Emmett Mack

"Hit me again, and your liver's next!"
- Emmett while taunting an enemy
Emmett S. Mack  is a character in the TACITUS saga. He is considered a complete mystery by most people, though this is generally because he does not up about his past much.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Not much is known about Emmett's early life. However, in the story The Mack Coalition, it was revealed that his father Terrence was killed in the November 2015 Paris Attacks perpetrated by the Islamic State of New Palestine. The incident left him traumatized, but he trusted the government of France that they would bring the perpetrators of the attacks to justice.
Later, it was also revealed that he was bullied in school following the death of his father. However, Emmett was known to deal with bullies in a surprising way: by treating their insults like jokes and laughing at their verbal abuse.
However, one infamous incident sent him over the edge: in the spring of 2015, his senior year of high school, Emmett faced a rather infamous bully and Neo-Nazi skinhead named Joe J. Pena, nicknamed "the Shed", who was known to belittle and verbally slander people he perceived to be "weaker" than him. He especially hated Emmett simply because he looked like a "scrawny little guy" who had a big mouth and that he was raised in a rough environment (due to his parents living in a high crime area), as opposed to Joe, who was raised in a "rich environment". One day in the spring of 2015, the Shed confronted Emmett and his friends after school, claiming that he was an "embarrassment" to his father Terrence, whom he believed went to Paris because he hated his son. He then dared Emmett to tell him a joke and make him laugh, to which Emmett replied, "You make me laugh."
Emmett, not wanting to escalate the situation, then attempted to walk away, before being cornered by one of Joe's cronies. To that end, Emmett made an improvised speech about how he believes everyone is picking on him because of his "uniqueness" while everyone else lives a "normal" (and, in his eyes, immoral) life, then proceeded to rebuke Joe and his cronies for using their statuses as "normal people" as a justification to attack him for his "uniqueness."
He once again attempted to leave the situation, but one of Joe's bullies responded by physically assaulting him, only to be destroyed by Emmett's mixed martial arts skills. Shocked, outraged, and wanting blood, Joe proceeded to assault Emmett with the intention of beating him to a bloody pulp. Emmett, being more trained (due to his father teaching him MMA), defeated him in a brutal fight during which he broke Joe's arm, leg, and back, which was videotaped by many of his peers and soon uploaded to YouTube.
Later that day, Emmett realized that what he'd done was a "severe moral infraction" and that the rage and frustration of being unable to prevent his father's death was corrupting him, and felt burdened with more guilt than he could personally handle. Following this revelation, he admitted his deed to the police, though was able to prove that his actions were out of self-defense, with his friends using the video footage of the brawl as evidence to corroborate the story. Because of this, Emmett was not charged with homicide. 
However, his guilt continued to haunt him, so much so that he moved out of his parents' place after graduating high school, much to the surprise and horror of his maternal twin Diane Mack. Sometime after this, Emmett joined The Renegades, a gang of teenage vigilantes formed by Derek Westbrook.  However, he didn't last very long, as The Renegades disbanded after Derek, Vince and Gerald all graduated high school and joined the military.
===Hadford Homicides===
Emmett played a huge role in solving the Hadford Homicides in 2016. He specifically contributed to exposing the culprits behind the murders as CIA agents that were part of Operation Blackfish. 
Later on, it is revealed that Emmett is the maternal twin brother of Diane Mack.
===Gang Wars===
In Gang Wars, it is revealed that Emmett is an associate of another organization: the Sons of Valhalla. He participates in the war against the Italian Mafia and their biggest ally: the Japanese Yakuza.
==Demeanor and personality==
Emmett is generally a nice guy, though sometimes he finds himself in situations where he must play the "bad cop" in order to resolve a conflict. 
As a child, he learned to turn his fear into aggression. He claims to have learned this "as a child", but he does not expound any further than that. 
Emmett also has a primal sense of justice. He often blames criminals' own arrogant and reckless actions for their downfall. To put it another way, "If only he didn't commit (insert crime here), he would've lived a full life." 
==Skills and abilties==
Emmett is quite proficient in hand-to-hand combat, though his mysterious past makes it rather impossible to pinpoint exactly where he got his skills from. He usually passes everything off under the phrase, "I'm just a black belt in MMA." He is quite skilled in Keysi Fighting Method, Capoeria, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Capoeira, and Vale Tudo. 
