Alex Fierro

Alex Fierro is a genderfluid, formerly homeless teenager from Boston, Massachusetts. She is the Norse demigod child of the god Loki (in a female form) and Mr. Fierro, a human business man. Due to Alex‘s gender identity and being the child of a Norse deity, she was constantly berated, harassed and assaulted by others and eventually disowned by her family. After dying and being chosen to become an einherji by his half-sister, Samirah al-Abbas, Alex is now the newest named resident of the Hotel Valhalla and a hallmate to Magnus Chase and the other occupants on Floor Nineteen. Alex is currently in a relationship with Magnus Chase.

Birth
The Fierro family is influential, which was what first attracted Loki's attention, causing him to seduce Alex's father, a married business man, in the form of a "voluptuous red-head" and tricked him into having an affair with him.

Nine months later, Loki returned and left him with their child. The family didn't take the news well, especially after Loki permanently "opened their eyes" and made them aware of the Nine Worlds and the Norse gods.

Early Life
Alex spent her life being resented for her Norse heritage and for her gender fluidity, which was thought to be Loki's fault. She would be bullied by her classmates and berated by her father. The only person to accept her was her grandfather, and he taught her how to make pottery. She was involved in a pottery studio at one point and went camping with them often, the owners would even let Alex stay at the studio overnight when things were bad at home for the child of Loki.

Disowned by Family
About two years before becoming an einherji, Alex became homeless when his father, literally, kicked him out of the house and the child of Loki began to wander the streets of Boston. Alex would often get assaulted at shelters.

At some point in life, he lived in a youth shelter on Winter Street in Boston, at roughly the same time when Magnus was there. He remembers hating the place. Also durring this time Alex befriended a boy named Adrian, but he would end up killing himself.

This Is Why I Hate Clothes Shopping
Alex, male, goes to Blitzen’s Best to look for Amir Fadlan at his half-sister’s urging. He is greeted by Stan and told Amir is not there. He calls Amir and hears his phone ring. As Amir is about to be taken by the sorcerer he and Sam corner the two. He cuts the Nábrók off Amir while Sam apprehends Stan.

Nice Doggy
Thomas Jefferson Jr. barges into the child of Loki‘s room to get access to Yggdrasil to get to Helheim, leaving Alex confused with no explanation.

Well, That Was a Suprise
Alex, male, brings Halfborn Gunderson broken shards of pottery to complete a mosaic he is making for Mallory Keen. He asks Alex to keep watch while he goes to Vanaheim to get dragon scales. Alex agrees to this.

I Play with Fire
While Halfborn and Mallory kiss, Alex returns to his room and becomes female along the way. When she arrives Jack, who is staying with her while Magnus visits his cousin, tells her that he heard Surt is planning something. She tells Jack to come with he, but he says he must stay due to him being destined to be wielded by Surt during Ragnarok. She goes to recruit the others but Jack says Surt will detect them, but her shapeshifting and genderfluidity with make it harder to be spotted if she keeps changing shape. When thinking of ways not to be burned in Muspellheim, she decides to magically using fibers from her kilm, the Ures-intertwinin snakes of Loki, and a ‘borrowed‘ algiz shield rune from Hearth to successfully create a fire-proof coating that changes shape with her and takes the elevator to Muspelheim.

When she arrives she takes the form of an ant before turning into a horsefly. She finds Surt trying to recruit lesser known gods to join him and aid in reconstruction after Ragnarok. The gods stake there names and domains of power. Surt nearly senses her but becomes distracted by the others watching Thor running through lava. Alex turns into a cockroach and later a gnat to spread doubt among the minor gods. When it looks like they doubt him, Surt summons his fire sword and controls them through fear. Alex then turn into a human and uses her garrote to slice off Surt’s nose and wrap it around his neck and disarm him. After giving a speech of how even though the Einharjar are going to die come Ragnarok they will fight to the end, the gods vanish. Just then Sam, Blitz, Hearth, T.J., Halfborn and Mallory arrive it see Alex standing over the bested fire lord. Blitz hogties Surt with a rope and Alex claims his sword as her own before leaving.

