Bradley Richardson

Bradley Richardson (AKA Scorpio) is the primary hero of Brigstone.

Red Scorpio
Red Scorpio was the first incarnation of the Scorpio mantle. During the time of the Red Scorpio, Darren Hart and Tony Vinson were both trained into becoming Nitros. After the War of Brigstone, the latter left the role as a way of escaping the mental scars left behind. The former was horrifically murdered by Bluebird, which resulted in the War of Brigstone.

The Red Scorpio wore a very Victorian-style outfit - complete with top hat, cloak, and tuxedo - as well as a utility belt. During this time, Bradley also wore a simple mask with red plastic lenses around his eyes to protect his identity. The red lenses were mostly for intimidation, if anything, as many thugs would see the red eyes and top-hatted-silhouette and spread rumours that Springheeled Jack was roaming the city.

In the early days of the war, Bradley would fight in this outfit. However, he was forced to modify as it was not suited to mass combat.

War Scorpio
War Scorpio was the first Scorpio to not have trained any new Nitros, but he did fight alongside the already-trained Tony Vinson. He wore the Red Scorpio outfit; but had also donned an electronic mask in replacement of the easily-torn original mask and a bandolier. The latter was often carrying de-activated ammunition for the improved Claw Launcher, which now fired explosive darts as opposed to tranquilisers. Tranquilisers were still used, but now on a device mounted on the costume's left forearm.

Green Scorpio
Once the War of Brigstone was over, Bradley put the suit away in a special chamber in The Cavern as a reminder of the War, which he also refused to talk about or even mention. The only sign he gave of even remembering it was the occasional reference.

The Green Scorpio's outfit was made from scratch a few weeks after the war concluded. It features the same electronic mask, but the red screens were replaced with green ones. this third variation of the mask now also had a fingerprint scanner on the back as a further protective barrier.

Blue Scorpio
The Blue Scorpio had more freedom than his past variants. Bradley made the Blue Scorpio costume as a way of protecting his daughter, who was conceived a few weeks after the events of LEGO Scorpio: The Videogame. During this time he was officially 'retired' from crimefighting, however he was unable to resist stopping the occasional plot or villain. When he wasn't, however, he would simply offer advice to Commissioner Edward if the latter was stuck on some manner of pattern or riddle.

Once again the electronic mask stayed, but received a GPS locator as well, in case of capture, as well as a tracking device of its own.

Black Scorpio
A Black Scorpio was predicted by The Vampire Priestess during the last days of the war. Black was predicted to appear for one day only, on the day that Bluebird or Bradley dies.

Origin
After his father Jordan died fighting a fire that had consumed an apartment building, Bradley left his home at the age of ten with a man called Regulus Riddle. Going with him to his 'Monastery' on a secret island, magically hidden from the rest of the world and therefore found on no maps, he learned and trained for seven years on the island.

Occasionally he would go venturing offshore for missions or visiting the nearest town, where he sometimes took lessons with a blacksmith and mechanic he came to know quite well. During such periods, he had to be careful to not be found by authorities, or he would have been dragged back to Brigstone - although it was his home city, he felt less and less connected to it and his family as his youth went on, which eventually culminated into a desire to never return.

At The Monastery, he learned combat, crime-solving and survival skills, and how to fly dragons. He also learned less practical skills such as some Vampiric and Ancient Norse, Lafitian/Tarrannian history, painting and drawing techniques, making clothes, a few standard subjects such as maths, and even how to dance. He initially learned and trained alongside two fellow teens - Eliza Kirbenkor and Harrison Darsein - but he gradually found other friends in the other children that came to The Monastery, and by the time he left he had made seven friends.

One night, he and Cinder (his own dragon, a female Spark Ash) were out flying when the two were suddenly separated. By sheer coincidence, a helicopter found him and brought him back to Brigstone.

His mother and brother were furious with him for leaving and kept him locked away in their manor for months, though that hardly stopped him from escaping and trying to return to The Monastery numerous times. Eventually, he stopped trying and instead turned his attention to the city around him. Swearing to do good in his city, he became a vigilante, using his combat expertise and detective knowledge to take down crime.

