Editing Jack Slash (section)

==Personality==
A cruel and manipulative man with a love of theatrics. Jacob had a playful demeanor even while he was committing small-scale personal pain or when coordinating wide-scale atrocities with the backing of the Slaughterhouse Nine. 

Every move and action he made was calculated to afflict change on the world around him for the worse. He expresses a love for affecting "keystones" in his viewpoint chapter,<ref name="SB1" /> that could change the world around themselves as well, as though he was an individual butterfly effect, which highlights his grandiose self perception.<ref name="I11b e2">“Maybe he thought you’d respect him for it, sir? He was always good at reading people.” ''And making them do what he wanted. Even me.''<br/><br/>“Is that so? I’d like to think I’m much the same. A people reader. But ''my'' interest is in the design of people. What makes them tick? What holds them together? All too often, it’s one little thing. In architecture they call it a keystone. The one stone that keeps the entire arch from collapsing. The weak point. And I’m very, ''very'' good at finding those weak points. Can you guess what I’m talking about here? Why I’m in this apartment?”<br/><br/>“Aster, sir?”<br/><br/>“And you say you’re nothing like your father. You’re sharp, little boy.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/06/17/interlude-11b/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 11b]]</ref>

At his core, Jack is a shallow person.<ref name="SB eShallow" /><ref>If you take away his top-levelpass vs. capes then that ''breaks'' verisimilitude; there's no other way someone hasn't come up with giving Number Man or someone like Number Man a sniper rifle, or summoning minions, or siccing Contessa on him. If it came down to luck he wouldn't still be around.<br><br>Jack serves the story by conveying that there ''have'' to be greater forces moving and limiting the pieces because he really has no right to keep existing without something else playing its part. He's a lead-in to the introduction of those forces. The fact he's not compelling as an individual is a big part of his character, and the reveal of how the broader Broadcast power works exposes this.<br><br>Was he handled perfectly? No, it was my first full-length story and with that in mind, it wasn't only both a marathon and a sprint at the same time but it was a marathon and a sprint at the same time by someone who'd never done either of those things. I really wish people would relax a bit. - Wildbow [https://redd.it/lrflao on Reddit]</ref> He is not genuinely charismatic, and he is basically an edgelord without his [[Jack Slash#Shard|secondary power]].<ref>Jack's a reconstruction of the Joker type character in the sense that you can't have such a character take such a high profile position in the setting, without having there be a cheat.<br><br>In short, Jack's whole existence leans heavily on 'if all it took was a power nullifier (or a Contessa, or a whatever) then there couldn't be a Jack'. He ''isn't'' charismatic when it comes down to it, his references are shallow, his 'evil genius' is even more shallow (see the eye rolling from various story commentators when Jack talks about how he made Cherish do the trials all over again), and if you take away the forced gimmick he's basically an edgelord. One of the first things we get about him is that his cutting power isn't that great. - Wildbow [https://redd.it/lrflao on Reddit]</ref>

===Tactics===
When the [[Nine]] are on the move or dormant, Jack keeps his head down and his team will use their powers to help the group stay evasive: this increases the difficulty of tracking them via conventional/mundane methods. Individuals such as [[Cherish]], [[Screamer]], [[Gray Boy]], [[Siberian]], and [[Bonesaw]] can also complicate attempts to use a standard sniper rifle or drone strike against him. However, the cultural status quo for tracking threats such as the Nine is to rely on [[parahuman]]s. Bringing parahuman powers into play is very tempting, but unknowingly hurts more than it helps as [[Jack_Slash#Shard|his shard]] will frustrate harmful attempts to catch a hiding Jack with capes.<ref name="reddit eTrack">And before you say 'thinkers', remember that Jack counters any powers and has frustrated all attempts to take your approach in the past with capes, benefiting from the dynamic of capes handling capes and civilians handling civilians. When he's dormant or moving from place to place, he keeps his head down, leaning on various powers amongst his team that confuse things or give him an edge. He enters the story with Cherish, but before that he has people like Screamer, Grey Boy, Siberian, and Bonesaw, who complicate attempts to pull anything with your standard sniper rifle or drone strike.<br><br>The fundamental issue with the S9 is they're going to be hiding and you're relying on conventional and mundane means to track them, while they're using augmented means to stay evasive. If you bring powers into play at all (and this is both really tempting to do and culturally the status quo) then Jack starts getting really good instincts from Broadcast, and you unwittingly hurt more than you help.<br><br>Once a confrontation begins, or they step out into the open, things quickly get chaotic. We've ''seen'' the attempts at using airborne artillery (Legend) and bombing runs. They do pretty darn well in that environment. - Wildbow [https://redd.it/jbbu1f on Reddit]</ref>