Emmett also has an internal clock, which he uses to time his strikes correctly during a combat situation. He is also very observant, able to pick out minute details that other people usually miss. This ability of his has baffled people for quite some time, but once again, like many other aspects of his life, his unwillingness to disclose the source of such knowledge make pinpointing the source of his knowledge rather impossible. 
==Habits and beliefs==
Emmett loves heavy metal. He seems to enjoy music that sounds aggressive, believing that they get him pumped up for fights.
In terms of his outlook on the human race, Emmett believes humanity is capable of doing good, though he attributes the evils people do in the world as a sort of "bad habit": people seem to have a compulsive desire to do evil, even though they aim to do good in the world. The moral wrongs that people do in the world, in Emmett's eyes, are somewhat "normal."
Emmett has also been known to have a history hooking up with multiple girls and young women and being in platonic relationships . In The Mack Coalition, when Jill Powell asked him how he has that much self-control, he merely blames it on human willpower, which "works wonders." It is later revealed that both his maternal twin Diane and himself have inherited a "platonic gene" from their parents, given that Diane Mack also had a history of having platonic relationships with men. 
However, his romance history often had a rough beginning: when he first began dating, Emmett did what every other guy wanted: a dating relationship of a sexual intercourse. One of the first people he tried this with was with a girl named Lisa R. Taylor; they hung out for a while, until Emmett learned that she already had a significant other, Owen Stark, who angrily confronted Emmett while they were hanging out at a restaurant. Offended by his "overprotective" nature (which Emmett took as a personal assault on his personal character), Emmett angrily assaulted the man and his friends in front of Lisa, before informing him that if he couldn't have Lisa, neither could Owen. He then left Owen and his friends battered and bloody on the ground, much to a shocked, surprised, and outraged Lisa, who broke up with him afterwards. It was due to this that Emmett decided to pursue a lifestyle of platonic love, as he later came to believe that it was his sexual drive that led him to compusively "steal" other people's significant others from them.
Emmett does not espouse any religious beliefs, having been an Agnostic in the past, though he has read works from major famous philosophers. As time went on, Emmett became a deist. He agrees with most religions that humanity is morally broken (though he refers to such a concept as a "glitch in the moral compass" that leads to evil deeds). He does not see Christianity as the ultimate source of truth, but treats it as "just another religion."
In the past, Emmett has seen all religions and faiths as nothing more than mere theories, that the various teachings from the various religious holy texts are nothing more than blind guesses made by fallible, finite human beings about an infinite and infallible God's nature based on what they've seen in history and in nature. However, as he began to develop deism, his view began to change: he has now come to believe that not only are the various religions/faiths mere theories concocted by humans, but they are proof of an inside job: humans are not made to even comprehend the idea of God, thus explaining why people do not know everything about God. Furthermore, the Bible, the Qu'ran, and the various other holy texts from the various major religions are mere"coverups" to hide people's intellectual dishonesty, that people lie about knowing God and they use the holy texts to justify them (thus explaining why he sees all faiths as "inside jobs"). 
===Physical appearance===
Emmett is described as a guy "built like an athlete", standing at a height of 5'10" and weighing 156 lbs. He also has brown hair and blue eyes. Emmett also has various scars on his body, inflicted during previous fights throughout his life. 
==Fighting style==
"You use a scalpel. I prefer a hammer."
- Emmett discussing his fighting style.
Emmett has a rather unorthodox fighting style. He frequently takes cues from action movies to develop his fighting habits. In The Mack Coalition, it is revealed that he took MMA from his time in underground fight rings. In an actual combat situation, he warms up by flexing his arms while punching the air. He then tends to throw a right hook to the face and a jab to a sensitive part of the body (he usually strikes the solar plexus). This is mainly designed to incapacitate and/or surprise the opponent. Emmett believes the key to this opening move is to ensure the element of surprise, or else it won't work. A common way Emmett performs this maneuver is to shout at the opponent before landing his introductory blows. In addition, as explained above, he uses techniques from various martial arts too, like Capoeria, Krav Maga, Systema, and Keysi fighting method. 
