Kevin Norton

<infobox> <title source="name"><default>Kevin Norton</default></title>

<image source="Image"></image> <image source="image"></image> <group><header>Basic Information</header> <label>Civilian Name</label> <label>Aliases</label> <label>Gender</label><default>Unknown</default> <label>Death</label> <label>Age</label><default>Unknown</default> <label>Post-timeskip</label> <label>Ward start</label> <label>Relations</label> <label>Family</label></group> <group><header>Professional Status</header> <label>Occupation</label> <label>Classification</label> <label>Unique Features</label> <label>Alignment</label>

<label>Status</label><format>

Deceased

</format>

<label>Location</label> <label>Teams</label> <label>Previous Team(s)</label> <label>Base of Operations</label></group> <group><header>First Appearance</header> <label>Worm Debut</label> <label>Ward Debut</label></group> </infobox> Kevin Norton is the most powerful man in the world, being the only one able to give commands to Scion.

Personality

Kevin is a mellow person, weathered down by years of hardship and weighed down by the immense responsibility on his shoulders. He is generally polite and kind, if somewhat unhinged, and has a habit of rambling to himself and others. He often talks aloud about his status as the most powerful man in the world, leading most passersby to believe he is insane. He once worked in a soup kitchen.<ref>“I didn’t really expect him to go work in a soup kitchen. I eventually did, but that’s beside the point. I told him to go do something, go help people. And he did. Has been since.” - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref>

When he was younger, Kevin was physically abused by his female partner. He never fought back and hated himself for that.<ref name=":1" /> When he eventually left and became homeless, he fell into a deep depression, feeling sorry for himself.<ref>“Getting around to that.  Was pure chance, but he stopped somewhere near here, dead of night.  Happened around the time I was still new to this life, when I was still feeling so sorry for myself I couldn’t look anyone in the eyes.  I saw him, realized he was this same golden man I’d heard about on the news.  I was mad with depression, ran up to him and pounded my hands on his chest, yelled at him, swore, called him every name in the book.”

“Why?”

“Because he dared to be more miserable than me.  Or because people were putting all these hopes on him and he wasn’t doing a fucking thing other than being some world-wandering nobody who happened to be able to fly.  Don’t know.  A lot of it was me shouting at myself.  I said something about not being miserable, not being a waste, and maybe if he helped in a soup kitchen or something he’d feel better about himself.” - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref> He blamed himself for his place in life, believing it to be due to his cowardice.<ref>“What was I saying? Oh, right. Second way you get to circumstances like mine? Sickness. Sometimes that’s in the head, sometimes it’s in the body, and sometimes it’s a sickness you get in a bottle or a pipe. Third path is the one I took. Cowardice. Run away from life. Run away from yourself. Sometimes the bottle’s a cowardice too. Run away from the truth about what you’re doing to yourself, I dunno. I have you to thank for sparing me that sin.” - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref> In his initial encounter with Scion, he lashed out at him, clawing and scratching at the man for daring to be sadder than him.<ref name=":1">“They keep saying you’re fucking sad!? What do you have to be sad about? You weren’t beaten black and blue by a fucking girl you were too chickenshit to hit back! You haven’t been kicked around by motherfucking teenagers who thought it’d be good for a lark! Buggered against your will… no! You get to be untouchable!” - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref> As Scion continued to take orders from Kevin and during the years after Kevin cut off contact, Kevin slowly mellowed out, developing into his present personality.

Kevin is not attracted to women, implying that he may be homosexual.<ref>“Too many mistakes all together. She wasn’t the right girl, for one. Our relationship progressed, and I realized that I don’t like women.” - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref>

Relationships

Scion

Kevin is scared of the control he has over Scion and the responsibility that comes with it. He used to talk to Scion in extended, one-sided conversations, talking about his past and current life.<ref name=":0">“He’d visit regular, right? Stop by, like he was checking if I had anything else to say. Maybe I’d tell him to be more gentle with people when saving them from a car crash, or after that horned bastard came climbing out of the ground and the golden man flew right past it to visit me, I told him he needed to help next time, to fight that monster and anything like it. But sometimes I didn’t have anything to say, and it’s not like he obeys my every instruction down to the last detail, so sometimes he’d hang out here at half past four in the goddamn morning, and I couldn’t get rid of him, so I’d just talk.” - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref> When Scion latched onto a word Kevin said, "Zion," which became misinterpreted as "Scion" and used as his name worldwide, Kevin realized the full weight of the power he held.<ref>“He never responded, barely ever paid attention when I opened my mouth to ramble about whatever.  But he was following the general orders I gave him.  Help people, do this more, do that less.  But I’m in the middle of talking to him about my childhood, about home, when he latches on something.  Head turns, eye contact.  Scares the shit out of me.  I go over it all over again, but it was five in the bloody morning and I couldn’t remember exactly what I’d said.  That is, I couldn’t until three days later, I happen to be in the right time and place, and I see a television in a store playing this clip that’s cropping up on the news.  The golden man says something for the first and last time.  Everyone seems to think he said Scion, and they latch onto it.  They’re wrong, but it sticks, and the word appears on t-shirts and in music and people are talking about it here, where I live.  All because of one thing I said in some ramble of mine, the whole world changes.”

