Addict

>
>
>
> | “
>  | *Psycho? I've been called such by many. But I believe it is fascinating how just a simple drop of foreign chemicals can have the most drastic effects. In small doses, you get high, you see God. In larger doses, well... Let's just say you get to shake His hand.*
>  **- Addict, describing his fascination with drugs** | ”
>
>
>

## Addict

### Occupation

Pharmacist (formerly)
Drug lord (formerly)

### Class

Medic

**Tyler Crawford**, better known as "***Addict***", is a high-ranking member of the Jackals. A former pharmacist, Addict's life was forever changed when he had an allergic reaction to a bee sting . Forever devoted to researching and creating new drugs, he now works with the Jackals to create the perfect drug and spread the joy of drugs.

## Sting of Addiction

>
>
>
> | “
>  | *That bee didn't just almost kill a child. It gave its life to show me the biological truth known to every chemical scientist. I see now how fragile humanity really is.*
>  **- Addict** | ”
>
>
>

Tyler Crawford was born on February 4th, 1966, in Manhattan, New York. His father was a criminal toxicologist and his mother was a doctor, so naturally Tyler wanted to follow in his parent's footsteps. When he was 9, he was stung by a bee on the roof of his family's apartment and developed an allergic reaction. Wasting no time, Tyler's mother stuck him with an epi-pen and saved his life. Most children would've been in shock and become afraid of bees, but not Tyler. He was intrigued by the whole ordeal; how just a simple drop of a foreign agent almost sent him spiraling into the abyss. It showed him of how delicate humans really are, and that the right combination of chemicals can have devastating effects. It was majestic, and Tyler found his calling.

## Poisoned Soul

>
>
>
> | “
>  | *My God... How could I have been so blind? I had become so consumed with power that I had not realized it when I had the chance. Thanks to Amherst, I remember why I started down this path in the first place. And I will not forget it.*
>  **- Addict** | ”
>
>
>

The traumatic event opened his mind, and it showed. In school, he excelled tremendously in chemistry and healthcare, which fueled his decision to pursue a career in pharmacy. By the age of 30, Tyler had moved to Washington D.C., became a well known pharmacist, and accrued a reputation for creating "wonder drugs"; medicine that could cure any disease. However, he had a dark secret; he was secretly creating new drug strains to sell topside to fuel his curiosity, and used his position and medicine to test his creations. His superiors would eventually discover this in an investigation following reports of patients dying due to overdose, and fired immediately. But it changed nothing.

Despite losing his job, Tyler still held power in D.C's criminal underworld and became a drug lord full time. With a substantial number of criminals and renegade scientists under his employ, Tyler soon became high on power. It would all come crashing down when D.C. became ravished by the Green Poison outbreak, released by Gordon Amherst. When riots ensued and the city came under chaos from power hungry warlords, Tyler soon realized something.

He and Amherst were once of the same mind; humanity had become complacent under their own desires. They believed themselves invincible, that they could survive anything thrown at them. They had built a house of cards with their ignorant hubris, and Amherst's Green Poison made everything come crashing down. Tyler didn't see a broken nation, he saw a place where humanity could start anew. One where those who truly understood could rebuild and guide others to salvation. It was majestic, and Tyler wanted to finish what he started when he was a child. Joining the Hyenas, Tyler shed off his remnants of humanity, and became Addict; an innovative, ambitious, and ruthless mind relentless in the pursuit of curiosity and power.

## Sugar and Spice

>
>
>
> | “
>  | *Spice opened the door for new possibilities. Many would be cautious to enter. I want to say I was one of them, but that would be a lie. I rushed in head first, ever eager for knowledge. That's the life of a scientist, after all.*
>  **- Addict** | ”
>
>
>

Addict wanted to get to work fulfilling his vision, but needed supplies to do so. When word reached him and his gang of a faction of raiders and scavengers in northeast D.C, Addict figured that they were his best bet. Besides, it was either them, join the Outcasts and use his knowledge to kill everyone, or join the True Sons and make medicine for them. Taking his gang to the District Union Arena, Addict presented himself to the Hyenas and their council. While the other representatives were reluctant to let him sign on to their faction, a council member by the name of Zodiac took Addict under his wing. Zodiac saw himself in Addict, and wanted to show him the ropes. He made Addict the second in command of his gang, and Addict assisted his leader in creating a new drug: Spice.

