit. Cruz fits like a glove, right in line with the personality of Nemean's captain Jaxon. Those two might as well be thick as thieves as far as I am concerned. As the months go by, I find that Cruz will find it harder and harder to disobey Jaxon's commands as the two become more friends than teammates. This is a good development, Jaxon is a good influence on practically everyone here on the Argo, including Nemean staff.
Just as it is with Reynolds, however, this makes it truly difficult to actually evaluate and treat Cruz at all. As I have mentioned just shortly ago it's almost impossible to treat Cruz as a patient. Most approaches to understanding his mental condition do not work, so many of his replies are jokes or in jest that it becomes impossible to tell if Cruz is truly stating his mind or using a friendly smokescreen of comedy to hide what he's really thinking. Multiple times I've asked Cruz a serious question only for him to thwart me by responding with a joke or a crack about Nemean staff members. For all I know, Cruz could secretly be struggling with a huge emotional breakdown under the stress of Nemean and warfare in general. Until I can get Cruz to drop his light-hearted disposition and speak to me seriously, without his sunny smile, I just simply can't engage him on any meaningful way.
Take for example Cruz's history. Part of it is redacted (for what reason I can't imagine other than to torture the medical staff. Damn those nefarious, ego-maniacal brass suckers) but from what I can view, I cannot imagine Cruz walking away from his childhood without needing severe help. No one could have endured that without serious damage, and yet every time I have approached him on this, every question I make, even just mentioning who his father might have been and Cruz has always smiled and guided the conversation back to an area he can tolerate. He has admitted to the crime, that much is certain, but it's almost as if talking about the crime itself is impossible for him. Almost like he is incapable of socially interacting on a topic that is devoid of any capacity for laughter.
Addendum: Please arrange a meeting between me and his brother. It is of my professional opinion that, through his brother, I might be able to engage Cruz at a greater level. Cruz and his brother suffered a similar past and, I suspect, suffer perhaps a similar psychosis. If I can understand how his brother feels about their father then maybe I can understand about how Cruz thinks of his father, perhaps get a sense of how Cruz might really feel underneath his joking attitude."
== Loadout (Pilot) ==
* RMK-26 - 8.6x70mm 6 round box mag | Semi Auto | 3600 m/s (~11811.02 ft/s) (4) 
* Tap-20 Auto: 9x19mm 33 round mag | Automatic 1100 RPM | 360 m/s (~1,200 ft/s) x2 (2)
* Sensor Beacon (1)
* Infiltrator Plating - Scaled down version of ARK Infiltrator coating, utilizes light refractory waves to conceal the wearer. Rendering them nearly invisible to the naked eye. (1)
Thanks to his mechanical and technological ingenuity, Cruz has developed a scaled down version of the Ark X-Ray vision to give to himself, allowing him to detect movement wherever he is facing for around 30 seconds before he has to recharge it. (-2 Resources)
== Loadout (Ark) ==
Light Ark Resource Cost: 20
=== Standard Equipment ===
* Basic Controls 
* Internal Status
* Assisted Aim
* Vocal
* Sentient A.I. 
* Spinal Implant 
==== Defense and Utility ====
* Target Lock (10)
* Brain Implant (10)
* Radar (5)
* Enhanced Vision (5)
* Thermal Vision (5)
* X-Ray Vision (5)
* Infiltrator Coating (10)
* Chaff Explosive (5)
* Scout Drone (5)
==== Weaponry ====
* "Zeusbuster" Railgun (20)
== Background ==
===== The following report was written and reviewed by the UDI =====
==== Early Years ====
Born as Damien Raul Francesco Agudo Cruz, the individual who would eventually go on to become the "Soothsayer" of JSF Nemean lived his early childhood in the Cruz family vineyard on the Ambrosan Isle of Menor. Damien has described his childhood as being rough, with good reason. His father was prone to domestic violence, and was known to beat his wife and his children if they displeased him in some shape or form. This immoral habit of violence would scar Damien and his siblings, and would eventually be the downfall of his father.
Damien was forced to adapt to a violent household where even one miscalculation or faulty move would result in a beating or worse. If he was too late to the table for one of the meals of the day, he could not eat. If he did not work to satisfaction in the fields, he was locked in a shed either through the night or day. He did not have the time to care for most of his siblings with the exception of one. Julius Cruz, the second youngest of the Cruz family was, by Damien's words, "The only one [he] ever cared about."
===== Examiner's notes: Damien has extensively refused to share anything about his mother. =====
==== The Breaking Point ====
[PARAGRAPH REDACTED BY THE UDI]
With only Julius and Damien alive, both burned their home to ashes and left Menor to join the Ambrosan Armed Forces. Damien has confessed to his crimes, but due to his significance to JSF-Nemean, the UDI has decided to let him continue participating in military operations. However, he will be kept under UDI supervision alongside his brother.
== Training/Relative Experience ==
Ambrosan Armed Forces Standard Training
Ambrosan Armed Forces (2 Years) 
* Operation Romeo Victor: Saw Cruz fighting for the city of [REDACTED] near the Savantian border. Pinned in a single building for three days and fought constantly until reinforcements arrived.
Armed Forces of the Union (3 Years)
* Operation Broken Ballerina: Initiative by the Ambrosan isles to terminate high value targets within the Drunian military. Cruz personally saw to 62 HVTs in the operation. After the termination of [REDACTED] by Cruz, he was effectively pulled off the field as counter sniping by Drunian armed forces skyrocketed.
* Operation Firelake: Siege of Yarawi. Heavy number of snipers in the city. Cruz was one of few snipers to survive the onslaught of counter snipers.
* [REDACTED]: The massacre at [REDACTED] saw Cruz shoved to the top of the Ark Pilot candidacy program. Psychological study found no reaction from Cruz when questioned about the massacre.
Ark Pilot Program (2 Years)
===== Personal Comment by Doctor Josef Yularen: "How the hell was he only in the program for two years?" =====
* Countless Covert Operations under JSF-Kraken
* [REDACTED]: [ALL INFORMATION REDACTED]
* [REDACTED]: His participation in [REDACTED] convinced higher ups of his Hyper Lethal Vector status and placed in him JSF-Nemean immediately.
JSF-Nemean (2 Years)
* [CLASSIFIED INFORMATION]
== Trivia ==
* Damien does not often socialize with pilots or soldiers who are not affiliated with the Pride.
* He keeps tally marks on the side of his sniper rifle along with X-Ray's railgun.
* Cruz has never visibly lost his cool to anyone, even members of the Pride.
* Cruz is a universal blood donor.
Category:Characters
Category:Ark Pilots
Category:JSF Nemean
Category:Atlan Federation
Category:Union of Free Lands