Vagabond

Vagabond is a British hero, agent of MI9, and co-leader of the Paragons.

## Biography

Tom Walker was an ordinary young man who joined the Royal Navy as a way to escape the stagnant South London slum he'd lived in all his life. Although he saw the military as little more than a way to keep busy, he surprised his superiors by distinguishing himself with unexpected technical and combat aptitudes. He also found he greatly enjoyed the military life and advanced rapidly through the lower ranks.

Tom eventually applied for a position with the Royal Marines, but was approached with an offer from Military Intelligence instead. They intended to use him to infiltrate VIPER, as his background as a disaffected youth would make him a tempting recruit for the criminal organization. After MI9 engineered his "dishonorable discharge," Tom soon found his way into a VIPER nest. There he worked undercover, feeding information to the authorities until a successful sting operation netted a dozen of the highest-ranking VIPER operatives in the UK, instantly collapsing a huge portion of their operations in Europe.

Tom, then in his late 20's, was instrumental in proving the continuing worth of MI9 in the age of UNTIL. Under the codename 'Vagabond' he continued to work as a covert operative specializing in infiltrating and disrupting the operations of super villains and their organizations. He also performed the occasional sanctioned underworld assassination, and his deadliness with almost any weapon became legendary among his peers.

By the time the formation of the Paragons was approved by the European Council, Britain had already left the EU. But given the close working relationship of law enforcement across the continent, they were invited to provide a member for the team anyway and MI9 quickly put forth Vagabond as their candidate. Now nearly fifty, Vagabond was ideal for his effectiveness, loyalty to the UK, and ability to keep close tabs on the other Paragons without raising suspicion. But he surprised his handlers by being much more than a plant, however, and Vagabond has shown himself to be an enthusiastic and effective member of the Paragons, so much so that he has been promoted to a co-leadership position alongside the Blue Marvel.

## Personality

Vagabond puts on an easygoing front, but in truth he is a decisive and calculating battlefield commander. He has no qualms about preemptively removing a threat in order to prevent future problems, and knows that one of his greatest advantages is the element of surprise. As such he often makes snap decisions and acts on them without consulting anybody else.

Vagabond is dedicated to his team, but his first loyalty always lies with England. He is not the type to bend his orders, and he frequently keeps secrets even from his closest allies. But even as he carefully monitors their activities, Vagabond believes in the Paragons and would not betray them.

## Powers

Vagabond is a highly-skilled normal who augments his training with a few select high-tech gadgets. He is an extremely skilled practitioner of martial arts and prefers to fight hand-to-hand even against powerful supers (using debilitating nerve strikes to overcome invulnerability). He is also a skilled marksman and quick to use his versatile carbine when the situation demands. Vagabond's most formidable talent lies in deception, and he is a master of disguise, infiltration, and other critical espionage skills.

Vagabond has a transceiver implanted in his ear that provides secure communication to his teammates as well as supersonic hearing. He has undergone strict mental discipline training and boasts surprisingly high mental defense for a normal.

## Weaknesses

Vagabond has no super powers of his own, and occasionally finds himself in situations where no amount of training can protect him. He is weak to abilities which transform or drain a person.

Although he would never betray his teammates, Vagabond has been very open that his first loyalty lies to his home country. Combined with his identity as the team's resident "spook," this occasionally drives a wedge between himself and the other Paragons. The Grey Ghost in particular does not trust Vagabond and suspects hidden motives behind his every order.