One devastating move Emmett has used at least once is the devastating liver punch. When used correctly, this move can actually kill an opponent. The first use of the liver punch was during a fight against a Blackfish agent in The Mack Coalition, during which Emmett surprises the agent during their fistfight with a sudden, but devastating punch to the liver. the force of Emmett's punch causing the liver to rupture, leading to the agent dying of internal bleeding.
==Trivia==
*He is the first character to not have a background fully revealed (at least, not right away).
*He is also the first major non-military character to personally eliminate a major enemy
*The way Emmett preps himself for hand-to-hand combat (by hammer-fisting the air) is similar to a fight clip from the trailer for Mission: Impossible: Fallout (see GIF).
*As of 2017, Emmett is in a platonic love relationship with multiple women, having started his track record with Tiffany Preston.
==Gallery==
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Emmett S. Mack, adventurer.png|Emmett Mack prior to dying his hair red
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KJ Apa as Emmett Mack.png
==Quotes==
"A hundred and thirty people died that fateful day on November 13 of last year, including my father! I decided not to exact retribution, because I had good faith in the French government that they would ensure these people got what they deserved. I felt that I could trust the government for quite some time-until I investigated the murders in this town and found out about your pet project. After hearing the truth about the murders and reading the Blackfish documents in your office, I realized that I was in a world that I still didn't understand, and found myself in a country run by hypocritical monsters and corrupt bureaucrats that are just as guilty as the Islamic State terrorists that shot up Paris!"
- Emmett Mack to CIA director Arthur Holmes during the exposure of Operation Blackfish to the public, also revealing a key event in his life.
"if this is the life you want, then for the love of humanity, LEAVE ME OUT OF IT!"
- Emmett while angrily complaining about someone's "unenlightening" lifestyle
"Faith and religion make people intellectually dishonest. I mean, the whole human race has refused to admit that the human limitations of the mind prevent them from even grasping the idea of God. We were not made to understand this God, that is why he is impersonal. We weren't made to know Him! Now you Christians in the audience are now asking me, 'I agree, but that's why God Himself gave us His Word!' Well...no. That wasn't God talking. The guys who wrote the Bible committed the same sin the people of the other faiths did-they lied. They lied about the limitations of the human mind and used the Bible, the Qu'ran, the Vedas as a means to cover them up, to hide their intellectual dishonesty and make themselves out to be 'moral people.'"
- Emmett Mack as he argues for why faith makes people intellectually dishonest.
"If I don't deserve Lisa, you don't either!"
- Emmett as he angrily attacks Owen Stark, the boyfriend of Lisa R. Taylor, after finding out that he is already dating Lisa.
"Faith and religion make people intellectually dishonest. I mean, the whole human race has refused to admit that the human limitations of the mind prevent them from even grasping the idea of God. We were not made to understand this God, that is why he is impersonal. We weren't made to know Him! Now you Christians in the audience are now asking me, 'I agree, but that's why God Himself gave us His Word!' Well...no. That wasn't God talking. The guys who wrote the Bible committed the same sin the people of the other faiths did-they lied. They lied about the limitations of the human mind and used the Bible, the Qu'ran, the Vedas as a means to cover them up, to hide their intellectual dishonesty and make themselves out to be 'moral people.'"
- Emmett Mack as he argues for why faith makes people intellectually dishonest.
"The way I see it....you're not really worshipping God. You're using Him as a scapegoat to compensate for your limited minds. You look at the world and you think, 'There is no way any of this could've evolved! Some intelligent Holy and Divine being who sent His Son on a suicide mission must've made this!' Seriously? God must be ashamed of you."
- Emmett Mack to a radical street preacher
"You don't preach Jesus at all! You just preach legalistic bondage!"
- Emmett Mack during the Religious Riots of 2018
===Dialog with others===
“Who’s that?” 
"Diane, my maternal twin sister."
- Jill Powell and Emmett as they strike up a brief conversation concerning the latter's maternal twin, Diane Mack.
"Is she with you?"
"I thought she was with you..."
- Emmett Mack and Derek Westbrook as they argue over the loyalties of Diane Mack while fighting New Dawn operatives
(In a flashback to his high school years Emmett and Diane are confronting a high school bully after school; as high school bully Joe Pena begins verbally slandering Emmett and Diane, friends of both Joe and Emmett pull out their cell phones and begin videotaping the two boys)
"Go ahead, bitch. Say something funny. (whispers in his ear) Make me laugh."
