Erik Kessler



Erik Kessler is a ward of the Blackwell Institute, and a powerful telekinetic. Previously incarcerated in the isolation ward, he has since been released and granted more autonomy so that he can aid in the effort against The Trust.

Biography
Erik Kessler was born and raised in Cameron County, Pennsylvania. His father, Douglas, was a factory worker until an economic decline forced him out of work. Douglas and Erik subsisted for the better part of a decade on welfare, until the series of incidents that brought Erik to the Institute's attention. Shortly thereafter, he was brought to the Institute and incarcerated in the isolation ward. The Institute's records of the events preceding Erik's manifestation are minimal, mostly gleaned through interviews with neighbors and school faculty, but all support the same basic narrative: Erik was systematically bullied and abused by both fellow students and by his father. These occurrences most likely constituted the trigger event for his telekinetic manifestation.

Within the span of 48 hours, Erik's father and a number of his fellow students suffered fatal or near-fatal accidents. His father has since been institutionalized in a facility for his own sake, as he can no longer walk. A tip from the local police force made the Institute aware of the situation, and within a week Erik was remanded to an isolation cell, with the generous help of a student capable of neutralizing local psionic phenomena. Thereafter, Erik underwent continuous counseling with Dr. Braun (see incident report EK-Epsilon) and subsequently Dr. Rudolph. However, in light of his heroic actions during the VALKYRIE raid on the Institute, and his erstwhile cooperation after being controlled by the Trust, Erik has since been released from the isolation ward, on limited recognizance.

Physical Description
Erik is 18 years old, with fair skin and mid-length, dirty blond hair. He is 5'6" in height, and approximately 135 pounds.  He usually wears a t-shirt and jeans.

Personality
At the time of his admission to Blackwell, Erik displayed many of the diagnostic criteria for antisocial personality disorder (more colloquially known as sociopathy): repeated performance of acts that are grounds for arrest, impulsivity, irritability and aggressiveness, and lack of remorse. However, as the psychiatric records necessary to establish evidence of conduct disorder prior to age 15 do not exist, a conclusive diagnosis of ASPD cannot be made.

Erik displayed a profound self-centeredness, characterized by Dr. Rudolph: "Erik ... shows the signs of potential megalomania.  Conversing with him is very unsettling, as one minute he'll seem like a perfectly normal boy while the next he's pure predator." Erik himself stated that he preferred others be afraid of him, as 'with fear comes respect'. He is possessed of an extremely powerful ability and willing to use it to get what he wants, without regard for other people. Though apparently lacking empathy, he possesses a competent understanding of human psychology, and has proven an adroit manipulator of others.

Since the VALKYRIE incident, and after being compelled by the Trust to attempt to kill an FBI agent, Erik has begun to exhibit an affinity for the Institute's detatched operations team. Towards them, at least, he has seemingly displayed a degree of companionship and empathy. It remains to be seen if this is a true shift in his character, or a mask he is cultivating for his own benefit.

Powers and Abilities
Erik is a class 5 telekinetic, able to reliably lift and move at least 650 pounds of matter without difficulty. In the extremities of his ability, he has displayed the capacity to move at least a ton of weight, exempli gratia overturning a moving SUV on the highway. He can also deliver powerful telekinetic blasts, allowing him to incapacitate or kill his enemies.

Erik has also displayed an above-average resistance to psychic intrusion and mental influence, as a result of both the mental discipline required to utilize his powerful telekinesis and the cultivation of mental defenses after being forcibly co-opted as an asset by the Trust.

In recent months, Erik has cultivated a measure of telepathic ability. As yet, he is only capable of reading the minds of others, but to what extent his powers will develop remains to be seen.

Weapons
Erik's primary weapon is his telekinesis, using both direct blasts of kinetic force and objects in his environment to kill or incapacitate his enemies. He has also been known to employ a 9mm pistol as a sidearm.

Relationships
By his own admission, Erik tends to consider others primarily in the degree of threat they may pose to him. Assessments of Erik's apparent relationship with other members of the Institute are provided below.

Carl: Erik knows little about Carl, but has a degree of respect for his abilities. As well, Carl has treated him respectfully, which has gone a ways towards endearing him to Erik.

Casimir: To Erik, Casimir is an unknown quantity. Though it seems to exhibit fairly predictable behavior patterns, it is unlike most any other individual Erik has ever met. Likewise, Erik is unsure of the extent of Casimir's abilities, and as such, is correspondingly wary.

Lucy: During the initial mission to rescue Erik from the Trust's control, Lucy influenced Erik's emotions. He reacted... badly. He keeps Lucy at a distance, and has avoided interacting with her as much as he can. After seeing how their relationship developed in a possible future timeline, Erik regards his concerns as justified.

Mona: Erik and Mona have generally maintained a mutual distance. However, in light of events during their brief trip to the future, the two seem to be at least interacting amicably. Erik knows little about her capabilities and history.

Shawn: Shawn and Erik have interacted very little. Nevertheless, Erik maintains a healthy respect for his capabilities, and the fact that they may not necessarily be entirely under his control.

Ulysses: Erik regards Ulysses with a kind of amused tolerance. He is competent enough in some areas, but lacks the perspicacity to be a true threat. Erik does not mind his presence, however.