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Aug. 16th, 2011
Personality
Aug. 16th, 2011 11:25 pmMax is a guard dog, one with enhanced intelligence and is probably more complex than he appears to be. He can act in ways that make him seem no different than any other dog, but he is cunning and can actually be manipulative if he thinks he can get his way. His temper is alarmingly short when it comes to abusers and is what makes him extremely dangerous. He appears to be largely indifferent about humans and other animals as a whole, though he seems to mistrust mail carriers and dislike cats like any stereotypical dog would...though the only cat he's seen interacting with was hostile from the start. He's fond of affection from people he likes and is tolerant of it from those he doesn't know or dislike.
Due to gene splicing and his training, Max is intelligent enough to be left unattended while handling his duties, as he was intended to be a guard unit that did not depend on human guidance. He can understand almost 350 commands in at least English and Spanish, known commands among those being: sit, halt/stay, enter, now (in combination with another command), down (lay down), turn around, out, come, go get ____, let's go, get 'em/sic 'em, and release. He seems to understand a lot more than just commands though, such as being able to get the break line the mechanic jokingly asked if he would grab for him, and knowing when he's being provoked or insulted. He's able to open certain doors that have latches, and open car doors from the inside, as well as windows that are partially open, and escape simple cages unassisted. He's good at using his surroundings to his advantage when possible and can also recognize weapons and when an item not ordinarily used as a weapon is being used as one.
Unsurprisingly, Max likes to get his way and will make sure he does however he can. It can be appealing to someone's feelings, or it can be going about what he wants as soon as anyone he doesn't want to think badly of him isn't around to see it. If he can't be in the company of who he wants to because they want him to stay home, then he'll just let himself out after they've left to go find something else to do. If he doesn't want to sleep outside at night, he'll raise a racket until someone lets him in. If he doesn't want a person having quality time...or sex, with someone he likes then he'll be disruptive so they can't. It's not always going to happen how he wants, but he'll try to make it work for him while still playing the "I'm a good dog" card.
In part because of his genetic makeup Max has a very volatile temper, but mostly only really when it comes to those he deems a threat to himself or those he's protecting, or if he has suffered even the slightest abuse at someone's hands. This can be as minor as being unapologetic about a minor accidental blow, or as serious as actually hurting him or someone he's fond of...though minor stuff may be forgiven if he likes the person and knows no harm was meant. Hurting or trying to kill him in any way, even if it's in retaliation for his aggressiveness, is not tolerated well at all and is the fastest way to make him lose it. He will take his anger out on the cause, often trying to at least maim them somehow, but very likely trying to kill them instead. If he dislikes or mistrusts someone he may not actually attack them, despite acting aggressive towards them, unless his temper is set off. The exception is if someone he dislikes is viewed as competition for the attention he wants or would make him leave if given the chance, in which case he will try to remove them from the picture without getting in trouble himself.
If he does kill a person and will get in trouble if it's discovered then he'll try to hide the body to the best of his current ability, be it hiding it behind a dumpster or burying it under a porch. If he has other objectives or there's no need, then he won't bother.
Despite all the things that make him a force to be wary of and the way he can try to manipulate situations, Max can genuinely be a very loving and protective animal. He will give affection and offer a helping paw to those he cares about and those they care about...though the latter of course is also affected by his opinion of them. The fact that he likes to get away doesn't mean that he can't or won't put others before him and when things are serious it's very possible that his desires matter less to him in comparison to the sense of obligation to such people. If he is going to follow an order then the person better not give him one that they don't mean in the case of more violent commands. If set on someone he's very likely to do his best to actually kill them if it's not made clear that the order wasn't literal.
Because he is so volatile, it seems like his trust is easily broken and he tends to go off the deep end if he feels he's been betrayed. At this point nothing will come between him and making such people pay except his death. But if he truly cared for that person and they can prove that they do still care for him he will calm down and his aggressiveness toward them can settle despite his supposed need for his sedatives to be kept under control.
Abilities
Enhanced Senses: Max has extremely keen sight, hearing, and sense of smell due to the splicing of the genes of several other animals into his DNA. His hearing is good enough that he can hear someone calling for him in a normal voice from at least a block away, over his own growls and someone else's cries. His eyesight is such that he can spy through keyholes without difficulty and he likely has really good night vision because one of the animals he was spliced with for desirable traits was an owl./his sense of smell can pick out concealed scents with no effort, even poisons hidden in his food.
Camoflage: He can blend in to any environment he wishes at will by becoming invisible in it. This is explained as chameleon DNA even though he doesn't change color, just literally seems to vanish. He can still be felt, heard if he makes noise, and probably smelled by anyone or anything with the ability to track by scent.
Enhanced Physical Prowess: Cheetah DNA lets Max run at speed no ordinary human can outrun. His top recorded speed was said to be around 50 MPH prior to his escape, but he was able to chase down a speeding car and leap on top of it. He was strong enough to break free of a chain holding him, smash through a closed mirrored closet door with enough force to smash the wardrobe in the back with his momentum, and to drag the dead weight of fully grown men without difficulty. It's very likely that the power of his bite exceeds that of a normal dog as well. His jumping ability also him to clear several cars from a run and he can easily jump at least seven feet in the air.
Climbing Ability: Jaguar DNA has given him semi-retractable claws, and lets him quickly and easily climb surfaces such as trees and wooden walls.
Unhinging Jaws: Snake DNA allows him to swallow things at least the size of a housecat in one gulp.
High Resistance/Tolerance: Max is unaffected by the use of even heavy doses of mace, and has the pain resistance to continue fighting even after taking damage as extreme as a blowtorch's flame in his open eye. He also survived being on the hood of a car that crashed through a wall at high speed, resulting in his being buried alive and him crawling out of the rubble moments later apparently unharmed. He is not bulletproof though and a heavy blow to the head can knock him out.
