Mr. Black

Art by Shanuraru

> *"What's worse? To be born into sin? Or to live until driven to sin?" - Mr. Black*
>
>

Alexander Brando, more well known as Mr. Black, is the CEO of Paradise Corporation and is one of the main characters/protagonists in Paradise Chronicles. He helps many of the other protagonists in the series as well.

## Appearance

### **Alexander Brando**

Prior to the events of The Philadelphia Project, his appearance was of a tall lanky man with short dirty blonde hair. His hair was just long enough to be put into a very small ponytail. He had blue eyes and wore big thick glasses. He had a long face with light stubble.

### **Grim**

During his time as Grim he had a long sleeved under armor shirt, tactical combat vest with multiple pouches and holsters, tactical gloves, tactical cargo pants, and combat boots: all of them being black. During this time he also wore a completely closed off ski mask/balaclava. The eye holes were stitched closed into X’s and where his mouth was located were small holes with metallic rings around them.

### **Mr. Black**

His final and current appearance is one that includes a black suit with a white dress shirt and black tie. On top of that he wears a large trench coat with a large collar that pops out. The most notable piece of his current outfit is his large cat head mask. The mask is very similar to a sports mascot head. Oversized with big eyes and a big smile. The accent fur is white and the eyes a pale yellow.

## History

### **Early Life (1960-1980s)**

Alexander was born in Brooklyn in the early 1960s, growing up in a lower middle class home. Despite his conditions he was able to get scholarships for colleges once he graduated from high school. Alexander would study Biomedical Science but was always curious about engineering; bio-med would give him somewhat of a reach into that. In school he would meet a girl that he would eventually marry and have a child with shortly after finishing college. The government, seeing his potential, scouted him after his college graduation. He was given a job at a government research facility in Manhattan.

The job he had was in a R&D team that would examine and research the results of experiments preformed by a separate team. Most of the time the contents given to R&D were unrecognizable, just being flesh like substances and other bio matter. Eventually after Alexander and a fellow co-worker at the time figured out that they were working under what was called "The Philadelphia Project:" a research endeavor to find an alternative to nuclear weapons. After finding out about the real intentions of the project, Alexander was left uneasy. But he still continued, though he would start to witness more horrors of the experimentations. This included a test subject who exploded due a reaction to the testing and was pieced back together like Frankenstein. Most if not all test subjects came from prisons, and soon families of inmates started to notice their loved ones disappearing and dying. Enough of these disappearances were happening that papers started to cover the phenomenon. Because of this the project turned to it's members, asking if they had anyone they knew willing to undergo experimentation. Eventually they turned to forced experimentation on some of the researchers involved. Alexander at this point wanted to leave the project but was denied. Upon trying to leave by force, both Alexander and his family were abducted by the government and tested upon. His wife was left as a husk of her former self, not having any cognitive functions. His new born child was nothing more than mush, not being able to survive the experiments. Alexander himself then was put under for the experiments. Just like his family he didn't survive. Alexander was then brought to be cremated within the facility, and upon being placed in he regained life. And so he began to burn alive, melting away his skin and a good portion of his muscles. He was then able to escape but was severely burned, his appearance now that of a charred skeleton dosed in blood. Because of the experiments and the pain he was in physically and emotionally he went berserk. In this blind rage he killed nearly everyone in the facility and then escaped. This incident would put the Philadelphia Project on hold indefinitely as nothing like that had happened before, and the government could not risk something like that happening again.

After escaping into the city he would eventually come in contact with a homeless man named Oscar. With the help of Oscar, Alexander was able to plan out how he would get his revenge. He couldn't do it by normal means because he was seen as a monster by society so he had to go through other means to getting it. Which was working in the criminal underground, so he joined up with a gang that was well known in the east coast known as "The Pillars." The gang was lead by a ruthless leader named Storm. During this time Alexander would go under the name "Al" as he didn't want to use his real name. He would also wear a paper bag over his head not wanting people to see what he looked like. Considering gangs don't usually like the government, he planned to try and convince the group to help him in his revenge against the them. After a specific job that triggers Alexander's trauma though, he realizes that he can't do this; at least with this group. History then repeats itself as he tries to leave The Pillars but is denied. The group also finds out during this that Alexander was telling Oscar the activities of the gang. Since Oscar was a third party in the eyes of The Pillars they had Oscar killed. This then sent Alexander into another blind rage, ending up in the death of almost every Pillar member. The few that did survive were able to catch a glimpse of what Alexander truly looked like, which earned him the new nickname and moniker "The Grim Reaper" or "Grim" for short.

