[hider=Douglas Song][b]Name:[/b] Douglas Song

[b]Alias:[/b] "Golden Tiger", formerly called the [i]"Crimson Hand"[/i].

[b]Gender:[/b] Male

[b]Age:[/b] 30

[b]Alliance:[/b] "Hero"
[i]Douglas Song is a former villain of the alias "Crimson Hand" although he never assumed the title or called himself so, instead achieving it by reporting of his martial exploits in criminal pursuits. He has been out of the public mind for six some-odd years owing to a brief disappearance. As such, his return certainly has been much more noble than his prior activities.[/i]

[b]Powers:[/b]
[i][b]Advanced Martial Arts[/b][/i]
The vast majority of Douglas Song's superhuman ability derives itself from the manipulation of [i]qi[/i], namely through three schools of martial art, two physical and one much more mental, spiritual, and emotional. While it is certain Song's ability is only shaped by these schools, his true power being manipulation of bodily forces his or otherwise, they represent a tremendously powerful advantage over his latent ability - a means to amplify it beyond regular human limit and manifest his actual superhuman ability to an applicable level.

[hider=Fu Jow Pai, Heihuquan, Taijiquan]
[b][i]Fu Jow Pai[/i][/b]
One of the two schools of "hard" martial art known by Song, [i]Fu Jow Pai[/i] is external and lightning fast, often a defensive or even reactionary form of kung fu that relies upon the clawed hand technique. Striking like the tiger it is modeled after, it inflicts ripping, tearing, clawing, joint locking, and grasping upon its opponents and is more defensively oriented than the other member of the [i]Black Tiger System[/i]. Notably, it derives great strength from pressure point attacks, to include those of grappling, and has a large bias toward pain compliance and exploiting limits of physique or objects.

[b][i]Heihuquan[/i][/b]
The second school of external martial art understood by Douglas Song, but is a paradoxical member of Shaolin canon; the longer one practices this most extreme form of outer martial art, the more internal it becomes. As such, Song's further and evolving understanding of [i]qi[/i] and its techniques has only come to progress as it has due to this discipline than either other. Of the forms of striking, the [i]Black Tiger Fist[/i] style is punctuated most by low, deep stances, swift and dexterous footwork, and exotic, acrobatic kicks. Where it derives its name from is the manner in which its power based punches place the thumb - in line with the other digits and not across them.

[b][i]Taijiquan[/i][/b]
As the actual kung fu of [i]tai chi[/i], is an internal canon that focuses most upon responsiveness, breathing, movement, body, and meditation, but retains the combative aspect in its use of "pushing hands", a technique about reusing and redirecting bodily energy, be it momentum or weakness. Steeped in difficulty as a mostly defensive school, it is a gateway often practiced in tandem with "hard" martial arts, such as those Song has adopted. Feeding into the internalization of [i]Heihuquan[/i], it provides a serenity and clarity that allows [i]qi[/i] to act beyond the mere body and more into the psychic realm. It allows for the soft, even gentle, manipulation of an opponent versus the harsh, even deadly manipulation of other kung fu technique.

While not a master of the armed martial arts, Douglas Song is familiar to archaic weapons as the [i]dao[/i], [i]dadao[/i], [i]gun[/i], [i]ji[/i], [i]feng huo lun[/i], [i]hu tou gou[/i], and [i]sheng biao[/i], among others. For the sake of simplicity in his lifestyle, at most he arms himself with knives, those balanced enough to throw or fight with, but subtle enough to carry in concealment. Generally, any weapon he can lay his hands upon can suddenly find itself improvised, though he prefers not to make use of firearms whenever possible.

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[b][i]Qi[/i][/b]
The conscious manipulation of [i]qi[/i], or one's own bodily "life energy" or even that of others, is divided into two approximate schools of thought as [i]Li[/i], external manipulation, and [i]Neijing[/i] as internal manipulation, in the advanced martial arts. When exercised by those who posses both bodily and psychic control of their [i]qi[/i] a certain level of superhuman ability is gained, one that scales in potency as further understanding and even eventual mastery is attained in them. While mutually exclusive to one another, the true talent arises in those who can shift their [i]qi[/i] from one discipline to another and back on whim. Knowing this, [i]Neijing[/i], or the internal, mind and soul use of [i]qi[/i], is profoundly more difficult because of the introspection required to use it; to rely on the invisible force than the obvious one of [i]Li[/i].

