Wander

**Work-In-Progress**
*This article is a work-in-progress, and will be updated with more information as soon as possible. If you have information to add, feel free to do so!*
**Note:**
Background is currently word salad (will be rewritten for wiki), Appearance section needs Wander's disguise before leaving the slums

## Misc. Info

### Hair

Blond

**Wander** is a playable character in Affinity Squad. He is a wandering street fighter who challenges opponents he thinks look strong, regardless of their affiliation. Laveris, the goddess of trickery, is his patron and source of many of his abilities. Although he doesn't know it, he is also the older brother of infamous supervillain Killer Kit.

## Appearance

Wander is a young, Caucasian adult of slightly above-average height and a lean, muscular build. His hair is curly, shoulder-length, and dirty blond in color. This hair is usually unkempt, causing it to become frizzy at the edges. He typically wears a simplistic, white, two-piece tracksuit with cyan, vertical stripes on the arms and legs, alongside a pair of white running shoes.

## Personality

Wander is a straightforward and confident youth who, despite his obnoxious tendencies, is willing to do what is right when push comes to shove.

One of his most defining characteristics is his strong willpower. If he sets his mind to something, Wander will pursue his goal until it is achieved, no matter how difficult the task. He is willing to withstand intense physical pain in order to meet his goals, those usually being the defeat of his opponent in a fight. In combination with his superhuman durability, when fighting someone significantly strong, he will often continue fighting until he goes unconscious from shock.

Wander is a self-assured individual, having confidence in himself and his fighting ability. In contrast to Laveris, who has difficulty finding her place in life, Wander has no issues adapting to what life throws at him. However, he occasionally slips into a unique form of self-doubt, believing his role as a street fighter is all he could ever be. Even after almost two years, Wander has not gotten over his brother's supposed death, blaming himself for endangering him. As a result, he often falls into a pattern of believing his actions don't really matter.

Despite his good intentions, Wander has a tendency to get bored quickly. If something or someone does not interest him, he will quickly become agitated, often coming across as hostile even if he doesn't mean to. To compliment this, Wander is very interested in fighting and martial arts, and will light up if the subject is brought up or if he sees someone he believes to be a strong opponent. These traits are only further exemplified in a fight. Against someone who doesn't challenge him, Wander typically prefers to fight efficiently, attempting to subdue his opponent as quickly as possible to get the fight over with. However, if he faces someone sufficiently strong, his entire demeanor changes, focusing all of his attention to the fight at hand.

## Powers and Abilities

### **Powers**

#### Infinite Willpower

Wander possesses an absolutely indomitable will that no force in the universe can break. As a result, he is completely immune to all forms of supernatural temptation or mind control. He can endure endless amount of pain and trauma without going against his values and goals. He shares this ability with his brother, although its origins are unknown.

#### Manifestation of Will

When he was slated to be executed by the slumlords of his hometown, Laveris cast a powerful spell onto Wander. Ordinarily, this spell temporarily saps the victim's willpower and converts it into supernatural powers. As Wander possesses infinite willpower, however, the spell is continuously generating power from an infinite source, effectively lasting forever and producing far stronger results. This power visually manifests as a field of cyan energy that travels across his body.

#### Superhuman Durability

Wander's most notable power is his enhanced durability. His body is effectively impervious to all damage, failing to scratch even against monumental force. Every part of his body, from digits to skin to internal organs, shares this durability. While this ability renders him effectively invincible, it does not protect him against pain, leaving him prone to going into shock if he sustains too much damage or is caught off-guard by a heavy blow.

#### Superhuman Strength

Wander possesses enhanced physical strength, exceeding even peak human strength. On his own, he is capable of deadlifting at least 1,200 pounds.

#### Superhuman Agility

Through both training and supernatural ability, Wander is capable of feats of athleticism unheard of by trained athletes. As a result, he is capable of at least holding his own in terms of agility against other supernaturally enhanced individuals.

