Talon Blaze

*"I'll make you fear my name."*
—Talon Blaze to Phoenix
**Talon Blaze** is a cybernetic ex-convict and a former mob hitman who sought vengeance against his former employers for betraying him.

## Biography

### Early Life

Talon Blaze was a married man who lived in New Arcadia. He was a grunt laborer who lived in a small rental house with two kids and his wife. He was an average man who did not stand out. Eventually he and his wife started arguing daily, which led to a divorce where he lost custody of the kids and house. He was also forced to pay a huge wage of child support which he could not afford. Shortly afterwards, he rented a shitty shack to live in while taking other gigs and jobs to pay off both the child support and the rent. One of his gigs involved being a chicken-themed mascot, and he got to keep the uniform.

Talon passed out one day and was hospitalized due to high stress, which led him to becoming depressed. He did not have any energy to work and was promptly jailed for six months. His child support charges were dropped in the meantime, but he lost his home and now had a criminal record, which kept him from any gainful employment.

### The Underdog

He was homeless for a few weeks, and while he was looking for shelter, he discovered an illegal fighting ring in the city slums. The middle man took pity on Talon and got him to sign up, betting all the money in his pocket, $28. The crowd cheered for Talon's opponent, but in his anger, Talon rushed him and dropped him with a quick right jab to the stomach. He beat him as he was on the ground until he dented his skull and popped his eyes out.

The Mob was impressed and took Talon in as the Underdog of New Castleton District. With his new income, he ditched his shack to rent a small apartment. He had made progress with overcoming his depression, but was still angry with how his life had went.

### Becoming a Hitman

One day, Talon received a gun from the mob with a note reading *"Your first job will be ending a man who we've been paid to kill. Shouldn't be too hard. Gun has one full mag. Wear a mask and cover your skin. Don't fuck it up."* He used his chicken mascot helmet and travelled to the address he was provided: a small home.

Talon entered the house after picking the lock and went from room to room until he found his target sleeping. He shot him three times in the heart before he heard the cries of an infant. He took a picture of the corpse to confirm the hit and returned to his apartment. He later received a check for his services and smiled for the first time in a long time. However, when he saw a news report about his assassination with footage of the man's wife holding their baby, he thought about his own family and his smile disappeared.

#### Betrayal

*"Why have you called me here?"
"To assert something."
"That is?"
"You're useless. You've simply outlived your usefulness to the mob."
"You fucking traitor! I did right by you! Fucking two-headed snake!"
"Come now, Talon. You were the perfect dog. Obeyed me so much until now."
"I'll fucking kill you. I pr-"
"Shut the fuck up. You speak. When you're spoken to. Dog."*
—Talon Blaze and Scarface
Now in a cycle, Talon did any type of job the mob sent him to, becoming more and more dangerous with each contract and moving up the criminal ladder. An authority figure of the mob and the spearhead of the fighting rings called him to meet in person as a sign of appreciation for his work. Talon went to the location, a dirty, stained street on a dark night and was quietly surrounded by men with guns.

Scarface told Talon that he had outlived his usefulness and ordered his men with a hand signal to rush him. As he stepped back, Talon took a bullet to his kneecap. As he fell down in pain, Scarface aimed his weapon at his head. Talon was furious, but also greatly disheartened by the betrayal. He swore to kill Scarface, but he was then shot in the chest. He stepped closer, but Talon endured and took Scarface's gun to shoot and kill his men. Scarface then put him in a chokehold, but Talon broke free and punched him in the nose, breaking it before two men grabbed him. Scarface reclaimed his gun and shot Talon in the head, leaving him in the street.

### Cybernetic Anger

*"Why have you done this?"
"To mark my name, and crave it on your greed."*
—Target and Talon Blaze
Talon's cold body lied in a pool of blood. He was taken to the hospital, where a surgeon implanted cybernetic enhancements to keep him alive. However, his amygdala was gone, meaning the part of the brain that controlled fear allowed him to live without feeling fear again. When he was woken up by the surgeon, Talon looked at his new implants and asked where he was. The surgeon brought in a team with a briefcase containing photographs of the implants he had received, in addition to a kill switch in his head. Talon's confusion turned to anger, as the surgeon explained that he would repay them for the implants by completing a few missions in order to have the switch removed.

