Sir Les Paul
The Duke of Chords
Radiant, Spirit of Mercy
Identity
Code Name: Merc (pronounced mur-s; short for Mercy)
Mundane Name: Adrian Taylor
Race: Human
Age: 17
At one point in his life, Adrian was an average teenager. He did fall on the autistic spectrum, but not far. Not only was he high-functioning, he found ways to integrate himself into the world. Or, his parents did. Despite his disadvantages in communication, his father encouraged him to join a local soccer team at a young age. It took some time, but ultimately, Adrian made a good goalie. The task was simple: keep the ball away from the net. Not only that, he was the only person on the whole field whom could touch the ball. On some level, he loved it. This was his first step into overcoming the social stigma that he once faced in elementary. In his younger years, he found it difficult to make friends. He hated school, had tantrums, and lashed out. His councilor suggested he landed on the autistic spectrum then and further testing confirmed it, but his father was not one to allow this to consume his son. His father was an avid lover of sports and a friend of his was the one that coached the soccer team. He would have rather seen his son play Tee Ball, but soccer was a perfect fit. In fact, Adrian played so well at his age that his team won a handful of games solely because of how well he blocked the goal. He went from a weird kid with fits to one of the best players on the team, in the right position, and plenty of his teammates were also his classmates.
Adrian did require some special classes, primarily just smaller classrooms with less people. He found it difficult to learn under the pressure of others, but he never completely excluded himself. He sat with his friends at lunch. He went to gym classes with them. He never did like to leave his own home, but he invited some of his closer friends over for slumber parties. He adjusted to his life well and became a remarkable student. Of a class of 256 in Central City, he was rank 14. For the most part, things were fairly simple for him until junior high. It was around this time that he understood and began observing bullying. Maybe he had seen it before, but his inability to read queues left them over his head. What he found is an absolute disdain for bullying. For anyone bullying. He caused plenty of fights with his friends and people larger than him over it. He began obsessing over it, actually. He learned all about the psychology behind bullying and tried to understand why people did it. Why they would hurt others, why they demanded these tears...
Adrian spent the next few years continuing to play sports, joining the track team and championing against bullying. He even started an online social media crusade against it, particularly pointing out cyber bullying and preventing it from happening. All of this centered around a strong sense of justice. Adrian believed in the ideas of right and wrong so firmly that his conviction in his beliefs helped him overcome his social ineptness as much as sports did in his youth. This effectively defined his identity for a while, but not forever. While he never found himself comfortable driving, his next milestone was one many teenagers hit: their first job. Adrian found himself as a carry-out at a local grocery story as did many others his age and worked fine. While he made a better stocker than carry-out by nature, he worked both positions fine. Months went on until the real world first conflicted with his ideas of fairness. Adrian encountered his first group of shoplifters and his mentality simply did not allow this to slide. The result? Adrian threatened to call the cops only to end up being drug outside and beaten to a bloody pulp.
Despite his vicious beating, Adrian never wavered. His willpower drew a force greater than a Lantern Ring. His sense of justice drew Radiant, the Spirit of Mercy. Granting him Salvation and saving his life, Radiant took Adrian as a host, wanting to sculpt him and his values of right, wrong, and justice into those of mercy, virtue and righteousness. It did not take long for Adrian to understand and utilize his new abilities nor for him to understand his role. What he found, however, is that using his abilities to prevent bullying and minor crimes was a waste, but fate seemed to present an opportunity in him being noticed in just handful of months by the Young Justice Initiative.
Abilities
Adrian possesses two vastly different sets of abilities based entirely on whether or not he is channeling Radiant.
His initial set of abilities are passive, are his most common and leave him in his normal human state.
His second set of abilities may only be activated when the requirements for Radiant are met.
Radiant requires an injustice, brutality or heinous wrongdoing to be channeled,
and when channeled, Adrian takes on his divine form seen above.
Powers (passive)
The most notable ability that Adrian possesses passively is nigh-invulnerability. Quite simply, it is incredibly difficult to harm him using even unconventional means. In a similar note, his mind is virtually impenetrable; this includes allies and enemies alike. This invulnerability is odd and often called 'rag doll' invulnerability due to the fact Adrian has no increases to his stamina, strength or agility passively. While he may be as durable as a Kryptonian and can survive in the vacuum of space, he can still become fatigued and has no more combat potential than an average Joe. The exact limits of his invulnerability are unknown, however, he has proven to withstand plasma torches, avoided being drowned simply by holding his breath, survived a simulated vacuum and withstood a fall from terminal velocity with no fractures.
