Three-parter because of the character limit.
Skyhammer-
Summary
A Scotland native, Lùcas Gutraidh was a pretty average guy. He grew up with normal parents and a younger sister, and was always a pretty stand-up guy… until he developed a drinking problem. There were many nights where Lùcas would be found asleep in a bar, drunk off his ass. His family was heavily disappointed in him, and confronted him outside of the bar he would usually hangout at most nights. They explained to him that they didn’t want to see him fall into alcoholism and poverty when he was all this potential. It took him awhile, but Lùcas accepted that he couldn’t just quit cold turkey and decided to enroll in the Scottish Army. The military quickly shaped him up, and he excelled in everything he did. His bravery and problem solving made him a perfect pick for the new Scottish Spec Ops Division “The Orange Masks.” Specializing in large-scale search and destroy missions, Lùcas thrived with the Orange Masks, and he smiled big every time he called down an airstrike… maybe a little too big. Lùcas had gained a new addiction, and it involved more drones and explosions and less alcohol and bars. He thrived in combat and may have enjoyed it a little too much. Lùcas didn’t want to have to deal with restrictions or regulations anymore… he just wanted to call down airstrikes and put bullets between eyes. Luckily for him, the Dirty Bomb incident happened soon enough for Lùcas to do exactly that. He dropped out of the Orange Masks and moved to London, enrolling in the MercServ database. It wasn’t long before Lùcas’s on-field expertise and experience in leadership roles made him a must-pick for many contractors and squad-builders. As Lùcas, now known as Skyhammer, says, and proves, “Nothing goes just a little bit wrong with an airstrike.”
Sparks-
Summary
Little is known about the silver-haired combat medic, Sparks. Her real name has been redacted from all federal documents, and it is unknown how old she is or where she was born. It is assumed that she was born in either Bulgaria or Russia and she is in her early-to-mid thirties, but her mastery of deception, disguise, and impersonation makes it impossible to truly know who she is. All that is truly known is that she has assumed more than 5 different identities, and that the REVIVR Gun that she takes her name from does not belong to her. She has had multiple conversations with Pietro Borshkacev, aka Thunder, the only merc in the MercServ database that she seems to have any amount of trust in. Relaying the information that she has given him to us, we can piece together a few things, assuming she isn’t lying to Pietro. One, she has a twin sister (not identical). Two, she did actually spend time in med school, so her medical experience comes from more than the papers that says she went to it. And three, she has no intention of moving on from merc work. Which makes us happy, because MercServ could always use someone who can bring someone back from near-death from a football field away. At the same time, however, she could be lying and she may drop off the database the second contracts stop coming in. But as long as she is here, there’s going to be a lot less mercs dying out of position and a lot more getting their heads rocked from someone they can’t even see.
Stoker-
Summary
A UK native, Harold Sands doesn’t really like to talk about his childhood. His parents apparently died in a fire, that may or may not have been a result of arson, and it hit Harold hard. He saw fire as dangerous, evil, and uncontrollable… and that’s what attracted him to it. The allure of a simple spark creating a storm of heat and death was so fascinating to Harold, and he began studying pyrotechnics and arsonism. Most believed that it was to become a fireman in the future, others believed it was to specialize in an arson unit in the police force. Harold didn’t really know why he started studying them, other than to understand fire even more. Eventually, his research led him to join the military as a napalm specialist. His knowledge on incendiary weaponry made Harold a favorite when search and destroy missions were on the list. However, Harold’s affinity for fire started making his higher-ups a bit suspicious. He seemed to enjoy throwing scolding napalm on human beings too much, and they considered discharging him for his inhumane actions. However, they couldn’t deny the results that Harold brought with each mission, and decided that they would have to do more psychological evaluations on Harold. But, these evaluations revealed nothing towards Harold’s deeper thoughts, and was seen as a waste time to both Harold and his commanders. Harold did, however, begin to distrust his higher-ups, knowing that they didn’t trust him, not anymore. Harold’s commanders decided the only way to properly get rid of him was to put him into the most dangerous and suicidal missions they could find. But, mission after mission, Harold came back, emerging from the flames like an unkillable phoenix. His commanders couldn’t seem to get rid of him, and they decided he needed to be discharged… after one last mission. Everyone knew it was a suicide mission, a fortress filled to the brim with tangos, but it had to be done. If this mission didn’t kill Harold, then