Rhiannon Gladstone/Police Files

From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe

Criminal Record

Paragon PD

• Subject: Rhiannon Gladstone
• Vital: Fae, appears mid-thirties - powers: Ice Blast and Cold Domination
• Born: Unknown.
• Age: Unknown.
• First Arrested June 2004, New York City
• Charges: Kidnapping, Extortion, Resisting Arrest, Homicide with special conditions (murder of a police officer) in four counts. Using street people as lab rats for human medical experimentation
• Sentence: Four life sentences without possibility of parole

By police reports at the scene, they found at least five children - all kidnapped - and used as lab rats in genetics experiments, often turning them into metahumans of some kind against their will. It appears Gladstone and her other companions were trying to perfect a way to make their creations only loyal to them when their operation was raided.

Subject was taken from New York to Zigursky Penn at Paragon, RI. There was great concern that her powers would enable her to escape from any facility not equipped to deal with supernatural threats. The drug regimine used on her reduced the strength of her powers - as well as her physical strength - to almost nothing, making it difficult if not impossible for her to exercise, let alone stand up or eat.

Arachnos broke her out of Zigursky in early March of '07, and has been at large in the Rogue Isles ever since. Since that time has been spotted raiding banks inside Paragon City. Early reports appear her powers were weakened in Zigursky, but is slowly regaining them. It is presumed from her usually highly level of violence towards police officers after her time in Zigursky, that she is particularly bitter about her time spent in there.

Photograph records attached.

1. # #

February 18, 2006 (Paragon City)

Zigursky Penitentiary.

The Zig.

Paranormal prison facility, off the shore of Paragon City, Rhode Island, USA. Paranormal... because it specialized in the imprisonment of super-powered wrongdoers, commonly referred to as supervillains.

The menacles were anti-magic and made of iron - that was the first thing she noticed. They had been using them on her during the trial, when she was locked in a cell permanently with handcuffs attatched at all times, as it prevented her from using her powers. Her once classically defined features had given away to gaunt, boney, jarring version of the person she had once been. The picture on the headlines of the papers in january had been of such a wraith-like figure that had been sentenced to life without parole for her role in the machinations of the Utopian Society scandal the year before. A spectacle for all of New York to see.

First was the drugs. The moment sentencing was concluded, they were there in Longbowmen uniforms and a doctor. The Longbowmen used the iron menacles to keep her still and strapped to a gurney while the doctor poked an IV into her arm and started an IV drip of anti-supes. Gladstone's vision swam as she started to feel all her strength sapping slowly away from her. She awoke again in the Zig in a cell where the bars were painted red. Still strapped to a table with the IV drip. She tried again to rip free of her restraints, but she felt too weak to break them. There was a little sunlight coming from... somewhere... it kept her just warm enough not to freeze to death. Otherwise she shivered in her restraints.

"We've finished with the cell. All iron, as per instructions. The floor is cement but has iron rebar in it. That was she can at least stand on the floor but not go through it." the guards reported.

"Alright let her up. I think she's been in that bed long enough."

With all the iron restraints removed, Rhiannon's head turned slowly, attempting to stand up. Her body ached to stand up. She moved her legs off the gurney... and promptly found herself face-first on the cement floor, groaning. Moving her hands under herself to pick herself up... she didn't even have the strength to pick herself back up.

After about fifteen minutes the doctor motioned to the prison guards. "Reduce her anti-supes by about 15%. Aparently it's sapping all her body's strength."

"...Or she wants us to think that."

"No... it's true. Her vital signs are weak." the doctor was tapping at a computer console outside the cell. "Help her up, put her back in bed."

"Bind her again?"

"No, not unless her vital signs cross over 50% on this display." the doctor instructed. "Right now she's showing about 5%, and that's too high a dose."

The Longbowmen guards complied. Hours passed. The guards were outside her cell talking in hushed tones, drinking coffee. She heard the periodic beeping of the medical computer outside the cell. There were no bonds on her. She did not move a muscle.

"Her readings are up..." one of them reported. "She's up to 75%. We need to shackle her, doc's orders."

"Alright, open 'er up."

The moment the clank was heard of the cell door opening, the guards, the cell, even the bars were all coated in a think layer over ice. Nearly naked and only wearing a hospital gown, the elven woman slid down the ice, and out the door, heading for the sunlight...

Only to stop, and turn a dark blue color, slumping to the floor, as she felt a large dart of iron pierce her chest from behind.

"You killed her!"

"No, you can't kill her, she's immortal. Only knock her out with iron slugs. Get her back in her bonds. And rebalance her anti-supes."

