Pearl Widow
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| [[Image:|300px|]] | |
| Pearl Widow | |
| Player: Rayne Vladssen | |
| Origin: | natural |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Arachnos Widow |
| Threat Level: | 36 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Katie Hansen |
| Known Aliases: | numerous |
| Species: | human |
| Age: | 36 |
| Height: | 5' 11" |
| Weight: | 128 lbs |
| Eye Color: | grey |
| Hair Color: | pale lavender with light blue highlights |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Night Widow |
| Place of Birth: | New York City |
| Base of Operations: | Grandville |
| Marital Status: | single |
| Known Relatives: | unknown |
| Known Powers | |
| all natural, despite sometimes seeming otherwise | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Highly skilled at lock picking, sneaking, and stealing. | |
| Equipment | |
| gloves with razor sharp spikes, high velocity poisoned dart thrower, Arachnos Elite Night Widow Body Suit | |
| ' | |
Contents |
Childhood
Katie Hansen was born in a rough neighborhood in the suburbs of New York City. She grew up as an only child with her mother. As a single mother, Katie's mom could never afford very nice things. They lived in a run down apartment in a bad part of town. At least 2 or 3 times a week there was a police raid on their block, whether it was drugs, or someone being shot, or whatever. Katie went to a school that was only about 5 blocks away, but her mother still had her ride the bus because of how rough the area was. She was quiet, quick, and easily went unnoticed, and it didn’t take her long to use these traits to her advantage. She became a skillful pickpocket at a young age, as well as stealing many other things she needed or wanted. Before long, thievery became a way of life for young Katie.
Teenage Years
As she grew older, her tastes matured as well. Less interested was she in lollipops and candy bars… Now she wanted CDs, electronics, and what quickly became her favorite target: jewelry. Something about the way the light caught the gems captivated her, and she couldn’t get enough. And her tastes grew more and more illustrious. It wasn’t long before the simple department store jewelry wasn’t enough to satisfy her ever growing demands. She began targeting specialty boutiques, and even some small jewelry stores. By the time she was 16, she was getting into the big leagues, hitting some of the trendiest luxury stores in the city. She rarely wore her jewels in public, and she always worked alone, so she was very effective at keeping her identity hidden. But all that was about to change…
Caught!
While wandering down the streets of Manhattan one afternoon, she saw a dazzling necklace. A shimmering pearl, surrounded by a circle of diamonds and sapphires. She had to have it… The store was fairly busy, so she was able to wander around without much attention. She looked around for security cameras. There were a few that she saw, but they were not in good locations. The window display case was secured by only a single slide bolt lock, which she could pick in a matter of seconds. She wandered around the rest of the store, feigning interest in a few things, but really was planning her newest scheme. But her ears perked up when she overheard someone come out of the back room, and talk to one of the sales associates, who appeared to be a manager. He said that one of the other associates had been in a car accident, and wouldn’t be able to make it in for the evening shift. He had checked around, but no one was available. “This close to Christmas, and I’m closing ALONE on a Friday evening?” the associate complained. “I’m sorry,” said her boss, “I don’t like it either, but there’s nothing I can do. John can stay until 5, surely you can handle the last 2 hours. I’m sorry” 5 o’clock…. that was in 2 hours! She had no time to waste… Katie hurried out of the store, trying to look casual, hailed a cab, and headed home for her things…
What she didn’t know was, she hadn’t gone as anonymous as she thought. She had been careless, and though she hadn’t actually been caught, she had been identified by face, and her picture had been sent to all the local jewelry stores. As soon as she had walked in, she had been recognized, but they left her alone to see what she would do. The store owner had contacted the authorities, but not just any authorities… he had friends in the P.P.D. who offered to have Hero Division help out. And they had the perfect young hero, eager to prove her abilities….
Katie returned to the jewelry store around 5:30. Wearing a dress suit and her hair pulled back, she hardly looked like the young teenager who had been in just a few hours before. There were a few other people in the store, including a young girl she guessed to be maybe 13. For some reason, something in the girl’s eyes caught her attention.... an odd green glow. But, she moved on, and the girl continued pestering the man next to her about a bracelet she wanted. Katie casually looked at the cases, pausing at the watches near the front of the store, mere feet from the window display with her pearl necklace… “I’ll be right there!” the saleswoman called out, sounding frazzled. A couple minutes later, the lady came over. “How can I help you?” she asked. “I’d like to take a look at this watch. I am looking for a Christmas present for my husband.” Katie replied. The woman unlocked the display case, and handed her the watch, telling her all of its impressive features. When she had finished, Katie said, “I think that sounds perfect! He will love it. I’ll take it! But, if you have a jewelry cleaner, would you be able to give it a quick run through? I want to be sure it looks its best.” “Of course,” the woman replied, taking the watch, and walking towards the back. Katie was on it in seconds, her lockpicks had already been in her other hand. She casually slipped the tension bar in place, picked the few simple pins it had, and slid the bolt off. Taking a quick glance in the window reflection to be sure no one was watching, she slid the door open, quickly grabbed the necklace, closed it, and replaced the bolt lock. The saleswoman was still polishing off the face of the watch as Katie slowly walked out the door. “Where do you think you’re going?” said a young, female voice. Katie turned… it was that young girl. Those glowing eyes… were they brighter? They seemed to be pulsing in flashes now. “Sorry kid, time for me to go.” “Oh, I don’t think so…” The little girl’s hands opened up, and Katie fell to her knees in pain. Her head pounding worse than the worst headache she’d ever had… what was going on? The girl began to spin, and a blast of wind blew Katie up against the wall. She tried to stand, but the ground was covered in ice… the world began to spin in circles… she couldn’t move… as darkness overcame her, a car pulled up. Two police officers got out and came towards her with handcuffs, and then a tall woman dressed in a strange pink and white costume, complete with a cape and mask. Who was this? “Well done, Psyclone! Your first criminal brought to justice.”
