Ze'lan Fey
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| First it was for revenge. Now, it's for justice | |
| Ze'lan Fey | |
| Player: @Shadow Hopper | |
| Origin: | Natural |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Blaster |
| Security Level: | 31 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Erin Roberts |
| Known Aliases: | "Z" |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | ' |
| Height: | 5'8" (ish) |
| Weight: | ' |
| Eye Color: | Blue |
| Hair Color: | Brunette |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Confidential |
| Occupation: | Confidential |
| Place of Birth: | Galaxy City |
| Base of Operations: | Confidential |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | Unknown |
| Known Powers | |
| Energy and Fire eminate when angry | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Stubborn Determination | |
| Equipment | |
| Confidential | |
| No additional information available. | |
Contents |
Personality
Erin has a tough exterior that may come across as anti-social at times. She's not, however. Some may see her as a loner. and perhaps that's true. But anyone who's spent time talking with her will find that she can carry on a conversation with the best of them. She enjoys the interaction but has never learned the finer points of initiating dialogue or ingratiating herself into a crowd. Erin's spent most of her life laying low such that being the center of attention just never became part of her personality.
On the streets, "Zelandra" sees little difference between the thugs menacing a civilian and a group of villains taking up residence in the nearest area marked by her contacts as a place they'd "like her to check out." It's been only recent that Z, Erin, has found her focus in the greater missions by comparison. But she's never been one to turn her back on a person in need; sometimes taking on thugs or creatures much more powerful than herself.
Part of Erin's tough exterior is her black and white concept of right and wrong. It may not be a practical concept to most, but it's the one thing she holds dear. If not for that, she finds that it may be altogether to easy to find herself on the wrong side of the line between good and evil ... or Hero and Villain. Patroling the streets of Paragon, she's seen that line crossed one too many times.
On the inside, Erin's a cautious and quiet person. She has a temper that flares when things dont go right, but in her core, she's the reserved girl that never got to finish growing up before all that she was, was taken away.
Before the Hero
Mom & Dad
Erin's mom was the kindest, most gentle heart the world had ever known. The only exception to that rule, of course, would be when young Erin would decide to do something as foolish as break the rules ... or the furniture. There would be a look the eyes of Katherine Roberts that would scare a weaker person. Erin went to great lengths to cover the fact that she was scared out of her wits whenever her mom got that look. Erin may not remember much about her childhood, but certainly that look was something never to be forgotten. Once feared and revered, Erin now looks back on it with fondness.
Detective Jonathan Roberts of the Galaxy City PD showed no visible soft side to anyone. Anyone, except, that is, his daughter. To him, Erin was the apple of his eye and daddy's little girl. There would be some nights here Erin's dad would come home after a long shift and be content to fall asleep with his little girl in his arms, or just spend hours playing the silliest games around. On very rare, challenging nights however, Erin's dad would simply scoops her into his arms and hold her tight, as if he somehow thought she and mom wouldn't in fact be there waiting for him when he came home. He hugged both Erin and her mother as if he thought their world might, some day soon, come to an end.
Growing Up in Galaxy
Erin really had no complaints growing up. Well except for those things all kids complained about. Which pretty much was anything that didn't go her way, which admittedly wasn't much. Erin's childhood was full of fun because her mom was home to raise her and they would spend the gorgeous days out and about, running about every errand her mom could make an excuse for needing to run. Both Erin and her mom loved the sunshine and warm weather. In the winter, it was board games by the fireplace and warm hot chocolate. Erin's dad would come home and the three of them would finish the night off with dinner and Erin would be off to bed.
Once Erin was school age, things changed, but only slightly. Once mom was certain that Erin was making the adjustment to being with her peers, Katherine Roberts decided it was time to put her management skills to use and within a month's time, she was running a cafe. The only thing that changed was that from time to time, Erin could be found behind the counter of the Galaxy Cafe fielding orders, cutting cake or grabbing some other form of desert from behind the counter. The customer's thought it very adorable and Erin was fueled by the attention. This was apparent by the gleam in Erin's eyes every time she received a complement from the customers.
