Millions Knives (Stampede): Difference between revisions

Knives presents a face of calm, cold superiority, and has a flair for grandiose acts of wide-scale destruction. His proclamations frequently allude to the Christian Bible, particularly the New Testament Book of Revelation, to present himself as an angel bringing down God's wrath upon a sinful humankind. He relishes violence and views Vash's pacifism and love of humanity as an illness that must be cured by whatever means necessary. In Knives's mind, Vash is a victim of his own weakness and the manipulations of Rem and the humans he's befriended, unable to be trusted to make his own decisions. Everything he's done, Knives claims, he has done to protect Vash from them, with the freedom of the dependent Plants from humanity's chains as a secondary but no less pressing priority. As a superior lifeform and the perfect Independent Plant, it's up to Knives to destroy the disgusting parasites infesting the universe and to ensure all inferior examples of his species reflect the same perfection that he himself embodies.  

However, Knives's icy pragmatism and lofty attitude conceal selfishness, erratic outbursts of emotion, unwillingness to take responsibility for the harm he inflicts upon his loved ones, and a rigidly black-and-white view of the world that permits no nuance or dissent. Knives is fundamentally driven by fear, not only of what humanity could do to him or to Vash, but that Vash will abandon him in favor of humans, leaving Knives alone. Since any human could potentially be a threat, all humanity must therefore suffer and die. He cannot, or will not, understand alternative viewpoints and has developed a habit of trying to isolate Vash by driving off or killing anyone who gets close to him, of gaslighting Vash to undermine his self-worth, and of lashing out with physical violence should those manipulations fail. Though his anger with humanity's reckless and unsustainable destruction of the beings they need to survive - his own species - is justified, he has no issue adopting the same tactics himself with Vash or the Plants under his control. Knives takes their consent for granted, dismisses any resistance as foolishness, and is willing to strip Vash of his personhood and autonomy, as well as exploit the dependents for his own ends. When his plans are thwarted, Knives descends into incoherently shrieking, indiscriminately destructive fury, tearing apart whatever stands in his way or even himself.  

=== Relationships ===

Knives has an obsession with Vash that shades into monomaniacal, but seems to love the idea of Vash as his brother more than the person Vash has become. He has spent much of their time apart searching the planet for his brother both to locate/retrieve him and sabotage Vash's efforts to co-exist with humanity. While Knives does make an effort to speak to Vash gently and calmly when they meet, he snaps into explosive rage or resorts to scornful emotional manipulation whenever Vash disagrees with him. Their relationship is strained by Vash's undisguised terror of his brother. Tragically, despite all this Vash continues to love Knives, but has come to realise that they have both changed too much to return to the way they were, which deeply saddens him.

Knives once loved Rem but now bitterly despises her and anyone he perceives as being like her i.e. dark-haired woman who become emotionally close to Vash. Meryl, Luida, and Rosa (and the mothers of Jeneora Rock) thus all become targets of his murderous hatred and disgust.  

All other humans with the sole exception of Dr. Conrad are insects to be exterminated if he can't ignore them, but Knives treats Conrad himself with politeness, even affection, always addressing him as "doctor" and never losing his temper. Conrad is protective of Knives and views him with awe as the perfect example of his species, almost a divine figure.  

Though Knives has yet to be depicted speaking to any other members of the Eye of the Michael, Elendira and Legato both regard him with devotion and Zazie with wary familiarity, but if Knives cares what they think he does not show it. He knows enough about Rollo, Tonis and Wolfwood to adopt their images manipulating Vash, and about Roberto and Meryl to target and wipe them from Vash's mind. He is protective of the dependent Plants and refers to them as his brethren, but treats them more as objects than people and is not depicted communicating with them in the way Vash does. He implicitly believes them to be soulless and without free will.

Knives's body contains and is supported by a Gate, a vaguely defined organ or object acting as a one-way connection to a limitless source of energy and matter known as the "higher plane". All Plants have a Gate of some description, but lack the volition to use it themselves; as an Independent, Knives can use his Gate at will, and telekinetically control the matter he produces with no more than a thought. His Gate constantly renews and revitalises his body, granting him inhuman fortitude, strength and speed, as well as keeping him physically in the prime of health and youth. With all his needs supplied by his Gate, Knives does not require any form of sustenance or rest, or even seem to need to breathe, and is well into his second century of age while keeping the appearance of an athletic young adult.  

Knives uses his Gate mostly to produce his clothing and weapons in the form of metal blades, chaining them into "tentacles" to grab and slice up individual targets, or forming deadly storms of blades to cause mass devastation. He can also create claws from his hands and feet, but rarely does so in combat, preferring them for symbolism or utility. His blades can cut through steel and deflect bullets without losing their edge.

Knives has more esoteric abilities mostly based around seizing control of Vash's own Gate and forcing it to react, allowing him to manipulate Vash's perception of reality or even alter his memories, leaving a dark residue that grows outward from the point of contact. He only needs to be close enough to physically touch Vash or something he's holding, whether with hands or blades.