they would just discharge him when he returned. Many soldiers in Harold’s units lost their lives that day. The mission was a failure, and in an evacuation was called for. They just needed to survive until it got there, since the anti-aircraft defenses had been taken down. This was Harold’s commanders’ opportunity to finally get rid of him in an “honorable” fashion. They ordered him to stall the other tangos in anyway he could. They didn’t tell him to use all of his molotov grenades to hold down all the sightlines to his unit, but both they and Harold knew that was what was going to happen. The room that Harold was holding down went up in flames, the scorching heat could be felt by his squad hundreds of feet away. A few minutes later, Harold’s unit was greeted by an escape helicopter, and they flew off watching the fortress crumble in fire and heat, mourning the loss of Sgt. Harold Sands. But, to his commanding officers surprise, it would later be learned that Harold didn’t die that night. He escaped the fortress, face horrifically burned and scarred, and managed to find his way home. Harold no longer had a position in the military, but that’s what Harold wanted. He knew that his former commanding officers were hoping he died that night and would’ve stayed dead. But, he didn’t, and now Harold needed something else to do. The Dirty Bomb incident would be that thing. He returned to London, ready to enroll in the MercServ database, and ready to scorch the earth. Adopting the codename “Stoker”, Harold took a good look at the irradiated London, knowing it was about to become Hell on Earth… just how he wanted.
Thunder-
Summary
Was the loud and proud mercenary known as Thunder actually born in Russia? Is his name actually Pietro Borshkacev? Is he even Russian? Who knows. According to him, both of his parents were killed in a car accident when he was young and was adopted by his uncle and his family. While loving and caring, they were also strict, tough, and loud. If Pietro wanted or needed something, he had to make sure they knew, and the only way to do that was to yell. This is where Pietro gained his infamously loud voice and obnoxious nature. His impressive size and stature made him a perfect fit for the military, and as such, his bravery and strength got him quickly accepted into the Spetsnaz. While in the Spetsnaz, he excelled in breaching and entering with his signature concussion grenades and his resistance to them. Unfortunately, his time in the Spetsnaz would be cut short when Pietro was shot in the head during a mission. Before passing out, Pietro supposedly managed to kill 4 other tangos with one pistol, but that’s unconfirmed. Since Pietro’s body was never found afterwards, he was considered either MIA or dead. Of course, Pietro didn’t die and managed to crawl his way to safety while still bleeding, before passing out. He woke up in a hospital and the doctors told him he had minor amnesia, which is why he, conveniently, can’t recall some specific events from his past. This amnesia made it to where he can’t recall his specific regiment or when exactly he got shot. Either way, Pietro managed to find his way to London after the Dirty Bomb incident, ready to enroll in the MercServ database. Taking on the name Thunder because of his loud and booming voice, Pietro took to the streets of London, using his Spetsnaz experience, that he conveniently still remembers, to lead teams and finish missions in a flash… his joke, not ours.
Turtle-
Summary
There’s a lot of things that can happen to a man in less than 30 years, and no one knows this better than Gulhanim Yalgi, aka Turtle. Born in Istanbul, Gulhanim grew up as a pretty normal kid. He had an affinity for American rock and grunge as well as their technology. However, these angry and mean albums didn’t turn Gulhanim into some angsty and rude teenager, he stayed mellow and level-headed throughout his childhood. His attraction to technology led him to begin studying mechanics and engineering, and eventually his studies got him accepted into Istanbul Technical University. While there, Gulhanim’s knowledge and skills increased even further, all the while still keeping his mellow attitude and humility. However, his relaxed character showed to be a liability on a few occasions. During a training exercise, Gulhanim’s calm nature almost got his right arm blown off… luckily it just left a minor scar on it. During the whole situation, he remained totally calm, and that attracted the military. The Turkish military offered him a spot to continue his education for free, if he joined as combat engineer. Never one to turn down a challenge or a new experience, Gulhanim accepted, also hoping to get a chance to work with better technology. The battlefield was harsh and brutal, but it didn’t phase Gulhanim. Although he was scared out of his mind for the first few missions, he grew out of it soon enough. Every time he would be deployed, he was ready to risk it all if it meant keeping others safe, and finishing the missions. When not on the battlefield, Gulhanim was taking classes in advanced engineering and mechanics. This education led him to begin wondering how he can use his knowledge in technology to aid him on the field. Thus, the first prototype of the deployable