Meanwhile, at school, Erin started making friends. It didn't come as easily with her peers as it did with the adults. It took a while. Kids weren't as easy to win over. It wasn't until middle school that Erin's personality finally began to shine in the presence of her peers. Oddly enough, it was the same crowd who, in elementary school, thought it better to snicker and jeer and throw edible things than to carry on a decent conversation (as decent as an elementary school kid could have) as friends. Erin never really understood this phenomenon but just chose to ignore it and accept her friends at face value. Who knows, it probably had something to do with the whole "growing up" thing adults were always talking about. All in all, life in Paragon was not so bad.
The day it all changed ...
Erin remembers this day only as images plaguing her in the form of nightmares. Springtime had finally come to Galaxy City, after a particularly long, cold winter. The atmosphere at home, however, wasnt always as bright and cheery as the cloudless sky and the rising sun. Something was wrong.
Images of worried conversations filter through Erin's mind. For weeks, Katherine and John Roberts spoke in worried, hushed tones late at night in hopes Erin wouldnt hear, but she did hear. Erin's dad kept mentioning Port Patrol and was now dead set against it. He kept mentioning the words "Family" or "The Family" but Erin only thought that he was talking about them; their family. That was the only family she could think of.
The "Accident"
The sun was overhead today, but Erin could see clouds in the distance on her way home from school. The weather was about to change. If she didnt hurry home, she'd get caught in the rain.
Erin's family lived in a nice house on a quiet residential street ... so when Erin turned the corner and saw Galaxy City PD cruisers on her block and specifically at her door, she knew something was wrong. Suddenly her fingers went numb and it was all she could do not to drop her backpack and tearass into the house. Somehow though, Erin maintained her rosolve and walk calmly towards the house; thinking she must somehow be overreacting and that her parents would be there to greet her and tell her what's going on. They just had to be there.
Erin walked in to find her Aunt Theresa in the foyer surrounded by at least two GCPD officers. Aunt Theresa was in a state of numbness and shock. "That cant be good" Erin thought. Aunt T looked like the life had been choked out of her. Very carefuly, Erin walked past Theresa Malone and into the livingroom where she found Officer Charlie Mendez, a friend of the family and a co-worker of her dad's. Straight to the point, Erin asked, "Where's my dad?" In that moment, Charlie gave Erin the most tortured look of guilt, grief and despair Erin had ever known. "Vienes aqui` ... c'mere kiddo" he said. Erin walked slowly forward and Charlie encased her in a bear hug squeezing her quite tight, given his size. It was then that Erin's eyes began to tear. She knew that it was more than just a matter of something being wrong. Her parents were gone.
According to the officer's there, her dad was behind the wheel of the family's Jeep, navigating a few back roads in order to take the short cut home when he lost control of the vehicle. The GCPD was apparently labeling this as nothing more than "an accident." They'd already closed the case.
What seemed odd to Erin, even then, was that none of the officers were looking her or Aunt Theresa directly in the eye. There was something wrong about the crash and no one was talking. Her dad was a great driver. It wasn't even snowing anymore. How does one lose control of a 4 wheel drive vehicle on dry road? Erin tried to ask Charlie these questions and she even tried to bring the subject up to Aunt T. Charlie quickly shushed her inquiries, looking around nervously as if he was being watched. He told her that it was just simply the sadness and grief talking but the guilt on Charlie's face told Erin otherwise. Aunt Theresa, however, just saw Erin's questions as an annoyance and consistantly shooed her away. There were only 3 people in the world who would give credence to Erin's instinct; Erin ... and her parents.