For a time, things went well. Soon, Zodiac began taking more and more control of the gang and Spice production, and Addict began to feel restrained by his leader. When a meeting was called at the District Union Arena, Zodiac and Mayhem refused. To them, uniting in one place was comparable to having all the fish in one barrel. The decision would prove to be the correct one, as the Division raided the Arena and defeated the gathered members in one fell swoop. Zodiac soon took complete control of the gang after the raid and left Addict in the dust. He felt liberated. With Zodiac not caring about what Addict did, he was free to do what he was meant to do. Addict began to capture any civilians and JTF soldiers that were unfortunate enough to cross his path. He subjected them to brutal experiments with his own Spice strains and killed those he deemed failures. This was his way of life, until he heard the call.

He was busy experimenting with a civilian leader when a voice crackled on his looted radio. He remembered the speaker, Jackal; they had first met when he first presented himself to the Council. He listened to her while he worked. She spoke of Zodiac and Mayhem's indecisiveness and failure to take action, words that rang true to him, and urged the Hyenas to follow her to new vistas beyond D.C. Addict pondered her request; If he was to accept, what would he leave behind? How much would he squander? He took a puff of Spice, shrugged off his concerns, took arms with Jackal and set off on the exodus. When they encountered Kingpin and his Rikers in Richmond, he was the first to urge Jackal to let them travel with the Hyenas. He had ulterior motives; Addict was running low on subjects and he really didn't want to resort to drawing from the Hyenas' own ranks. Jackal relented and together, they found a new home in Fort Lee.

## Rabbit Hole

>
>
>
> | “
>  | *Jackal, Kingpin, I know you know me as some cold-hearted scientist and drug lord, but I... God dammit... I fucked up big time. We need to talk. Get your asses down here, NOW.*
>  **- Addict** | ”
>
>
>

For a short while, Addict was able to relax. He took some time off from his research to assist in constructing housing for the gangs and hunted for food. He was coming back from one such hunt with a new recruit, a man by the name of Sprat, when he saw pillars of smoke coming from their fort. The two reunited with Jackal and she informed them of the True Sons' blitzkrieg on their home. Addict offered his condolences to the fallen and quickly made off with the two gangs. There was a time and a place for vengeance, and now it was not a good time. They traveled alongside each other for some time, growing closer as brothers and sisters in arms, until they found a new home, far away from D.C, the Division, and the True Sons. Jackal and Kingpin soon declared themselves the leaders of the unified gang, the Jackals, and Jackal named Addict the Merchant Prince of Drugs. It was one of the happiest moments of his life. Addict now had authority to do what he wanted with his research. No more Zodiac holding him back. It was majestic.

During the early years, Addict made a breakthrough. He had been working on a new Spice strain, which had only recently made it to the testing phase. Inspired by the works of Louis Carroll, Addict anointed it "Mad Wonderland Spice", or "Madland Spice" for short. Ever cautious, Addict tested it on those due execution. If Madland failed, they would still die either way, rewarded as prisoners deserved. What happened next, Addict couldn't have possibly foreseen. It worked as normal Spice, but after a period of 24 hours, something horrifying happened. The test subjects, their minds fractured from withdrawal, their psyche shattered. Any sense of humanity was gone completely. All that remained were savage beasts that tore apart anything and everything in sight, regardless of whether or not they were friend or foe. Nothing terrified Addict more, and that's saying something.

Contacting Jackal and Kingpin and informing them of Madland, they immediately forbid him from producing anymore of Madland Spice. Addict dubbed the test subject that survived the slaughter of each other the Maniac, and the Maniac would give way to a new unit in the Jackals' forces: the Manics. When word reached Jackal and Kingpin of rogue Jackals scavs looting True Sons gear, a few days after the truce was signed, Addict made a request: if they had any Beast Systems Backpacks, send them to him. He worked on them with Grease until they were able to use them to keep the Manics in line.

## Personality

>
>
>
> | “
>  | *Cocaine. Marijuana. Opioids. Drugs rule every corner of an addict's mind, and that allows me to corner the market. What good is it being a pharmacist if you can't pick up a thing or two in business?*
>  **- Addict** | ”
>
>
>

Addict is an inquisitive, pragmatic, and curious mind, and his curiosity is only matched by his ruthlessness. During his time as a Hyena, he always felt like Zodiac was holding him back, and as the Merchant Prince of Drugs, Addict is finally unchained and free to do as he wishes. His ambition has its limits, as the incident regarding Madland Spice indicates. Addict has only one goal: spread the power of narcotics across America, from sea to drug filled sea. Despite his pragmatism, he cares deeply for the Jackals and his allies, but has trouble opening up about his feelings.