1. # #

March 08, 2007

A full year she'd been in this cursed place. Or more. She couldn't tell exactly, the days blended together in the darkened section of tight security confinement lockdown she was in. She could barely remember the passage of time. She remembered getting food on Christmas but she was too weak to pick up the plastic utensil and eat it. She just lived in this semi-dazed state. Awake and conscious, unable to sleep, only stare up at the ceiling.

"How long has she been like this?"

"About three months, Sir."

"She looks catatonic."

"Not really, she's awake, she can hear us, she just is too physically weak to move. We can't reduce her dosage of the anti-supes or she gets powerful enough to break out of her cell and we have to knock her out again. We've been trying to balance her medication, but haven't been able to find a good balance in the year or so she's been here." the doctor was reporting. "She tries to kill guards when she does that. They's why they put anti-powers field spikes all around her cell. We keep her life signs stable at about 5%. She seems unable to kill people at that level."

"But she's at a state of near-comatose."

"Sorry sir, that's the best we can do and not endanger lives of our personel."

"Very well, carry on."

Time swam by, beyond her ability to fully grasp in the drug-induced haze. She heard a loud noise. Alarm Klazons. Gunfire... lasers... part of her wanted to jump up at the sound, but she could barely open her eyes and look at the ceiling. It looked very red in here form the alarm lights...

A guard came to bring her the daily dose of the anti-supes... only to be shot dead on the floor. The only thought that she could register was that there was a little justice in the world.

"This one! This cell here. Geddit open!"

"Are you sure?"

"Kalinda's directions are exact. Get her out."

There was a loud concussion. The door was blown. The iron restraints removed. Still in a hospital robe, she stumbled to the floor.... standing up for the first time in twelve months straight. All that burned in her eyes was her hate. Slowly, unsteadily she walked forward. Longbowmen came to stop her, but found spikes of ice impaled through their skulls. She moved slowly at first, but slowly walking... her own way... to freedom.

All she could feel was her hate. It drove her forward. Like one driven before a herd of rampaging elephants, her hate drove her to continue to put one foot in front of the other, and impale anyone or anything that stood in her way... enabling her to walk to the surface level and the waiting Arachnos cruisers.

"Take her to Kalinda. She wants to see this one personally."

"What's so special about her?"

"Do not question the will of the Arbiters! Take her to Kalinda, immediately."

She collapsed to the floor of the cruiser immediately, having expended all the energy she had.

1. # #

There were lights around her head. She felt stronger than she'd felt in months when she finally stirred to wakefulness. A figure in red with a tall hat that covered her whole head looked down at her from above. She was not in the gurney... but a bed. The feeling of softness was foreign to her after a year of incarceration. It tingled like roses against her skin.

"Good morning, Rhiannon."

"Who... who are you?" she whispered. "How do you know me?"

"I am Kalinda, arbiter of Arachnos. I know much. I see things from all over the world, and across the barriers of time. I had you brought here."

Rhiannon groaned, sitting up straight, and looking at the red robed woman. She bored a red spider crest on her robes. "Arachnos..." the name clicked with her memory. Thoughts and memories started to stir in her mind. "They control the Rogue Isles, 50 miles off shore of Rhode Island, outside the range of United States jurisdiction."

"VERY good, Rhiannon. Even weakened your mind is still sharp. Just as I have forseen. You are on Mercy Island, part of the Rogue Islands chain, and closest to the Zig. This is called Fort Darwin. Here we weed the weak from the strong, and the strong are sent on a course to their destiny. And I have brought you something."

Her eyes became more focused. Kalinda handed her a small pile of clothes. "I'm sure you want out of that hospital gown."

Completely disregarding Kalinda's presence, Rhiannon angrily tore the hospital gown off, shredding it, and letting it fall to the floor. The black tights were woven of a strong material with the insignia of the spider. "They are strong." she commented.

"Megamesh. Hero class leathers, only modified to withstand extreme cold. Completely bulletproof. And machine washable."

There were black leather boots, pants, a shirt, and lastly a red trench coat with the spider emblem. She pulled them on, smiling. She felt her power returning already. The ice froze the floor underneath her. Kalinda smiled with approval. "Yes... already your powers return. We gave you a little supes to help encourage it, but not enough to be harmful. When you are ready, come to me upstairs at the launch bay. After twelve months steady dosages of anti-supes you will still be weak, but through rigorous training you may regain what you lost. Come to me... and your training will begin."

Rhiannon nodded. "Who are you, human?"

"Only a seer under the command of Lord Arachnos. And I have seen the power you once commanded. Train well, and you will command it again. That is why I had you broken out of the Zig."

Gladstone smiled, ice trembling from her fingertips like snow. "Call me... Madame Gladstone."