Background
Forty-five years before the events of Scorpio, Bradley was born on the fourth of January to Jordan and Ingrid Richardson. As he grew up, he became friends with (among unnamed others) a boy called Rick Coppersteel and a girl called Katie Alleno. One night, when Bradley was only ten years old, his father died fighting a fire, and Bradley lost the only member of his household he felt open around - over time, his mother and brother grew even more distant from him. Soon, he met a man called Regulus Riddle, who could promise him a better life worth living, and he decided to run away from home with Riddle, joining the other two students the man had at his Monastery.

A week after arriving at the Monastery, Regulus took him for a climb up one of the mountains on the island. However, a rockfall separated them and Bradley was left dangling. Upon seeing a scorpion beside him climb back up, he eventually managed to climb back up himself and repaid the arthropod by saving it from a bird that attacked it soon after and bringing it back with him to the Monastery. The next day, Regulus and Eliza helped him move into his new hut, which he came to love a great deal and even kept his scorpion in. He also asked Regulus why there were scorpions on the island, to which he was told that Riddle's family crest actually featured a scorpion on and that the latter had wanted to honour the detail by creating a scorpion population on the island. He was also assured that the species was not poisonous enough to kill humans. In the light of the experience, he adopted the scorpion as his chosen animal, fashioning his mask after it.

About a month later he was summoned by Regulus, who told him of the true existence of dragons. Regulus also took him to meet Zira (Harrison's Red Flare), Granite (Eliza's Holly-Backed Twintail), and a female Spark Ash he had found hard to train. The last of the three, excited by the arrival of another student, later broke out of her stable and travelled across the whole island to find Bradley. He was eventually able to track her down himself, and upon catching her decided to name her 'Cinder'. As time passed, he grew much closer to the young dragon.

On his eleventh birthday, he was given his Monastery tattoo on his right arm, across the back of his wrist and lower forearm. It depicts a red broadsword with its blade pointing in the direction of his fingers and a small Cinder standing atop its pommel. At some point after he had tattoos done around each of his nipples, each portraying a simplified version of Cinder's silhouette, in bright orange with uncoloured eyes and a black outline, facing one another.

About a month after meeting Cinder, he accidentally stumbled on a fellow student who had removed her mask. Upon being caught by her, he wholeheartedly apologised and even went so far as to remove his own mask and introduce himself to her. Out of courtesy, she in turn told him her name - Eliza.

On his twelfth birthday he had the word "Bradley" tattooed in black on his back, at the base of his neck. Underneath it he also had "Scorpion's Son" in red, which was tattooed on by Regulus and the only one given to him by Riddle other than Harrison except for his Monastery Tattoo. During this year he also began to develop a more trusting and friendly relationship with Eliza.

On his thirteenth birthday he had his right foreleg tattooed with a basic map of the Monastery Island. This year also brought about the most change in his lifestyle; it was during this year that he drunk alcohol for the first time and came to like it, began to refer to Regulus as 'dad', and swapped his bed for a hammock.

On his fourteenth birthday he had his lower back with various black and grey swirls, like fog or - more likely - smoke. These also went around his sides, and the tips of some actually appeared at the sides of his chest.

At some point during this year, he went on a mission to Las Vegas to stop a mob trade involving Black Life. During the course of the mission he was followed by Harrison, but due to the latter's superior skills his observation went unnoticed. 'The Vegas Mission' eventually ended in mobsters getting Bradley drunk and therefore unable to think clearly and more open to distractions - which ultimately culminated in him waking up the next day in bed with a prostitute, having lost his virginity at some point during the night. Meanwhile, the trade was just about to go down when Bradley appeared to stop it. He defeated some of the mobsters present, but the majority were slain by Harrison. Harrison had defied Regulus' order to only observe and protect Bradley if necessary, in favour of stopping the trade himself in the wake of Bradley's absence. Harrison took Bradley to a small café to explain his actions, but Bradley felt betrayed by his 'dad', misinterpreting the latter's actions as stemming from a lack of faith in Bradley. Throughout the explanation, Bradley looked at and played with a ring he had found in Vegas and chosen to keep as a momento, reflecting on the night he lost with the prostitute. During their journey back to the Monastery Harrison proposed that, in exchange for Bradley not telling Regulus that Harrison had disobeyed his command, he would keep quiet about what happened to Bradley. Bradley naturally agreed, but then realised that he had never told Harrison about what had happened to him, leading him to question Harrison's knowledge on the subject. Harrison replied that "I'd been told to follow and watch you everywhere you went, so I did. And by the way, I'm actually impressed; you're clearly a natural." Feeling disgusted by his and Harrison's actions, Bradley returned to the Monastery Island and claimed full responsibility for stopping the trade. Despite the pride and respect it earned him from Regulus and Eliza, he still felt bad and tried telling the truth to Cinder to feel better. Eventually he gave up and confessed what he had done to Eliza, who simply hugged him in response as an act of support.