Talon was ordered to shoot his way into the penthouse of a building and kill the target within. He agreed, but not out of fear of death. When he returned home, he made a planning board to hunt down Scarface. Every time Talon tried to sleep, he would have nightmares about either his old family, or of Scarface shooting him. When Talon arrived at the location, he was being monitored by a team via his cybernetic augmentations. The metal detector inside detected his pistol, so Talon shot the security guard in the neck before he could react. This set off multiple alarms and caused the doors to lock, but Talon pursued his contract. He went from room to room, floor to floor killing everyone that shot back, and shot down military drones until he reached the penthouse.

He grabbed his target by the neck and dropped him out the penthouse window, and when he looked out he saw mechs and police everywhere. Helicopters and drones surrounded the building, and attack choppers positioned themselves outside the same window. Turning in the spotlight and firing at Talon, he quickly took cover as the entire city district experienced a blackout, except for the technology in his body. Helicopters crashed into buildings and cars stopped in the middle of the roads. Talon left his cover and took a parachute to escape.

When he returned home, he found the same group of people who saved his life and removed his kill switch. They formally invited him to the team of vigilantes. Talon took on two monikers, "Cyber Fowl" and "Chicken Warrior." Over the course of the next several months, he hunted down members of the mob, one by one.

### Reap What you Sow

#### Interrogation

*"Stay back! I've got a gun! Shit look we can talk! Aug fuck- look w-what do you want money is that it?"
"Who. The fuck. Hired you."
"J-Jay Jay Kelly!"
"Noah, Leo, Emma. Hey, don't they sound familiar to you? Family maybe?"
"What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"Your fucking friends shot me in the head, tell me where the fuck Scarface is or you and your family will be in a fucking landfill!"
"Gnn! Okay okay look we- he's located in the Happy Pinpoint Factory! Oka-"*
—Mark Oliver and Talon Blaze
Talon would appear in news outlets and police stations had him on their wanted list. The locals referred him as "the Chicken Warrior," while his enemies and mobsters referred to him as "the Cyber Fowl." He gradually got leads on mobsters, collecting pictures of drug deals and setting bait until he caught one of their men with help from the team's hacker, Valkyrie. She procured details of the mobster's home and family. Talon eventually confronted the mobster, Mark "Golden Gun" Oliver, by breaking into his house and killing him, but not before learning Scarface's location.

#### Vengeance

*"I'm going to give you new scars, scars that you will never forget."*
—Talon Blaze to Scarface
Talon left Oliver's home as Valkyrie shut down phone calls in the surrounding area. He continued to hunt down more mobsters and obtaining more information, but kept his eye on Happy Pinpoint Factory, Scarface's alleged holdup. One day, Valkyrie spotted a few armoured trucks headed towards the factory and contacted Talon. She caused a blackout within the factory, and Talon attacked the guards inside with a rain of bullets from his machine gun. He left the survivors to suffer, when he suddenly took some bullets himself, but survived due to his cybernetic armor. Too angry to feel any pain, Talon shot any guards who crossed his path and kept Scarface alive. Valkyrie made sure to activate the electronic locks on the doors to prevent his escape.

Talon approached Scarface with an aura of pure anger, and shot him in the leg. His target dropped down screaming in pain, and Talon then shot him in the spine from the front, paralyzing him. Scarface tried to look up with pure fear in his eyes, as Talon holstered his guns and unsheathed a cleaver. He shoved Scarface against a table and shoved the blade into his hand, and just kept slashing until he died from blood loss.

Talon left the factory, dragging Scarface's corpse behind him. He set up a series of explosive barrels in the factory and shot one, causing a chain reaction and blowing up the entire facility. He brought Scarface to the surgeon who saved him, and had him resurrect his enemy with corrupted cybernetics that only brought pain. He forced Scarface into a cage in the team's base, leaving him in a chronic state of agony; his only reason to be alive was to be tortured by the very man he killed.