In the case of Song, an adept figure in the manipulation of [i]qi[/i], his power revolves about the transfer of power to or from his own body or that of others, both as [i]Li[/i] and as [i]Neijing[/i]. While neither a master of either school, let alone any of his martial talents, his versatility and natural familiarity to [i]qi[/i] lends him a diverse use of advanced skills that are unavailable to traditional martial artists.

[hider=Qi Abilities]
[b][i]Body Outside Body[/i][/b]
A disciple of [i]Neijing[/i], like Song who are familiar to [i]Taijiquan[/i], is able to perform feats of [i]qi[/i] manipulation that are beyond understanding of regular human technique as they are internal, not external processes. As such those like Song may wield their body at times as brief, near "invisible" forces; being a "body outside the body" allows a practitioner to engage in unnatural talents that are iconic among advanced wielders of the martial arts. These manipulations are most classically the ability to fall without injury, sprint at impressive speed, jump great distances or exceptional heights, run along vertical surfaces or across water, stand on objects much too narrow to balance one's weight on, or seemingly absorb blows to physical self without apparent external harm, converting it into hostile internal [i]qi[/i] instead.

While capable of such talents, the most notable Douglas Song has acquired out of these is the redirection or deflection of slow moving objects or projectiles, albeit fast moving or large ones are understandably well outside his talent. It is this same technique that grants him his favored use of thrown projectiles or even the use of archaic weapons as a bow, able to help guide the shot or even alter its flight path to an uncanny extent.

[i][b]Hands of Black and White[/b][/i]
Able to shift another's physical energy with his strikes by using both [i]Li[/i] and [i]Neijing[/i], Douglas Song can naturally upset the balance of a body's [i]qi[/i]. The ill effects of such contact, able to be as subtle as mere touch to affect another's mind to an elbow strike to disrupt body, range from imposing an addled, clouded haze of thought and interruption of concentration, to the obviously physical debilitation of inflicting jarring pain or nausea. The difficulty for Song comes in the fact that the more mastery one has of their mind and body, such as even being aware of his [i]qi[/i] manipulation, decreases the severity of the disruption and distortion.

The pinnacle of his ability, this transfer of power, shifting of [i]qi[/i], is what allows Song to transfer his own damaged [i]qi[/i] to the subjects of his attacks; this eternal process of balance is his means to effectively "heal" himself and sustain his body and mind in combat while inflicting greater injury on those he lays hands upon. As expected, Song is capable of exchanging his own [i]qi[/i] as well within himself at the price of body over mind or mind over body.

[b][i]Stillness of Self[/i][/b]
Born of meditation and fellow internal exercises through understanding [i]Neijing[/i], Song has an exceptional defense of "action before thought", not needing to consciously decide his combat techniques and allowing his defenses to follow the flow of his own [i]qi[/i]. In practical applications this is the difference between actively attempting to block attacks or simply flowing with them, either in, around, or through them and setting up joint locks and body manipulation as through [i]Fu Jow Pai[/i]. This swiftness is however, notably hampered by interruption and physical interference, such as by wearing body armor or being grappled by one attacker while another moves in to attack.

[b][i]Tiger's Claws[/i][/b]
The most basic of Song's manipulation of [i]qi[/i] is derived from his education under the kung fu styles of [i]Fu Jow Pai[/i] and [i]Heihuquan[/i], both members of the [i]Black Tiger System[/i]. Heavy in their [i]Li[/i] elements, their extreme application allows them to become "killing hands" or the force needed to splinter wood, pulverize concrete, bend steel, or penetrate unnatural defenses. At the truest form of [i]qi[/i] exercise they allow a martial artist to strike with superhuman strength, precision, speed, and most dangerously, into another's [i]qi[/i].

The transfer of power is limited to physically wielded objects, whereas projectiles, such as a firearm's bullets, do not experience this outcome of being used as a conduit.