(Beat; then...)
"Okay. You wanna hear a joke? You wanna know something funny? Okay. I have one: You. You are the joke, and by that, I mean your very existence makes me sick!"
(Joe, angered, gets in Emmett's face)
"What did you just say to me?"
 "What, you think my status as a unique person is, like, a threat to your existence? Okay, I get it-our dad died in a terrorist attack last year! The guy that was gifted with the Almighty God above with turning Diane and I into unique individuals was killed in a terrorist attack months ago! What's that to you? Does exploiting our loss somehow make you fools feel better? You wanted to ruin our lives, to make it worse in the wake of Dad's death? Well, guess what? CONGRATULATIONS! YOU GOT YOUR WISH! And on top of that, you're the worst douchebags in the history of human douchebags! Why? Because you, as normal people, think that unique individuals like Diane and I don't deserve to be loved!' (To Joe) Isn't that right, Joe? You said that, didn't you? Like yesterday. You told your goons and your significant other (looks at Joe's girlfriend Tiffany B. Preston) over there that Diane and I are 'pieces of shit' that don't deserve any love because of our 'uniqueness.' That was you, wasn't it? Well, guess what I say to that. (he suddenly gets into Joe's face and starts shouting) What gives you the goddamn right to tell other people what they are?!? Are you God now? Are you God of this school? Are you the God of the human race?!? Are you God now?!? Tell me, are you God now?!? (realizing that Emmett is on to him, Joe says nothing) That's what I thought. You think you're God around here, giving you the right to tell other people what they are and what they aren't. (suddenly angry once more, he shouts in Joe's face again) Who are you to say that?!? What standard do you use to decide that, huh?!? Hey, don't look so shocked. You knew this day was coming, didn't you? You yourself said you had a feeling that I would fight back. Yesterday you said to your girlfriend-and I quote-'One day, Emmett's going to fight back. And when he does, I'll pound him to mush like the shithead he is for thinking his status as image-bearer of his imaginary God makes him so special.' You think you're a normal guy, okay. But since when did that give you the right to rob others of the privileges and perks that come with being unique? Why do you put people down because you're jealous of their 'uniqueness?' Why do you tell them, 'Oh, you don't deserve this uniqueness!', or 'My father runs this town,' or, 'I got high GPAs throughout high school!' You think you're so smart, that people like me are supposedly making you jealous to the point where you start dehumanizing unique guys like us to make you feel better. Well, guess what?  Who are you to say that? Since when did you have the right to tell other people what they are? That responsbility doesn't belong to you, you fools! That's the Designer's job! In fact, if this God were truly knowable like all you Christians in the audience keep telling me, and that he really does love me because I'm 'made in his image', then guess what? I win! I'm made in His image, y'all! How many of you can say that?!? Where's my fucking medal?!? (beat; then...) If God were truly knowable, you know what He'd say right now? (Beat; then...) How dare you judge my Creation, you Imbecile!'"
(He then turns to leave once more; behind him, Joe snaps and starts angrily throwing furniture around)
"What? What did you call me? Did you call me an imbecile, shithead?!? (he angrily kicks a stool away as he storms towards Emmett) Did you call me an imbecile?! Huh!? You piece of shit! (He swings at Emmett, but Emmett uses the Thinking Man Defense from Keysi Fighting Method to deflect the blow, then breaks his arm) AAARGH!"
"Chew on this...(He then punches Joe in the ribs before shattering his kneecap by kicking it really hard, then smashes his face to the floor. Emmett, now wanting blood, grabs Joe by the back of the head and kicks him so hard his back breaks, leaving him paralyzed)  Look at me....You look at me! (He looks around, noting the horrified faces looking at him.) What? What are 'yall staring at? (Horrified, Emmett looks around, noting the shocked and surprised looks of everyone around him, before he turns and leaves, realizing he has gone too far)."
- Emmett Mack, Joe Pena, and Emmett during a fight between the former and his nemesis.
Category:Mysterious characters
Category:Vigilantes
Category:Characters of The Mack Coalition
Category:Columbus High School students
Category:Characters in the TACITUS series
Category:Morally ambiguous characters