### Fear the Chicken Warrior

#### Duel with Phoenix

*"You fucked over the mob. Now the mob wants to fuck you over. Don't reach for your gun, you'll ruin your rep. See I want you to prepare, I've killed too many just the moment I've met 'em, gets boring about the most fun part of the job."
"Turn your gun in, or you'll be going to the mob in two parts."
"You think I'm afraid of someone who's fucking named Chicken Warrior? What the fuck kind of name is that? You got eight hours, don't disappoint."
"I'll make you fear my name.""
"Sure, and remember, cluck cluck."*
—Phoenix and Talon Blaze
A few weeks after Talon attacked Scarface's compound, the mob's Godfather hired a mercenary, Phoenix, to hunt him down. The mercenary learned that Talon visited a specific diner every day and approached him, showing a photo of the Chicken Warrior. The mercenary told Talon that he wanted him to be prepared, as he had grown bored of killing his targets immediately. Talon finished his beer and returned to his apartment, making sure to make a few turns to ensure he was not followed.

Talon woke up after yet another nightmare. Returning to his planning board, he attempted to learn the identity of the Godfather. A few minutes later, he heard a metal "clank" outside and rushed to grab his gear: two handguns and his mask. He ducked down as a giant beam of energy blasted through his apartment, shattering his window, starting a fire and destroying his board. Talon returned fire, but Phoenix hit him in the chest with plasma shotgun shells. Talon's cybernetic augmentations tanked the ammunition and continued returning fire. However, Phoenix's armor was also bulletproof. One of the mercenary's explosives destroyed the entirety of the apartment, and propelled Talon to the roof of another building.

Talon reloaded his pistols when Phoenix jumped from his apartment window to the same roof. The mercenary charged his plasma rifle, but Talon shot the weapon's barrel and caused a malfunction. Phoenix blasted Talon with plasma shells from his own cybernetic weaponry, beginning to pierce his armor. In response, Talon threw a grenade at Phoenix and shot it, exploding it mid-air and casing the mercenary to fall off the roof. Talon made his escape with his armor in bad condition and failed to contact his team. Gunfire came from behind and Talon saw Phoenix in pursuit, so he took cover. Phoenix laid down suppressing fire as Talon threw another grenade. However, Phoenix took off Talon's arm with his charged rifle. Talon fell to the ground and reached for his arm as a tired Phoenix approached him.

Talon's eyes were filled with pure rage was he reached for his gun and shot him in the neck. He stood up and held a downed Phoenix at gunpoint, then shot his leg until he ran out of ammunition and dropped the gun. Talon left Phoenix in agony and retreated to his team's base for medical aid.

#### On the Hunt

*"Talon, stop this."
"What?"
"I can see what you're trying to do, five fucking days without sleep, it's time to give up before your bod-"
"Don't ever tell me what the fuck to do, its hunt, or be hunted. I will not be caught off guard again, you hearin' me?"
"You need to rest! We still don't know what the side effects are-"
"No, I'm finding him, and I'm killing him, it ends today, goodbye."*
—Valkyrie and Talon Blaze
A few days after he received his new arm, Talon geared up in the base and watched news reporting his home's destruction. He retrieved two sawed-off double barrel shotguns and modified them to reload automatically, and also added more barrels. After gearing up, Talon went for days without sleeping to search for Phoenix, who he had left behind without checking on due to how badly he needed to leave. He eventually received a call from Valkyrie, who urged him to take a break, but Talon was adamant in his hunt. He hung up, breaking his earpiece.

#### Rematch with Phoenix

*"Do you fear me yet?"*
—Talon Blaze to Phoenix
A few hours later, Talon returned to his favorite diner for another beer instead of sleeping. He received a call from an unknown number, and when he answered, he heard his family screaming. Talon was unfazed, however, and hung up to finish his beer and pay the check. He left to rent a room in a rundown apartment building and set up another investigation board, this time dedicated to Phoenix instead of the mob's godfather or his family. In the morning, while following a lead on the mercenary, he received messages containing photographs of his dead family. Talon broke his phone and threw it on the ground to focus on the hunt.

When his first lead did not lead to anything, he followed another: an abandoned factory. As soon as he went inside, he was shot in the chest and stumbled back out. He took cover and watched gunfire pour through the door, and noticed he was bleeding. This only angered him and he rushed back in, armed with his custom shotguns and a flashbang grenade. When he took cover inside, he threw the grenade to blind his enemies and give himself the chance to do some damage. He grabbed one mobster's head and beat it into a nearby table, while simultaneously taking the man's pistol and shooting at the mobsters further away. He continued to battle until he was shot in the chest again and his cybernetics started glitching. His eyes turned red, shining through his mask before the lights in the building were cut off by Valkyrie.