“That’s what scared you?”

“It was the wake up call.  Stupid, isn’t it?  Trivial.” - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref> Terrified, he cut off contact with Scion for twelve years.<ref>“I’m looking back, and I haven’t looked back in a long while.  Visiting home, so to speak.  Thinking about stuff I haven’t even told Duke about, these past twelve years.  You’ve given me a bump of morale at a time I needed it.  Thank you.” - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref> He feels intensely guilty about this decision, feeling like he had shirked his responsibilities by doing this.<ref>“Me, you ask?” Kevin said.  “No.  I don’t deserve much of anything.  What’s that line, about power and responsibility?  Most powerful man in the world, I have a bloody great deal of responsibility.  Sure, I go to bed hungry, I slept terribly during that one spell of body lice, but the thing that really costs me sleep is the idea I might have shirked my responsibilities.” - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref>

Lisette

An incidental passerby who gave Kevin a ten pound note without lecturing him or running away afterward. He was pleased with her kind demeanor and grateful for her presence, being the first person Kevin had contact with in years. Their encounter gave Kevin the bump of morale he needed to visit Scion again. After his talk with Scion, Kevin passed on control of Scion to Lisette and then left, never to be seen again.<ref name="I18x" />

Duke

Duke is Kevin's dog, twelve years old, raised by Kevin from puppyhood.<ref>“Wondered if I would see you here,” Kevin continued. “Been a long time. I’d nearly convinced myself I’d imagined you. That old dog over there, he wasn’t even born when I left, and he’s on his last legs now. Twelve years old.” - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref> Constantly by his side, Kevin loves Duke dearly, feeding the dog before himself and keeping him healthy. Duke returns the favor, giving Kevin affection and protecting him from any potential threats.<ref>“Not fleas or anything like that. I keep him healthy. But he’s a working mutt. Watches my back when I need watching. We take care of each other. So he might be protective of me, not keen on someone getting too close, too soon.” - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref> Kevin named him Duke because the title of duke ranks below a king, which is fitting for a dog working under the most powerful man in the world.<ref>“Did you name him?” she asked.  When he nodded, she asked, “Any reason for Duke?”

“Thought long and hard about it.  Duke seemed fitting.  Highest rank of our United Kingdom, just beneath a king in status.  Fitting for the dog that serves the most powerful man in the world.” - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref>

Appearance

Not much is known about Kevin's physical appearance. His shoes are old and worn, the sole on one of them having come free at the toe.<ref>The sole of Kevin Norton’s old shoe had come free at the toe a few days ago, and the tip of it dipped too low, catching on the cobblestone path. He tripped and nearly fell, and Duke danced out of the way, ears perked in alarm. - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref> His clothes are dirty, going unwashed for long periods of time.<ref>He shook his head, “No. Not expecting you to share. I haven’t washed my clothes too recently. Wouldn’t want to inflict that on you. And Duke might get jealous.” - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref> His hair is long enough to cover his face.<ref>Kevin pushed his hair out of the way of his face, cupped water in his hands, and splashed his face. - Excerpt from Interlude 18.x</ref>

Abilities and Powers

Kevin is not a parahuman, and has no powers. However, he is the only person Scion ostensibly listens to, able to give him broad commands that Scion will work to fulfill. This indirectly makes him immensely powerful, being the only one able to control the strongest cape in the world.<ref name=":0" />

Even so, Kevin's control over Scion is not absolute. Scion rarely follows Kevin's orders down to the letter, and sometimes outright ignores some of his commands.<ref name=":0" /> When Kevin told Scion to kill the Endbringers, Scion only killed Behemoth. Despite Kevin emphasizing it multiple times, Scion never communicated with the heroes.<ref>Try to communicate with the good guys more. I told you to do that before and you didn’t listen, but you should. - Excerpt from interlude 18.x</ref> He also never visited or listened to Lisette, who Kevin had told Scion to report to.