Conversion
When Katie awoke, she found herself not in a cold, dark jail cell, but in a rather comfortable bedroom. It had a table, small kitchenette, a television… She got up, and looked around. A hot breakfast was on the counter, with a note that read, “Good morning, Katie.” Where was she? Who was that strange woman in pink? And what happened with that little girl? Well, whatever was going on, one thing was for sure… she had to get out of here. She looked around for the door. But there wasn’t one. There were no windows. There was only a round glowing circle on the wall, that seemed to be buzzing. She reached out her hand to touch it, when suddenly the strange woman in pink appeared out of thin air. Katie fell to the floor in her sudden shock. “Oh, I’m sorry to have startled you,” the woman said gently, helping Katie back to her feet. “I was wanting to see how you liked your breakfast. Can I get you anything else? Juice? Coffee? Tea?” Katie just stared at her. What was this place? “I’m sorry, where are my manners? They call me Mystic Blade… or MB for short. And you are in Justice Girls Headquarters.” Finally finding the ability to speak, Katie asked, “Justice Girls? What’s that?”
MB then told Katie all about the history of the Justice Girls, and how they desired to help young women just like her. She explained how superheroes were more than just people with special abilities, but that they required training and nurturing. She told Katie about Justice Girls Academy, and she learned that Psyclone, the young girl who had incapacitated her, was a young mutant and student of JGA.
“You taught her to do that?” Katie asked. “Well, not entirely. We trained her to refine her natural abilities, how to be more effective. To concentrate her powers into a directed, controlled force. And, we can do the same for you.”
“For me? You expect me to do that? And why would you help me anyway? You got me arrested!” “No,” said MB calmly. “I don’t expect you to do that. But, I sensed something awaken in you… something in your mind, a power yet untapped. Controlled, it could be very useful. Untamed, it could destroy you. As to why I would help you, it is because I can see the good in you. You had a hard life. The world was cruel to you. But there is another way. A better way. A way to have a life of purpose and meaning, serving and helping others. Let me show you…”
She led Katie back to that glowing circle, and taking her hand, reached out and touched it. Katie felt like her stomach lurched in her throat for a second, but the next moment, the were outside of the room, in a huge space with all sorts of strange things. She was given a tour, pausing to tell stories of significant events, people that the Justice Girls had saved, disasters averted, lives spared… They had more power than she had ever seen, but they used it for helping people… and the countless smiling faces she saw as she toured around the base… clearly, they loved it. Purpose, that’s what her life was missing. That’s why no matter how many jewels she took, she always felt empty. Slowly, tears began welling up in the eyes of this girl who hadn’t cried in years. She began to tremble. A warmth began to fill her, and she dropped to the ground and began to weep.
She wasn’t alone anymore.
Birth of Pearl
Katie had been a student of Justice Girls Academy for 3 years. She naturally was very athletic and nimble, and learned basic hand to hand combat very easily. She also had learned to harness her own mental powers, being able to cause pain, and even render people motionless through sheer concentration, similar to what had been done to her. She could also cloud people’s vision, making her virtually undetectable. The only thing that irked her was, for some reason none of her abilities worked on Psyclone. It was thought perhaps something related to the fact that it was Psyclone’s mental attacks that triggered the abilities in Katie somehow made her immune. Regardless, it was maddening. Psyclone was younger, but she had grown up in the Academy, was incredibly talented, but was a total narcissist. The more powerful she got, the more conceited she became. She seemed to relish in gloating every time she beat Katie at anything. But, it was almost over. She had nearly completed her training, and was almost ready to be promoted fully into the rank of the Justice Girls. She had never really been proud of herself before, but this time she was.
When the day came, Katie was excited. Shortly before the ceremony, it came: the famous white and pink outfit that would make her immediately recognizable as a member of Justice Girls. She put it on for the first time, and looking at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t even see the lonely girl that had stood there just a few years prior.
Presiding over the ceremony was none other than Mystic Blade herself. And as Katie stepped up, the woman reached out her hand, shaking hers… only it wasn’t empty. Something was inside it. Leaning close, MB said softly, “What you once tried to take by force, you have now earned by valor. Wear it proudly, Pearl of the Justice Girls.” Katie looked down, and saw the necklace that she had sought that cold, winter night. She looked up, and smiled.
