Chopkicks

Juliette 'Honey' Cole was nobody special. Growing up normal in an abnormal city, chock-full of all the heroic and powerful type. Some kids even had superhero parents and attended special academies for the mutant-ly gifted. Not Juliette; her parents ran a catering business, and she attended public school.

As a child, Juliette was always considered as 'one of the boys'. Christmas gifts of Barbie Dolls and all the other frilly, pink things girls her age adored went unnoticed. It earned her a sentence of being bullied and picked on by both girls her age and constant ridicule from the boys.

Being the young girl she was, Juliette waited for shooting stars and made nightly wishes, hoping that some knight in shining armor would come defeat her school-aged demons. Her parents didn't notice the plague upon their tenderhearted daughter for Juliette would just tuck it beneath her pillow each and every night to be left behind the next day with the same routine. But when bad luck hangs her heavy black cloud upon us, there's always a spot of light to make the day a bit brighter.

It was the first time she met him, her Masked hero; in first grade no less. A fall afternoon, the sun's warmth was fading from the day and school's bell still echoed in the air. Juliette's hair was slipping messily from it's updo of a ponytail and her backpack was gathering dirt as she dragged it along, eyes down on her shuffling feet, taking the time to make her way home in order to avoid the bully who barred her path like a troll at a bridge.

It was useless as always and she soon landed within the wasp's nest, being jostled and pushed around til she fell to her knees, skinning them and ruining her stockings. This time would be different however - just as Juliette began handing over what little allowance she earned, a scuffle broke out and Juliette winced, awaiting the worst.

Blinking past the glare of the setting sun, within minutes Juliette saw the retreating back of her would-be mugger. Did this mean there was yet another, bigger bully to take his place and claim her measly allowance for his own? Scraggly Juliette rose to her feet unsteadily and ignored bloodied knees to determine just which would it be - a knight in shining armor, or just another dragon breathing down her neck?

He must've been only a couple years older than her she guessed, with the inches he had on her. He had a red bandanna knotted about his head, and black swathing his eyes like a raccoon. Juliette couldn't make out any discernible features and when he raised his hand towards her, she winced but didn't flee. To her surprise, he placed Juliette's money back into her hand and picked up her backpack, offering it to her. Yes, this was a day of many firsts for Juliette, and The Masked Kid was the catalyst for many of the choices that she'd make from this day on.

It would not, however, be the first or last time, the Masked Kid would come to Juliette's aid, defending her against potential bullies and somewhat forming a friendship, though she had no idea who he was, and she had no name in which to call him except Masked.

Masked became Juliette's inspiration to no longer be the girl that was ridiculed, picked on, and bullied. However, she had no mutant gene she was aware of that would grant her the awesome powers of kicking bully ass. Her next resort was begging her parents for martial arts lessons, into which they relented, grateful their daughter had seemed to find a hobby rather than continuing to make up stories of this Masked kid.

While their friendship continued throughout their school-aged years, Juliette's interest in Masked grew beyond that of a friendship, into young love. It was almost expected for this to happen; after all, he did play her Knight in Shining Armor more than once, and the two spent enough time together. Juliette even came to the conclusion that the two attended the same school, and lived within the same neighborhood.

Summers passed and Highschool began. Things changed. A fresh new start. Juliette no longer wanted to be the wallflower, she wanted to be noticed. Specifically by Masked. Hair that was normally bundled up under a baseball cap was let down, a face smudged usually with dirt wiped clean now touched with make-up. Tee shirts were long forgotten and frilly blouses were in place. Juliette started her senior year of highschool by turning heads, whispers wondering who the 'new girl' was.

Juliette was a nobody, she had went through school all these years unnoticed by mostly everyone except Masked, and this had been done to gain his attention. He didn't forward in school that day, or the next - though she still, every now and then, saw him after school and Masked seemed unaffected by the girly change brought about in Juliette.

She had many firsts that year; a first date, a first boyfriend, a first kiss. The first and only prom, Juliette had attended with her current boyfriend at the time, and for whatever reason - hoped the Masked would show. For the rest of the night she looked, there was no sight of him.

As the trek toward college years began, Masked and Juliette's friendship slowly began to dwindle to a close as they saw each other less and less. She became busy with more firsts: her freshmen year at Paragon University, nightshifts as a Pirate Wench at the Shuck Shack, new friends and new experiences, and Masked was no doubt busy living his own life.

In this way she had 'let go' of him and when all seemed but a memory, Masked came back into her life once more, rescuing the mouse that Juliette was from two thieves who thought they'd make an easy target out of her as she walked home from the end of her shift at the Shuck Shack. Juliette, while grateful, was sick of being in that situation. She was tired of being rescued.

So, that night proved to be life-altering. As she had when she was a child, once again, she aspired to be like Masked, wishing to be able to take care of herself in this land of Supers. Juliette didn't want to be the damsel in distress, she wanted to be the one to rescue those who needed it. She wanted to return the favor to the people who needed a hero, like Masked had done for her. The motto of this is: you pass on the good deeds done to you.

Thus, The Masked Rebel was born and Masked Outlaw earned himself a sidekick who was more of a vulnerability, than she was helpful. With no powers to speak of, and little to no real training aside from the karate classes as a child... Juliette would prove to be the worst vigilante yet.

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Rumors circulate that the only reason Juliette began to wear a costume that matched Masked's and began to operate with a name similar to his was to get closer to him. Which in truth, could partially be true. Juliette enjoyed time spent with her friend, even when he was rejecting her completely. Although more or less, Juliette donned the mask because Masked inspired her to not be the weakling she'd once thought herself to be. He helped people in unorthodox ways, but his good heart was undeniable and therefore, actions justifiable in the eyes where the law could/would not reach. Juliette's reasoning was simple : every great hero needed a sidekick; Robin Hood had Little John, Batman had Robin, and Doug Funnie had Patty Mayonaise.

Her ascension to heroism was far less... glamorous than Masked's. His compelled drive came easier to him than it ever would to her. Where his steps seemed flawless and natural, Juliette was in perpetual disgrace, tripping and stumbling over everything she did. Masked at one time accused Juliette that she was embarrassing the Masked persona; his words were the deal breaker, driving the stake home that it was time Juliette moved above and beyond herself from the Masked Rebel. She wanted to have her own identity, and to stop walking in the shadow of Masked, and once more to hopefully gain his attention and to stop viewing her in that kid sister, pesky sidekick light.

As a snake sheds his skin to grow, so did Juliette. She dropped the heroic tag in which she had applied to herself and took up a new name: Chopkicks. An amateur hero seeking to set herself apart from previous relativity, and gain her own name within Paragon City with the full acceptance of responsibilities and the consequences her actions could bring.

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