Talon was unencumbered, as he could see in the dark due to his bugged cybernetics. He dropped the man's pistol and ran to the first mobster he could get his hands on, punching his head against a wall until it burst open. Another mobster dropped his weapon in fear, and Talon blew his head off with his custom shotgun. He heard footsteps from the surface overhead and fired his shotgun up again, causing a fresh corpse to fall over its railing. When the power returned and his cybernetics stopped malfunctioning, Talon saw his hands were covered in blood and left the factory, but was shot in the process. When he fell down, he saw Phoenix approaching him while his cybernetics malfunctioned once more. Phoenix charged his railgun and aimed at Talon, but his own cybernetic suit was malfunctioning and caused him to drop the gun due to feeling immense pain as well. Talon got up, but fainted from blood loss.

#### Cornered

*"You're finally done, mafia should be here any minute. Can't lie, you're not worth it for the trouble you gave me."*
—Phoenix to Talon Blaze
Talon woke up to find himself chained up in a dark room. He tried to assess his surroundings but errors in his cyberware were increasingly challenging. Light entered the room as Phoenix entered. He told Talon that the mafia would be arriving soon to deal with him. When Phoenix left, Talon's cyberware only grew worse. His pain was inhibited and his cybernetics began to spark, and his eyes turned red again as he broke his restraints.

When Phoenix returned to find the source of the noise, he opened fire on Talon as he charged forward. Talon was able to avoid the bullets and used the door for cover. He then ripped the door off its hinges and threw it at Phoenix with inhuman strength, slamming him into the wall. Talon approached a downed Phoenix, prepared to exact his vengeance, but heard mobsters approaching. He jumped through a window and landed in a hallway, and ran forward until he found an armory. He kicked down the metal door and recovered his gear. He also found an electrical box on his way out and fired at it, killing the lights and allowing Phoenix's armor (and his own eyes) to shine. Talon fired at an incoming group of mobsters before they could even react, killing them in an instant. As more gunfire passed him, he stared at a second group of mobsters and killed them, too, before going back to find Phoenix. He killed anything that moved, but since Phoenix had also moved, he spent hours searching for the mercenary.

Talon eventually left the building and stole a car to return to base. His cyberware was seemingly back to normal, because he felt a sense of calm but also pain wash over him. When he returned to base, Doctor Lee treated his wounds, and Talon went back to his apartment afterwards.

#### Gaining Recognition

A few weeks later, Talon returned to his favorite diner for beer. A hooded man walked in, and Talon recognized him from a group of messengers who warned of death. The man sat down in front of him, and informed him that while the mob was cutting back on their efforts to hunt him down, they were putting all their resources into sending a man known as "the Professional." Talon, however, accepted the challenge and left the diner. People on the street recognized him from his appearance on the news, when suddenly Talon caught a glint of glass in the distance. He took cover from a sniper's gunfire, which killed one of the people in the crowd.

Innocent people ran away as Talon armed himself with his pistol and returned fire. However, the sniper shot him in the chest, sending him flying back but with his armor intact. With sirens in the distance, Talon made his escape, breaking into a nearby apartment building. Once he left, his attempt to locate the sniper was halted when a police officer approached him and asked for details on the situation. Talon gave the officer fake directions as a diversion. A few minutes later, Talon caught the glare of a scope again and jumped for cover as Jackal flanked the Professional. Jackal lost to the Professional in hand-to-hand combat and was sent flying off the building and through the roof of a car. Talon laid down suppressing fire to help Jackal to his feet and bring him to cover.

Once Jackal was safe, Talon went to the rooftop where the Professional had been, but they were nowhere in sight. Talon returned to the ground an gave Jackal an inhibitor for his pain before they returned to base. However, they discovered the base had been raided and found the surgeon on the floor. Jackal told Talon to find who had raided their facility, and he conducted a search. He found Valkyrie on the last floor, but he was flanked by the Professional, who shot him in the back of his knee. Talon fell down and eyed the assassin, who aimed his weapon at his head. However, the Professional was shot by an unknown assailant, causing the assassin to activate his invisibility and flee. Talon could not find him, even with his thermal vision. Vaulk helped him stand up, being the one who shot the Professional. They went to help the surgeon and Talon eventually repaired his leg.