#### Energy Fields

Wander's fighting spirit manifests itself in the form of fields of energy. He is capable of projecting small fields of radiant energy from any or all parts of his body, amplifying the strength of his muscles and the power of his blows. However, maintaining these fields for any significant length of time can exhaust him quickly, so he typically only uses them in bursts to amplify his strikes or block attacks. Alternatively, Wander can project these fields in the form of a line, forming a short-ranged beam of energy he can use to slash or stab with. As with the fields, doing so for more than a brief moment causes increasing levels of exhaustion.

### **Abilities**

#### Martial Artist

Wander is a skilled martial artist. Although his only "formal" training comes from Laveris, he is nevertheless exceptionally talented in unarmed hand-to-hand combat, with or without the use of his powers. His knowledge of martial arts is vast enough to have allowed him to craft his own fighting style that makes use of his powers in unique ways, including blocking with his legs and striking with just a finger to maximize damage.

## Relationships

* **Laveris:** While initially skeptical of her motives, Wander quickly grew to appreciate Laveris as a close friend. The two traveled the United States together for over a year, often working together to solve problems along the way. Laveris has regularly assisted Wander in mastering his powers through conversation and training. Likewise, Wander has been the primary factor in introducing Laveris to mortal life and routine. Despite her status as the goddess of trickery, he views her as a regular, albeit eccentric, person who he can confide in. When Wander rented an apartment, Laveris became his roommate, and the two have worked together to pay rent over the course of several months.
* **Victor Hart/Killer Kit:** Before the incident that gave the Hart brothers their powers, Samuel and Victor were very close. In times of great distress or hardship, Samuel and Victor always had each other to rely on. While Samuel respected Victor's intellect and drive, he greatly worried about his safety, even refusing to let him watch his fights. Although Victor willingly involved himself in Samuel's initial attack against the slumlords, he fully blames himself for endangering him, and regrets going through with the plan when he knew Victor was there. Samuel, now Wander, believes that Victor died in the incident that gave them their powers, and is unaware that Killer Kit is Victor in disguise. As such, Wander sees Killer Kit as just another villain looking to seize power.
* **Mr. and Mrs. Hart:** Wander loves and respects his parents greatly for enduring the hardships that came with living in the slums. His primary motivation in joining the fight rings was to provide them with a better life. Despite this, he refused to come with them when they left the slums in pursuit of a less hostile environment, as he did not want to be a burden on them. While he has not physically seen his parents since they left the slums, he stays in regular contact with them by phone.
* **Oraibi:** At one point during Wander's travels, Oraibi was tasked with killing him. A fight broke out and Oraibi landed several direct hits onto Wander, but dealt no significant damage. Recognizing the futility in continuing his mission, Oraibi fled using his smoke ability. Wander, however, grew incredibly frustrated that the fight he was enjoying was cut short, and is determined to find and defeat Oraibi one day.

## Background

Samuel Hart was a teenage boy who grew up poor in the slums of rural Minnesota with his parents and his studious younger brother, Victor. His neighborhood was lorded over by a local crime family who specialized in drug circuits and questionably-legal fight rings. Samuel was determined to improve the living conditions of his family at all costs. At soon as he turned 13, he joined the fight ring closest to him and began competing. As the ring he joined had no formal weight classes, he suffered many brutal beatings at the hands of stronger, more experienced fighters, but he was not deterred in the slightest. Over the next three years, Samuel would come home with bloodied knuckles, plenty of bruises, and just enough prize money to keep his family afloat. However, this was not enough for him. Samuel knew the culprits of his family's misfortune and was determined to put a permanent end to their reign. His plan was daring yet simple: infiltrate the boss's place of business and take him down in front of his own men. Unfortunately for him, young Victor caught wind of his plan and demanded that he be allowed to help. Samuel, who recognized the dangers behind allowing a 10-year-old to participate in such a serious conflict, refused to let him. However, Victor was just as tenacious as his older brother. On the day Samuel ventured out to settle the score, Victor tailed closely behind, and revealed himself to Samuel only when it was too late for either of them to turn back. Rather than express anger at his younger brother for disobeying him, Samuel chose to accept his decision and press onward with his newfound backup. Despite their bravery, however, the boys' efforts were firmly in vain. Both Samuel and Victor were found and caught before they even reached the boss's office. The two found themselves blinded, restrained, and driven to a forest to be disposed of via gunshot. Although neither could speak to each other, the two brothers felt little but shame.

