Double-Draw
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
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| Lady Luck incarnate! | |
| Double-Draw | |
| Player: Player2 | |
| Origin: | magic |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | tanker |
| Security Level: | 42 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Jane Fortune |
| Known Aliases: | Serendipity, Dealer's Choice |
| Species: | human (divine avatar) |
| Age: | 22 |
| Height: | 5' 6" |
| Weight: | 119 lbs |
| Eye Color: | blue |
| Hair Color: | blonde |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | U.S. citizen |
| Occupation: | professional gambler |
| Place of Birth: | St. Martial, Rogue Isles |
| Base of Operations: | Steel Canyon - Paragon City, RI |
| Marital Status: | single |
| Known Relatives: | Janine (mother; deceased), Johnny (father; deceased) |
| Known Powers | |
| Willpower, Dual Blades | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Fitness | |
| Equipment | |
| an assortment of exotic swords | |
| No additional information available. | |
Contents |
Affiliations
- Supergroup: Paragonian Investigations
- Former Supergroups: none
Personality
Double-Draw is somewhat reckless and carefree due to her exceptional luck leaving her with little regard for danger. She is flamboyant and verbose, mostly so she doesn't stop to think about her all-too-recent losses. The pain is always there, but its easy to get distracted when she puts on a show for everyone and becomes the center of attention. Never having used swords before her escape from St. Martial, she thought it strange that she was so skilled with them, as if it were destiny. She doesn't quite understand just how lucky she is everytime she swings her sword or ducks an attack. Every move she makes, every lucky break in her favor, even her legendary accomplishments in the casinos and escape to Paragon City are all pure luck! In fact, the more the odds are stacked against her, the luckier she seems to be... which is only fitting for the avatar of luck itself. Still, such ideas rarely cross her mind. Double-Draw enjoys what she does too much to question it, and when she stops to think through the events of her life, she can't help but remember the two incidents of bad luck that haunt her: the deaths of her parents. So, rather than dwell on the past, she puts on a show for everyone around her --as well as herself, and entertains as she fights for those who can't defend themselves.
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Appearance
A seemingly average young woman with blond hair and greenish-blue eyes, Jane Fortune seem just a little larger than life once she puts on her costume. The costumes consist of playing card themed tights, thigh-high boots, and white body paint. When in costume, she also wears a trick eyepatch over her left eye. This patch allows her to see through it, but gives the idea that she is partially-sighted which causes some to assume a lack of depth perception.
Costumes
Double-Draw maintains 4 card-themed costumes, one for each suit of a standard deck of playing cards. The hearts and diamonds costumes are identical save only for the chest emblems --as are the spades and clubs costumes. She has taken to associating each costume with a specific pair of blades, though she sometimes changes her weapons of preference for any given costume.
Powers
Unknown to her, Double-Draw is luck incarnate --the mortal avatar of Lady Luck herself. Like many, she assumes "Lady Luck" smiles on her moreso than others, but has never suspected the truth of the matter. As a result, her powers are magic in origin even though her swords are not.
Willpower
As a divine avatar, Double-Draw is more resilient in both mind and body than mere mortals. Her power seems to grow as the odds are stacked against her. In addition, her mind seems unshielded to psychics, but attempts to read her thoughts are often redirected to the next closest target or return no discernable thoughts at all.
Dual Blades
Double-Draw's prowess with swords is a function of her luck rather than any formal training. They were the first weapons she picked up, and her divine nature guides her blades with as much accuracy as a swordsman who has spent decades honing his skills. Had she picked up a gun, she would be an equally talented marksman. She maintains a personal collection of exceptional quality blades which she has collected from various sources --all are suitable for combat.
Weapons
Beginning with the ninja blades she took from an assassin during her escape from the Rogue Isles, Double-Draw has started collecting exotic blades. She typically associates each pair of her favorites with a suit from a standard deck of playing cards (reflected in her costume choice). Ninja-to and tanto with her "Diamonds" costume, katana and wakizashi with "Spades," a pair of falcatas with "Hearts," and a pair of khopesh swords with "Clubs." She also usually carries a pair of smaller blades such as faer daggers or sai even when she's not in costume.
