Difference between revisions of "The Moonlighter"
Leroyswish (Talk | contribs) |
Leroyswish (Talk | contribs) (→Historyleft45px|right) |
||
| Line 102: | Line 102: | ||
However, Adrian's one-time friend, nicknamed "Bino", poked holes in that fateful condom, and as destiny would have it, Liz became pregnant. It was a pleasant surprise...for neither of them. Liz felt trapped, and Adrian was afraid of becoming a teen father. He started working harder and harder, one time at four separate jobs. Liz dropped out of school to prepare for her child. The months rolled by faster. Adrian signed up for several parenting classes and child development courses. Even though he was not ready to be a father, he was going to strive to become the best father he could be. Although both claimed to love one another, Liz grew to resent the father of her child. She felt he stole her youthful life away and all, if any, chance of success. She eventually hated him, and didn't allow him to see the birth of their baby boy. She named him Max, and Max kept his mother's surname. After some intense and heated court sessions, Adrian was not allowed to see little Max, his only son. He is turning five years old in 2014. | However, Adrian's one-time friend, nicknamed "Bino", poked holes in that fateful condom, and as destiny would have it, Liz became pregnant. It was a pleasant surprise...for neither of them. Liz felt trapped, and Adrian was afraid of becoming a teen father. He started working harder and harder, one time at four separate jobs. Liz dropped out of school to prepare for her child. The months rolled by faster. Adrian signed up for several parenting classes and child development courses. Even though he was not ready to be a father, he was going to strive to become the best father he could be. Although both claimed to love one another, Liz grew to resent the father of her child. She felt he stole her youthful life away and all, if any, chance of success. She eventually hated him, and didn't allow him to see the birth of their baby boy. She named him Max, and Max kept his mother's surname. After some intense and heated court sessions, Adrian was not allowed to see little Max, his only son. He is turning five years old in 2014. | ||
<br><br> | <br><br> | ||
| − | Adrian eventually graduated from Tucson High School with grades just enough to pass. Later in the year, Adrian's mother passed away, succumbing to an unknown illness. This caused intense heartache for Adrian and Marisol alike. Yet, they did not have time to grieve. They both continued working through and after high school and managed to save up enough to rent a small apartment in the ghetto. It was hard at first, but eventually, they bought enough furniture to make it a home. | + | Adrian eventually graduated from Tucson High School with grades just enough to pass. Later in the year, Adrian's mother passed away, succumbing to an unknown illness. This caused intense heartache for Adrian and Marisol alike. Yet, they did not have time to grieve. They both continued working through and after high school and managed to save up enough to rent a small apartment in the ghetto. It was hard at first, but eventually, they bought enough furniture to make it a home. However, while it was a place he enjoyed living at, he longed to be away from Tucson. So many bad memories kept him there. After a few months of saving up, Adrian decided to leave town, but where? After hanging a map on a wall and tossing a dart, destiny made her decision: Adrian was going to Millennium City. However, Marisol was not. |
| + | <br><br> | ||
| + | Marisol had enjoyed the city, and had begun dating a deaf boy named Henry Garcia Jr. Nothing too serious, but they both loved each other very much. Adrian tried to get Marisol to come with him (for he loved her dearly and felt secure with her around), but she refused. After hours of debate, Adrian finally decided to leave her behind, like she wished. It was one of the hardest decisions Adrian has ever needed to make. However, he packed his bags and boarded the next flight for the city of tomorrow. This was the first, and last flight, Adrian would have to endure; he found out last minute that he was dreadfully airsick. | ||
| + | <br><br> | ||
Revision as of 01:54, 1 February 2014
 The author of this article has marked this as a creative work, and would prefer that other users not edit it. Please respect this, and unless repairing a typo, spelling, or other minor technical error, think of this page as read-only. |
Although Adrian Riano may not be the most popular or well-liked hero in the world, few can doubt his potential to be great. With a disturbing origin and troubled past, his only real therapy is crime-fighting day and night. Although some consider him to be a reckless, foolish youth, he believes in himself, and can overcome most any obstacle. While his powers are not flashy or powerful, he uses his skills and talents to the best of his ability. Forming close ties and bonds with fellow crime-fighters, Adrian is learning everyday, and has become quite the outstanding citizen he's desired to be. Armed with only a tactical suit, some neat tricks up his sleeves, and his--at times--immature wit, he's a force to be reckoned with on the field and off. Making the important life decision and making the jump from Stitch to Moonlighter, he now fights for a greater good, albeit occasionally stumbling along the gray morality he's adopted. It's a tough world out there for a monster to live in, but everyday is a blessing for someone as scarred as Moonlighter.