Surviving Alone
It came as no surprise to Erin that none of her extended family had time to raise another kid. Aunt Theresa considered Erin's stages of grief and annoyance when mixed with that of her own. Erin was just too much to bear. It was too much to bear living with a solemn quiet child who had just lost her mother and father. Within a few months, Erin went from her aunt and uncle's in Providence to her aunt Meredith's in Barrington.
Every couple of months it was the same deal, going from relative to relative until finally, Erin ran out of relatives to be pawned off to. Erin was now a ward of the state, since no one in her family wanted her. To Erin, who was now 13, being in state custody was really worse than life itself. Her days were spent huddled on her bed, in the corner that it occupied. Her nights were spent sleeping lightly, for fear that some other girl would waltz over to her cube and steal something belonging to Erin. Within a month at the girl’s home, Erin quickly learned the penalties of a sound sleep and adjusted accordingly. So the nights that Erin didn’t spend crying her eyes out, were spent keeping watch for would be thieves because even though the state gave her most of her ‘belongings’, they were still hers nonetheless.
It would be a year before Erin would adjust and the tears finally dried. It would be a year before Erin would learn to fight for what was hers and what she wanted to be hers, and not let others walk all over her.
The group home tried to place her in a variety of foster homes, saying that a more quaint and residential living environment would be beneficial to her growth. But no matter where she was sent … she was always returned to the care of the group facility. Many of the foster parents cited Erin as either too quiet and self contained or too difficult to deal with, constantly getting into trouble with others. Finally, mere months away from her 15th birthday, Erin decided to leave it all behind and finally take to making her home on the streets of Paragon because anything would be better than the nothingness she’d endured and survived in up till now.
Within days Erin adjusted to life on the streets and within months, she acclimated. Erin now knew where to go to get the things she required most; like food, clothing, temporary shelter and most importantly an education. Erin didn’t plan on groveling on the streets for the rest of her life. Not by a long shot. By the age of 16, she was legally able to find work. Using the system to her advantage, Erin obtained identification and began work. Every cent of her earnings went into a bank account from the moment she was able to open one.
By the time Erin turned 17, she had a stable system of work and school. She was lucky enough to land a few jobs working with computers and knew that’s what she wanted to do. Some days Erin would wonder if her family ever thought about her. But those thoughts were dismissed as soon as they had come. She no longer had a family; not one that cared about her anyway, which was just like not having one at all.
The day Erin turned 18, she decided to use some of the money she’d saved and find a place to live. Erin rented a nice 1 bedroom flat in the Atlas Park area, near the Freedom Plaza. It was around this time that Erin managed to complete technical training and certification for software and web design and database management. Using her new found credentials, it wasn’t long before Erin found suitable work as a contractor for various companies. She even spent 3 years in City Hall as a system engineer. Technology was booming in the city of Paragon and Erin seemed to be at the center of it all; and very high in demand.
All of Erin’s employers adored and trusted her but she never let any of them get too close. Her coworkers knew her as friendly but not one to be crossed and that’s how she liked it. Things were going well. Erin had built her great wall around herself, and her heart, and lived peacefully inside. She never forgot the lessons she learned in the various homes and on the streets. Those lessons would keep her grounded as she moved forward in her life alone.
The Inheritance
One warm summer afternoon, three years after moving to Atlas, Erin arrived home and checked her mail. To her shock and surprise, there was a letter from the Paragon City Vault Reserve. "What the ...," Erin mumbled to herself before she opened the letter clearly addressed to her:
"Dear Ms. Roberts: The Paragon City Vault Reserve has been directed via certified letter to release the contents of the Estate of Katherine and Jonathan Roberts to your care ..." Erin's fingers shook and her stomach turned over at memories still hidden beneath the surface. Her parents, they had an estate? They knew something was going to happen to them, didnt they? Erin missed them so much. She also missed the life that was taken from her so many years ago.
