PROFILE - DUNCAN PIERCE

 

 

 

"It's a phoenix. Someday, I'll tell you

the story behind it."

 

 

Nicknames: Dunk, Smoky, The Phoenix

Status: Prodigy

Skill: Pyrogenesis

 

Age: 29

Birthplace: London Core

Raised in: Hillford Division

Accent: British, casual

 

Physical Characteristics: muscular, 6-feet tall, phoenix tattoo, shaved head, grey eyes

 

Personality: confident, controlled, skeptical, good-humored, keeps his temper in check

 

 

 

LONER

 

In the Core, fighting is strictly prohibited. Prodigy skills aren't something to mess around with, and it's far too easy for a hot-headed tussle to turn deadly. The military keeps a watchful eye out for anyone whose combat skills might pose a threat to society.

 

Which is why Duncan Pierce—or Dunk, to his friends—took great care not to reveal his skill to anyone other than family. Coming out of his Surge with the ability to create fire, he knew that one wrong move would put him on the military's radar. Problem was, he had a quick temper. His skill latched onto it, turning even the mildest argument into disaster. Try as he might, he couldn't control himself, and after accidentally scorching his family's living room (injuring his younger brother in the process), Duncan knew what he had to do.

 

Leave.

 

The underground fight clubs took him in. They paid well and expertly avoided the military, and a skill like Duncan's was too good to pass up. He was an instant hit. No one could beat him. Dubbing him "The Phoenix", they each offered him a contract, but the most lucrative came from the Red Dragon. Duncan signed on without hesitation, eagerly accepting an animated phoenix tattoo as part of his first official payment.

 

But being a champion wasn't what he'd thought it would be. Yes, he won. Yes, he made a lot of currency. He also hurt people, inflicting injuries to some who couldn't afford biological restoration. Guilt from his victories added to the guilt from his past. He avoided everyone except his opponents in the ring and spent most of his time alone, trying to live with the monster he'd become. And when it got to be too much, he did what he had done before . . . and left.

 

His only other option was security training. Enrolling in the same program as Rush, Duncan kept his temper tightly in check and focused only on meeting the requirements. He was good—so good, he rose to the top of his class. That was when Commander Reece noticed him.

 

Hired him, too, which is where we first see him in Gambit. He doesn't have a lot of friends and tends to bicker with Rush, but he's come a long way. He can control his skill. His pryo-whips are accurate and deadly, and while he takes great care not to live in the past, he finds himself back in the ring at Chesapeake—protecting the new heiress from those who would harm her.

 

And discovers she's more dangerous than anyone suspects.

 

 

INCENDIARY

 

Mimic opens with Duncan once again saving Willow from herself. This time, however, he's a bit wary. What he saw in her eyes at Chesapeake has him rattled. Keeping the knowledge to himself, he continues focusing on his job—which becomes harder with a new commander who lays down the law and doesn't want security getting personal with the heiress.

 

He's all for not getting personal. He doesn't know what to think about Willow's abilities and has somewhat distanced himself from her after the incident with Tiernam security. Only after she loses control of her skill does he make an attempt to reconnect. He shares a bit of the past that haunts him, along with his remedy: fighting for people, not against them.

 

So when Rush steps up to defend her during a training session and is attacked for it, Duncan can't let it go. Risking his job—as well as his personal safety—he prepares to heat up. He can't help himself. Rush and Willow are the closest thing he has to family now, and that's something worth fighting for.

 

 

PHOENIX

 

Gambit is secretive about Duncan's tormented past. He's portrayed as an open, honest security guard whose primary role is looking out for Willow's safety. Mimic draws him a little bit out of the shadows. He's distant, but willing to open up when he sees that she's struggling with the same issues that turned his own life upside down.

 

Still, he remains cautious. The girl doesn't seem to know her own strength, and he's all too familiar with the guilt that comes from hurting people. But he'll willingly team up with her, Reece, and Rush—even the new commander he doesn't trust—if that's what it takes to develop her skill. Like him, she's battling for control.

 

He'll do everything in his power to keep her from making his mistakes. 

 

 

 

 

Image Credit: Blue Sky Design