History

Background

Kevin was born in London, England, and was orphaned in his teens when his parents died in unspecified circumstances. He later moved to York, and met a girl at the age of twenty. They started a relationship and he moved into her apartment, but as the relationship progressed Kevin came to realize that he didn't like women, and that they weren't compatible regardless. The girl realized that the relationship wasn't working out and threatened to kick out Kevin, but Kevin hadn't saved money to move out and begged to stay. He tried to stick it out and save up money, enduring physical abuse from the girl, until the abuse became so bad that he finally left.<ref name="I18x" />

With no friends or family to fall back to, Kevin became homeless. Fresh on the streets, he fell into a spiral, becoming depressed and feeling sorry for himself.<ref name="I18x" /> His experience was harrowing, being kicked around by teenagers for fun and even being sexually assaulted. One night, Scion incidentally came upon the bridge that Kevin slept under. Kevin approached Scion and flew at him in a rage, clawing at his body to no avail, shouting that he didn't deserve his power and demanding to know what he had to be sad about. He then yelled that Scion didn't deserve to be sad, and told him to go do something with his power, suggesting that it might help him feel less miserable. Scion took flight shortly after.<ref>Interlude 26</ref>

Scion would go on to follow Kevin's general orders, performing good deeds such as preventing disasters and intervening in wars. It took a while for Kevin to realize what he'd done, hearing about Scion's deeds through word on the street, newspapers, and radio. Scion visited Kevin regularly at the same bridge they had initially met, as if checking if Kevin had more to say to him. Kevin would give clarifications, such as telling him to be more gentle with saving people. One time, when Kevin realized Scion had flown past Behemoth to visit Kevin, he told Scion that he needed to help fight Behemoth and any other monsters like him. At times, Kevin would have no orders to give Scion, and instead would opt to talk at Scion, talking about his general life.<ref name="I18x" /> He also clothed Scion in various ways, first draping a sheet over his body, then using more conventional clothes, before finally settling with a white bodysuit in 1999.<ref name=":5">“The golden man would reappear several more times in the coming months and years. At some point, he donned clothing. At first, a sheet worn over one shoulder and pinned at either side of the waist, then more conventional clothes. In 1999, he donned the white bodysuit he still wears today. For more than a decade, we have wondered, where did our golden man get these things? Who was he in contact with? - Excerpt from Interlude 1.x</ref>

During one story Kevin was telling about a cousin of his from his childhood, Scion fixated on a specific word Kevin said: "Zion." Scion would later say that same word in response to a Russian woman asking who he was, and when video of the event was circulated, the word was misinterpreted as the word "Scion," giving Scion his present name. When Kevin found out about that, it was a wake up call for him, realizing the full weight of his actions. Terrified by his own power, Kevin left the bridge he called home, cutting off contact with Scion for twelve years.<ref name="I18x" />

At some point during his years of homelessness, Kevin contracted hepatitis.<ref name="I18x" />

Post-Echidna

One day, Kevin got the chance to use the internet. He read up about Scion and saw a video of how he was fighting the Endbringers. Seeing how Scion was only battling the Endbringers, he realized that he may have been too indirect in his order to stop the Endbringers. Feeling immensely guilty, Kevin hesitated for a full year, afraid of confronting Scion and confirming his suspicions.<ref name="I18x" />

Eventually, Kevin returned to York, close to the area he had first met Scion. Along the way, a woman named Lisette donated a ten pound bill to him, stopping to make conversation with Kevin. Kevin appreciated Lisette's kindness and the way she didn't run or lecture him. He explained how he was the most powerful man in the world, a claim that Lisette reasonably doubted. The encounter gave him the boost of courage he needed to return to the bridge where he met Scion.

Asking a hesitant and doubtful Lisette to accompany him, Kevin made his way to the bridge. Scion appeared, shocking Lisette. Kevin, aware of his impending death due to his hepatitis, gave Scion his final orders. He gave clarification on his order to battle the Endbringers, telling Scion to outright kill the Endbringers rather than simply fight them off. Then he reaffirmed his previous orders, telling Scion to continue helping people and trying to get him to communicate with the heroes. Finally, he told Scion to listen to Lisette in the future. Without any indication of a reaction, Scion flew away. With his job complete, Kevin walked away into the rain, leaving Lisette to contemplate her new position.<ref name="I18x">Interlude 18.x</ref>

Post-Timeskip

At some point after appointing Lisette as his successor, Kevin succumbed to his condition and died.<ref>It would spend some time here. Nothing would change in any event. Kevin Norton had passed. - Excerpt from Interlude 26</ref>

Trivia

• Kevin shares his last name with Emperor Norton, an eccentric in San Francisco around the turn of the century who proclaimed himself Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.
• During Gold Morning, Doctor Mother says that Kevin is hospitalized despite Scion saying that he is dead in Interlude 26. This, along with the fact that the United Kingdom is destroyed, means that Doctor Mother was likely either lying or incorrect.

References

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