### Fear the Cyber Fowl

#### Siege of New Arcadia

*"Never gave me a fuckin' answer. Do you fear me yet?"*
—Talon Blaze to Phoenix
Talon had grown cold and tired of his troubles and decided to take action by ending all of his enemies once and for all, regardless of how many innocent lives could be caught in the crossfire. He abandoned his team and went to the county prison, where it all began. He gunned down every guard he found and freed all the prisoners, instigating a riot. Local police became involved in the conflict as Talon gained a following of liberated inmates, who had armed themselves with the dead guards' weapons. Talon led his growing army until all of New Arcadia was under siege.

During the siege, Talon was seen on multiple news outlets among the crowd of revolting prisoners. He eventually spotted a sniper scope and made his way behind cover in a building, though not without dodging and tanking some of the rounds. However, he it was a trap, as he found himself confronted by armored soldiers wielding heated swords. Talon blew their brains out with his shotgun and commandeered one of their swords before a duel with the last soldier. He lost one of his fingers and retaliated by throwing the sword into the soldier's chest and rampaging his corpse with shotgun shells.

Talon continued fighting the uphill battle, fighting more trained and skilled soldiers until he reached the top floor to find the sniper. However, he was ambushed and was impaled by a sword through his chest. His cybernetics immediately malfunctioned and he turned around to see it was Phoenix who had stabbed him. In his anger, Talon extricated the weapon and saw Phoenix panic for the first time. He cut Phoenix's railgun in half before he could use it and slashed his kneecaps, and asked once more if he feared him yet. Phoenix screamed for help, before Talon ripped his jaw off, gouged out his eyes, punched through his armored ribcage and pulled out his heart, crushing it and dumping it on the floor.

As his chest continued to bleed and his cybernetics were sparking from the damage he had endured, Talon's sensors detected someone else in his proximity and he prepared his shotguns. He found it to be the Professional, who was armed with the plasma sniper rifle that had driven him into the building. Talon quickly dodged the plasma rounds which broke through the walls around them, keeping it up until the Professional fled. However, he felt his armor break and pellets burned into his skin. He made it to the next room before he was shot in the leg. He crawled until he reached a wall, but saw Talon slowly approach him, his glowing red eyes the only source of light. With no other choice, the Professional pressed a button on a remote on his person, activating a nearby turret to fire into Talon's chest. Talon, however, shot the turret until it exploded and killed the Professional. Talon, near death, fell to the floor.

A day later, the Siege was contained, and Talon's dead body was transported to Roy Hall, seeking to use him for the Simulacrum Project.

## Personality

Talon is a man consumed by vengeance. While he was initially depressed from being disconnected to his family, he found a purpose in conducting assassinations. He was even unfazed when he heard his family's cries for help because he was focused on hunting down Phoenix.

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

*"You are one tough son of a bitch, huh? Shot in the chest, more than once, and you're still breathin', lookin' at me with your usual side eye."*
—Phoenix to Talon Blaze
* **Technorganic Physiology:** After he was killed by Scarface, Talon's life was saved by a series of cybernetic augmentations. He is immune to electromagnetic pulses.
	+ **Enhanced Strength:** Talon's strength was artificially increased to be superior to the average human, as he can easily bench press 530 pounds. He can also easily kick down doors, and he kicked Mark Oliver into a CCTV desk, bashed his head into it and then kicked him into a wall. He crushed his ear piece in one hand and also easily broke his phone. When his cybernetics malfunction, he is strong enough to break chains restraining him. He also ripped a door off its hinges and threw it at Phoenix, slamming them into the wall. During the Siege of New Arcadia, he threw a sword with enough force to impale an armored soldier, and during his showdown with Phoenix, he ripped his jaw off, gouged out his eyes and punched through his armored ribcage to pull his heart out.
	+ **Enhanced Durability:** Talon's cybernetic armor is bulletproof, protecting his head, chest and other vital areas. He can also withstand plasma shotgun shells to his center mass, and he survived an explosion which destroyed his apartment and propelled him to another building's roof. However, sufficient plasma fire can weaken his armor's integrity, as Phoenix was able to shoot his arm off. His cyberware prevents him from bleeding out quickly. His durability was tested again when his chest was bleeding from gunshots and Phoenix shot him down with a railgun. His armor allowed him to withstand a sniper's gunfire.
	+ **Enhanced Stamina:** Talon can go for several nights without sleeping. When Phoenix trapped him and he escaped, he spent hours killing mobsters in his way. During the Siege of Neo Arcadia, he overcame dozens of soldiers on every floor of a building until he reached the top.
	+ **Enhanced Reflexes:** Talon can dodge bullets at point-blank range when his cybernetics malfunction. He quickly noticed the glint of a sniper's scope and immediately took cover.
	+ **Night Vision:** Talon can see in the dark when his cybernetics malfunction.
	+ **Pain Suppression:** Talon's pain is inhibited when his cybernetics malfunction.