### **Highway to Hell (1980-1990s)**

With this new name and infamy Alexander, now Grim, started to work as a hired killer and gunman. Hopping from job to job aimlessly trying to figure out what to do, he tried to see if he could find an answer to everything. Eventually he would come into connection with a middle man and contractor named "The Book Keeper": a very smart and intellectual individual who saw potential in Grim as a killer. The two then started to work regularly together; eventually Grim became Book Keeper's main guy, even doing personal tasks for Book Keeper. The two would also bond over their shared intellect, the Book Keeper showing Grim his vast research, knowledge, and general cybernetics.

During this time Grim was still looking for a way to get his revenge. He soon realized being just a goon wasn't going to get him that, so he devised a plan. He tipped off Book Keeper of a potential contract: one where Grim along with a few other hired gun would rob one of the largest banks in the United States. The cut would be 50% for the gunmen and him. It was a job that couldn't be turned down. It was from Grim, his most trusted man up to that point. When Book Keeper asked who the contract was from, Grim told him it was from a new benefactor named "Mr. Black." Grim went on the heist with the gunmen that were hired and during this heist they "met up" with Mr. Black. Grim, being the head of the operation, went in alone to "meet" Mr. Black and was then "killed" by Mr. Black. Mr. Black then emerged from where the meeting took place, informing the gunmen that Grim was dead and that he would be leading the rest of the heist. Upon returning from the heist, Mr. Black met up with Book Keeper face to face. He informed Book Keeper that he killed Grim during the heist, saying that he wasn't needed anymore. Book Keeper was enraged and confused by this. Knowing how smart Book Keeper was Mr. Black then killed Book Keeper, but before he did he let him know who he truly was. He let Book Keeper know that he was Grim and this was the next step. Later on Mr. Black would discover that he didn't actually kill Book Keeper, but instead completely crippled him. This made him nearly immobile.

With this new found wealth from the heist and shedding his old identity, Alexander had finally became Mr. Black.

### **Into the Black (1990s-2020s)**

After becoming Mr. Black, he used all the money and resources gained from the heist and from killing Book Keeper to start his plan. He would start construction of Paradise City, a small settlement that would be outside of eye of the public and the criminal underground. During the construction of the city Mr. Black would continue to run jobs and do light contracting work, helping his new employees find jobs themselves while taking a cut of the pay. Around this time Mr. Black would come across an abandoned baby at one of the construction sites of Paradise City. Not wanting the child to suffer and risk his plans being found out Mr. Black took in the child as his own, who he would name Edward. Eventually after Paradise City was complete, Mr. Black had made a large name for himself among other people in the criminal network.

His past actions would quickly catch up to him however, as Book Keeper was a member of the Lucky 13; Killing him put a target on Mr. Black's back. Many higher profile people in the criminal underground had grown an immediate hostility due to this. Eventually the Lucky 13 would send a notorious hitman to kill Mr. Black who only went by the name "George". After a confrontation between the two, Mr. Black narrowly won with his life and spared George. Because of this kind gesture and other means of judgement, George wished to help Mr. Black on his journey. Not for revenge, but to better himself. George would be the first member of Mr. Black's bodyguard group known as "The Beasts."

This would also be during the time Mr. Black would start to expand his operations, dipping his toes into drug trade and arms manufacturing. The latter would become more prominent but the former would lead to meeting Genri Otetsyn, later known as Henry Mark. Henry was a cartel leader from Russia working out of Texas; when Mr. Black treaded in his territory the two would wage war. Eventually the conflict ended with the near death of Henry. Though like George Mr. Black spared Henry, seeing potential with him as a powerful ally. Henry would become the second member of "The Beasts." During the years after this Mr. Black would slowly grow Paradise Corporation and "The Beasts," gaining Fin, Tom, Eagle, and Law in that respective order.