History
Adrian Riano was born to a small middle-class Hispanic family on September 30, 1993. Adrian Riano opened his arms wide to the world but he wouldn't be alone, however. Just a two minutes after his birth, his twin sister Marisol followed. He found it hard being a brother to someone like his sister. He was never old enough to boss her around or be an authority figure. However, everyone referred to him as being the older brother. When he and his sister were both two, his mysterious biological father abandoned the young family, leaving a jobless Mother to look after the two. Marisol was soon discovered as being deaf, which made raising the two even more difficult. She would often act out of frustration, yet always seemed calm when Adrian was around her, no matter their age.
Growing up with a single mother is not uncommon nowadays, but it was still rough on them. Adrian had to provide for his sister more often than not, whether it was something as simple as making their school lunches, or driving her around in their later years. From a young age, Adrian showed psychological problems. he always liked to be the center of attention; hoping about on one leg, dancing around, or exaggerating stories to get get people to stop and pay attention. It was stressful on the mother, who was constantly trying to bring up her deaf daughter, something the mother was still not prepared for. Adrian didn't realize the frustration he caused on his sister and mother, and it led to sibling rivalry from a young age.
By the time Adrian and Marisol entered Kindergarten, Adrian had gotten slightly worse. He had become a very irrational, reckless young boy. He'd often get into "fights" or get harmed during recess because of it. However, he was still the center of attention, so he felt comfortable. He was often sent to the principal's office for acting out and behaving quite badly. He and his mother tended to argue throughout most of his educational career.
However, this was not the worst of his problems. Up until sixth grade, he had been getting low grades and missing homework assignments all together. He missed out on crucial learning periods, and entering middle school was rough on the family. Marisol had been going to the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB) and had been excelling at nearly every subject, especially mathematics. Adrian was a more creative thinker, and began practicing acoustic guitar playing at the age of eight. He was quite good, especially with finger-plucking techniques. Although Marisol couldn't hear the calming tunes, she enjoyed watching him. He was a different person when he had an instrument in hand; he was almost tranquil.
Middle school was hard on Adrian. His reckless behavior only worsened, and he was now acting quite inappropriately with his fellow female classmates, and acted very aggressively to the males. Even at this young age, he spoke provocatively and was quite the flatterer. He'd even go so far as to committing misdemeanors, like shoplifting the newest shoes or shirts. He liked dressing in the latest fashion and acting exaggerated. He liked being the center of attention, after all. By eighth grade, Adrian had dated two popular girls, gotten suspended seven times, and had been getting "D-"'s or lower. His mother (who at this time contracted an illness Adrian refuses to disclose) had to stop working, so Adrian and Marisol both had to step up to the plate. Marisol befriended a woman named Michelle, who sold Avon cosmetics door-to-door. Marisol started to work with the kind, middle-aged Latina woman, and began making money that way. Adrian had to take a graveyard-shift at a local gas station.
It was a tough job for him. He was often bored or lonely in a spooky corner store. For the first seven weeks, things were going well. He was able to help provide for his family, and everyone at school thought he was so cool because of his job. However, things got much worse on the eight week, and Adrian will never be able to forget it. Late on cold desert night, at about 2 am, Adrian was stealing some chip bags like he always had. Then, there was a loud crunch and the sound of glass shattering. A lone, grown man dressed in all black (including a black ski mask) rushed into the building, carrying nothing but a knife and a school back pack.
Adrian didn't know what to do! He was only fourteen, and wasn't prepared to handle a situation like this alone. He felt sick to his stomach, and his quickly turned pale white. He quickly jumped up to his feet and ran to the bathroom to try and hide himself, but the burglar took note of this. After a mad dash and a savage tackle, Adrian found himself on his back, trapped beneath this criminal. He begged for mercy and pleaded for his life, but it was of no use. The mad man took his five inch blade in hand, and attacked Adrian like a pumpkin on Halloween. The burglar than ransacked the cash register and took off into the night without a sound, leaving a beaten and bloodied Adrian lying helpless outside the bathroom.