Appearance
Alex is a teenage einherji, and shares a lot of physical traits with her mother Loki. She is petite, as stated in the Hammer of Thor, with sharp and beautiful facial features and the same sly grin as the god of lies. She has heterochromia, with one dark brown and one pale amber eye, and her hair is dark at the roots but dyed green. She also has a tiny symbol of Loki tattooed on her nape. Magnus noted that Alex's physical appearance did not change when she was a boy, except for her hair, which actually seemed to be longer.

Alex dresses rather flashily and flamboyantly, in primarily pink and green. She wears a pink-and-green argyle sweater-vest over a white tee, skinny lime green jeans, and battered rose high-tops. Tied around her waist like a kilt is a cashmere sweater, which conceals a garrote wire and a hunting knife tucked behind a belt. Her appearance has been compared to both a jester's motley and a venomous animal giving off warning signs.

Magnus notices that she looks exactly like Loki except for the lack of scarred lips and acid burns on her nose.

Personality
Alex Fierro is brave, sarcastic and moody, with a tendency to throw things at people when she is in a bad mood. Alex doesn't show what she feels readily, proven in the moment where Alex didn't want Magnus to heal him lest he saw into his brain.

Unlike Sam, who rarely shapeshifts, lest their father takes hold of her, Alex changes habitually, because she wants to make that power hers, not just Loki's so he can't use it to take hold of her. This defiance towards her mother is also shown when Alex tells Magnus that the tattoo that she has on her neck was originally a symbol of change and versatility, and that it later became a symbol for Loki. Alex liked the symbol and believed that it shouldn't just be Loki's. The tattoo is a sign of her defiance of Loki, not a sign that Alex is an agent of Loki's. The comfort she finds in pottery shows that she loves the idea of being able to change, just like her attitude changes easily towards Sif. Alex at first hates Sif; afterwards, when her opinion of her has changed, she decides to make a vase for Sif, and even keeps the wedding dress that Sif gives her.

Alex's bravery is shown throughout the Hammer of Thor. She defeats the blue wolf in the form of a German Shepherd, and gives a weapon to the Norse demigod in denial. Her plan to replace Samirah in the wedding is very courageous, and shows that she is willing to protect her friends, in this case, Samirah's promise to Amir.

Abilities

 * -|General Abilities=
 * Pottery: In her room, Alex has a pottery wheel, which she uses to make clay vases. Each of her creations is branded with her initials and the symbol of Loki.
 * Fashion Sense: Mallory Keen commended Alex on her choice of fashion, which included a dark green Stella McCartney dress and a tuxedo jacket.
 * Camping Skills: Alex has spent many weekends with the kids at her pottery studio, camping in the woods as a way of getting away. These skills were displayed when she helped Magnus set up a fire pyramid and some pup tents.


 * -|Demigod Abilities=
 * Shapeshifting: Just like her half-sister, Samirah, Alex has demonstrated her mother's ability to change forms. When she first arrived at Hotel Valhalla, she panicked and turned into a cheetah. When one of Odin's ravens captured her, she was a brown-and-white weasel. While saving a demigod in denial, moments before his death, he fought off the sons of Fenris as a German Shepherd. She also shapeshifted into Samirah when she was taken to Loki's cavern for her marriage with Thrym.
 * Resistance to Loki's influence: As a side effect of using her shapeshifting powers so often, she is able to resist the power of her mother's influence on her body. As stated in in his room in Valhalla, he can do this is because he is comfortable changing; he has made his mother's power his own.
 * Mystiokinesis: As a son/daughter of Loki, Alex can use magic.
 * Telumkinesis (limited): Alex was taught by her mother how to turn anything into a magic weapon.
 * Animation: Alex was able to build a ceramic golem and bring them to life, which she dubbed "Pottery Barn".


 * -|Einherji Abilities=
 * Enhanced Physical Abilities: After gaining a new einherji body, Alex's natural abilities greatly increased, making her stronger, faster, more durable and more agile than he originally was.
 * Einherji Immortality: While within Hotel Valhalla, Alex, like any of the einherjar, cannot die, and will simply keep resurrecting from mortal wounds.

Magical Items

 * Enchanted Garrote Wire: Alex uses her garrote wire, which she created after Loki taught her a spell, and uses it as her primary weapon.
 * Fire Sword: After besting Surt, Alex claims his sword as her own.