### Abilities

* **Peak Human Condition:** Talon is in great shape due to his stint in prison. He was strong enough to drop a man with a single jab to his stomach, and beat him until he dented his skull and popped his eyes out. He also easily broke Scarface's nose. Talon has a tremendous amount of endurance, having withstood shots to his kneecap and chest and continued to fight, only stopping when he was shot in the head, which he also survived long enough to receive cybernetic implants to save his life.

*"The good news is, the mob is holding back for now. The bad news is, they're sending the Professional."
"Professional or not, I'd love to have them try and earn my head."*
—Man and Talon Blaze
* **Expert Combatant:** Talon demonstrated proficiency in Boxing and ground-and-pound fighting when he entered an illegal fighting ring. When the mob took him in, he became known as the Underdog of New Castleton.
	+ **Sword Skills:** Talon is a novice but skilled swordsman, as he was able to use a heated sword to great effect against trained soldiers, despite not having any formal training himself.
* **Expert Marksman:** Talon is proficient with firearms, being 94% accurate with his aim. When the mob hired him for a hit, he killed the target by shooting him three times in the heart. He used Scarface's weapon to shoot and kill all of his men. He has a quick draw, as he shot a security guard in the neck before he could react. He also shot Golden Gun in the head. He shot Phoenix, who was mid-air and only survived due to his armor. One of his greatest feats was shooting the barrel of Phoenix's plasma rifle to cause a malfunction. He is very precise with his aim, as he also shot Phoenix in the neck. With his custom shotguns, he blew a mobster's head off.
* **Expert Assassin:** Talon became a highly skilled and dangerous assassin after he started working as a hitman for the mob. Scarface described him as "the perfect dog" for always obeying orders. When he received a contract from a surgeon, he killed everyone in his way until he reached his target. Afterwards, he began hunting down members of the mob one by one, including Golden Gun.
* **Skilled Thief:** Talon knows how to pick a lock, a skill which he used to conduct his first mob contract.
* **Stealth:** As a former mob hitman, Talon knows how to approach his targets without being detected.
* **Intimidation:** Talon's body language, size, voice, and cybernetics make him intimidating in general. During a battle in a factory, a mobster dropped his weapon in fear when Talon's eyes were glowing red due to his cybernetics malfunctioning.

## Weaknesses

* **Human Vulnerabilities:**
* **Limited Durability:**
	+ **Extreme Heat:**
* **Glitches:**

## Equipment

### Weaponry and Gadgets

* **Plasma Pistols:** Talon was issued a semi-automatic plasma pistol when he became a hitman for the mob.
* **Plasma Shotgun:** Talon disarmed Scarface of his weapon and used it to kill his men.
* **Double-Barreled Shotguns:** Talon modified two sawed-off double-barrelled shotguns to automatically reload.
* **Machine Gun:**
* **Grenades:**
* **Heated Sword:** During the Siege of New Arcadia, Talon was confronted by a group of soldiers armed with heated swords. After killing most of them, he took one of their weapons and used it against the final soldier, throwing it into his chest.

## Relationships

* Jay Blaze - Son
* Kerry Blaze - Son

Allies* Team
	+ Doctor Lee - Savior
	+ Valkyrie - Team Hacker
	+ Jackal
	+ Vaulk
* Unnamed † - Victim
* Mob - Former Employers
	+ John D'Amico/Scarface - Victim
	+ Mark Oliver/Golden Gun † - Victim
* Security Guard † - Victim
* Unnamed † - Victim
* Phoenix † - Rival and Victim
* Professional † - Victim

## Trivia

* Talon's drink of choice is beer.
* Talon's main theme song Is "The Grave" by Rusty Cage.