## Personality

Mr. Black has primarily been an extremely charismatic person all throughout his life and identities. The extent of this charisma has differed. He uses it to his advantage when doing business dealings and when negotiating and talking with friends or foes alike. It was what was able to help propel him from being Grim, a mercenary with little to no sway, to Mr. Black, a "savvy" arms dealer. Along with gaining his employees extremely quickly and efficiently. The greatest case of his charisma being when he first met George. Not only being able to fend him off but then convince him that he had good intentions for the world. This is a notable time due to George's strict morality.

In addition to his charisma Mr. Black is one to make humor in any situation. He is able to crack jokes that irritates and annoys most of his enemies and even allies. He regularly insults and belittles his enemies with few exceptions. He feels no shame and can make a joke out of any situation, especially at his own expense.

However, though Mr. Black is one to crack jokes and seem very confident and happy with his presentation, because of his past trauma he does carry a weight of dread with him. A dread that has built up after each failure he has had, with each identity he has taken, for each loved one he has lost. It's something that very few know about. Some know about this sadness and fear, but even few know of his true past. The true reason for this dread. It has affected him to great degrees, giving him traumatic episodes that are usually when he is alone. One of the more notable incidents of this being a dream he had where he was Alexander Brando again and not Mr. Black. Another case being when he broke down in front of Fin after a confrontation about the morality of their practice. Speaking on how he missed the past life he lived, the one he yearns for again. Mr. Black feels he is defined by his past, and that is should be used to push him forward to make things better. But the dread lurking within makes it seem that no matter what he will do, he will fail.

## Powers and Abilities

### **Human Abilities**

Due to his schooling and natural innate intelligence, Mr. Black is rather smart. While as both Grim and Mr. Black he would pick up many other pieces of knowledge that would help him on his different endeavors such as economics, marketing, and business dealings. He also learned more niche engineering masteries such as gunsmithing, programming, urban engineering, and much more.

Over his time as a mercenary, and later CEO of an arms trading company, Mr. Black gained practical skills in both CQC and marksmanship. This would lead to him being well versed in a wide range of melee based weapons and a wide range of guns/ranged weapons. Most notably Mr. Black uses two OTs-33 Pernach machine pistols modified to have extended barrels at the same time: something that not a normal person or even a decently trained solider can do.

### **Deads Abilities**

The abilities he gained from being tested on in the Philadelphia Project include increased stamina and endurance. On top of this, a more primal power awakens when adrenaline is pumped into his body at a certain rate. Mr. Black has coined the term "Berserking" when this happens. During this berserk state he becomes less cognitive but has increased speed, strength, and endurance on top of the already increased endurance and stamina. However this does not mean that he is indestructible. The amount of damage he can take does have limits.

### **God's Gift**

The God's Gift that was given to Mr. Black was that of Blood Manipulation. This power only effects his own blood. Whether it is inside his body or outside it. This power pairs nicely with his Deads Abilities due to their nature, meaning that he could make sure he does not lose his own blood, whether that be forcing the blood to harden into scabs or literally bringing the blood back into his system. He can also use the blood offensively, either making it into weapons or extensions to his own limbs. This comes to the cost of his own blood, which he is limited on.

## Trivia

* Despite losing his eyes after The Philadelphia Project he still has the ability to see.
* Mr. Black's favorite car is a 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351, which he owned during his time as Grim. Eventually he was able to get a refurbished version later on while as Mr. Black.
* The mascot head that Mr. Black wears was inspired by seeing George wearing his horse mask during his assassination attempt. Mr. Black saw it as an opportunity to not only disguise himself but also make himself stand out among the rest of the criminal underground. It also made for good branding.

## References and Citation

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Short Story: "*Grim*"
2. ↑ Coffee Break: *"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"*
3. ↑ Coffee Break: *"Again"*

## Gallery

Art by VaighArt by G00eyArt by DeerArt by JackArt by MapleArt by ShenpaiArt by RozcoArt by KirbyOtakuArt by 1nsterArt by EricArt by GaleTea