On his fifteenth birthday he was woken up at nine o' clock by taking a heavily-padded knife to the face. Recognising the knife as Regulus', he put on his dressing gown and walked to his house. Once there Regulus talked to him about how that day he had (in vampire eyes) become of age. Briefly glossing over a few coming-of-age ceremonies that vampires had had throughout their time, some exciting Bradley and others unnerving him, he started to pull a ring off his hand. He then talked briefly about one of the more recent, the son being given the engagement ring or necklace of the father, described when he was given his father's ring, and gave it to Bradley. He then said that after being given the ring or necklace the son was allowed a period to reflect on their possible future of their marriage.

Compassion and teaching
Scorpio is very kind and compassionate, as shown through his interactions with all those around him. He proves himself an excellent husband and father, despite his own doubts if he was cut out for the latter. This love makes him fiercely protective, at times driving him to desperate lengths. A perfect example of this is the fact that seeing Edward, Nitro IV, and Nightfight about to die at Bluebird's Son's hand drives him to kill Bluebird's Son. During the 'Green Era' and 'Post-Red Era', he is also very positive, often smiling and making jokes. This leads him to be far more likeable.

He is also an excellent teacher, transforming teenagers into highly efficient combatants. In the space of two years, he and other Defenders train Ariel to become Nitro V, leading her to be remarkably good at combat by the age of fourteen. Dead Justice has also demonstrated a talent for tracking, taught to him by Scorpio, and Nightfight's fighting style is nearly identical to his own due to her ability to pull off his more acrobatic maneuvers.

PTSD and its Counteraction
 However, Scorpio does suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder - also known as PTSD - during and after the war. There are many symptoms of PTSD, and different people develop different symptoms, but currently Scorpio has exhibited nightmares, and flashbacks. Following the death of Bluebird's Son, he claims that he can literally still see the blood on his own hands. Whether this hallucination is a result of his PTSD or simply guilt is never made clear, but in Age of Evil he briefly sees The Burning Child, meaning that it was more likely due to PTSD.

Once in his relationship with Rebecca Adams, however, he is able to sleep peacefully almost every single night. He thinks of this effect as rather medicinal, and on the occasions they do not sleep together he has nightmares all over again.

Hatred
Scorpio, despite his joking and compassion, houses a deep-rooted hatred of the Clan of Crime - Bluebird in particular. This hatred, as well as his compassion, drives him to murder Bluebird's Son in cold blood. Indeed, while he expresses guilt over his actions, he never says that he would be unwilling to undo them, even flat-out saying to Bluebird in Age of Evil that thinking about it helps him sleep at night. What is even more disturbing is the fact that this claim is shown to be true in a scene in Age of Evil.

This hatred can overcome him at times, such as in Age of Evil, where he openly screams at Bluebird on a live broadcast across the city that he will tear Bluebird apart until is no more than "raw, bloody chunks of quivering flesh screaming on the ground".

Secretive side
Scorpio is very secretive about his past, specifically his youth and the First War of Brigstone. On a few occassions, other characters have tried to learn about both, but they have not been told anything. Additionally, he kept Tobak and Cinder's existences secret for years, only introducing Tobak to his fellow Defenders once he felt the boy was ready and only ever showing Cinder to one person outside the monastery.

Rebecca is, as we see in What We Have and Back in the Pool, the only person that Scorpio is willing to talk to about the war or his youth, even though he rarely reveals any new information. By the main events of Age of Evil, however, he is shown to feel comfortable with her inquiring about his past. He even goes so far as to introduce her to Cinder following his rescue from cryogenic suspension, though he swears her to secrecy about her existence. He tells her that he has never before broken his oath to keep her a secret for anyone else, which conclusively shows just how open he is around her. As well as this, Rebecca was the first Defender to be introduced to Tobak.