On its way through the slums, the vehicle caught the attention of a rather perceptive woman dressed in black. This woman, however, was no mere passerby. She was Laveris, goddess of trickery and divine prankster to mortals everywhere. Although even she didn't know why quite yet, she noticed something exceptional about the two boys trapped in the back. Her curiosity was struck, and she followed the vehicle undetected by disguising herself as a crow. When the vehicle arrived at its destination, she watched as Samuel and Victor were dragged out, placed face-down towards the dirt, and stripped of their blindfolds. Laveris found herself in the perfect position to sew some chaos, and relished at the opportunity. For centuries, Laveris has made use of a peculiar spell that siphoned the willpower of a victim and converted it into a special ability for the victim to use. While these abilities could be strong depending on the user, it would render them mere soldiers for Laveris to cause mischief with. The moment she saw the shine of a pistol from one of the thug's pockets, she activated the spell on both boys. Nothing seemed to happen at first. The thug took aim and fired at the back of Victor's head. Samuel let out a cry, and was subsequently shot.

Samuel woke up some time later. His head was pounding and he found it difficult to move, and yet he found himself alive. He carefully brushed a finger across the back of his head, and found no injury. Most alarmingly, he found himself alone, save for the company of large splotches of dried blood, far too much to be from one person, on the grass and dirt around him. Victor's body was gone, as were the thugs who brought him here. But the jeep he was thrown into was still here, key and all. Samuel had no driver's license and his senses were faltering, but he nevertheless took the resolve to drive himself back to civilization. When his parents found him on their doorstep, Samuel was barely capable of standing upright. His emotional state was not much better than his physical wellbeing, as all he could do when asked questions by his parents was apologize. Samuel had a lot to process that night and during his week of recovery. His brother was presumably dead, he might as well be dead, and he felt to blame for all of it. Interestingly, he noted, a crow paid regular visits to his window.

Almost as soon as he was able, Samuel started hatching a plan to get revenge on the family that had taken his brother from him. He threw a costume together to protect his identity and adopted an alias, "Wander". His story was that he was a wandering fighter who caught word of the fighting rings of this part of town from all the way across the country and wanted to test his metal against their strongest. Before he could compete again, however, he made sure he spent proper time training. During this time, however, Samuel noticed something peculiar. His punches felt stronger, his movements felt faster, and most notably, he felt no pain from his strikes, even after hours of strenuous training. Throughout all of this, that crow kept staring at him from atop a tree. Sooner than he expected, "Wander" felt ready to sign up for his first fight. His opponent, a local boxer named Bruno, was experienced, known for his brutality, and was seemingly twice Wander's size. Shocking the entire ring, however, Wander *dominated* the fight. Despite landing several direct blows to the head, Wander simply shrugged off everything Bruno threw at him and continued fighting at full strength. This started a trend that boded poorly for Wander's opponents. Match after match, he blew through the other competitors without so much as a bruise. Thanks to his efforts, Samuel's parents found themselves more well-off than they had ever been. Although they were still restricted to the slums for now, they could afford to start looking into other, less hostile places to live.

Naturally, his continuous stream of success drew the family's attention. Although his performances had drawn in more revenue at the time, concerns were growing over how long his novelty would last. After all, no one wants to watch a single fighter win over and over again. The boss sent some associates, led by the boss's brother, to his next fight to remind him of who was in charge of the slums. However, he were instructed to leave the fighter alive, as he was still an asset to the business. On his way home that night, Wander was greeted by a group of thugs, surrounding him on all sides. This was the moment he had been waiting for. Despite their advantage in numbers, none of them could phase the masked fighter. One by one, Wander incapacitated his assailants, not taking a scratch from their weapons. The boss's brother, in an act of desperation, drew a pistol and fired. Wander flinched from the shot, but he recovered almost as quickly. Before the gunman could fire a second shot, his gun was knocked to the ground and he was shoved into a wall. Wander held him up by the neck and demanded to know the home address of the person who sent him. The gunman refused to oblige until Wander's grip strengthened—far more than what he thought possible. With the information he needed, Wander left him gasping for air, but alive.

