Brian Laborn
<infobox> <title source="name"><default>Brian Laborn</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><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>
Grue, real name Brian Laborn, was a member of The Undersiders.
Background
Grue was abused by his mother's boyfriend when he was young, and fought to develop the strength and fortitude to never be that weak again. To go to help his sister with the same man, and to see the house and be brought back to his weakest, darkest moment, the man's eyes on him, he found the power to immerse the world in darkness. Environment and malign attention and the desire to protect his sister all factored into his power being what it was.<ref>Comment by Wildbow on Reddit</ref>
Personality
Brian's reasoning on not joining the Wards:
If he signs up, he's adopting this more regimented, official lifestyle, and he's seen how his dad has struggled to deal with Aisha from the same vantage point. Once he confines himself, limits himself, then that just gives Aisha more leeway to mess with him or go do her own thing. If he's stuck with official stuff to do, what can he do if Aisha recognizes that and decides that every time she's going to run away, she's going to hop on the first bus out of town?
Could the PRT deal with that? Maybe. Probably. Could they give him leeway? Bend rules or pull resources, as part of his bargaining with them to join? From Brian's standpoint, even if he's cynical about it, I imagine he imagines they could. But Brian has to weigh the negatives against the positives, and keep in mind that he's dealt with the 'system' for a time (CPS and Aisha and his parents), and even if he's more like his dad than his mom, pay attention to the small details - he does martial arts but doesn't stick with one class. He's in school but he's doing it online, more freeform. He walks his own path, he doesn't subscribe to much - he could theoretically ditch the Undersiders at any time. Less so with the PRT. If it goes wrong, he can't back out easily.<ref>http://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/posts/2468389</ref>
Appearance
Brian is an African-American teenager, mature for his age in his body, with a muscular frame, a lantern jaw. He is usually dressed fairly well, not opulent but stylish.
As Grue, Brian dressed in motorcycle leathers and a motorcycle helmet with a full-face visor sculpted to look like a stylized skull. <ref>https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/gestation-1-5/</ref>
Abilities and Powers
Brian can generate clouds of darkness that erase all light, mute and distort sounds, and confuse the sense of touch. It also interferes with microwaves, radio frequencies, radiation, and Breaker powers such as those possessed by Shadow Stalker and Velocity.
After his second Trigger Event, Brian's darkness became thicker, heavier, came out less quickly, but grew exponentially. His darkness also became able to both suppress and grant him weaker versions of the powers of the people within it.
Trivia
Contrary to popular belief, Grue didn't name himself after the darkness-dwelling monster from Zork According to Wildbow, "That's not actually what the Grue refers to. 'Grue' is Old English for creepy or scary. Good ol' Brian cares about reputation and the advantages it affords, and at the stage he was at before, he wanted something suitably classy to win over more highbrow clientele."<ref>http://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/posts/2349728/</ref>
References
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