Paradox

Gender: Male

Age: a lot

Race: Cybertronian

Orientation: Pan

A recently defected Decepticon. Over the course of the four million year long war, he started to doubt his allegiance to the Decepticons. He had originally joined to fight for the equality of all Cybertronians and out of his hatred for the Senate, who had subjected him to empurata and shadowplay.

While he himself doesn’t remember why he was subjected to empurata, it was because he was an informant for the Decepticons. His original function was a courier, and he secretly would deliver important messages for the resistance. When the Senate learned of his treason, he was intercepted during a delivery and was arrested. Because he held so much sensitive information on the Decepticons, he was ruthlessly shadowplayed for information with little care for what other information was taken from him, resulting in significant memory loss. Left with no idea of who he was or what he did, he ended up in the Dead End, scraping to get by for a long time. He eventually rejoined the Decepticons, albeit for a new reason.

Over time, as the Decepticon cause strayed farther and farther from it's initial goals, Paradox grew to resent them. Leaving the Decepticons though is no easy matter, with the Decepticon Justice Division hunting down defectors, but eventually Paradox's conscience won out over his fear. 

While serving on a warship he witnessed his commander pointlessly torturing an Autobot who had no more information to give.  Paradox had done many heinous things in the name of the Decepticon cause, but he was always able to rationalize his actions as being for the greater good. However seeing this pointless torture was what finally made him accept that the greater good he was fighting for no longer existed.  There wasn't anything about this particular instance of brutality that stood out from the many others he had witnessed thus far, but his loyalty had been dwindling for centuries and happened to finally give out at that moment.  In a bout of resistance he killed his commander and freed the Autobot.  This Autobot was Steadfast who, realizing Paradox would be killed for his treason, invited Paradox to join him in his escape. Steadfast didn't particularly trust him, but seeing as Paradox had saved his life, it was what he felt was the right thing to do.

Paradox now is relearning his values and trying to make up for his past actions. Paradox originally had his spark in the right place, but over time his morals had become muddled and he lied to himself, ignoring the reality of his situation in order to avoid confronting the fact that he had answered to the whims of a genocidal warlord. Most of the bots on  Steadfast 's team currently do not trust Paradox, but at Steadfast's command are allowing him a chance to prove himself. 

Paradox is reserved and polite but often comes off as cold. His lack of a face makes his social anxiety hard to pick up on, and it often is misinterpreted as standoffishness. One wouldn't recognize him pre-war, not because of his physical change in appearance, but because of his wildly different personality.  Once a warm and personable bot, one who would try to befriend everyone, he has become closed-off and shies away from social contact.  When with the Decepticons he never grew close to anyone, due to not even knowing himself, and felt alone. Now, Paradox again feels like an outsider and tries to impose on the others as little as possible. He tends to isolate himself out of his guilt and feelings of inadequacy.  Steadfast, ever-perceptive to the emotions of others, has picked up on Paradox's poor state of mind and has set aside his mistrust to try and befriend him.  The only bot who truly trusts Paradox is Rivet. Rivet is exceptionally good at reading fields and body language, as he had to learn when patients hide pain.  Paradox's lack of a face was not an obstacle to understanding him, and Rivet, having seen some of the worst of Cybertronians, could tell Paradox truly means well. 

Paradox's Earth alt-mode is a Boeing Phantom Ray.   While he is adequately skilled in combat, he dislikes fighting and will only partake in battle as a last resort. He prefers to use his skills for reconnaissance. His silent alt-mode and cloaking technology make him the prime choice for gathering intel.