Fitness
As a result of her divine nature, Double-Draw is in perfect physical condition. Not able to explain why, this maddens her friends who see her eat all manner of junk foods and live a seemingly inactive lifestyle. Aside from her outings as a superhero, Double-Draw does not work out or engage in any particularly strenuous activity. In addition to being in excellent physical health, she is faster, stronger, and heals at a phenomenal rate. She can also maintain strenuous physical activity for hours on end without tiring.
Character History
Jane Fortune had a relatively normal childhood in spite of her surroundings. She was born and raised in St. Martial of the Rogue Isles. Her mother, Janine, was a cocktail Waitress at the Ice Palace casino... her father, the infamous (locally) Johnny Fortune was a professional gambler who spent most of his time barely making due at the Lucky Six. When Jane's mother found her beating her father at blackjack, she was worried the gambling would corrupt her and forbade all talk of casino games at home. Her biggest concern while growing up was not wanting to be a "Plain Jane" all her life --a nickname many of her classmates teased her with. Despite this, Jane had an exceptionally fortunate childhood --straight 'A' student, lots of friends, excelled at sports, and always stayed out of trouble.
A Turning Point
Jane's life changed drastically on her 21st birthday. Her father was supposed to pick up a cake for her birthday party, but he never made it to the baker. He was gunned down in the street in front of dozens of eye witnesses who swear to police that they didn't see a thing. The official report places Johnathan Fortune leaving the Lucky Six at 4:30 pm on a tuesday... the gunshot was apparently mistaken for the sound of a car backfiring, and Fortune lay on the steps until casino security notified the police at 5:10 pm. Police suspect foul play due to numerous outstanding debts, but no one could prove anything. A member of the Marcone family, one of Fortune's debtors, offered to help with funeral expenses as the widow could not afford to do so. Days later, Family thugs were leaning on Janine Fortune, hassling her at work and following her everywhere between work and home. They were insisting her late husband's debts needed to be settled up, not to mention his funeral costs as they claimed their "help" was also a loan. After realizing there was no one she could turn to for help and she had no savings and no valuables to pawn off that would come close to what her husband owed, Mrs. Fortune hired a mercenary whose ad she saw in the paper --she wanted him to provide safe passage for her and her daughter out of the Rogue Isles. The mercenary considered her offer then went to the Marcone family to see if they would outbid her for his services.
The Plan
Worried about what might happen next, Jane decided she had to go against her mother's wishes. She took what little money she'd saved up from her part-time job at Char Burger and went to the Lucky Six. Within hours, Jane accumulated a few thousand dollars with small bets. Eventually, security started watching her closely suspecting her of cheating. No evidence of cheating could be found, but Jane was persuaded to leave when her winnings went over the $10,000 mark. The floor manager recommended she try her luck at one of the other local casinos that could handle high rollers like her. Cashing in her chips, Jane headed to the Golden Giza. Her stomach sank when she walked in and saw how big the place was. She thought, for just a moment, that maybe she should take what she had won and try to get out of town with her mom... but then she realized that you can't run away from the Family; they're everywhere. Jane passed from game to game, winning a little here and there without trying to draw too much attention to herself like her father once told her. However, when she lost, she lost very small... and when she won, she won big. A member of the casino staff invited her to a poker table where a handful of regulars have made a habit to gather and separate novice players from their cash. They studied her every move trying to figure out if she was a card mechanic, a paper player, a hand mucker, or some other kind of cheat. Jane had an innocent face and no tells for them to work with. To make things "interesting," they started changing the rules of the game, introducing her to Chicago High/Low, Follow the Queen, Shanghai, and even Midnight Baseball. So fascinated by Jane's ability to pick up a new game and win, they kept on playing in spite of losing --hoping to finally catch her on a cheat. They started calling her "Dealer's Choice" because she would eagerly take whatever game the dealer chose and own it like no one's business. Eventually, the game fell apart for various excuses, but really no one could afford losing to the newcomer anymore --she walked out of the Golden Giza with over a quarter of a million dollars in cash. As she walked out the door, a side bet was made on how far she'd get before being mugged or killed... the old card sharks waited for the next day's paper only to be disappointed that there was no details of any such misfortune.
