Originally from Zeta Sector, Rhonin came from a family of researchers. His family research began shortly after the Omega Sector incident. The company that Rhonin’s family worked for (Mashima Heavy Industries) then secretly started to develop technology to contain Entities. To this pursuit the company acquired what was believed to be a Class I Entity and began using it for experimentation. Things seemed to be going well; the company developed a wrist band that emitted precisely modulated ultra-high frequency sonic waves, this seemed to be able to keep the entity from attacking a person. MHI hoped their research would lead to the development of a barrier system. This barrier system could then be used to enclose the entire Omega sector and confine the entities in that area.
On a “take your child to work day” Rhonin’s father, Russell Conners, and his mother, Kandice Conners, were given permission to show their 10-year-old son the entity that was being held in captivity. This was only allowed because Rhonin’s parents were the leading researchers on the team and MHI tended to cater to its top brass. To Rhonin’s amazed eyes, there in what appeared to be a glass tube was a small fire demon. However, as the entity turned and saw the child it went berserk and smashed its way out of the enclosure. Could it be that the entity had been playing along the whole time? Perhaps it had been waiting until it could find a target worth destroying. Whatever the truth might be, the creature dropped its ruse, easily escaped its confinement and attacked. Immediately the security forces in the room began to counter-attack the entity, but it made quick work of them.
Rhonin’s parents, in a desperate effort to save their son from the entity locked him in what they believed to be an entity-proof container. It was an experimental piece of equipment and could only fit one person. As Rhonin watched, the entity smashed through MHI’s containment efforts and destroyed his parents; then it set its sights on him. By this point the entity had been fighting off a large scale attack against it. While the company’s attacks were mostly futile, they did weaken the entity. When it tried to possess Rhonin something very strange happened.
The personal barrier bracelet he was required to put on when he entered the building reacted to the entity’s weakened state. Though it was unable to fend off the entity it foiled the creature’s designs. The effect became more of a fusion than a possession. The stress of the merger sent Rhonin into an absolute rage; he burst forth from the container with an incredible blast of energy. At this point the surveillance system overloaded and went blank.
Rhonin awoke several days later, face down in an ally in Epsilon Sector with absolutely no memory of himself before that time. He knew his name was Rhonin just because of the sticky name badge that had somehow stuck to his shirt through everything. As he stood and looked himself over he noticed a strange mark, much like a tribal tattoo, covering the length of his arm.
He wandered the streets of Epsilon Sector and unfortunately blundered right into a street gang. He had no money to offer them so instead they decided to get some kicks by kicking his ass. As one of the thugs came to hit him with a large section of steel pipe Rhonin held up his hand in defense and with a wave of queer red energy and black smoke a sword appeared. It felt like an extension of his body Rhonin and with it he easily fended off the thugs.
Judging from the thugs’ fearful reaction to the sudden appearance of a weapon in his hand and their quick departure, Rhonin knew that he had somehow changed. He had nowhere to go and nobody to turn to he knew anyone who found out would probably want to hurt or study him. He decided to join the many people living on the streets until he was big enough to start earning money and get out of there. He adopted the name Thanatos, which he learned was the Greek name for Death since he assumed that before his memory started all there had been was death.
As time passed Rhonin learned to develop and control his new abilities. He worked part time as a local security guard for a warehouse in Epsilon Sector. He minded his own business, did his job and went home. Rhonin did not socialize much, afraid of what people might think when his abilities were discovered. He constantly wore sun glasses to hide his strange eyes. All of this made people assume he was aloof or just anti-social; he grew up mostly alone though not by choice. Thus he probably would have lived his life alone and apart from everyone if not for an odd encounter one evening.
Rhonin was pulling the nightshift at the warehouse. It is a typical foggy evening when a large black limousine drove past on the street as Rhonin was on his rounds and happened to peer out the front door. The limo drove past but came to a sudden halt just after it passed the building. As he watched the limo backed up and came to a halt in front of the warehouse. The chauffer stepped out and then opened the door for the passenger. A beautiful and very elegant woman emerged from the car. Despite her silver hair she seemed young yet somehow it seemed impossible to determine her age. Her eyes locked on Rhonin and she smiled as she walked up to the door.
“Are you happy with your job Rhonin” she said? “Or do you really prefer Thanatos; it’s such a gloomy name?” A trimmer of shock coursed through Rhonin as he wondered how this woman knew his name. Yet at the same time her voice was crystal clear and smooth and somehow it made him feel as ease. He was dumbfounded and didn’t answer as his mind raced with a million thoughts about this mysterious woman. She produced a blank card and wrote an access code on it, then continued. “You have much more to offer than being a mere security guard; you owe it to yourself to be more. You have unique talents and the people of this city need men like you whether they realize it or not.” She handed him the card. “In the morning contact this office, tell them your name and you can open a key to a destiny far more noteworthy.”
Rhonin took the card and stared numbly after the woman as she returned to the limo and it drove away. In a fancy golden script he read the words “Spirit of California.” Somehow he felt he could trust this woman.
The next morning he contacted the office on listed on the card. Within a week he was reporting to XSWAT headquarters for processing and enrollment into the academy.
Return to Shadows Angelus II