Michael Carlowe

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Michael Carlowe is a feared mercenary and long time partner-in-crime to Alice Alderman and the Alderman Group. He is a strength obsessed man obsessed with the idea of the perfect fight and strength for its own sake. He begins the story as a martial arts scholarship student at Rodriguez & Xanthe's University and progresses to becoming a powerful superhuman one of the MC's closest friends and staunchest allies.

## Background

### Origin

Michael Carlowe is the eldest son of the feared and highly skilled mercenary and assassin couple Raph and Ur Carlowe. His father was obsessed with physical strength and determined to raise his children to be as physically powerful as possible, convinced that being "strong" was the ultimate reason for being. Therefore Michael was raised from birth with the harshest possible physical training and a cutting edge drug regime. He was raised alongside the children of other prominent families like the Aldermans and the Milikens. Michael was a prodigal combatant, already far exceeding his parents' capabilities before he was even a teenager. Still, his father was unsatisfied and set a difficult task for him. He was to be sent to live alone with no resources in the Sector 23 Wastelands; a war-torn area suffering terrible deprivation. He was to either survive alone for a year, or kill the local warlord of whatever town/settlement he was dropped in. Raph gave him nothing but a year's supply of Human Augmentation Drugs and a few weapons. He was to take the drugs every night so that he would go through puberty with them in his system, ensuring that he would develop close to the human apex. Michael is largely complementary of the whole experience, saying that it had taught him the meaning of "true strength". He was able to kill the warlord of the town he was dropped into but it took him nearly the entire year, something he is still slightly embarrassed about.

Michael returns to his family and is sent to work with Markus Alderman and the Alderman Group. He develops a tight friendship with Alice Alderman and helps train her as well. At some point after his return he also develops an addiction to the Human Augmentation Drug and starts taking ever more of it from his father's offices. This is around the time his father was going to send his younger brothers Gabe and Met on their year in the wastelands. the two boys desperately pleaded for their older brother to convince their father not to send them but Michael - in the throes of his drug induced feelings of invincibility - tells them that the experience (and the drugs) will be good for them. Gabe is later killed during his trial and it seems that Met never quite forgave his family for that, changing his last name. This is likely also the event that prompted Michael to beat his addiction and stay away from abusing the augmentation drugs.

Later, when Klaus Aldain joins Alice and Michael, Michael helps train him as well, though he does tell him that his sick body would never let him fight alongside Alice and others. As part of the Alderman group, Michael takes part in numerous combat assignments across the sectors. The contacts he builds on his various jobs give him opportunities to get involved with other mercenary groups, assassination squads, and special operators further building his formidable skills. By the start of game he is 23 and one of the deadliest humans on the planet. When he hears about the Aldain Syndicate's betrayal of the Alderman Group he joins back up with Alice Alderman at R&X University to support her efforts in the gang war.

### First Arc

Michael is introduced during the first Martial Combat and Self Defense class. Michael is at the class since he had already beaten everyone in the other marital arts and combat classes and was looking for a challenge. He and the MC are paired up since they are the only two in similar weight classes. The two engage in a brutal sparring match. Depending on the MC's approach, Michael is impressed either by his speed and technique or his sheer power. If the MC is using his power, Michael kicks him so hard that he is bodily launched out of ring. If the MC is using technique, he leaps out of the ring in an overenthusiastic dodge while trying to avoid Michael's kick. Michael is overjoyed at finally meeting a fighter who he thinks can match up to him and decides to try and train the MC into a fighter who will truly challenge him.

### H.E.R.O Arc

Michael obtains all the weaponry, drones, and equipment he needs for his fight with the M59: Leigong from Tiffany Miliken. In return he promises her his services.

Micheal is first matched up against Po during his simulation training. He smashes through the rock constructs she created and quickly approaches her. She surrenders to avoid a beating.

### Battle of Diamonds

Michael enters the battle as support for the MC and Deryl and enters the dimension with them. The trio avoid the major fighting and quickly move deeper into the dimension looking for the entrance into the mine where the Deryl-Rebis was waiting. As they approached the mine, they are ambushed by a dog monster; Michael instantly kills the monster with a vibrating sword Deryl made for him. They spot the rest of the pack of dog monsters seemingly led by Chimera Primus a little further away on a crag. The are spotted in turn and the pack begins to make its way over. Michael decides that he will draw the pack away into other H.E.R.O. teams and engage the chimera to make sure that there is no interference in attacking the real body. He quickly leads them on a chase into the hills surrounding the mine and is able to lose them. He spots the backup team waiting to help but they are engaged and defeated by Shen Haoran. Annoyed, Michael resigns himself to taking on Chimera Primus alone. He sets up a plan and once he gets confirmation that the MC has destroyed the Hex portal out of the dimension, he prepares to engage. Using an anti-material rifle, he carefully picks a straggler dog monster from the pack and shoots it. The Deryl-modified bone spear bullets do massive damage to the dog, functionally incapacitating it. Chimera Primus quickly directs the rest of the dogs to search for Michael separating them from their wounded pack mate. Sneaking around the pack, he makes his way to the injured monster and tried to goad it into revealing its power. He is quickly able to identify the poisonous spines on their fists and making a plan of attack accounting for their poison and melee strength, prepares to hunt the rest of the pack.