Acidic Urine: ...exactly what it sounds like. Urine acidic enough to at least leave acid burns on skin, fur, or scales. It's possible that it could kill or eat through surfaces that acid normally can.
Due to gene splicing and his training, Max is intelligent enough to be left unattended while handling his duties, as he was intended to be a guard unit that did not depend on human guidance. He can understand almost 350 commands in at least English and Spanish, known commands among those being: sit, halt/stay, enter, now (in combination with another command), down (lay down), turn around, out, come, go get ____, let's go, get 'em/sic 'em, and release. He seems to understand a lot more than just commands though, such as being able to get the break line the mechanic jokingly asked if he would grab for him, and knowing when he's being provoked or insulted. He's able to open certain doors that have latches, and open car doors from the inside, as well as windows that are partially open, and escape simple cages unassisted. He's good at using his surroundings to his advantage when possible and can also recognize weapons and when an item not ordinarily used as a weapon is being used as one.
Unsurprisingly, Max likes to get his way and will make sure he does however he can. It can be appealing to someone's feelings, or it can be going about what he wants as soon as anyone he doesn't want to think badly of him isn't around to see it. If he can't be in the company of who he wants to because they want him to stay home, then he'll just let himself out after they've left to go find something else to do. If he doesn't want to sleep outside at night, he'll raise a racket until someone lets him in. If he doesn't want a person having quality time...or sex, with someone he likes then he'll be disruptive so they can't. It's not always going to happen how he wants, but he'll try to make it work for him while still playing the "I'm a good dog" card.
In part because of his genetic makeup Max has a very volatile temper, but mostly only really when it comes to those he deems a threat to himself or those he's protecting, or if he has suffered even the slightest abuse at someone's hands. This can be as minor as being unapologetic about a minor accidental blow, or as serious as actually hurting him or someone he's fond of...though minor stuff may be forgiven if he likes the person and knows no harm was meant. Hurting or trying to kill him in any way, even if it's in retaliation for his aggressiveness, is not tolerated well at all and is the fastest way to make him lose it. He will take his anger out on the cause, often trying to at least maim them somehow, but very likely trying to kill them instead. If he dislikes or mistrusts someone he may not actually attack them, despite acting aggressive towards them, unless his temper is set off. The exception is if someone he dislikes is viewed as competition for the attention he wants or would make him leave if given the chance, in which case he will try to remove them from the picture without getting in trouble himself.
If he does kill a person and will get in trouble if it's discovered then he'll try to hide the body to the best of his current ability, be it hiding it behind a dumpster or burying it under a porch. If he has other objectives or there's no need, then he won't bother.
Despite all the things that make him a force to be wary of and the way he can try to manipulate situations, Max can genuinely be a very loving and protective animal. He will give affection and offer a helping paw to those he cares about and those they care about...though the latter of course is also affected by his opinion of them. The fact that he likes to get away doesn't mean that he can't or won't put others before him and when things are serious it's very possible that his desires matter less to him in comparison to the sense of obligation to such people. If he is going to follow an order then the person better not give him one that they don't mean in the case of more violent commands. If set on someone he's very likely to do his best to actually kill them if it's not made clear that the order wasn't literal.
Because he is so volatile, it seems like his trust is easily broken and he tends to go off the deep end if he feels he's been betrayed. At this point nothing will come between him and making such people pay except his death. But if he truly cared for that person and they can prove that they do still care for him he will calm down and his aggressiveness toward them can settle despite his supposed need for his sedatives to be kept under control.
Abilities
Enhanced Senses: Max has extremely keen sight, hearing, and sense of smell due to the splicing of the genes of several other animals into his DNA. His hearing is good enough that he can hear someone calling for him in a normal voice from at least a block away, over his own growls and someone else's cries. His eyesight is such that he can spy through keyholes without difficulty and he likely has really good night vision because one of the animals he was spliced with for desirable traits was an owl./his sense of smell can pick out concealed scents with no effort, even poisons hidden in his food.
Camoflage: He can blend in to any environment he wishes at will by becoming invisible in it. This is explained as chameleon DNA even though he doesn't change color, just literally seems to vanish. He can still be felt, heard if he makes noise, and probably smelled by anyone or anything with the ability to track by scent.
Enhanced Physical Prowess: Cheetah DNA lets Max run at speed no ordinary human can outrun. His top recorded speed was said to be around 50 MPH prior to his escape, but he was able to chase down a speeding car and leap on top of it. He was strong enough to break free of a chain holding him, smash through a closed mirrored closet door with enough force to smash the wardrobe in the back with his momentum, and to drag the dead weight of fully grown men without difficulty. It's very likely that the power of his bite exceeds that of a normal dog as well. His jumping ability also him to clear several cars from a run and he can easily jump at least seven feet in the air.
Climbing Ability: Jaguar DNA has given him semi-retractable claws, and lets him quickly and easily climb surfaces such as trees and wooden walls.
Unhinging Jaws: Snake DNA allows him to swallow things at least the size of a housecat in one gulp.
High Resistance/Tolerance: Max is unaffected by the use of even heavy doses of mace, and has the pain resistance to continue fighting even after taking damage as extreme as a blowtorch's flame in his open eye. He also survived being on the hood of a car that crashed through a wall at high speed, resulting in his being buried alive and him crawling out of the rubble moments later apparently unharmed. He is not bulletproof though and a heavy blow to the head can knock him out.
Acidic Urine: ...exactly what it sounds like. Urine acidic enough to at least leave acid burns on skin, fur, or scales. It's possible that it could kill or eat through surfaces that acid normally can.