Once the adrenaline of the fight wore off, however, Wander found himself struggling from the impact of the gunshot. He knew the injury would fade quickly, but this knowledge did nothing to stop the ache in his muscles. On his way home, the pain in his chest caused him to stagger and fall to his knees. To his surprise, someone reached out a hand to help him up. His eyes met with those of a tall, tired-looking woman dressed in black, casual clothes. When she offered to escort him home, he grew confused. Selflessness like this was a rarity in this area, and Wander knew this well. However, he decided to accept her offer, feeling confident in his ability to defend himself if need be. The woman claimed to have watched his fight that day, and was captivated by his performance. She then asked the fighter if he had something important he needed to do that night. Wander's hair immediately stood on end. This woman, somehow, knew at least something about his plans for revenge. Without elaboration, he confirmed her statement. The woman then told him to meet her at a coffee shop, one suspiciously near the address Wander had just been given, the following morning. Wander was curious about this woman and her intentions, but decided to save his questions for tomorrow. After that, Wander arrived at his house, shortly before he realized that she was the one leading the way.

After a brief rest, he quickly set off towards the boss's address. His task was a simple one, and no amount of last-minute security could stop him. The following morning, onlookers observed the boss's bruised and broken body hung by his nightgown onto a nearby telephone pole. He was alive, but in far worse condition than his brother before him. Most strangely, though, a message, "S&V were here" was written in permanent marker on his forehead. Wander woke up that morning physically exhausted, yet rejuvenated at the same time. He quickly threw on his disguise and made his way to the meeting place, his curiosity festering all the while. When he arrived, the woman was already there, seated at a table near the back. Wander suddenly realized the two never arranged a time to meet. Without a word, the woman gestured for him to take a seat across form her, which Wander hastily accepted. Wander didn't know what he expected this meeting to be like, but he was caught off-guard by the woman's apparent awkwardness. Her attempts to make small talk came across to him as strange and unnatural. Eventually, he pressed her to explain the purpose of the meeting. This noticeably distressed her, but she relented and told the fighter to listen close and to keep his voice down.

Leaning in close, the woman explained that she was Laveris, the goddess of trickery, and had been watching Wander for the last several weeks. She knew about his fight against the slumlords who ruled over his family, and was the source of the power he used to triumph against them. Wander doubted her claims of godhood, but could not offer another explanation for his recent development of powers. Laveris then offered to stage a fight between the two of them to prove her claims, which immediately caught Wander's attention. He quickly accepted, and the two soon moved their conversation to an unused ring, where their battle began. Almost as soon as the fight began, Laveris proved that she was not an ordinary woman, utilizing numerous illusions and spells to keep Wander from landing a single blow on her. However, she also found it difficult to land any direct hits on the fighter either, leaving the battle very even. Eventually, though, the two traded direct blows at the same time, knocking each other back. With that, Laveris called the fight, correctly understanding that Wander had no choice but to believe her. Although he was convinced of her status, he questioned Laveris on why she bothered spending time watching and interacting with his affairs. She then reluctantly revealed that the spell she used to bestow power onto him was supposed to sap his willpower and grant her control of his actions, but it instead had no effect on him mentally. To Laveris's surprise, Wander didn't seem particularly bothered by the revelation, interpreting her explanation as a rational justification for her actions. Wander then declared that he was leaving the slums, looking to live up to his alias's fabricated backstory and travel the country in search of strong opponents. When he motioned to exchange contact info with her, she instead offered to travel with him, claiming that the prospect of traveling interested her. Additionally, she noted, she was technically his patron, and she wanted to know more about why her spell seemed to only partially affect him. With Wander's acceptance, the two set their sights towards a nearby large city, ready to escape their circumstances and broaden their horizons.