Another Tragedy
Late that same night, Jane came home to find her mother stabbed in the back and lying on her bedroom floor with a half-packed suitcase on the bed. She called the police who briefly investigated the scene and concluded their official report stating that Mrs. Janine Fortune slipped on the wet kitchen tile and fell on her own kitchen knife, then stumbled into her bedroom. Time of death was placed at about 7:30 pm that friday night. While jane was being questioned as to her whereabouts during the "accident," the second officer found her backpack with her casino winnings spilling out on the floor. Suddenly, an interest in possible foul play developed. The officers confiscated Jane's winnings as evidence and told her they would phone her the following day to set up a time for her to come to the station for an official statement. Days went by without word from the police, so Jane called. Not only did the precinct not know of the officers she named, they weren't aware of any death at her address --accidental or otherwise.
Second Chance
The following afternoon, Jane woke up and stared at her tear-stained pillow without getting up. She lay there for hours waiting for something horrible to finally happen to her so she could join her mother and father. Hunger got the better of her, so she got up. Once up and about, panic started to set in about her immediate situation: she had no money, she couldn't afford to pay the bills with her meager part-time job, the mob might still come after her for her father's debts. She moved through the house looking for valuables to pawn off --something to help make ends meet until she could get things figured out-- but couldn't find more than $100 worth of trinkets. She remembered she started with only a little more than that the day before and made close to $300 grand in one night. Suddenly exhilarated, Jane gathered up her trinkets and headed to a local pawn shop where she collected exactly $70... less than she'd hoped, but it was a start. Over the weekend, Jane went back to playing small time games again to build up a bankroll. This time, she spread her winning streak all over town in official casinos and backroom games alike, a little here and a little there so as not to arouse any unwanted attention. Come the following monday, she walked into the Golden Giza again with $10,000 in cash in her backpack. Her intention was to make one big sweeping run through the casino and get out fast with as much as she could. She started at the roulette wheel with half her money on red. She hit the blackjack tables for twenty minutes before moving on to the craps tables. After leaving several disappointed fans behind there, Jane made her way to the poker tables and started making big bets hoping to draw in more of the same. She smiled softly when she overheard someone in the crowd remark "Dealer's Choice is back, might as well call it a night." She got carried away and lost track of time, completely forgetting her plan to get out quick. By the time she decided to cash out, she'd earned close to half a million dollars. Though late, she hired a limo through the casino and went to the Marcones to make good on what her dad owed. Much to their surprise, she settled all debts and respectfully said not a word about what happened to her family. Truth be told, sitting in the office of Emil Marcone and surrounded by men openly carrying guns, Jane had never been more afraid in her life. Emil gracefully apologized for any inconvenience Jane and her family may have suffered during this time and sent her on her way.
The Big Game
Still having a large sum of cash, Jane pondered leaving St. Martial behind and moving somewhere safe and quiet. Five minutes later, she was on her way to the Ice Palace for some light fun to ease the trauma of her parents deaths. For the next few weeks, she took things easy. Other gamblers were wary around her at first, but her reputation had grown positively. Jane was invited to join a no limit Texas Hold'em tournament in which several famous poker players were competing, some of whom were former World Series of Poker champions. It was a grueling challenge for many, but the final game came down to Jane and a man named Noah Chance --both of whom tore through their respective competition with ease. When the two finally sat down at the same table, Chance played boldly --bluffing often and boasting to psyche out his opponent. Later reviews of the casino security tapes showed Chance was even cheating at times, literally pulling cards out of his sleeve and marking certain cards. For all his efforts, however, Noah Chance was stumped on every hand. Finally, he made his big move and went "all in" on four aces. Jane called with an ace through five straight flush. Seemingly flustered, Noah Chance made one last offer: double or nothing on a single draw. He drew first and pulled a jack of clubs'... Jane drew a queen of diamonds and walked away with a $21 million first prize and a new nickname: Serendipity. The following day, however, Jane "Serendipity" Fortune was black-listed from every casino in town. An inside source claimed that Noah Chance was some sort of demon ringer, summoned by an evil mystic hoping to collect the big prize. Having defeated a magic creature whose mastery of card games made him infamous, Jane was accused of using some greater magic to cheat as the only possible explanation for being able to win. While no one could prove anything, it was hard to deny her unnatural lucky streak.
