Aaron Benson [DEAD EYE]

Power Index: Blind, but can “see” through infrared from his powers; can shoot blue-tinged lasers from his eyes.

Background: 

Aaron doesn’t talk about it much, but he’s a Jade’s Hall Escapee from the Bradley Jade tenure.  His powers came in short bursts and he couldn’t control them, which proved to be problematic for his family.  Around this time, Bradley Jade had been promoting Jade’s Hall as a place where people could bring their family members “struggling” with their powers in hopes of curing them.  Believing this, Aaron’s family (and Aaron) willingly came to Jade’s Hall so that their son could be cured.  JH scientists were able to conduct experiments to fine-tune his abilities so he could use the laser blasts at command, though the experiments were very painful and the surgeries were often done when he was fully conscious so they could get his reactions.  He was smuggled out of the facilities by a scientist with a guilty conscience (Aaron was about seventeen at the time, having been brought in and held there when he was thirteen), and set up with a place to live under the radar.  He discovered that Bradley had told his family that he had died during the procedures, so he made sure to avoid them, believing it’s better if they continue under that delusion that he’s dead.

He found work with Gregory Sage’s Enforcers shortly after his liberation since there’s plenty of “superpower headhunters” looking for superhumans needing jobs doing shady stuff.  Sage knew that Aaron had beef with Jade’s Hall and purposefully gave him jobs that would disrupt JH operations, or to target known agents to have them killed.  Always eager to take a job going after Jade’s Hall people, Aaron would hone in on those he knew who conducted the surgeries and experiments on him and escaped being arrested.  He comes across as a thuggish hothead to those around him, and once he earns his place, he’s the one to badger new Enforcers he doesn’t think are up to scratch.  Not above trying to get Enforcers he doesn’t like bumped off or captured on a mission so he doesn’t have to deal with them anymore.

Noting how good Aaron was with endearing himself to people, Sage decided to have him join Corrigan’s Mutilators as a “part-time” team member to headhunt for potential Enforcers for Sage if/when some Mutilators get on Corrigan’s bad side and they need an escape.  He met Chimera/Blair there, picking up on how reluctant she was to stay and her eagerness to leave, and was able to give her some details on The Enforcers when the time was right for her to dip out.  He’s sympathetic with her when he finds out she was a fellow JH inmate, which acts as a catalyst for them to grow closer and trust each other with that common ground.

When Blair intervenes in a brawl between The Titans and Mutilators by saving a Titans Junior Member–enraging Corrigan in the process–she’s effectively given the boot when he deactivates her powers (using the nanites he’s infused in her, as he does with all the Mutilators) and hurls a piece of shrapnel at her that catches her in the gut as she tries to use time distortion to slow it down.  Aaron, having been there to keep an eye on the potential defector, is there to help her when Corrigan leaves her to bleed out or be captured by the authorities closing in on the scene.  Sage calls in some favors with one of his unlicensed surgeons who is able to patch Blair up and remove the offending nanites, albeit, painfully.  Though this was only supposed to be an assignment for him, Aaron finds himself getting attached to Blair regardless, both from mutual trauma of being guinea pigs at the hands of Bradley Jade and a genuine liking for each other.

Personality

• Exhibits a collected exterior.
• Keeps people at arm’s length for the most part; they’re associates but never friends.  Had a lot of his trust destroyed while at Jade’s Hall since his family sent him there under the pretense of helping him to “get better.”  Always looking out for himself and waiting for people to turn on him, so people being genuinely kind to him is something that confounds him.
• Unwittingly gets attached to people without realizing it.
• A smooth-talker when it counts, and something of a smartmouth.  Sage employs him to chat up women since he’s very good at it, either to wheedle information out of them or distract them or talk superhuman ones into joining the Enforcers.
• The type to get into bar fights when ticked off over the slightest thing.  Definitely leveled a few establishments in said fights.
• Called “Ghost Eyes” behind his back.  Will sock anyone who calls him that to his face.
• Not afraid to show off his powers to scare or intimidate.  Has developed various techniques on how to use his abilities (ex. Mirrors to bounce the lasers when he can’t shoot them directly at something/someone).
• Wears sunglasses most of the time to hide his unnatural eyes, since they would draw unnecessary attention.
• A ride or die associate or friend with those he trusts or who employ him.  If he’s double-crossed, those responsible will probably wish they were dead (or they will be soon).
• Disrespect his girlfriend and you’ll find yourself waking up in the hospital.

Goals: Get revenge on the JH people still out there who were responsible for so much pain while at the facilities.