The next few moments seemed to blur together for the young teenager, and the next thing he knew, he was waking up in a hospital bed. It could have been hours or weeks later, he couldn't tell the difference. It was a small room, with only a small plush chair beside his bed. Marisol was just walking into the room when she saw her brother awake. She honestly couldn't believe it! She rushed over to his and hugged her, but Adrian could not see her. In fact, he couldn't see anything on the left side of his face. Was it on account of the bandages or something more, he wondered. However, he and Marisol had an upbeat conversation using sign language, and it raised his spirits. Later in the day, their Mother joined them and had some Subway sandwiches for lunch.
The joy would be short lived however. For the next few days, Adrian had to stay at the hospital. Plastic surgery and therapy was all he knew at this time. He later was told that he lost all vision out of his left eye on account of his injuries. What was worse, was that the doctors and surgeons couldn't fix is injuries, and that he'd be scarred for the rest of his life. They were quite dumbfounded. They later told his Mother, in private, that he should have died. His damage was fatal, they said, and that he was a marvel of natural science. After two weeks, Adrian was allowed to go home, where he prepared for his greatest challenge: High School.
Adrian felt alone, as he desired the approval and attention of his peers. However, it was in a negative form, and he quickly developed a bullying issue. Whether is was insulting on his appearance or personality, it didn't matter; it hurt just the same. He struggled with depression and had faint thoughts of suicide early on in life. Despite getting in constant fights at school, he stayed at the same school, and tried to coast along "in the shadows". Two things came as a comfort to him: Krumping and music. Krumping is a street dance popularized in the United States that is characterized by free, expressive, exaggerated, and highly energetic movement involving the arms, head, legs, chest, and feet. The youths who started krumping saw the dance as a way for them to escape gang life and "to release anger, aggression and frustration positively, in a non-violent way." It was perfect for him! He was seen as an equal by his fellow aggressors, and his natural talent was seen immediately. Winning fourth place in a state-wide competition and later second place the following years, Adrian made a name for himself. And that name was "Frankenteen", a nickname that traveled with him from Tucson to Millennium City.
High School felt less lonely when Adrian accidentally met a studious young girl named Elizabeth Nabarro. Of course, everyone affectionately called her "Liz", and it was what she preferred to go by. They were complete opposites. He was not very bright, and was considered ugly by the general school community. However, she was quite beautiful and an exceptional learner. Despite his off-putting appearance, she took a liking to him. To say the least, the feelings were mutual. Days later, they started going steady, and after an enjoyable prom night, they both lost their virginity to one another.
However, Adrian's one-time friend, nicknamed "Bino", poked holes in that fateful condom, and as destiny would have it, Liz became pregnant. It was a pleasant surprise...for neither of them. Liz felt trapped, and Adrian was afraid of becoming a teen father. He started working harder and harder, one time at four separate jobs. Liz dropped out of school to prepare for her child. The months rolled by faster. Adrian signed up for several parenting classes and child development courses. Even though he was not ready to be a father, he was going to strive to become the best father he could be. Although both claimed to love one another, Liz grew to resent the father of her child. She felt he stole her youthful life away and all, if any, chance of success. She eventually hated him, and didn't allow him to see the birth of their baby boy. She named him Max, and Max kept his mother's surname. After some intense and heated court sessions, Adrian was not allowed to see little Max, his only son. He is turning five years old in 2014.
Adrian eventually graduated from Tucson High School with grades just enough to pass. Later in the year, Adrian's mother passed away, succumbing to an unknown illness. This caused intense heartache for Adrian and Marisol alike. Yet, they did not have time to grieve. They both continued working through and after high school and managed to save up enough to rent a small apartment in the ghetto. It was hard at first, but eventually, they bought enough furniture to make it a home. However, while it was a place he enjoyed living at, he longed to be away from Tucson. So many bad memories kept him there. After a few months of saving up, Adrian decided to leave town, but where? After hanging a map on a wall and tossing a dart, destiny made her decision: Adrian was going to Millennium City. However, Marisol was not.
Marisol had enjoyed the city, and had begun dating a deaf boy named Henry Garcia Jr. Nothing too serious, but they both loved each other very much. Adrian tried to get Marisol to come with him (for he loved her dearly and felt secure with her around), but she refused. After hours of debate, Adrian finally decided to leave her behind, like she wished. It was one of the hardest decisions Adrian has ever needed to make. However, he packed his bags and boarded the next flight for the city of tomorrow. This was the first, and last flight, Adrian would have to endure; he found out last minute that he was dreadfully airsick.