Hats
Scorpio is very fond of his hats, though probably not as intensely as described above. In fact, the one he wore during the last days of the war, following the severe damage it suffered, now sits on a plinth in The Cavern. However, his teenage self, as shown in The Two Who Are One, seemed unsure of his adult self's decision to wear a top hat, merely saying 'Meh' when asked if he thought it looked good.

Personality during youth
Scorpio as a teenager, as shown in The Two Who Are One, was an "adrenaline junkie", often skydiving and usually going to near-suicidal lengths to get thrills. He showed no hesitance at jumping out of a helicopter in The Two Who Are One, which is even more disturbing in light of the fact that free-falling was never part of the mission, and that it was going to land slowly instead. He often screamed and whooped in excitement during free-falls and combat, further proving his "lust for action", as Green Scorpio puts it.

Furthermore, he showed that he drank alcohol, accepting Commissioner Edward's mock inquiry as whether he wanted some medicinal liquor with "I'll have the bottle to go, thanks." He also said "I need a drink" after suffering an injury, was described by Nitro III to smell slightly of alcohol, and refused an offer of white wine, saying "Thanks, but I prefer red."

He was also shown to be a tad more irritable that his adult self, showing his descent into the Red Scorpio mindset. He often makes sarcastic remarks and is shown to have little trust in authority figures, save for his adult self and Regulus Riddle. He was also shown to be rather cheeky, as when Scorpio presents his Claw Launcher and extends its blade, he asked if Scorpio was compensating for something. When Scorpio appeared startled, Bradley further commented "Puberty - it's a lottery."

Nonetheless, he demonstrated a remarkable compassion and desire to help others, showing that he was truly a good man in the end, despite his flaws, and departed by tightly hugging his adult self and letting out a tear. Rebecca later looked back on the experience of meeting him as 'fascinating' and the best case she had ever had as Nitro III.

Nerdiness
Scorpio consistently proves himself a colossal nerd, often quoting and making reference to various films and franchises. Rebecca has teased him for this on a few occassions, but she and Scorpio both know that she actually finds it all amusing and cute. He has even quoted during inappropriate moments, such as saying "Please, sir, I want some more" after having sex with Rebecca.

Abilities
Scorpio never demonstrated any superpowers at any point in his life, but he was extremely agile and acrobatic. He demonstrates superhuman stamina and agility on countless occassions. He could perform many complicated maneuvers and jumps. One thing he was particularly talented at was using his cane. He was able to spin it in many ways to deflect certain energy blasts and - if he was fast enough - bullets (by recognising the trigger being pulled and swerving the cane round to match the bullet).

The implant he received as a result of the Witch Doctor's "Mind Melter" gas gave him faster reactions, as well as an ability to hack into computers far more easily - due to the fact he was now part computer, and understood them on a higher level than before - as well as being able to 'save' faces to his hard drive (in the event of forgetting) and recognising them instantly.

He was also very good at tracking criminals and animals (a skill he trained Nitro II to use) as well as being a skilled detective, able to deduce many things about a person purely from how they looked.

As well as this, throughout the war and the ten years after he receives little sleep, due to battles and his nightmares respectively, meaning that his biological perseverance is almost godlike - he is perfectly capable of engaging in combat and numerous other tasks, despite his tiredness.

Weapons and Accessories
In his youth, Bradley proved his talent for creating weapons and suits, most notably the weapon he used most often through the back half of his stay at the monastery (pictured opposite). This weapon was a combination of an axe head, a blacksmith's hammer, a golden blade, and a miniature flamethrower. The purpose of the red part is currently unclear.

Throughout the Red Scorpio era, Bradley would use a gun-like device, but fashioned into the shape of a claw, which was named a Claw Launcher. They had an effective range of 20 metres, and fired tranquilising darts. During the War of Brigstone, it was modified to fire explosive darts and had a scope added onto it, but had the same range. Blue Scorpio also designed a new phase of Claw Darts, ones that electrified whomever they were fired upon. These were non-lethal, and possessed the same qualities as a taser. Upon his return from Lafita, he even created a third type, with a blade that was like an Ankaarnan Blade.