Using the cover of the rocky crags and his incredible physical prowess, Michael lures each of the 32 dog monsters either individually or in small groups into careful ambushes. He surgically destroys the entire pack before Chimera Primus is able to catch up. He then prepares to take down the chimera. Surprised to see the monster recognize him, Michael approaches Primus. Primus tells Michael about the powers/abilities it has, and Michael reciprocates, though both obviously keep aces hidden. The two then exchange a fist bump before the duel begins.

They engage into a furious duel, blade against claw. Michael is unable to cut through the rock hardened claws, but Primus is far too slow to land a blow on him with its rock or poison spines either. Each flurry leaves Primus with deep gashes. However, Michael quickly becomes aware that his sword is on the edge of breaking and is further disgusted at his own inability to awaken a power and fight on his own. Primus tries to use its wind burst to clear some space, but Michael dodges and - rapidly targeting the body areas not protected by rock - begins to slowly damage Primus. He carves a hole into a section of flesh before placing a bomb in it to blow a section of its body away; a second bomb then severely damages its face. As Primus reels back, Michael tries to press the opportunity, but his blade finally shatters. He arms himself with reinforced knuckledusters then resumes. Primus, taking advantage of the lull, tries to use a lightning bolt on Michael, who casually shrugs it off before placing a bomb in the face opening and sets it off with a shotgun blast, blowing apart Primus's head. Michael observes the burning corpse for a few seconds before turning to leave when - sensing a blow - he leaps aside. The blow narrowly grazes him but it's enough to poison him as the imperfectly regenerated Primus stands before him.

While Michael's body is strong enough to resist dying to the poison his fighting ability is severely debilitated. His knuckle dusters had also started to blunt with use and the fight had begun to decisively swing in Chimer Primus's favor. When the equipment finally shatters, Michael is forced to use his bare fists, but the strain combined with battle fatigue finally let Primus land a solid blow and sends him smashing into the rock face, surrounded by the bodies of the slain dog monsters. As Michael reels, Primus approaches and strikes a killing blow. Michael is a manic fit of desperation and anger counters, punching the descending the rock fist. The sheer strain and his wordless mental demands for power finally trigger his abilities, unleashing a shotgun like blast of radiation that blows away the chimera's arm. As he looks at his now glowing arm, he realizes that there are multiple glowing lines connecting him to the monsters he killed, drawing their energy into him. Quickly understanding - and reveling - in the mechanics of his new powers, he advances on Primus. With his hits now emitting blasts of radiation that inhibited the monster's regeneration and burning its body, Michael quickly overwhelms Primus. Realizing however that his previous exhaustion would soon return as the rush wore off, Michael - after thanking the Chimera - charged and fired a powerful blast - christened "Ionized Red" - obliterating its entire upper body, killing it at last.

As he sits recovering, he sees Primus's elixir core fly off to merge with Deryl-Rebis to form its new body. Later, as he continues to recover, Ella Vulpe's death triggers Hex to evacuate its allies and collapse the dimension. Michael is evacuated by Nicolette Heart as the dimension collapses.

### Twins Arc

Michael is next seen during the post battle press conference. The other catch him up the new information they had received, and they all commiserate about Laurie Kernz's injury/death. He then spends the next few weeks feverishly testing his new powers and - in his downtime - training the MC's college friends (Amber, Liz, Emily, Mia) self defense and martial combat. He even comes to consider them friends - slowly unlearning the anti-social behavior his father had inculcated in him. The MC can see him at the university bonfire party, chatting with Emily. The three then go on a short walk together. Michael reveals that he has been estranged from his father since he was 18 and doesn't respect the man anymore. He gives Emily some advice on how to deal with her father before telling the MC about him training their friends. He then walks back to the party with them.