Fall from glory
Things went well for Pearl for quite a while. Her newfound status as a Justice Girl brought her a sense of accomplishment like no other. She always wore her pearl underneath her uniform though, so she would never forget where she came from. However, a couple years later, another young student was ready to graduate JGA… a student by the name of Psyclone. Try as she might, she could not break the feeling of animosity she harbored towards the young mutant. Even though she was responsible for what resulted in the greatest change of Katie’s life, she still resented the fact that she could never beat her, and the young girl’s gloating about that didn’t help matters any. And to make matters worse, she frequently found herself having to work alongside the over-confident hero. And where Katie tended to stay out of the spotlight, Psyclone was the exact opposite, and she took every opportunity she could to talk about her endeavors, which almost always seemed to neglect mentioning anyone else was involved. Katie gradually saw herself getting pushed farther and farther into the shadows, as this new face stole all the glory. Resentment grew… she couldn’t stand seeing this young punk steal everything she had worked to accomplish and give no credit. Gradually, her attitude towards Psyclone began clouding her judgement. She started thinking more about how to make her fall than how to serve the city. When a call for heroes went out to stop a bank robbery at Atlas Park Bank, Pearl and Psyclone were first on the scene. However, this was no ordinary band of thugs… this robbery was led by a group of Mu. Katie had heard of them, but had never faced them first-hand. Still, they didn’t look very tough. Psyclone, as usual, rushed headfirst, blasting with her psychic powers, and spinning into a whirlwind to pin them to the wall… however, they seemed to resist her front with ease. They repelled her back, they began to surround her… and Katie found herself standing still watching, a slight smile starting to come to the corners of her lips. The Mu attacked with Psychic blasts of their own, and Psyclone cried out in pain. She turned towards Katie. “Katie… Pearl… please…..” But she didn’t move. Finally, she would watch Psyclone fall. As the young mutant writhed in agony, crying out for help, suddenly the doors burst open, and a group of several heroes, including a number of Justice Girls rushed in, and the Mu retreated in haste. Psyclone lay still on the floor, gasping for breath. Then they turned towards Pearl… the cold anger in their eyes was matched only by her own.
Uncaped
For her inaction and behavior that nearly led to the death of a fellow hero, the PPD barred Katie from serving again in Heroes Division, and the council of Justice Girls voted her conduct unbecoming of a Justice Girl, and she was stripped of her uniform and cape, and sentenced to trial. But rather than feeling any remorse, the anger just grew. She had served loyally for years… and THIS is how they now treat her? All because their new shiny toy couldn’t hold her own? The rage she felt welled up inside her, and like a thunderclap, all those restraining her suddenly were blasted to the ground, and she ran. As sirens began to wail, she focused her training, and vanished in a cloud, eluding the guards who rushed the scene. The final security guard blocking the door suddenly fell to the ground, as a cold hand snapped his neck… Katie Hansen, was gone. Birth of a Widow Betrayed by those she felt were her closest family, Katie returned to the only other thing she knew…. crime. But this time, she did little to conceal herself. She WANTED the recognition… she craved the infamy. And she got it. She stole the unstealable, she cracked the uncrackable, she broke the unbreakable… But one particular heist cemented her fame as the greatest jewel thief in the world. The Huerfana, a giant pearl, which was one of the most prized of the Spanish Crown Jewels, was a splendor of nature. It's enormous size and brilliant luster made it one of the most beautiful pearls ever found. Katie infiltrated the Spanish palace where the jewel was stored, stole the pearl, and burned the palace to the ground. Her fame spread through the underworld, and she soon found herself a thief for hire, and her pay was lucrative. When she was approached to steal personell files from Arachnos HQ, she took up the challenge. It was a setup. She succeeded in reaching the archives, only to be caught by Recluse himself. He wanted to test her skills, and she proved useful. He offered her a position in Arachnos elite force, the Night Widows, and the opportunity to get revenge on those who had betrayed her… which she eagerly accepted. Her mental powers were sharpened, her combat skills and reflexes unmatched. No longer just Pearl, she was officially titled Pearl Widow.
Injustice For All
Pearl loved her work with Recluse’s elite Night Widow division, as well as the prestige and rewards that came with it. Before long, she had forgotten all about her days as a Justice Girl. However, those old thoughts came rushing back one day, when she caught something on the evening news…. Justice Girl’s founder, Mystic Blade had retired. However, that didn’t mean that Justice Girls was done… Right there on the screen, in her shiny, pink uniform stood Psyclone, with a band of female superheroes behind her. Katie’s fists clenched tightly… her nails digging into the palms of her hands. This time, it would be the end of her…
She approached Lord Recluse, and made a proposal. She would lead a group that would seek to stop Heroes Division for good… and permission was granted. A small group of Widows, which still served Arachnos, but also specifically targeted the Justice Girls, whom Katie now wished to destroy, was formed, and thus, the Injustice Girls were born. If the Justice Girls wanted to show how a group of females could save the city, the Injustice Girls would show how they could destroy it. Robbing banks, kidnapping leaders, murder, mayhem…. nothing was off-limits. And Justice would fall...