Family

 * -|Mr. Fierroand=

Alex was born out of an affair between her father and Loki. After Loki opened their eyes to the nine worlds they were never the same again. Alex was harassed by her father for Loki's deeds and for being gender fluid. This resulted in Alex being forced out onto the streets.
 * -|Human Stepmother=

While Alex’s relationship with her stepmother is unknown, is is assumed to be negative as she did not interfere while her father abused her.


 * -|Loki=

Loki, the God of Mischief, is Alex's biological mother. He has made numerous attempts to take his life throughout Hammer of Thor. When he recognized Alex during Valhalla's battle training, he tried to kill him by causing Magnus to self-detonate by channeling his energy through him. Upon escaping, Loki willed Alex to die. This attempt however failed.


 * -|Samirah al-Abbas=

Alex and Sam have an unstable relationship. When they first met, Alex punched Sam in the face. They appear to cooperate well together during the wedding, but after the quest Sam upsets Alex by rejecting her offer to help the Valkyrie resist Loki's control over her.

By the time the set sail to stop their parent, the two have grown closer.


 * -|Unnamed Paternal Grandfather=

A Mexican sculptor who accepted Alex's genderfluid identity and was interested in reclaiming his Native culture. He did not get along well with his son, Alex's father, Mr. Fierro. 

Magnus Chase
When they first met, Alex (as a cheetah) ran over Magnus' feet trying to escape the hotel and later decapitated him on the battlefield when he was about to "go nuclear." Magnus was initially confused when he learnt she was gender fluid, but throughout the book the two become more comfortable with each other. They have many things in common - both of them have a sarcastic attitude, both were homeless at some point in time and they both come from rich families which they chose to leave and ignore. Magnus was also the least doubtful of Alex's motives when she arrived in Valhalla. By the end of The Hammer of Thor, they are close friends.

Magnus also seems to have a crush on Alex, although he refuses to admit it. He is frequently caught staring at her, even gaping when he sees her in a wedding dress courtesy of Sif, and when she smiles at him in Randolph's mansion he mentions that he suddenly feels very warm. It is known that Alex likes him back, as she kissed him and holds his hand at the end of The Ship of the Dead.

Hearthstone & Blitzen
At first, Hearthstone and Blitzen didn't know what to make of her and were doubtful, but they came around and became friends by the end. She learns how to "speak" ASL, so she can understand when Hearthstone signs. Both of them considered her brave for volunteering to replace Sam at the wedding.

Hall Mates
When he first arrived at Valhalla, Alex was chased by Thomas Jefferson Jr., Halfborn Gunderson and Mallory Keen when he destroyed the hall. They are surprised that Alex stated she was female when they thought she was male. However after a few month of living together they have grown to think of the child of Loki as a close friend and comrade and vice versa.

Etymology

 * Alex is a gender neutral name - fitting, as Alex is gender fluid. The name comes from Greek "Alexandros", which means "protector of mankind."
 * Fierro is Spanish for "iron."

Trivia

 * Alex's gender fluidity is most likely a reference to Loki's shape-shifting abilities and his two feminine forms – a mare that has become a mother of Sleipnir, and an elderly woman called Thokk who was responsible Hel not resurrecting Balder.
 * Alex is female most of the time but occasionally has "very male days”.
 * Alex is the third canon LGBT demigod (after Nico di Angelo and Will Solace) to be introduced in one of Riordan's series, as well as the first confirmed LGBT Norse demigod.
 * Alex has some similarities with Rachel Elizabeth Dare
 * Both come from wealthy families who have a business (Dare Enterprises, Fierro Ceramics).
 * Both have a bad relationship with their fathers (Mr. Dare, Mr. Fierro).
 * Both were at one point love interests for the protagonists of their respective series (Percy Jackson, Magnus Chase).
 * Alex is the second known demigod of Mexican descent, the first is Leo Valdez.
 * According to Amir Fadlan in This Is Why I Hate Clothes Shopping, Alex’s voice changes depending on Alex’s current gender.
 * This could also indicate that Alex’s body physically changes to match the child of Loki’s current gender identity.
 * Alex prefers to use pronouns associated with whatever gender Alex is at the moment rather then gender neutral pronouns.
 * Due to the suffering Alex endured in life, it could be possible for her to learn to use Rune Magic.
 * Due to Alex being male the second time he kissed Magnus, their kiss is the first same-sex kiss in any of Rick Riordan’s works.