cover was created. It was much smaller and could only be shot through from a small hole, but it was an effective product. Other militaries and private businesses took notice, but a tragic event would take place before Gulhanim could accept any offers. During a mission, Gulhanim was tasked with defusing over a dozen bombs within 5 minutes, an assignment too stressful and difficult for most, but Gulhanim had no problem taking the risk. He defused them all, except for one. He tried to escape as quick as possible, knowing there was no way he could defuse it in time, but the explosion caught up to him. Gulhanim survived, but his right arm was severely damaged. When he woke up, his arm was missing and he had been honorably discharged. Most upsetting and stressful things would do nothing to Gulhanim, but this one really shook him up. The pain was unbearable, and the lack of a job or purpose just dug him into the ground even more. He ended up developing an addiction to painkillers, sitting around his apartment in loneliness and depression. But he wouldn’t stay in this haze of tears for long. A near-death experience via overdose shaped him up quick, and he began looking for new work. A technology company in Istanbul caught his eye, speaking of a new nanotechnology to aid in repairing tissue. During his stint at this company, Gulhanim rebuilt his arm as well as built a prosthetic leg for his Spanish friend, Jonathan Ropa. He also used a variation of this nanotechnology to advance his deployable cover, now a shield that is almost completely transparent and bulletproof. However, Gulhanim would eventually have to leave this company in favor of a new challenge: mercenary work. While he was still working with the company during the Dirty Bomb incident, a call from Ropa gave him an offer that he couldn’t deny. Gulhanim left the tech company, left Istanbul, and left behind his life on the legal side. Mercenaries in London needed protection, and Gulhanim needed money. Win win.
Vassili-
Summary
Another London native, Leanord Cummings grew up in a cramped apartment with his older sister, mother, and father. Although they didn’t have much in terms of money, they were a happy and loving family… until Leanord’s mother died of cancer. It hit all three of the rest of the family hard. Leanord’s father began drinking more than usual (although he never developed any severe case of alcoholism), and Leanord himself shrouded himself in video games and pornography. Leanord’s sister was the only one who truly tried to overcome this tragedy, devoting herself to education in business and medicine. All the while, Leanord was still descending into laziness and procrastination, however he did begin to gain incredible hand-eye coordination and aim in his gaming endeavors. When his older sister got accepted into Cambridge University on a full ride, it was a wake-up call to Leanord to start moving on in life. After graduating high school, Leanord enrolled in the military. Although he had talent and ambitions, Leanord’s natural laziness made his training harder. So, his commanding officers decided to use his incredible aim to make him a sniper. Leanord excelled at sniping, his laziness turning to patience and his procrastination turning into pro-activity. In fact, Leanord was such a good shot that he became part of the MI-6, one of the youngest members to become apart of it, and gaining the nickname “Vassili”, named after the Russian sniper from WWII. Meanwhile, Leanord’s sister had graduated college with a master’s degree in political science and became a major supporter of the use of private military use. They had made his father incredibly proud, and it seemed like everything was finally going great for the Cummings family… until the Dirty Bomb incident. Unfortunately, Leanord’s father would end up being killed in the bombings, deeply saddening Leanord and his sister. But, they both had jobs to do, and were quick to get moving to help out in the clean up effort. Leanord’s sister began calling for the use of mercenaries within the newly irradiated London to save money within the government, outsourcing the work to the MercServ company. Much of the public voted for this idea, since they would rather have random mercenaries die in the contaminated zone instead of their beloved soldiers. Parliament did not like this idea, however, and ordered Leanord to take her out. But he couldn’t stand to lose another family member and deliberately missed the shot. Disappointed and upset, Leanord’s commanders discharged him from MI-6, and his sister’s idea for MercServ to initiate mercenaries within London went through. In appreciation, Leanord’s sister helped get Leanord to the top of MercServ’s list of recon mercenaries. Leanord, now going off his codename from MI-6, Vassili, says he would have made it to the top without his sister’s help, but we’d like to believe that Mia Cummings played a bigger part than he thinks.
Woo, finally finished this. It took me like a week to finish this, since I could only bring myself to work on one or two origins at a time before I got bored and/or tired. But hey, I think it was worth it, and hopefully you did too. If you managed to read through all of these, I appreciate 'cha. It took me way longer than I thought it would.