Micheal can later be seen having a heated conversation with Tiffany Miliken. She ends it by asking whether he "would honor their deal or not". Micheal agrees but is visibly irritated by the terms. He later tells the MC to be wary of Tiffany. When the MC asks what he has been up to Michael tells him about all the various ways he's trained his power and reveals that Bramon Xanthe will be giving him the Evolution Serum in the next week.

Michael is also one of the people who help the MC protect Amber and Liz when the MC discovered that they were going to be targeted by the twin stealer. They three protect the twins in shifts initially with Michael watching them when the MC is taking shifts at H.E.R.O.. Later in the week, Michael is called to the battle floor to take his Evolution Serum. In an experiment for Xanthe, Michael learns that he and Tiffany Miliken will be evolving side by side, to see what interesting effects it causes. On noticing Tiffany's improved power, he asks to spar with her at some point. Tiffany seems eager to try.

Their evolutions begin and Michael immediately begins writhing in pain as the process forces huge amounts of power into him. To try and handle it, he immediately engages the nearby Tiffany, trying to blast her with radiation and physically pummel her. Tiffany proves equally violent, smothering him in blasts of light before using her light-speed form to barrage him with hits. The two continue to fight with it appearing that Michael was slowly gaining the upper hand, before Nyx Elis asks the MC to restrain the two superhumans. The MC is able to do it and is able to mentally feel a second of contact between the 2nd Apostle and Michael before the 2nd kills the connection. The next day Michael is recovered and appears for a shift protecting the twins. When asked about the evolution, he says that he largely has no recollection but remembers it as largely pleasant.

A few days later, Michael is part of the group that goes with the MC to look at Ella Vulpe's old high school. When the gang split up looking for info, he and Liz go around the back of the building to search. The two chat amicably about Liz's desire for improvement but Michael leaves to search on his own when the MC arrives to check in on progress. Later when Liz and the MC are having a heart-to-heart conversation, Michael pops up to check in on progress, completely ruining the moment. When the MC comments that Michael has superb cock blocking skills, Michael says that he doesn't know what those are before moving on.

After learning about Eisheth and the S.I.N Initiation infiltration, H.E.R.O. assigns a permanent detail to protect the twins. Since Michael is no longer involved with it, he decides to go help Alice Alderman in a different sector. He goes to back her up in a mission to purge regrouping remnants of the Aldain Syndicate who were making it difficult for her to setup her factories for H.E.R.O.

## Powers and Abilities

Formerly slated to receive his powers from the M59: Leigong, Michael was able to successfully kill the monster and present it as tribute to the 2nd Apostle - The Power. Accepting the tribute, the 2nd claimed Michael as his spawn.

### Human Abilities

Michael is a battle-hardened veteran of countless wars, special forces assignments, gangland fights, and assassinations. He was also raised in an environment of constant physical and combat training. This combined with a Human Augmentation Drugs regimen from his early teens has made him the absolute peak of human physical capability. Training in multiple martial arts forms, weapons handling, explosives, demolition and so on have made Michael utterly deadly in every scenario.

### General Superhuman Abilities

As with most superhumans with physically presenting powers, Michael's body is enormously durable. He is able to shrug off a police handgun bullet as a newborn spawn and endure both the MC's bladed tentacles and Alice's graviton punches (though the latter did knock him off his feet) with little damage. He is also now significantly stronger and faster than a baseline human and has the standard suit of superhuman senses and enhancements. He is also the best among the MC's allies at masking his own supernatural power.

### Level 1 Abilities

Michael's power is essentially a 3-part circuit. He can absorb Superhuman/Monster Energy from other monsters or superhumans, combine it with Natural Energy (like sunlight or lightning) that he absorbs, and regulate it with his own Internal Supernatural Energy. This combined circuit fuels his abilities. He can use it to augment his physical abilities (strength, stamina, speed, durability etc.) or manifest it as powerful short-range blasts of radiation. The radiation notably slows regeneration in superhumans and monsters and deals high thermal damage. He is also notably resistant to directed energy attacks like lightning and is capable of absorbing and redirecting them.

The absorption of energy can be from any source but dead monsters/superhumans are best. Live sources can resist the transfer and throttle the flow.

Michael displays the following special moves:

### Level 2 Abilities

After his evolution, Michael displays significantly greater energy and is capable of using it propel himself in short flight like bursts. He is also able to use blasts of energy like reactive armor, further increasing his physical durability. His physical abilities seem enhanced as well. He is now able to react to Tiffany's lightspeed form.

## Trivia

* A development thread posted before the games first release reveals that Michael was originally planned to be Tess's ex boyfriend, as well as "friend" of Jared and a member of the basketball team. His design also had a scar on his left cheek that isn't present in the game,