Jack tends to surround himself with team members, which as a consequence makes it next to impossible for civilians to get to him (and thus [[Jack Slash#Vulnerabilities|secretly interfere]]).<ref name="II12.x e1" /><ref name="R1" /> He greatly benefits from [[Earth Bet]]'s paradigm of [[parahuman|capes]] handling capes and civilians handling civilians:<ref name="reddit eTrack" /> no one seriously tried sending a competent non-parahuman against him until the [[Slaughterhouse Fight in Los Angeles]].<ref name="27.2 eSurround" /><ref name="reddit eJackFall" />

===Relationships===
==== [[Shatterbird]] ====
On a personal level Jacob found Shatterbird's tactics tediously repetitive, but kept this to himself as she acted as an unmistakable herald to the Nine.<ref name ="I12 e6">Shatterbird, who had deigned to observe for the moment, hovering over the scene, was an individual who craved validation.  She would be insulted to hear it spoken aloud, but she needed to be powerful in the eyes of others, civilian or teammate.  She could tolerate much, but an insult or a joke at her expense could push her over the edge.  As carrots went, a simple word of praise could satisfy her for a week, and an opportunity to shine could sate her for a month.  It was why he allowed her to ‘sing’ each time they arrived somewhere new, even as he found it repetitive and boring, brooking the same scenarios time after time.  Her stick was easy enough: the threat of physical harm, or the embarrassment of being made to lose control.  Were she to attack a member of the group, Siberian or Crawler would retaliate, and they would hurt or kill her.  It would be inevitable, unequivocal.  The idea of the shame she’d feel in that ignoble defeat held her back as much as anything. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/interlude-12/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude 12]]</ref>

==== [[Bonesaw]] ====
Bonesaw and Jacob would "play" at the Slaughterhouse Nine being a happy family, with Bonesaw eager to play the part of a joyous and enthusiastic younger sibling or daughter figure.

During the Nine's long biological stasis Bonesaw is given time to reflect and grow as a person, later feeling conflicted about her role in the Nine.

She no longer feels comfortable in Jacob's presence as she feels like he knows that her loyalty has been shaken.

==== [[Harbinger]] ====
Jacob and Harbinger are not on speaking terms, Harbinger leaving the Slaughterhouse Nine shortly after Jacob took over due to a conflict in personal methods (as outlined in Number Man's interlude)

Harbingers' current alias of "Number Man" remembers Jacob fondly, it is unknown if Jack Slash reciprocates.

====[[King]]====
The young Jacob utterly loathed [[King]].<ref>The door to their room opened, and Kurt reached out to turn Jacob’s head out toward the city, before turning away himself.<br><br>“You’re not pouting, are you, Jacob?”<br><br>The voice was deep.<br><br>Jacob turned, glaring with far too much bloodlust in his eyes.  Kurt focused on keeping his expression still.<br><br>“People stronger than me are going to hit you,” King said.  “Their reasons won’t be as good.” - [[Last 20.e3]]</ref><ref>“What happens in the future?  ''Think'', Jacob, my boy.”<br><br>The threat was implicit.  He expected an answer, and the way King worked, he wanted ''his'' answer.<br><br>“The powers are going to keep showing up, in greater numbers.  Something critical is going to break, or a ''real'' monster will show up.  Then it all collapses.  It’s too fragile,” Jacob said, still holding the handkerchief to his nose, glaring, but with his back turned to King so King wouldn’t think he was being insolent. - [[Last 20.e3]]</ref><ref>“The sun has set.  People hide in their homes, listening to the news, and they wonder if we are myths or magicians.  We will reveal the truth to them.  That we are monsters.  Get yourself cleaned up, or they will think we are the pathetic sort of monster.”<br><br>He gave Jacob the slightest of pushes, sideways not out, and put the boy off balance, arms windmilling until Kurt stepped out to catch a finger in one closed fist.<br><br>That indignity, more than the bloody nose, made Jacob fume.  To be made afraid, just for a moment. - [[Last 20.e3]]</ref> Ironically, he ends up following in King's footsteps as many of his eventual goals end up being the same as King's.<ref>“Everything plateaus,” Jacob said.  “Everything declines.  This ends with civilization in ruins, most of humanity dead, and the remainder bleeding and scared.”<br><br>“We’ll make an impact,” King said.  “We’ll decide what plateaus and what declines.”<br><br>Jacob nodded.<br><br>What Jacob had said was apparently the right answer. - [[Last 20.e3]]</ref><ref name="II20.e3 eVision" />