An Afghanistan veteran, a part of Alex’s friend group from high school, and a student at North Seattle Community College. He first appeared in Good Intentions.
Biography[]
Wade Reinhardt was born in Tacoma but probably grew up in the South.[1] He moved to Seattle in middle school, where he became friends with Alex, Drew, Jason, and Taylor.[2][3] He graduated early from high school and joined the Army, volunteering for Airborne.
Service in Afghanistan[]
After training he was deployed to Afghanistan for a year, earning the Expert Infantry Badge, Bronze Star, and Silver Star. He was involved in a classified incident in Afghanistan during a patrol led by Lieutenant Stamp, a senator’s son. The exact events are unknown, but Stamp was quietly reassigned. Hauser speculated that Wade stopped a war crime in or against an Afghan village, and that more people than Stamp were involved. About a week later Wade received a gunshot wound in his buttocks and given a medical discharge, despite making a full recovery.[2][4] He probably served in the 101st Airborne.[5]
After mustering out he enrolled in the EMT program at the North Seattle Community College on the GI Bill, moved into his own apartment, and reconnected with his friends.[3]
Encountering the Shadows[]
Wade first encountered the Shadows with the pool hall fight against Robert Gorge in Ahmed Kovac’s pool hall.[6]
“Wade has a clear head and clear vision. He knows how to keep his eye on a goal without losing sight of the rest of the field. We trust him. Wine?”
— Lorelei, Past Due, chapter 9
At Sherri’s party he met and befriended Trish, enabled by Lorelei’s enchantment on him to find a sexual partner. He also received a share of the spoils from the pool hall fight.[3]
After Alex had been kidnapped the following Monday, Wade led Drew, Jason, and Taylor in the following Battle of Blackthorne Manor, planning how to get onto the compound and crash a burning car into the manor.
Together with Drew he was taken captive and interrogated by the FBI Special Task Force during the Emerald City Halloween Ball. He proved exceedingly resistant to interrogation, treating it more as a game.[4] He participated in the Battle of Magnuson Park, leading the defense of the building.
Wade accompanied the Crew to the Practitioner meeting in January, and assisted after the Battle of the Casino. He participated in the following Battle of Suite 1705.
He traveled to Vancouver for the Family party. He planned the infiltration of the Family mansion, leading to the discovery of Jon. He was wounded during the Battle of the Silver Delta.
Wade is currently still at North Seattle, probably working towards more advanced training as an EMT or paramedic.[7][8]
Personal[]
Wade gives the impression of a redneck with a southern accent and a usual dress of faded jeans and a ball cap. He is highly loyal to and fond of his friends and a big believer in preparation and readiness–be it for trouble or watered down drinks.[6][9] He is also something of an ammosexual.[10]
He is rather private about himself, and his experiences in Afghanistan has made him more so. He was more pragmatic about and ready to use violence and force compared to his friends, much to their discomfort in their first forays into the Shadows.[6][11]
He is aromantic and asexual, but has only recently begun to understand and explore those aspects of himself.[12] It is possible that his relation with Trish was what caused him to start exploring his aromantic and asexual side.
Relations[]
Wade’s relations with his parents are unknown, but he has relatives in the South that he has regular contact with.[13] He has said that his family would not be shocked over his recent violent encounters.[14]
“Yeah.” He wrapped his arms around Taylor. “I like hugs an’ donuts an’ fuckin’ up bad guys. An’ I like my weirdo friends, too.”
— Wade, Past Due, chapter 11
He cares deeply for the rest of the Crew. Taylor’s attempts to start a romantic relation made him very uncomfortable.[12] He views Trish as a friend and cares for her, but is not romantically involved with her. Their exact relation, if any, is unknown. He has been living in his own apartment since his discharge.
His guardian angel is Marvin. Since the Battle of Suite 1705, Rachel sometimes serves as his guardian.
Abilities[]
Wade is strong and trained in unarmed combat and small arms. He is able to both improvise and plan quickly, and keeps a clear head in dangerous situations. His friends regularly ask him to plan out the details of an operation, and follow his lead.[9][15] Hauser’s assessment of his service record was that he was the best man in his platoon or even company in Afghanistan.[4]
He is a decent marksman, although not a trained sniper.[16]
He is also skilled in first aid and emergency medicine, both from his army training and being enrolled in the EMT program at college.
Possessions[]
Wade owns several firearms, some legally and some as spoils from the Battle of Blackthorne Manor and other fights. He has access to several pistols, a hunting rifle, a shotgun, and at least one assault rifle.[16][17] He always carries a good knife.[6]
He drives a pickup truck.
Theories[]
There are a few early hints that Wade is asexual. Drew noted that Wade was not looking for someone when he got together with Trish at Sherri’s party, and believed that Wade was more looking for someone to talk with about his wartime experiences than a girlfriend.[11]
On the other hand, Drew did mention Alex and Jason as never having girlfriends, but did not mention Wade.[11] He also appreciated the female form, calling Taylor a “beautiful brunette” and found nothing wrong with women in racy costumes.[3][1]
Trivia[]
“Reinhardt” (wikipedia) is a German surname meaning “strong counsel”, something which fits Wade.
Wade is based on a real-life friend of Elliott Kay’s, who also inspired Admiral Todd Branch.[18]
Sources[]
Wade plays a key role in the following stories:
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Natural Consequences, chapter 5
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Good Intentions, chapter 9
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Good Intentions, chapter 13
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Natural Consequences, chapter 9
- ↑ Elliot Kay on Facebook, February 17, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Good Intentions, chapter 10
- ↑ Past Due, chapter 3
- ↑ Past Due, chapter 24
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Natural Consequences, chapter 6
- ↑ Personal Demons, chapter 25
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Good Intentions, chapter 16
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Past Due, chapter 11
- ↑ Personal Demons, chapter 6
- ↑ Personal Demons, chapter 24
- ↑ Past Due, chapter 9
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Past Due, chapter 7
- ↑ Past Due, chapter 23
- ↑ Elliott Kay on Twitter, August 4, 2018