Erin was at the Vault Reserve early the next day. Erin handed the letter to the receptionist who greeted her. The receptionist read only the first few lines before stopping cold, looking up at Erin with awe and replying, "Yes, of course, please wont you follow me this way?" At Erin's obvious trepidation the receptionist rushed to quickly assure her, "Oh no miss everything's well in order. Everything we do here is on the right side of things, if you know what I mean ... " Erin assumed she meant that they were particular to the heroes of society and at that she was able to relax a little while being led to a small but elegant conference room.
Approximately five minutes later the door to the conference room opened and a very stately gentleman walked in. He introduced himself as Michael Caldwell, the manager and head of the Vault Reserve. For everything about Mr. Caldwell's stature that should make him seem domineering in some way, he did everything in his power to project quite the opposite nature. He took a very calm relaxed pose and spoke in soft tones. Erin stood to shake his hand. "Hi, Mr. Caldwell, I'm - " he raised a hand and gently, added ... "Please, feel free to call me Mike or Michael ... and Erin, I know who you are. Sit, please."
"Erin, we recently received two letters within this envelope, it's postmarked Galaxy City but with no return address. Here, you should read them both. Actually, one's addressed to you. The other, to us here at the reserve." Erin opened the letter addressed to the Reserve:
In accordance with the last wishes of Katherine and Jonathan Roberts, enclosed herein, signed and notarized is the request of the couple that their vault possessions be released to their daughter, Erin Meredith Roberts. Erin, may prove difficult to locate. If this is the case, the vault is instructed to use whatever resources at their disposal to locate her. It is of the utmost importance. Once you've made conact with her, please give her the sealed envelope also enclosed within this one.
Michael handed her the sealed envelope and said, "whatever's in that letter, your parents went to great lengths to protect it, and you, even after their death. Yeah, I know your parents are gone, and have been for nearly a decade now... I'll give you a moment and then we can take a walk to your vault." At that, Michael Caldwell stood up and left the room Erin's mind was racing; uncertainty mingled with fear as she opened the second letter:
Our Darling Daughter, If you're reading this then our worst fears have come true and we're no longer with you. It's our hope that family would have taken you in and cared for you as one of their own. Of course we cant expect the love we have for you to be easily duplicated by others, even if they are relatives. You were, are and will always be our darling girl. If these last several years have treated you well then know that we've rejoiced when you've rejoiced as we've watched over you every single day. If these years have not been kind, our darling, we've felt your hurt and pain as our own as we've watched over you every day and we're so sorry. Locked in your memories are the answers you seek. In your search for them, always remember you're in our hearts always.
Erin's heart sank and helplessness flooded through her. Then, the conference room door opened and Michael Caldwell stepped back inside. "When you're ready, I'll show you to the vault."
The Vault Reserve went deeper than Erin could have ever dreamed. After a few twists and turns, Erin and Mr. Caldwell entered a small room; a vault room. In it was a table, a chair and a series of storage chambers of all sizes. Mr. Caldwell produced a key and said, "this entire chamber has somehow been paid for in full, this is the master key that opens each and every drawer. These items are yours now; so long as you know your way in and out, no one will ever question your being here. It's very discrete. And if you need anything at all, please dont hesitate to ask for me. Be safe Erin." And with that, he turned and left, closing the outer door with s soft click.
Turning the key over in her hand, Erin noticed a 4-digit number of some sort. Filing this away, she set to work on opening the vault chambers. Hours later, Erin found she was the owner of a small fortune. Liquid funds and assets that her parents had left for her. And that only covered the small amount of chambers she'd opened. There were more, but it was late, and Erin was tired.
Once out in the hall, Erin turned to look at the lock and wondered how'd she would manage to open it on her own. What she saw impressed her greatly. There was a keypad ... and a fingerprint reader. Her curiosity piqued, and an idea hit. Pulling out the key to the chambers, Erin punched in the 4-digit code. A green light flashed across the fingerprint pad and Erin placed her thumb on where indicated. Instantly the door to the room opened. How did it know? Erin pondered this as she left, with the feeling that after this, nothing in her life would ever be the same.