When he created a electronic mask, it could also fire blasts of energy if either of the buttons on its sides were pressed. This feature was created in case of being tied up, but could also be used in situations where his hands were free, though admittedly he did not use it in many hands-are-free battles. Its edges could also protrude and magnifying lenses would also pop out, effectively creating binoculars. Yet another useful feature was the detective mode - which was inspired by the Batman Arkham games, which Bradley loved to play as an adult. It would allow Bradley to track DNA and see henchmen (as well as whether or not they were armed) through walls. A microphone could also pop out to allow communication. As well as all these, there was also the defensive measure of having a fingerprint scanner on the back to prevent it being pulled off in brawls.

Scorpio's cane could also produce a white-hot beam of energy, which could cut through most metals. Another useful feature was an unfolding metal layer which served as a bulletproof shield, as well as the secret compartment inside it housing a small telescope. The middle of it also bore a screen showing Brigstone for tracking purposes. There was also a light inside the main body of the cane, with a light beam emitted through the crystal at the end.

Scorpio was also known to carry stun grenades, smoke pellets, a remote-controlled hacking device, a line launcher, an explosive gel container, a 'gun-killing' device, and two tasers within hidden pockets in his tuxedo. He also demonstrated efficiency with far more primitive weapons like bolas, boomerangs, and was skilled at sword combat.

Darren Hart
Darren Hart and Bradley had a friendly relationship. Bradley remained dark and brooding throughout the Red Scorpio era, although he did find teaching young Darren in the ways of crimefighting rather enjoyable at times. When Darren was murdered a year later, Bradley was heartbroken.

Tony Vinson
Vinson did not interact as positively towards Scorpio as his predecessor had. Though Bradley secretly admired Vinson's courage and positivity, the two would often bicker. Vinson himself was often known to refuse to follow orders or question Scorpio's authority, which greatly irritated the latter. However, Scorpio said in the Scorpio novel that there is no-one who understands the trauma the war gave him as well as Tony Vinson or Commissioner Edward.

Rebecca Adams
Bradley often disapproved of Rebecca sneaking out of her parents' house to meet him, but he saw something in her that made him think she would be a good Nitro some day. He had hoped for an older sidekick, but was willing to accept a teenage girl for a partner. He felt it would be a welcome change from Vinson, whom he had found incapable of 'taming'. The two made an excellent team, fitting together perfectly.

Rebecca is, as we see in What We Have and Back in the Pool, the only person that Scorpio is willing to talk to about the war or his youth, even though he rarely reveals any new information. By the main events of Age of Evil, however, he is shown to feel comfortable with her inquiring about his past. He even goes so far as to introduce her to Cinder following his rescue from cryogenic suspension, though he swears her to secrecy about her existence. He tells her that he has never before broken his oath to keep her a secret for anyone else, which conclusively shows just how open he is around her. As well as this, Rebecca was the first Defender to be introduced to Tobak.

Once in his romantic relationship with Rebecca Adams, he also found himself able to sleep peacefully almost every single night. He thinks of this effect as rather medicinal, and on the occasions they do not sleep together he has nightmares all over again.

James Winters
James and Bradley would often be described by many as 'the finest duo of the ages'. They got along flawlessly. James was an excellent student and a fast learner, and Bradley - now after years of practice - was an excellent teacher. In combat, they would be constantly covering one another as the other reloaded and would usually be able to battle constantly without getting in one another's way.

Ariel Richardson
Ariel was often irritated by her father, as she felt he was overprotective of her. However, by the end of Age of Evil she understands why. After admitting that, she asks Bradley why he didn't tell her of his secret or train her to become a Nitro. Bradley replies "Because if I had, you would have died a long time ago".

Quotes

 * "If I lose my smile, I'm discovered. If I lose my focus, I'm defeated. If I lose myself to my mind, I'm dead."
 * "Look, Becks, you're at the age now when you're thinking a lot about sex. You see cute boys, sometimes you think about sleeping with one, and it dominates your thoughts more than you'd like. You think about how much you want him against your body. You think about how your needs to have sex will calm down, that everything will become so much clearer, that you'll be better off, if you just let him into your body. That's how I feel [springs out his Launcher's blade] about this. I see it everyday, sometimes I feel about using it on myself, and it dominates my thoughts more than I'd like. I think about how much I want it against my wrist. I think about how my needs to hurt myself will calm down, that everything will become so much clearer, that I'll be better off, if I just force it into my body... That's how I feel. And it would be so easy to do. But everyday I need to remind myself that it wouldn't do any good. That I'd be worse for it. You'd be labelled a slut, and I'd be dead."