~ Isaiah LaBelle ~
Ex-evangelist for the Eye of Michael, Isaiah is now a free wanderer that specilizes in bartending across Gunsmoke to make money. They travel alongside the experiment Adam, who assisted her escape from the EOM facility that had emprisoned the both of them. While the EOM are usually on his trail, Isaiah tries to focus on living his life how he wants to now, focusing on her independence and the free-will she has fought hard for.
Isaiah, from a young age, was raised to be very religious. She was involved in Church very early on, following the religion that most people of Gunsmoke subscribed to: the pseudo-Catholic church. Isaiah was always very ambitious and a bit too good at whatever job she set her mind to, which led to eventual scouting from the Eye of Michael. After all, the EOM are always looking for more people to join the church- it gives them more power- so, upon seeing a young kid who has a way with people and is very religiously ambitious, they decided to take Isaiah as one of their own and give him a higher rank where he would be in charge of indoctrinating the sinners of Gunsmoke. And, to their luck, Isaiah is very good at his job, just as they expected.
This was all well and fine... but, aging always tends to complicate things, doesn't it? Isaiah is getting older, and with that growing comes an influx of complex feelings particularly centered around their own identity - their gender identity- and about the religion she has been raised within: is this really all there is? Are we actually helping people? What else is out there besides this...? Hell, am I even bringing people the light of the Lord, or am I just giving the Eye more pawns? Along with that, Isaiah wants to branch out with their gender, wants to try out different pronouns and such, but feels unable to in the religion she is stuck in.
These complex feelings leak into his ability to do his job: for the first time, Isaiah begins struggling to do their job. It is difficult to focus on indoctrinating people when they are not even for sure this is what they want anymore. Unfortunately for Isaiah though... these doubts were not as private as he thought: you see, Isaiah still trusts her family. Who wouldn't? So, he comes to them with these questions, needing reassurance and answers- but when their parents learn of Isaiah's doubts, rather than assist him, they tell the EOM. Isaiah's trust is shattered.
Typically the EOM would simply remove an unfaithful member, but... Well, there is a lot of potential in Isaiah. She has such a good history of service and is damn good at his job- so why waste that potential? So, the EOM simply takes Isaiah from his home- away from his town, the people he knows, the family that betrayed her trust- and plants her in one of their facilities instead. Here, they begin to focus on... "re-converting" him. Surely if they perform some sort of "therapy" on her, it will "fix" him, right? Here, they can keep her separate from things that were influencing/leading to his doubts, and they can focus on teaching him what is "right"- aka serving the EOM.
It is hell, to put it simply. Isaiah was mistreated and rough-handled, treated like a person who needed the devil beat out of them. From being yanked around by his hair, to being whipped, to having resources withheld from them- Isaiah struggles to keep a hold of who she is. So, to protect himself... Isaiah hides the "true" Isaiah. In that, she focuses on protecting this version of himself by playing along with the EOM. They can smile and pretend to listen to and serve these people, and in doing so it keeps him from being as mistreated. Hell, she even begins to rise in ranks once more like she did as a child. Isaiah learns how to pretend, how to keep an unfaultering mask and smile, all to keep himself safe from the dangers this place presents to him for just being himself.
Isaiah grows up in this environment; the mask is a second skin now, Isaiah's defense against the world and these people. They have relied on it for so long that it is hard to tell now where it ends and Isaiah begins... but that does not matter as long as they are safe, right? Hell, they even get to the point eventually where the EOM even lets them travel between facilities again! She's done good at protecting himself and playing along. Though...
There is a hiccup, when Isaiah travels to one of the facilities in particular. Here, Isaiah wanders until he happens upon one of the labs, where she finds something curious. In this facility, Isaiah comes across a cage, where she sees a creature waiting... one named Adam.
The two of them meet by chance, really. It starts off with a conversation- and Isaiah winds up beign the first person in Adam's life to offer something different than pain- understanding. Isaiah, to some extent, knows what it is like to feel abused and trapped in the cage of the EOM. A small, tentative friendship begins to form. Isaiah starts visiting more and more often, getting to know this creature- and the two of them become attached.
Adam... tugs a part of Isaiah out that he had forgotten about. After all of this hiding, Isaiah struggled to access the Her that she buried underneath this mask of protection. She is a lamb that dawned the disguise of a wolf, and, in the process, nearly forgot who she had initially been protecting. After all this time, is he even really... himself? They have been pretending for so long. But Adam, despite his claws, brings out that genuineness in them that Isaiah has not seen in a long time- and its addicting as much as it is healing.
Both of them despise this place. Both of them are in cages and want to escape- and both of them find some sense of strength within the other. So... why not escape? Why not break these chains they're both in and leave this place? Isaiah, using her rank, finds a way to open/break open the cage, releasing Adam, and the two of them break out of the facility, determined to leave behind this place that has abused them for so long.
The facility is large though... The two of them are powerful, but not so much that they can singlehandedly fight an entire army, no matter how incredible Adam is. Luckily, as they are attempting to escape, they run into a man named Azazel, who seems to have broken in around the same time as their attempt to escape. He claims he was there to destroy the lab equipment and murder some scientists- which, honestly? Sounds good to Isaiah and Adam right now. Despite the initial mistrust in each other, the two of them enlist his help to escape, and together, all three of them manage to break out of the facility.
For the first time in their lives, Isaiah and Adam are... Free. They are no longer confined by the EOM or any other person- they are just free. It's a new feeling, one Isaiah has not experienced in such a long time.
Unsure of what to do with this new freedom, the two of them decide to remain together for the time being. They had a tentative friendship after all, and while it is still developing, the two of them are at least willing to remain by the other's side for now. That, and that man that helped them, Azazel, doesn't seem to know where to go either, so for now, they let him tag along as well, though it will take time for any of them to come to trust each other fully.
As of right now, Isaiah is the unofficial leader of a "gang" that consists of Azazel, Adam, and Machiavelli. She has a habit of taking leader roles after all, and none of the others seemed inclined to take it. For work, he has been learning how to mix alcohol, and he tends to stop by the bar in every town they crash in to work as a bartender, trying to learn that trade since it is something he's interested in that they were unable to explore before. Isaiah in general is trying to enjoy their freedom, simply wanting to wander and enjoy being able to live how they want to now. That, and they find themself growing closer with the members of this gang every day- to the point that she knows she would do anything to protect these people who helped him gain and maintain his freedom.