[b][i]Vibrating Palm[/i][/b]
A talent more infamously known as the [i]"Touch of Death"[/i], souch a touch is a [i]Neijing[/i] pressure point technique that is understood as both a psychic and vibrational attack, mind and body togther, focused into a wave and placed at a point of weakness on a target. While not always a lethal attack, one as Douglas Song can indeed setup a killing stroke with a perfectly executed and balanced transfer of [i]qi[/i]. The difficulty for this lies in the fact Song is not familiar with the means to do so, rather he knows only the execution of its lesser incarnation that can seize the body of a thing by inflicting brief or even prolonged paralysis, more commonly known as the [i]"vibrating palm"[/i].
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[b]Personality:[/b]
Song is a generally well meaning soul, at least post return from his several year disappearance, where he seems to have left behind much more of the anger and aggression he displayed then. A more tranquil spirit as consequence of that, it is safe to assume his time spent refining himself affected his demeanor as well, teaching him a much needed prospect of control and discipline. Though somewhat quiet, he isn't prone to erupt into excessive physical force or emotional lashing out, instead demonstrating a newfound restraint and empathy. Far more mature, an actual man now than a boy trying to play a man, Song even goes so far as to attempt to awkwardly apologize now or even bear some wit.

[b]Appearance:[/b]
A second generation Chinese-American, Douglas Song is certainly not remarkable by any obvious and outward means as some others with superhuman power or talent; having neither the bulk of extensive strength training nor their slender leanness and height of a runner, his general aptitude is one of overall refinement and nondescript fitness. Able bodied as he is, beyond even what eyes can perceive, he uses his seemingly normative qualities to blend in, but exhibits a few consistent traits, namely that he keeps his hair short and militarily cut, face clean shaven, and body free of any blemishes or markings that could assist in identifying him. Going so far as to wear contacts at times, Song's natural eye color is a light amber and his skin is surprisingly fair as well.

In dress Song is not particularly remarkable either, often wearing a hoodie or hooded jacket, jeans or cargo pants, and season appropriate clothes to keep in line with the general populace if all else fails. Preferring darker colors normally, his only calling card is the source of his new identity and namesake; a set of black cargo pants, large leather belt and buckle, working boots, dark sunglasses, and a white hooded sweatshirt that bears a tawny set of tiger's stripes across the back. He carries few weapons, if any at all, and tends to be mostly averse to firearms or other luxuries of modern life, going so far as to own burner phones in place of more modern technology.

[b]History:[/b]
Given that the "Crimson Hand" was never apprehended for any of his crimes and his true identity of Douglas Song was never revealed, little is overtly known about their connection. Truthfully however, Song hadn't much reason to even involve himself in criminal activity other than it, for lack of better words, was "Good exercise." and "Something to do." The power afforded to him through his youth, the discovery of the martial arts, instilled everything in him but what it was truthfully about; it wasn't about the power or demonstrating it. Thus as a young man looking to prove himself and make a living, what better way was there than to leverage skills he had that others didn't, all while paying for the bills?

Though through running with small time affiliations Song came to realize more and more that he was accomplishing nothing more than that "something to do"; it wasn't even "good exercise" or really all that worth the problems it came with. The further he went through with things the darker and more disturbed the people involved were. At some points it wasn't about just subduing those in the way, at times it was about "Leaving a message to anyone, everyone, especially the news." It was a point that forced reconsideration each time he acted on it, coming to accept the infamy and rightful villain status was... not what he really ever wanted. It was just anger and greed, both the sort of things a petty child might thrive on. The difference being, Song wasn't so much a young man anymore and the reminders of his crimes weren't really setting in well with him.

So he left for a few years, up and vanished without a trace. He never made headlines and his affiliates assumed he was ghosted by some hero or other villain, so his loss was of little consequence or interest until he returned from his venture abroad. That was when life became serious, perhaps for the first time. After all, Song learned significantly more than a few novel tricks and talents of ability, rather an entirely new mindset and outlook.

That was what urged him to attempt to make good on his errors, not the fact he wanted the fame or trial. The downside, however? The law and those enforcing it were not likely to be so forgiving and quick to forget. At least this time he chose his own name and identity.[/hider]