Adrian also possesses limited flight. One could call it speedy hovering. His flight has been clocked at a record of 22.6 miles per hour at a limit of twelve feet in the air. Notably, if he were to hover off a building, he would fall. His flight is also not immediate as it takes him roughly two seconds to reach his maximum height and eight seconds moving in any one direction to reach his maximum speed.
Lastly, Adrian possesses a single unique ability that while not as notable as his invulnerability, is likely more useful. As long as Adrian focuses on an individual, it is impossible to lie to them. By divine will, the truth will be forced. This ability goes a step further in that anyone below the threshold of indomitable willpower will eventually answer a question he asks them truthfully. The stronger a will, the more time this will take. Those of indomitable will can overcome this ability to simply not answer, but no living being has thus far been able to lie to Adrian. Notably, this ability requires him to focus and thus is limited to a single person.
Powers (active)
By channeling Radiant, Adrian becomes a divine conduit. Unlike Spectre or Radiant without a host, Adrian does not possess Nigh-Omnipotence or Nigh-Omniscience. Adrian gains Divine Sight which allows him to see all beings with souls in a one-hundred mile radius around with him perfect accuracy. After gaining Divine Sight, Adrian and his abilities become subjective. His strength, agility and endurance change to match the living being in his Divine Sight with the greatest capability and is not limited to any one facet. For example, Adrian may gain the combat prowess of Wonder Woman but the brute Strength of Superman. Notable exceptions to this include the Speed Force, traits bestowed by the Presence in another fashion and traits associated with a particular object or item. Essentially, Adrian is intended to adapt his physical capabilities to the greatest souls of God's Kingdom that surround him. Additionally, his limited flight loses restrictions.
As an act of mercy and or salvation is required for Radiant to become active, as is a Soul Link. A living being with a soul is linked to Adrian and in turn gain nigh-invulnerability equal to his. Notably, if something powerful enough were to kill Adrian or the person whose soul is linked to his, both would die. During this time, Adrian gains one other key trait: the adaptations of all traits, powers and abilities of whomever he is Soul Linked with. This ability will also work to heal wounds, cure illnesses and poisons until the link is ceased.
Adrian gains access to a set of Divine Magic in a set of three. The first is known as the Divine Flame. A form of pyromancy that utilizes the flames of Heaven, this white flame burns so hot that all it touches turns to nothing. In effect, no matter remains; instead, it is converted to pure energy in the form of heat. Due to wave-particle duality, no net energy is truly lost. The second is known as Divine Smoke. A divine magic exclusive to Radiant and a handful of angels. This magic allows Adrian to take the form of a gray smoke instantaneously and in fact is constantly emanating from his shawl. This smoke can be solidified at will into a powerful barrier and allows him to move through it effortlessly. This smoke remains present in fluids and a vacuum. The smoke is limited in that it must remain connected to Adrian at all times and can potentially be disrupted. The final magic is called Salvation. This magic absolves an individual of their sins, mends their mind of all woes and heals their body of all ailments--or any individual facet thereof. Other variants of this magic exist, but all of them are weaker in one regard: only Salvation provides protection from other divine beings. Angels all the way to Seraphim and even the Spectre cannot hurt a being protected by Salvation magic as such is Divine Law.
Abilities (Learned traits):
In all practicality, Adrian has absolutely no learned traits. Without the Radiant, he is a non-combatant and has few skills in the field. He is not remarkably intelligent nor does he have any specialty in any specific field. Notably, however, is his degree of insight as to what is just and fair. Despite his young age, his mind is able to wrap itself around difficult philosophical concepts. This is furthered by Radiant teaching him the Will of God and the viewpoint of divine justice towards all humanity.
Weaknesses:
Vulnerability to Sufficiently Powerful Magic: As with the Spectre and Angels, Adrian is susceptible to the highest tier of magic. Notably, Adrian is not as durable as the Spectre, thus a handful of mortal practitioners do have the potential to at least minimally harm him while demonic, angelic and even ritualistic magic could be fatal.
Divine Limitations: The Presence can impose limitations onto Radiant as it did when it bound her to a mortal host. These limitations include the idea of mercy being weaker than vengeance, but salvation being completely immune to it; the requirements to use the full power of Radiant; and, the subjective limitation of only being as strong and/or capable as mortals nearby.
Divine Law: There are certain boundaries that Radiant cannot cross without invoking the Presence. These boundaries include resurrecting the dead, granting Salvation without due cause and unnecessary loss of life.
Psychologically induced limitations: While Radiant can potentially be a force of equal power to Spectre, she is limited by her host; in this case, Adrian Taylor. At that, even his power is limited to his own mindset. Adrian is autistic and focuses heavily on what he views as right and wrong. This means that if he does not perceive something as unjust or an individual deserving of mercy, he cannot active the Radiant to begin with.