Time To Leave
Having no future in the Rogue Isles and accumulating close to $25 million total over the course of a week, Jane decided it was time to leave. Not trusting local banks to transfer funds to accounts over to the mainland, Jane went on a shopping spree and bought every small but priceless thing she could find. Under a false name, she discreetly chartered a small boat to take her to Paragon City... then put $1 million in cash and all of her jewels into a dufflebag with a handful of clothes stuffed on top to fool any casual inspections. Despite her efforts to keep a low profile, word had spread about her recent activity and intentions. It was a 15 minute cab ride to the dock, but Jane planned ahead switching cabs twice and eventually picking up a bicycle in hopes that she would lose anyone that might be following her. The moment she set foot out her door with her loot, she became a target for various groups and several opportunist individuals... this was a city of villains, after all. A handful of local police made the first move, hoping to retire even with a 4-way split share. When they pulled over her cab, Jane got out and ran with her heavy bag slung over her shoulder. Shots fired flew past Jane's head and killed the other two officers trying to head her off. A squad of Arachnos accosted her only to be attacked by a flaming brute which gave Jane time to run. An assassin hiding in the shadows waited for her, and as she ran down his alley, he lunged with his ninja blades slicing nothing but air. Startled, Jane turned and swung her duffle bag with all her might. The stunned assassin dropped his swords, and Jane picked them up and walked defiantly out of the alley. Luck had gotten her this far and she was gambling her fortune and her life that it would take her all the way. The rest of the way to the boat, Jane fought her way past Family hitmen, Tsoo goons, Carnie thugs, and crazed Freakshow --not to mention an assortment of bonafide super villains. Through one freak happenstance or another, she defeated or escaped peril and moved closer to her destination. At the docks, she climbed onto the waiting boat and glared at its captain. Quite aware what the girl had been set against, the old man cast aside any thoughts of dealing with her himself and took her toward the shores of Paragon City in Bloody Bay.
Arrival In Paragon City
Luckily, not a single incident occurred and they were met by Longbow forces who took Jane to meet Warzone Agent Eckman. Eckman was dumbfounded that a civilian made the journey safely across and, after a lengthy interogation concerning the contents of her dufflebag and reasons for coming to Paragon City, Jane was put on a helicoptor and sent to Skyway City. Luckily for her, her recent poker tournament was televised. Even more fortunate was that a Longbow agent monitoring transmissions from the Rogue Isles saw the broadcast and recognized her. He confirmed her identity and the likelihood of her story (pertaining to her winnings). Jane moved into an apartment in Atlas Park, finally feeling safe for a change. Within a few days, a mysterious package arrived... mysterious because she had told no one where she was going and was suddenly afraid someone from the Rogue Isles had tracked her down. She opened the long narrow box to find the ninja-to and tanto she had claimed on her perilous trek to freedom. Though they were confiscated upon her arrival, Agent Eckman felt she'd earned them and attached a simple note reading "A souvenier." It wasn't long after that she put her souvenier to use... Blood Thorn was robbing the Atlas Park bank while Jane was there getting her finances in order. Luckily, a group of heroes showed up to battle the Brazillian menace. Jane was inspired by their good deeds. Once the danger had passed, she set about putting together a costume, then registered herself at City Hall as Double-Draw. She had considered using both Serendipity and Dealer's Choice for her heroic identity, but she decided it might be better not to use names that might bring unwanted recognition.
Random Trivia and OOC stuff
- The name Double-Draw is a poker term, referring to any of several Draw poker games in which the draw phase and subsequent betting round are repeated twice. It also works nicely with drawing two weapons as part of the Dual Blades powerset.
- Originally, this character started out with another name, costume, and background as part of a team. That team died out quick and I didn't want to waste the influence (including Halloween salvage) and effort I'd already put into my character, so I paid the $9.99 rename fee and started over.
- I wrote this wiki twice because the first time I tried saving it, it failed to "load" properly and everything I typed was lost when I used the Back button of my browser. I think it was better the first time around... the second time ended up with a lot more text and doesn't feel as "tight" as I remember the details being. Oh well, live and learn: write and save in Wordpad first, then paste and save it here. I keep tweaking and adding to it over time in hopes of re-achieving the perfection I remember. Whether it originally was perfect or not is another story, but that's how I remember it. ;)
To contact this character's creator
- In-game: @Player2
